House Resolution 134

(As Adopted by House)

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE DISTINGUISHED AND LAUDABLE LEGISLATIVE CAREER OF REPRESENTATIVE WILLIE JAMES PERKINS, SR., AND CONGRATULATING HIM UPON BEING ELECTED CHANCELLOR FOR SUBDISTRICT 7-2 OF THE SEVENTH CHANCERY COURT JUDICIAL DISTRICT.

WHEREAS, on November 27, 2018, the citizens of House District 32, and particularly the Mississippi State Legislature, received bittersweet confirmation of an official changing of the guard in the post held for the last 25 years by a visionary leader, friend, lawmaker and respected attorney, when the Honorable Willie James Perkins, Sr., was elected as a Chancellor for Subdistrict 7-2 of the Seventh Chancery Court Judicial District, which is comprised of parts of Bolivar, Coahoma, Leflore, Quitman, Tallahatchie and Tunica Counties; and

WHEREAS, the distinguished Gentleman from Leflore County, Mississippi, Representative Willie J. Perkins, Sr., an honored and cherished member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, revered for his legal expertise and credible public service, officially resigned from the Legislature on December 31, 2018, to assume his duties as chancellor after having been initially elected in November 1991; and

WHEREAS, a native of Greenwood, Leflore County, Mississippi, Representative Perkins answered his call to public service when he made the decision to attend law school after graduating cum laude from Tougaloo College with a double major in political science and Afro-American studies after only three and one-half years, and upon completing the requisite courses of study to obtain his juris doctorate from the University of Mississippi Law Center and subsequent admission to The Mississippi Bar, he embarked on the journey of jurisprudence, which has now spanned the course of approximately three decades, when he began working for North Mississippi Rural Legal Services in 1978 and served as the managing attorney for Greenwood Branch Office and Regional Office from 1978 to 1985; and

WHEREAS, additionally, Representative Perkins has served as an adjunct professor for Mississippi Valley State University, the owner and senior attorney of The Perkins Firm, PLLC, the city attorney for the Cities of Itta Bena and Tchula, Mississippi, and the attorney for the Greenwood Housing Authority, Central Mississippi Inc., and the Leflore County School District; and

WHEREAS, by utilizing the wealth of knowledge and expertise he garnered as an attorney in Leflore County, Representative Perkins gained stature as a prominent yet formidable politician, as his abilities and talent were immediately recognized by his colleagues; and

WHEREAS, with his natural governing ability and strong work ethic, he quickly rose from freshman lawmaker to an influential purveyor of equity with his appointment as Chairman of the Local and Private Committee in 2004, and from 2004 until 2011, Chairman Perkins zealously led with much deference and bipartisan participation while assisting many cities and counties in passing tourism taxes and other local bills to aid in economic development and enhancement, as he and Representative Percy Watson are credited for passing legislation to establish the convention center in Jackson and the two Civil Rights museums; and

WHEREAS, over the course of his storied legislative career, Representative Perkins' diligence and devotion to the office to which he was elected have been fueled by the desire to make the quality of life better for his immediate constituency base and the entire citizenry of the Hospitality State, as he has endeavored with feverish propensity through his vocal participation on the committees to which he was assigned, including: Apportionment and Elections, Local and Private Legislation, Public Buildings, Grounds and Lands, Banks and Banking, Management, Municipalities, County Affairs, Judiciary A, Ways and Means, Select Committee on Access and Affordable Medical Malpractice Insurance, Fees and Salaries of Public Officers, Judiciary B, Public Utilities, Appropriations, Youth and Family Affairs, Gaming and Insurance; and

WHEREAS, before he was passing landmark pieces of legislation from the floor of the majestic House chamber, Representative Perkins was blazing trails in the legal field and involved in numerous high-profile cases, and he was the first African-American city attorney and city judge of Pickens, the first African-American city prosecuting attorney and city judge for Greenwood, the first African-American to serve as board attorney for the Leflore County Board of Supervisors, the first African-American elected from Leflore County to the Mississippi House of Representatives since the Reconstruction Era, and now he has become the first African-American male to be elected as Chancellor for the Seventh Chancery Court Judicial District; and

WHEREAS, Representative Perkins' love and deeply felt respect for the Legislature as a hallowed institution has led him to fight to preserve and nurture its integrity, becoming a guardian of this democratic institution during a time in Mississippi's history when the diversity of the House membership expanded to include meaningful participation by women, African Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike, who equally hold a lion's share in the stake of advancing the direction of the state's economic, educational and political climate; and

WHEREAS, widely considered to be one of the most influential state leaders and skillful tacticians of Mississippi's evolving political atmosphere, Representative Perkins maintained a strong leadership role in every meaningful initiative addressed by the Mississippi Legislature during his tenure, including economic development, fiscal affairs, education, gaming, public health, transportation, agriculture, and election reform initiatives and programs; and

WHEREAS, a rare leader who was able to lead effectively and serve with humility while promoting the integrity and strength of the Legislature, Representative Perkins was known to be a fair and even-handed steward of the legislative process as demonstrated by his ability to uphold loyalty to the House of Representatives over individual political affiliations; and

WHEREAS, admired for his ability for building consensus in the Legislature across party lines regardless of the issues at hand, it is with the same deference that his presence to the bench is both essential and most appropriate to carry forward the service to the citizens of Bolivar, Coahoma, Leflore, Quitman, Tallahatchie and Tunica Counties who avail themselves of the judicial system; and

WHEREAS, the Gentleman from Leflore now exchanges the title "Representative Perkins" for "Your Honor," as he makes his departure from the stained glass ceiling and decorative walls of the chamber of the Mississippi House of Representatives for a private judge's chamber, where his legal expertise and experience as a well-versed arbiter of the law will aid him in the even-handed issuance of justice; and

WHEREAS, the members of this Legislature will cherish the bond and common goals for the betterment of our great state shared with Representative Perkins, and that his impeccable service was unparalleled to the Mississippi Legislature, the Mississippi Bar Association, the Magnolia Bar Association, the National Black Lawyer Conference, the National Black Conference of State Legislators, the National Conference of State Legislators, the constituents of District 32 and to this great state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the distinguished and laudable legislative career of Representative Willie James Perkins, Sr., congratulate him upon being elected Chancellor for Subdistrict 7-2 of the Seventh Chancery Court Judicial District, and fondest respect and best wishes for continued success in this new role as chancellor and all of his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Chancellor Willie James Perkins, Sr., and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.