--- title: HR 1420. Harrell, Anthony Trey; honoring the life and memory; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1420 cite_as: HR 1420, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1420 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1420.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1420/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73445 date: 2026-02-19 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/hr1419.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1421.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1420.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1420 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-19 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Gerald Greene - Karen Mathiak - Rick Townsend - Lee Hawkins - Darlene Taylor - Matt Barton text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1420/2025 upstream_id: 2120646 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - Blakely Georgia - Early County Board of Education - commemorative legislation --- # HR 1420. Harrell, Anthony Trey; honoring the life and memory; condolences ## Text House Resolution 1420 By: Representatives Greene of the 154th, Mathiak of the 82nd, Townsend of the 179th, Hawkins of the 27th, Taylor of the 173rd, and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Anthony Trey Harrell; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Anthony Trey Harrell on February 13, 2026; and WHEREAS, Anthony Trey Harrell was born on April 12, 1979, in Blakely, Georgia, a beloved son of Ray Harrell and Mary Sheppard; and WHEREAS, a dedicated member of the Blakely community, Trey was the proud owner and operator of Smitty's Grill as well as a member of the Early County Board of Education; and WHEREAS, he gave inspiration to many through his high ideals, morals, and deep concern for his fellow citizens, and the devotion, patience, and understanding he demonstrated to his family and friends were admired by others; and WHEREAS, he was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness, and by the example he made of his life, he made this world a better place in which to live; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Trey will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Anthony Trey Harrell and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. 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 Anthony Trey Harrell. ## 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 memory of Anthony Trey Harrell of Blakely, a local business owner and school board member who died on February 13, 2026. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial measure passed by the Georgia House of Representatives to recognize Anthony Trey Harrell, a Blakely, Georgia resident who died on February 13, 2026. The text recounts his life: born April 12, 1979 in Blakely, he owned and operated Smitty's Grill and served as a member of the Early County Board of Education. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally states that House members join in honoring his memory and expressing regret at his passing, and it directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for delivery to his family. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Georgia House of Representatives' condolences over the death of Anthony Trey Harrell. - Recites biographical details about Harrell, including his birth, family, business ownership, and school board service. - Directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Harrell's family. - Does not create, amend, or repeal any Georgia statute or allocate any state funding. ### Who it affects The resolution directly concerns the family of Anthony Trey Harrell and the Blakely and Early County community. It has no regulatory or legal effect on the broader public, businesses, or government agencies. ### Why it matters This is a symbolic tribute rather than a policy change. Its practical effect is limited to providing Harrell's family with an official record of the legislature's recognition of his life and community contributions in Blakely, Georgia. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Harrell's birth, family, business ownership of Smitty's Grill, and service on the Early County Board of Education. - The resolved clause states the House joins in honoring his memory and expressing regret at his passing. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-19) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-02-19) - Sponsors: Gerald Greene, Karen Mathiak, Rick Townsend, Lee Hawkins, Darlene Taylor, Matt Barton - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73445 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1420.md?full=1