--- title: HR 75. Ham, Phillip Benson, Sr.; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr75 cite_as: HR 75, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr75 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr75.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr75/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69608 date: 2025-01-28 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/hr74.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr76.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr75.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 75 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-01-28 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Robert Dickey - Tangie Herring - Clint Crowe text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR75/2025 upstream_id: 1945112 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - condolence resolution - Monroe County - Georgia House of Representatives - civic tribute --- # HR 75. Ham, Phillip Benson, Sr.; condolences ## Text House Resolution 75 By: Representatives Dickey of the 134th, Herring of the 145th, and Crowe of the 118th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Phillip Benson Ham Sr.; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Phillip Benson Ham Sr. on January 11, 2025; and WHEREAS, Phillip Benson Ham Sr. was born on January 6, 1934, in Smarr, Georgia, a beloved son of John Wesley Ham Sr. and Laura Belle Benson Ham; and WHEREAS, he dedicated over six decades to his legal career in Forsyth, Georgia, serving as president of the Flint Judicial Circuit Bar Association and as part of the Board of Governors of the Georgia Bar Association as well as playing an instrumental role in the creation of the Towaliga Judicial Circuit; and WHEREAS, he further served the State of Georgia as a state representative for 10 years, and during his tenure as vice-chair of the State Board of Elections, he championed education reform and economic development in Monroe County; and WHEREAS, during his 13 years as chairman of the Monroe County Board of Education, he guided the county through desegregation, secured funding for a new high school, and implemented higher salary supplements to attract and retain top teachers; and WHEREAS, he additionally served as president of the Monroe County Community Action Committee and director of the Monroe County Economic Development Authority, bringing major projects such as Plant Scherer and the Georgia Public Safety Training Center to Monroe County; and WHEREAS, Phillip Benson Ham Sr. was a leader in rural electrification and agricultural advocacy, serving as board chairman of the Central Georgia Electric Membership Cooperative, president of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, and legislative director of the Georgia Farm Bureau; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Phillip Benson Ham Sr. 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 Phillip Benson Ham Sr. 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 Phillip Benson Ham Sr. ## 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 Phillip Benson Ham Sr., a longtime Forsyth attorney, former state representative, and Monroe County civic leader who died in January 2025. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia House of Representatives marking the death of Phillip Benson Ham Sr. on January 11, 2025. It recounts his six decades practicing law in Forsyth, his ten years as a state representative, his 13 years chairing the Monroe County Board of Education, and his work bringing major economic projects to Monroe County. It also notes his roles in rural electrification and agricultural advocacy through groups like the Central Georgia Electric Membership Cooperative and the Georgia Farm Bureau. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It simply expresses the House's condolences and directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to Ham's family. ### What it does - Formally honors the life and memory of Phillip Benson Ham Sr. on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives. - Expresses the House's sincere regret at his passing. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to his family. - Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change; it is a ceremonial statement only. ### Who it affects The resolution directly affects the family of Phillip Benson Ham Sr., who will receive an official copy, and reflects the sentiment of the Georgia House of Representatives. It has no regulatory effect on the general public. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or policy consequences for Georgians generally. Its significance is symbolic and personal, offering the Ham family formal public recognition from the state legislature of his decades of legal, educational, and civic service in Monroe County. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses recount Ham's birth in Smarr, Georgia, his legal career in Forsyth, and his leadership roles in Monroe County government and economic development. - The resolved clause states that House members join in honoring his life and memory and express regret at his passing. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a copy available for distribution to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-01-28) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2025-01-28) - Sponsors: Robert Dickey, Tangie Herring, Clint Crowe - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69608 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr75.md?full=1