--- title: HR 305. Sagers, Richard B.; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr305 cite_as: HR 305, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr305 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr305.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr305/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70529 date: 2025-02-19 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/hr304.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr306.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr305.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 305 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-19 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Phil Olaleye - Teddy Reese - David Sampson - Omari Crawford - Robert Dawson - Bryce Berry text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR305/2025 upstream_id: 1976297 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - civil rights history - Georgia legislature resolutions - trucking industry discrimination - military service --- # HR 305. Sagers, Richard B.; condolences ## Text House Resolution 305 By: Representatives Olaleye of the 59th, Reese of the 140th, Sampson of the 153rd, Crawford of the 89th, Dawson of the 65th, and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Richard B. Sagers; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, born on March 21, 1933, in Stockbridge, Georgia, Richard B. Sagers came of age during a time of segregation and systemic racial discrimination; and WHEREAS, he served as a guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty in the United States Army's 11th Airborne Division, 188th A.I.R., as part of the first all-Black regiment to integrate Fort Campbell, Kentucky; and WHEREAS, following his distinguished military service, he earned his commercial driver's license in 1952, yet he faced widespread racial discrimination as trucking companies systematically refused to hire Black over-the-road drivers, denying them opportunities available to their white counterparts; and WHEREAS, in November 1969, he shattered racial barriers in the transportation industry by becoming the first Black over-the-road driver in the Southern Conference, enduring workplace hostility while opening doors for future generations of Black drivers; and WHEREAS, determined to challenge systemic discrimination, he filed the landmark class-action lawsuit Sagers v. Yellow Freight System in 1972 under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, exposing discriminatory hiring practices and securing a legal victory that helped dismantle racial inequalities in the trucking industry; and WHEREAS, his courageous legal battle garnered national attention and was championed by civil rights activists, labor unions, and renowned attorneys such as Donald Hollowell, Jack Greenberg, Elizabeth Rindskopf, and William L. Robinson, setting a legal precedent for future employment discrimination cases; and WHEREAS, Richard B. Sagers passed away on February 24, 1993, at the age of 59, leaving behind a legacy of courage and determination that lives on through his wife, Betty; his daughter, Veronica; and his grandchildren; 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. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Richard B. Sagers upon the 32nd anniversary of his passing for his historic contributions to civil rights, racial equality, and his country. 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 Richard B. Sagers. ## 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 House resolution honors the life of Richard B. Sagers, a Black trucking pioneer and civil rights litigant from Georgia, on the 32nd anniversary of his death. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives commemorates Richard B. Sagers, who was born in Stockbridge, Georgia in 1933, served in an early integrated U.S. Army unit, and in 1969 became the first Black over-the-road truck driver in the Southern Conference. In 1972 he filed the class-action lawsuit Sagers v. Yellow Freight System under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, challenging discriminatory hiring practices in the trucking industry. The resolution recounts his military service, his legal battle, and his death in 1993. It formally directs the Clerk of the House to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to his surviving family. As a resolution rather than a bill, it does not change any Georgia law; it is a ceremonial statement by the House. ### What it does - Formally honors the life and memory of Richard B. Sagers on the 32nd anniversary of his death. - Recounts his military service in an early integrated U.S. Army unit and his role as the first Black over-the-road driver in the Southern Conference. - Recognizes his 1972 class-action lawsuit, Sagers v. Yellow Freight System, brought under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to his family. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names Richard B. Sagers's surviving family, including his wife, daughter, and grandchildren, who will receive a copy. It also reflects on the trucking industry and civil rights history in Georgia, though it creates no legal obligations for any current business or agency. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or regulatory effect; it does not change Georgia law or create funding. Its significance is symbolic, formally recording the House's recognition of Sagers's civil rights legacy and providing his family an official memorial document from the state legislature. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses detail Sagers's birth, military service in the 11th Airborne Division, and his 1969 breakthrough as the first Black over-the-road driver in the Southern Conference. - The whereas clauses describe his 1972 lawsuit, Sagers v. Yellow Freight System, filed under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. - The resolving clause formally honors his memory upon the 32nd anniversary of his passing. - The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy of the resolution available to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-19) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-19) - Sponsors: Phil Olaleye, Teddy Reese, David Sampson, Omari Crawford, Robert Dawson, Bryce Berry - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70529 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr305.md?full=1