--- title: HR 552. Sumner, Michael Ernest; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr552 cite_as: HR 552, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr552 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr552.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr552/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71246 date: 2025-03-06 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/hr551.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr553.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr552.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 552 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-06 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Lynn Smith - Houston Gaines - Charles Cannon - David Jenkins - Josh Bonner - Lydia Glaize text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR552/2025 upstream_id: 1994227 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - Coweta County - Georgia House of Representatives - local education leaders --- # HR 552. Sumner, Michael Ernest; condolences ## Text House Resolution 552 By: Representatives Smith of the 70th, Gaines of the 120th, Cannon of the 172nd, Jenkins of the 136th, Bonner of the 73rd, and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Michael Ernest Sumner; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Michael Ernest Sumner on February 22, 2025; and WHEREAS, Michael Ernest Sumner was born on February 12, 1958, in Nashville, Tennessee, a beloved son of Ernest L. Sumner and Marjorie Meadows Sumner; and WHEREAS, his family moved to Decatur, Georgia, in 1959, and he graduated from Lakeside High School in 1976, the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia in 1980, and the University of Georgia Lumpkin School of Law in 1984; and WHEREAS, Michael Ernest Sumner began his distinguished legal career at Glover & Davis before working with Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs in Atlanta and later establishing his own law practice in Newnan in 1996, which continues today as Sumner Meeker LLC; and WHEREAS, he dedicated 16 years of service to the Coweta County Board of Education, including five years as board chair, where he played a pivotal role in founding the Nixon Centre for Performing and Visual Arts, developing Georgia's first technical charter high school, and implementing Coweta County's senior tax exemption; and WHEREAS, he was united in love and marriage to his wife of 39 years, Leah, and together they were blessed with three remarkable sons, Ernest, Stuart, and Thomas, and a cherished granddaughter, Mary; and WHEREAS, a man of deep and abiding faith, Michael Ernest Sumner devoted over five decades of his life to Central Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, participated in the chancel choir and a Gospel quartet, attended the weekly Men's Bible Study, and taught the Connections Sunday School Class alongside Leah; and WHEREAS, he was an enthusiastic sports fan who passionately supported Georgia football, Virginia basketball, and the Atlanta Braves, with an encyclopedic knowledge of team history, statistics, and personalities; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Michael Ernest Sumner will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Michael Ernest Sumner and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his 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 Michael Ernest Sumner. ## 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 Michael Ernest Sumner, a Newnan attorney and longtime Coweta County Board of Education member who died on February 22, 2025. ### Plain-language summary This is a commemorative resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it formally recognizes the life of Michael Ernest Sumner, who was born in Nashville, Tennessee, grew up in Decatur, Georgia, and built a legal career in Newnan, Georgia, including founding the firm now known as Sumner Meeker LLC. The resolution recounts his 16 years of service on the Coweta County Board of Education, his role in creating the Nixon Centre for Performing and Visual Arts and Georgia's first technical charter high school, his decades of involvement at Central Baptist Church, and his family, including his wife Leah and their three sons and granddaughter. The House resolves to honor his memory and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to his family. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Georgia House of Representatives' condolences on the death of Michael Ernest Sumner on February 22, 2025. - Recounts his career as an attorney in Newnan, Georgia and his 16 years of service, including five as chair, on the Coweta County Board of Education. - Credits him with helping found the Nixon Centre for Performing and Visual Arts, a technical charter high school, and Coweta County's senior property tax exemption. - 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 most directly affects the family of Michael Ernest Sumner, who will receive a copy of it, and the Coweta County community, including the Coweta County Board of Education and Central Baptist Church, where he was long active. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial effect and changes no Georgia law. Its significance is symbolic: it places an official House tribute to Sumner's civic and legal contributions in Coweta County into the public record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses detail Sumner's birth, education at Lakeside High School, the University of Virginia, and the University of Georgia School of Law, and his legal career. - The resolution credits his 16 years on the Coweta County Board of Education, including founding the Nixon Centre for Performing and Visual Arts and a technical charter high school. - The resolving clause has the House of Representatives formally honor his life and memory and express regret at his passing. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute a copy of the resolution to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-06) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-03-06) - Sponsors: Lynn Smith, Houston Gaines, Charles Cannon, David Jenkins, Josh Bonner, Lydia Glaize - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71246 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr552.md?full=1