SR100: SR100 Fort, Honorable Vincent D.; condolences

This is a memorial resolution passed by the Georgia Senate honoring the Honorable Vincent D. Fort, who served as a Georgia State Senator representing the 39th District from 1996 to 2017. The resolution recounts his life, including his career as a historian and teacher at Morehouse College and Morris Brown College, his authorship of Georgia's first hate crimes law in 2001, and his role in passing the Georgia Fair Lending Act in 2003. The resolution does not change any law. It simply expresses the Senate's condolences on his passing and directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Fort's family, including his wife, children, and grandchildren.

• Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's regret at the death of former State Senator Vincent D. Fort on December 22, 2024.
• Recounts Fort's biography, career, and legislative accomplishments as an official record in the Senate journal.
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Fort's family.
• Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute or appropriate any funding.

The resolution most directly affects the family of Vincent D. Fort, who will receive an official copy, and members of the Georgia Senate who adopt it as a formal statement of condolence. It has no legal effect on the public at large.

While the resolution carries no legal or financial consequences, it serves as an official public acknowledgment by the Georgia Senate of Fort's decades of legislative work, including hate crimes and predatory lending laws that remain part of Georgia's legal code.

• The resolution states the Senate honors Fort's life and memory and expresses 'deepest and most sincere regret at his passing.'
• Directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to Fort's family.
• Contains no operative legal changes, funding, penalties, or effective date beyond adoption of the resolution itself.

1. 2025-02-04Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-02-03Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)Primary sponsor
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• David Lucas (D, SD-026)
• Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)
• Larry Walker (R, SD-020)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Nabilah Islam Parkes (D, SD-007)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
• Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Colton Moore (R, SD-053)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Ed Setzler (R, SD-037)
• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)

• Georgia Senate
• condolence resolution
• Vincent D. Fort
• hate crimes law
• Georgia legislative history