--- title: HR 176. Threadcraft, Johnese; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr176 cite_as: HR 176, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr176 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr176.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr176/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69988 date: 2025-02-05 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/hr175.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr177.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr176.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 176 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-05 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Lynn Smith text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR176/2025 upstream_id: 1958378 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - memorial resolution - Georgia educators - DeKalb County schools - House of Representatives tribute --- # HR 176. Threadcraft, Johnese; condolences ## Text House Resolution 176 By: Representative Smith of the 70th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Johnese Threadcraft; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Johnese Threadcraft on November 18, 2024; and WHEREAS, Johnese Threadcraft was born on June 12, 1951, in Calhoun County, Georgia, a beloved daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morris Lee Threadcraft Sr.; and WHEREAS, she demonstrated remarkable courage in her early years by voluntarily integrating Calhoun County High School before mandatory integration, excelling in her studies and graduating with honors; and WHEREAS, she continued her education at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, Georgia, where she again graduated with honors before embarking on a distinguished career as an educator; and WHEREAS, she began her professional career as an English and French teacher in Randolph County and later continued her work in Atlanta at Henderson High School and Salem High School in the DeKalb County School System; and WHEREAS, her passion for education extended beyond the classroom, leading her to serve as a system-wide writing coordinator for DeKalb County and as president of the DeKalb County Association of Educators; and WHEREAS, she was a devoted and active member of Beulah Missionary Baptist Church, where she served as president of the Usher's Board and worked tirelessly with the Learning and Educational Advancement Program (LEAP) Tutorial Program; and WHEREAS, Johnese Threadcraft remained a strong advocate for youth, racial justice, and educational excellence throughout her life; and WHEREAS, she was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness, and by the example she made of her life, she made this world a better place in which to live; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous woman, Johnese Threadcraft will long be remembered for her love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing her. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Johnese Threadcraft and express their deepest and most sincere regret at her 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 Johnese Threadcraft. ## 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 of Johnese Threadcraft, a longtime DeKalb County educator who died in November 2024, and offers condolences to her family. ### Plain-language summary This is a memorial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it formally recognizes the life of Johnese Threadcraft, who was born in Calhoun County, Georgia in 1951, integrated her local high school before it was required, and went on to a long career as an English and French teacher and writing coordinator in the DeKalb County School System. The resolution states that the House joins in honoring her memory and expresses regret at her passing. It also directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for her family. Resolutions like this one are symbolic gestures and carry no legal or regulatory effect on Georgians generally. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Georgia House of Representatives' condolences on the death of Johnese Threadcraft. - Recites her biography, including her education career in Randolph County and the DeKalb County School System. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to her family. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, since it is a commemorative resolution rather than legislation. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Johnese Threadcraft's family, who will receive a copy of it, and reflects on her impact on students and colleagues in the Randolph County and DeKalb County school systems and Beulah Missionary Baptist Church. ### Why it matters The resolution has no practical legal effect on Georgians; its significance is symbolic, giving formal recognition from the state legislature to the life and career of a longtime Georgia educator and community member and providing her family an official memorial document. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount Johnese Threadcraft's birth, education, and decades-long teaching career in Georgia public schools. - The resolved clause states the House joins in honoring her memory and expresses sincere regret at her passing. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy available to her family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-05) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-05) - Sponsors: Lynn Smith - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69988 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr176.md?full=1