--- title: HR 1330. Terry, John Raymond; honoring the life, service and historic legacy; retired Superintendent of Talbot County and the first African American Chief Probate Judge of Talbot County, Georgia; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1330 cite_as: HR 1330, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1330 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1330.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1330/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73144 date: 2026-02-11 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1329.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1331.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1330.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1330 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-11 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Sheila Jones - Debbie Buckner text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1330/2025 upstream_id: 2114650 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Talbot County - honorary resolution - probate court - public education - Georgia House of Representatives --- # HR 1330. Terry, John Raymond; honoring the life, service and historic legacy; retired Superintendent of Talbot County and the first African American Chief Probate Judge of Talbot County, Georgia; condolences ## Text House Resolution 1330 By: Representative Jones of the 60th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life, service, and historic legacy of John Raymond Terry, retired Superintendent of Talbot County and the first African American Chief Probate Judge of Talbot County, Georgia; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Georgia House of Representatives recognizes the importance of honoring individuals whose lives of service have strengthened their communities and advanced justice in the State of Georgia; and WHEREAS, John Raymond Terry faithfully served the citizens of Talbot County as Superintendent of Talbot County Schools, dedicating his professional life to public education and the development of future generations before his retirement; and WHEREAS, on August 5, 2008, John Raymond Terry, following his retirement as Superintendent of Talbot County, won the Democratic nomination for Probate Judge of Talbot County, Georgia, marking a historic moment in the county's judicial history; and WHEREAS, upon assuming office, John Raymond Terry became the first African American to serve as Chief Probate Judge of Talbot County, breaking longstanding racial barriers and establishing a legacy of progress, inclusion, and principled leadership; and WHEREAS, during his tenure as Probate Judge, Judge Terry served with integrity, wisdom, and fairness, earning the trust and respect of the citizens of Talbot County while faithfully upholding the laws and Constitution of the State of Georgia; and WHEREAS, the election and service of John Raymond Terry represented not only a personal achievement, but also a milestone in the civil, educational, and judicial history of Talbot County and the State of Georgia; and WHEREAS, it is with profound sorrow that the members of the Georgia House of Representatives note the passing of John Raymond Terry, and extend their deepest sympathy to his family, friends, colleagues, and all those whose lives were enriched by his leadership and service; and WHEREAS, the legacy of Judge Terry will endure through a life marked by devotion to education, justice, and public service, and by his historic role in advancing equal justice under the law. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor and remember the life and legacy of John Raymond Terry, retired Superintendent of Talbot County and the first African American Chief Probate Judge of Talbot County, Georgia, and commend a life of exemplary public service and historic leadership. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of John Raymond Terry. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors the life and legacy of John Raymond Terry, retired Talbot County Schools Superintendent and the first African American to serve as Chief Probate Judge of Talbot County. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives recognizing John Raymond Terry after his death. It recounts his career as Superintendent of Talbot County Schools and his later election in 2008 as Probate Judge of Talbot County, where he became the first African American to hold the position of Chief Probate Judge in that county. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally states the House's recognition of Terry's service in education and the judiciary, expresses condolences to his family and friends, and directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for his family. ### What it does - Formally recognizes John Raymond Terry's career as Superintendent of Talbot County Schools before his retirement. - States the House's recognition of Terry as the first African American to serve as Chief Probate Judge of Talbot County. - Expresses the House's condolences to Terry's family, friends, and colleagues following his death. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Terry's family. ### Who it affects This resolution directly concerns the family, friends, and colleagues of John Raymond Terry, as well as the Talbot County community he served through public education and the probate court. It creates no binding obligations for the public at large. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal effect on Georgia law or government operations; its significance is symbolic. It provides an official, public record of the Georgia House's recognition of Terry's career in education and his historic role as a judicial officeholder. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Terry's career as Superintendent of Talbot County Schools and his 2008 election as Probate Judge of Talbot County. - The resolved clause has the House 'honor and remember' Terry's life and 'commend' his public service and leadership. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to provide a copy of the resolution to Terry's family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-11) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-02-11) - Sponsors: Sheila Jones, Debbie Buckner - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73144 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1330.md?full=1