--- title: HR 459. Brinson, Matt; commend collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr459 cite_as: HR 459, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr459 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr459.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr459/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71043 date: 2025-02-28 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12 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/hr458.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr460.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr459.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 459 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-02-28 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Jon Burns - Lehman Franklin - Bill Hitchens - Butch Parrish - Mark Newton text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR459/2025 upstream_id: 1989262 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - commendation resolution - rural electric cooperatives - Jenkins County - Georgia House of Representatives --- # HR 459. Brinson, Matt; commend ## Text House Resolution 459 By: Representatives Burns of the 159th, Franklin of the 160th, Hitchens of the 161st, Parrish of the 158th, and Newton of the 127th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Matt Brinson; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Matt Brinson has 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 leadership as part of the Planters Electric Membership Corporation (EMC); and WHEREAS, he began his 48-year tenure as a warehouse clerk and progressed through positions such as plant accountant, manager of administrative services, and assistant manager before assuming the role of general manager on February 1, 1999, leading the cooperative in serving consumers across seven counties in Southeast Georgia; and WHEREAS, he has contributed significantly to the cooperative sector through his service on the Go Energy Financial Credit Union Board, the Smarr EMC Board, and the Georgia Energy Cooperative Board; and WHEREAS, he further exemplified his dedication to the rural electric industry by serving as president of the Georgia Rural Electric Managers' Association in 2011; and WHEREAS, his contributions to Jenkins County were recognized when he was named the 2014 Jenkins County Citizen of the Year, a testament to his commitment to community service and civic engagement; and WHEREAS, in addition to his professional and civic contributions, he is co-owner of Brinson's Barbeque, an iconic family restaurant in Jenkins County founded by his parents in 1966, which he continues to operate alongside his two sisters; and WHEREAS, Matt Brinson is a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness; and WHEREAS, he has served with honor and distinction with Planters EMC, and his vision and unyielding commitment to advancing rural electric services will be sorely missed upon his retirement; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this remarkable and distinguished individual be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize and commend Matt Brinson for his many exemplary years of service to Southeast Georgia; congratulate him upon the grand occasion of his retirement; and extend the most sincere best wishes for continued health and happiness. 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 Matt Brinson. ## 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 commends Matt Brinson, the retiring general manager of Planters Electric Membership Corporation, for his 48 years of service to Southeast Georgia. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives honoring Matt Brinson, who spent 48 years working for Planters Electric Membership Corporation (EMC), a rural electric cooperative serving seven counties in Southeast Georgia. He started as a warehouse clerk and rose to general manager in 1999. The resolution recounts his career, his service on several cooperative boards, his term as president of the Georgia Rural Electric Managers' Association, his 2014 recognition as Jenkins County Citizen of the Year, and his co-ownership of his family's restaurant, Brinson's Barbeque. The House formally recognizes and commends Brinson for his service, congratulates him on his retirement, and directs the Clerk of the House to provide him a copy of the resolution. It does not change any Georgia law. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Matt Brinson for his 48 years of service to Planters Electric Membership Corporation and Southeast Georgia. - Congratulates Brinson on his retirement and extends best wishes for his health and happiness. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to Brinson. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, as is typical for a commendation resolution. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names and honors Matt Brinson. It also references Planters Electric Membership Corporation, the Georgia Rural Electric Managers' Association, and Jenkins County, where his family restaurant operates, though it imposes no obligations on them. ### Why it matters This resolution has no legal or regulatory effect on Georgians generally. Its significance is symbolic: it is an official statement by the Georgia House of Representatives publicly honoring one individual's decades of work in rural electric service and community involvement. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses detail Brinson's 48-year career at Planters EMC, from warehouse clerk to general manager starting February 1, 1999. - The whereas clauses note his service on the Go Energy Financial Credit Union Board, the Smarr EMC Board, and the Georgia Energy Cooperative Board. - The resolved clause commends Brinson for his service and congratulates him on retirement. - The final clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to Brinson. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-02-28) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-02-28) - Sponsors: Jon Burns, Lehman Franklin, Bill Hitchens, Butch Parrish, Mark Newton - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71043 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr459.md?full=1