House Concurrent Resolution 59

(As Adopted by House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE MOST HONORABLE AND DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN FROM TALLAHATCHIE, REPRESENTATIVE TOMMY REYNOLDS FOR HIS ESTEEMED AND LAUDABLE LEGISLATIVE CAREER AND PUBLIC SERVICE UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE MISSISSIPPI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WHEREAS, the honorable and distinguished Gentleman from Tallahatchie, Representative Thomas Upton (Tommy) Reynolds, II, after 44 years of legislative service in the hallowed halls of the Mississippi State Capitol, has announced his plans to retire from the Mississippi House of Representatives at the conclusion of his current term, after working tirelessly throughout all of those years on behalf of the citizens of Mississippi and his House district, which over the years has been District 32 or District 33 and has included portions of Tallahatchie, Yalobusha, Grenada and Lafayette Counties; and

WHEREAS, before taking his seat as a member of the House in 1980, Representative Reynolds, a Charleston native now living in Water Valley and a 1971 graduate of East Tallahatchie Attendance Center, completed all of his college coursework in three years and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Mississippi in 1974, where he began his many decades of holding elective office by serving as a member of the Associated Student Body Senate for five years, and graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law with a Juris Doctor degree in 1977, and soon afterward he began his long career in public service as a municipal judge for the City of Charleston, where he presided in 1977 and 1978; and

WHEREAS, after his election to the House of Representatives in 1979, where he succeeded fellow long-time member George Payne Cossar, Sr., Representative Reynolds became the distinguished "Gentleman from Tallahatchie" when he was sworn into office on the first day of his first legislative session in January 1980, and right away he began requesting the drafting of legislation, amendments and reports to try to enact into law the policies that his constituents elected him to pursue and promote; and

WHEREAS, Representative Reynolds served during the terms of 19 of the highest-ranking officers in the executive and legislative branches during his nearly five decades in the House, including eight governors, beginning with William Winter, seven lieutenant governors, beginning with Brad Dye, and four House speakers, beginning with Buddie Newman; and

WHEREAS, during his long tenure as a member of the House, Representative Reynolds has held a number of positions of leadership, including serving as Chairman of the Oil, Gas and Other Minerals Committee from 1988 until 1992, Vice Chairman of the Judiciary B Committee from 1992 until 1996, Chairman of the Local and Private Committee from 1996 until 2000, Chairman of the Apportionment and Elections Committee from 2000 until 2012, Chairman of the Joint Legislative Reapportionment Committee and the Joint Congressional Redistricting Committee from 2008 until 2012, Vice Chairman of the Judiciary A Committee from 2012 until 2016, Vice Chairman of the Apportionment and Elections Committee from 2016 until 2020, and Vice Chairman of the Judiciary A Committee from 2020 until 2024; and he also served as a member of the Agriculture, Appropriations, Conservation and Water Resources, Constitution, County Affairs, Highways and Highway Financing, Interstate Cooperation, Judiciary En Banc, Management, Military Affairs, Penitentiary, Public Health and Human Services, Rules, Transportation and Ways and Means Committees, and the Joint Code Committee; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of his leadership ability and the many contributions that he had already made to the House by that time, Representative Reynolds was elected as Temporary Speaker by acclamation on the first day of the 2004 session, and in that role he presided over the election of the permanent Speaker and administered the oath of office to newly elected Speaker Billy McCoy; and

WHEREAS, among the multitude of memorable and significant legislation that was passed during Representative Reynolds' service in the House, those of which he is most proud and which he personally supported or made important contributions to, include the landmark Education Reform Act of 1982, enacted during his first term in office, which resulted in mandated statewide kindergartens; changing the House Rules in 1987, which helped to make the House a more open and democratic body; providing for a constitutional initiative process in 1992, which allowed the citizens to propose and approve changes to the Mississippi Constitution; creating the Court of Appeals of Mississippi in 1993, which helped relieve the burden on the Mississippi Supreme Court in hearing and deciding appeals; creating the Motor Vehicle Ad Valorem Tax Reduction Fund in 1994, which he personally designed in a handwritten floor amendment that was narrowly adopted and became the basis for the final bill that reduced the high cost of car tags; and personally crafting the legislative reapportionment plan in 2002, which set the lines for all of the House and Senate districts that were used for the first three legislative elections held in the new century and also solidified his well-served reputation as the master of reapportionment and redistricting; and

WHEREAS, Representative Reynolds was a member of the "House 26," a group of 26 young, rebellious members who in 1984 planted the seeds for the winds of change in the House when they unsuccessfully sought to change the House Rules to make the House more open and give the average member more say in the process, and their principled stance was considered at the time to be either courageous or foolish depending on one's perspective; they failed in their challenge that year and were relegated to relatively meaningless committee assignments for their efforts, but the group did not give up, and within a few years the original 26 rebels had blossomed into a three-fifths majority of the House; and in a dramatic vote during the first week of the 1987 session, they ultimately prevailed, leading a successful revolt that changed the House Rules and reduced the powers of the Speaker over the body; and their untiring endeavors to accomplish their goal resulted in the most substantial changes to the institutional structure of the body in the modern history of the House; and

WHEREAS, Representative Reynolds is not one who has limited his community involvement to the Legislature, as he has been practicing as a small-town attorney ever since he graduated from law school, during which he has helped many thousands of individuals with their legal issues both large and small, and has also served as the board attorney for the Board of Supervisors of Tallahatchie County for 28 years and attorney for the City of Charleston for five years; and he has constantly been active in his district in numerous ways and dedicated to improving the quality of life for all citizens, as evidenced by his affiliation with and service as a member of the Rotary Club, the March of Dimes, and the Mississippi Farm Bureau; and

WHEREAS, the son of a Baptist minister who grew up in the church, Representative Reynolds often quotes from Scripture when making speeches on the House floor, and he loves the King James Version of the Bible and the wisdom contained therein, with his favorite verse of Scripture being Galatians 6:9, which says "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not;"

WHEREAS, throughout all of his years of service in the House, Representative Reynolds has received constant support, encouragement and love from his family, who have endured the daunting struggles that accompany the life of an elected official, and much credit is due to his loved ones who have sacrificed countless hours without him so that he could fulfill his legislative obligations, including his wife Liz, their three children, Rebecca, Upton and Daniel, and their three young grandchildren, all of whom he holds dear as his greatest assets in his life; and

WHEREAS, Representative Reynolds is known and admired for his always positive outlook, his easy-going temperament, his insightful intellect and his passion for important issues, and he has always been and remains a exceptional gentleman, grounded in integrity, highly regarded for his understanding of the ultimate purpose of legislation, which is to help people, and he continually seeks to improve the lives of others through his hard work, positive example and the undeniable truths of the Word of God; and

WHEREAS, leaving the Capitol will not end Representative Reynolds' passion for public service, and retiring from the Legislature does not mean that he is retiring, period, as he plans to maintain his law practice on the Court Square in Charleston, and he considers it a blessing to be able to serve each client that he represents; and he plans to be just as involved on the local level and other levels as he has been in Jackson, and wants to continue to make a difference wherever and in whatever capacity that he has; and

WHEREAS, the members of the House will cherish the bond and common goals for the betterment of this great state that they shared with Representative Reynolds over the course of the past 44 years, and his impeccable service, devotion and commitment to the Mississippi Legislature and to the constituents of his House district are unparalleled and will be greatly missed; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of this Legislature to commend the stellar service of public servants such as our colleague and friend, Tommy Reynolds, who has represented his district, the House of Representatives and the people of this state with honor and dignity and is leaving a legacy of remarkable legislative service as he departs the Capitol:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we heartily commend the most honorable and distinguished Gentleman from Tallahatchie, Representative Tommy Reynolds, for his most esteemed and laudable legislative career and public service, and express our fondest respect and best wishes for continued success in all his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Representative Tommy Reynolds and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.