Senate Concurrent Resolution 507

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER MISSISSIPPI GOVERNOR KIRK FORDICE AND EXPRESSING THE SYMPATHY OF THE LEGISLATURE ON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, former Mississippi Governor Daniel Kirkwood "Kirk" Fordice, Jr., passed away on Tuesday, September 7, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Governor Fordice served as Governor of the State of Mississippi from 1992-2000; and

WHEREAS, Governor Fordice will go down in history for significant firsts: trailblazing as the first GOP Governor since Reconstruction, establishing Mississippi as a true two-party state, being the first to win back-to-back gubernatorial terms in modern times, championing private enterprise, and as a non-politician who earned the respect even of his foes. He left a memorable, lasting mark; and

WHEREAS, Kirk Fordice was a true Mississippi success story. He was a successful Vicksburg businessman who willed himself into the State's highest office, achieving what many believed impossible at the time. He focused our State's energies on economic development during his terms and moved Mississippi's economy into a new era of growth. He imprinted his brand of fiscal conservatism on Mississippi's budget by creating the first-ever "Rainy Day Fund" and leaving Mississippi's budget with a surplus. He introduced welfare reform to Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, his frank, outspoken and unwavering style made him a respected figure with his political opponents and a beloved Governor by Mississippians across the state who elected him twice; and

WHEREAS, Fordice supported tort reform, aggressive law enforcement and prison reform, increased tourism funding and set a limit on spending. A fierce opponent of what he referred to as tax-and-spend liberalism, he took frequent shots at Democratic and liberal opponents; and

WHEREAS, he was jovial, interesting and collegial--a man's man and a guy you couldn't help but enjoy being around; and

WHEREAS, Governor Fordice stood tall in the public arena and battled tenaciously for his beliefs. At the end of the day, he left Mississippi better than he found it; and

WHEREAS, Governor Fordice's surviving family is his former wife, Pat of Madison, his daughter, Angie Roselle of Vicksburg; his sons, Hunter Fordice and Dan Fordice of Vicksburg; and Dr. Jim Fordice of Nashville, Tennessee; 12 grandchildren; and his beloved dog, Lance; and

WHEREAS, we mourn with the Fordice family for the loss of a loved one, and we mourn with Mississippi for the loss of a leader: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the life and legacy of former Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice and express to his surviving family the sympathy of the Legislature on his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Governor Fordice and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.