--- title: HR 228. Duke, Nellie Dunaway; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr228 cite_as: HR 228, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr228 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr228.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr228/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70213 date: 2025-02-11 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/hr227.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr229.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr228.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 228 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-11 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Carolyn Hugley - Karen Bennett - Debra Bazemore - Tanya Miller - Park Cannon - Debbie Buckner text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR228/2025 upstream_id: 1965825 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - women's rights history - Georgia Commission on Women - Carrollton Georgia --- # HR 228. Duke, Nellie Dunaway; condolences ## Text House Resolution 228 By: Representatives Hugley of the 141st, Bennett of the 94th, Bazemore of the 69th, Miller of the 62nd, Cannon of the 58th, and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Nellie Dunaway Duke; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Nellie Dunaway Duke on January 28, 2025; and WHEREAS, Nellie Dunaway Duke was born on March 8, 1931, in Cave Springs, Georgia, a beloved daughter of Jack and Emily Broom Dunaway; and WHEREAS, she spent her early years in Rome, Georgia, where she attended Girl's High School and played basketball during a time when female players were restricted to half-court positions, excelling as a running guard through her skill and determination; and WHEREAS, upon graduating from high school at 16, she played semi-professional women's basketball for two years before meeting and marrying Henry Duke in December 1948, with whom she shared 66 years of loving marriage; and WHEREAS, Nellie Dunaway Duke was a tireless advocate and champion for women's rights who played a pivotal role in the efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Georgia and served for decades as the chair of the Georgia Commission on Women, often using her homemade "Nellie's Jellies" as a calling card to engage lawmakers and governors; and WHEREAS, beyond her advocacy, she was a dedicated servant leader who worked as the director of Christian education for the First Methodist Church in Carrollton, the director of the Teen Club at the Carrollton Recreation Department, and the West Georgia regional director for the American Cancer Society; and WHEREAS, she was blessed with five wonderful children, Gary, Carol, Kenneth, Michael, and Alan; ten outstanding grandchildren, Jonathan, Jessica, Jennifer, Jesse, Seth, Sarah, Emily, Amber, Ben, and Hannah; and ten magnificent great-grandchildren; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous woman, Nellie Dunaway Duke 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 Nellie Dunaway Duke 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 Nellie Dunaway Duke. ## 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 Nellie Dunaway Duke, a Carrollton women's rights advocate who died on January 28, 2025, and directs a copy be sent to her family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia House of Representatives marking the death of Nellie Dunaway Duke, who was born in Cave Springs in 1931 and spent much of her life in Carrollton. It recounts her early years playing basketball, her decades of advocacy for women's rights including work toward ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment in Georgia, and her long service as chair of the Georgia Commission on Women. The resolution also notes her community service roles, including work with a Methodist church, a local recreation department, and the American Cancer Society, and lists her surviving family members. It does not change any law. It simply expresses the House's condolences and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to her family. ### What it does - Formally expresses the House of Representatives' condolences on the death of Nellie Dunaway Duke. - Recites biographical details about her life, family, and decades of civic and advocacy work in Georgia. - Directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to her family. - Creates no new law, funding, or ongoing government obligation; it is a one-time commemorative statement. ### Who it affects This resolution directly concerns the family of Nellie Dunaway Duke, who will receive a copy, and reflects recognition by the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not impose duties or effects on the general public, agencies, or businesses. ### Why it matters The resolution has no legal or regulatory effect on Georgians generally. Its practical significance is symbolic: it places an official record of appreciation for Duke's life and advocacy work into the Georgia House's records and provides her family a formal memorial document. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount Duke's birth, family, education, athletic career, and 66-year marriage to Henry Duke. - It highlights her role in advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment in Georgia and her tenure as chair of the Georgia Commission on Women. - It notes her community service roles with a Methodist church, a recreation department, and the American Cancer Society. - The resolving clause expresses the House's regret at her passing and honors her memory. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute a copy of the resolution to her family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-11) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-11) - Sponsors: Carolyn Hugley, Karen Bennett, Debra Bazemore, Tanya Miller, Park Cannon, Debbie Buckner - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70213 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr228.md?full=1