--- title: HR 1708. W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway; Newton County; dedicate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1708 cite_as: HR 1708, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1708 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1708.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1708/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74120 date: 2026-03-19 status: introduced 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/hr1707.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1709.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1708.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1708 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-16 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Tim Fleming text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1708/2025 upstream_id: 2134570 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - highway dedication - Newton County - memorial resolution - Georgia Department of Transportation --- # HR 1708. W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway; Newton County; dedicate ## Text House Resolution 1708 By: Representative Fleming of the 114th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life of Mr. William Donaldson "Don" Ballard and dedicating a road in his memory; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Mr. William Donaldson "Don" Ballard graduated from Covington High School and earned bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Georgia; and WHEREAS, Mr. Ballard served as a guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty with the United States Navy during World War II and trained as an underwater demolitionist, known as amphibs, to destroy manmade, underwater obstacles; and WHEREAS, he diligently and conscientiously devoted innumerable hours of his time, talents, and energy toward the betterment of his community and state as evidenced dramatically by his superlative service as the attorney for Newton County, the Newton County Water and Sewage Authority and the cities of Oxford, Mansfield, Covington, Porterdale, Newborn, Walnut Grove, and Jersey; and WHEREAS, Mr. Ballard was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1957 and served until 1970, when he was elected to the Georgia Senate for District 45; and WHEREAS, in the Senate, Mr. Ballard served as chairperson of the Secondary Education, Upper Ocmulgee Economic Opportunity, and Industry, Labor, and Tourism Committees; and WHEREAS, he was elected mayor of Oxford in 2004, where he established a citizen committee that assisted and advised on city planning, paving way for numerous city projects such as the destruction of the utility and work yard, building of the modern utility system, upgrading the city's equipment and personnel; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkable and distinguished Georgian be recognized appropriately by dedicating a road in his memory. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the portion of State Route 81 from East Clark Street to West Richardson Street in Newton County is dedicated as the W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is authorized and directed to erect and maintain appropriate signs dedicating the W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the family of Mr. William Donaldson "Don" Ballard and to the Department of Transportation. ## 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 would honor the late Newton County attorney and legislator W.D. "Don" Ballard by naming a stretch of State Route 81 the W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway. ### Plain-language summary This resolution recognizes the life and public service of William Donaldson "Don" Ballard, a Newton County native who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, worked as an attorney for Newton County and several cities, served in the Georgia House and Senate, and later became mayor of Oxford. It lists his career accomplishments as the reason for the honor. The operative part of the resolution dedicates the portion of State Route 81 between East Clark Street and West Richardson Street in Newton County as the W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway. It directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to put up and maintain signs marking the dedication, and it directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to Ballard's family and to the Department of Transportation. ### What it does - Dedicates the segment of State Route 81 between East Clark Street and West Richardson Street in Newton County as the W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway. - Directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the memorial highway designation. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send copies of the resolution to Ballard's family and to the Department of Transportation. ### Who it affects The resolution directly affects the Georgia Department of Transportation, which must install and maintain signage, and the family of W.D. "Don" Ballard. It also affects residents and drivers in Newton County who use the renamed stretch of State Route 81. ### Why it matters The practical effect is limited to signage and naming: a specific stretch of state highway in Newton County will carry Ballard's name, giving the Department of Transportation a small maintenance duty and giving the community a lasting public memorial to a local public servant. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses detail Ballard's Navy service, his legal work for Newton County and several cities, and his terms in the Georgia House and Senate. - The first resolving clause dedicates the named portion of State Route 81 in Newton County as the W.D. "Don" Ballard Memorial Highway. - The second resolving clause authorizes and directs the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain appropriate signs. - The final resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to Ballard's family and the Department of Transportation. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-03-16) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-19) - Sponsors: Tim Fleming - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74120 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1708.md?full=1