--- title: HR 226. Arnold, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr226 cite_as: HR 226, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr226 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr226.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr226/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70160 date: 2025-02-10 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/hr225.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr227.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr226.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 226 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-10 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Lydia Glaize - Derrick Jackson text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR226/2025 upstream_id: 1964534 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Fairburn Georgia - condolence resolution - local government history - House of Representatives tributes --- # HR 226. Arnold, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall; condolences ## Text House Resolution 226 By: Representatives Glaize of the 67th and Jackson of the 68th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold on January 26, 2025; and WHEREAS, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold was born on April 10, 1930, in Newnan, Georgia, a beloved daughter of Essie Mae and Milton Stegall; and WHEREAS, she was baptized at an early age at Dent Chapel A.M.E. Church and remained steadfast in her faith throughout her life, later becoming a devoted member of Saint John A.M.E. Church, where she served as a stewardess, an officer on the Steward Board, and a member of the Missionary Board Society; and WHEREAS, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold dedicated nearly 50 years of her life to serving the City of Fairburn, Georgia, where she worked, volunteered, and contributed to many schools, churches, and nonprofit organizations, enriching the lives of countless individuals in her community; and WHEREAS, she made history as the first African American city councilwoman of Fairburn, serving with distinction for 12 years and earning accolades such as the Council Member Outstanding Service Award and the Legacy Trailblazer Award in recognition of her lasting contributions; and WHEREAS, she was further invited to multiple presidential inaugural ceremonies, including those of Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and was the recipient of both the Commemorative Presidential Print Award and the National Resource Defense Council Award; and WHEREAS, a woman of boundless generosity and warmth, she was known for her hospitality, her legendary home-cooked Sunday dinners, and her ability to make anyone feel like family; and WHEREAS, she found joy in nurturing both her community and her garden, winning Yard of the Year multiple times and transforming her front yard into an unwritten landmark in Fairburn; and WHEREAS, she was united in love and marriage to her husband, Lawrence, and together they were blessed with seven remarkable children, Lawrence, Alford Sr., Jane, Shanterria, Cheryl, Bobby, and Kimberly, as well as 22 wonderful grandchildren and four beloved great-grandchildren; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and devoted woman, Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold 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 Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold 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 Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold. ## 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 Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold, Fairburn's first African American city councilwoman, who died on January 26, 2025. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives is a formal tribute rather than a change to state law. It recognizes Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold of Fairburn, Georgia, who died on January 26, 2025, and recounts her life: her birth in Newnan in 1930, her decades of church and community service, and her historic role as the first African American city councilwoman of Fairburn, where she served 12 years. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy for delivery to her family. It carries no funding, penalties, or changes to the Official Code of Georgia; its only effect is the formal expression of the House's condolences and the distribution of the document to her survivors. ### What it does - Formally honors the life and memory of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives. - Expresses the House's sincere regret at her passing. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to her family. - Creates no new law, funding, or penalties, since it is a commemorative resolution rather than a bill amending the Georgia Code. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names the family of Essie Frankie Mae Stegall Arnold, including her husband, seven children, 22 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. It also reflects recognition of the City of Fairburn and the churches and organizations she served. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal or financial effect on Georgians generally. Its practical significance is symbolic: it gives Arnold's family an official record of the state legislature's recognition of her decades of civic and community service in Fairburn. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount her biography, including her birth in Newnan in 1930, her church service, and her 12 years on the Fairburn City Council as its first African American councilwoman. - The resolving clause states that House members join in honoring her life and express regret at her passing. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy available to her family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-10) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-10) - Sponsors: Lydia Glaize, Derrick Jackson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70160 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr226.md?full=1