Georgia CommonsSR 185: Duke, Nellie Dunaway; condolences
Last action February 13, 2025 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of Nellie Dunaway Duke, a longtime women's rights advocate from Carrollton, following her death on January 28, 2025.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Enrolled version, the latest LegiScan holds.
In plain language
This is a Georgia Senate resolution, a type of legislative statement that does not create or change any law. It recognizes the life of Nellie Dunaway Duke, who died on January 28, 2025, at age 93. The resolution recounts her upbringing in Rome, Georgia, her early basketball career, her 66-year marriage to Henry Duke, and her decades of civic and charitable work, including chairing the Georgia Commission on Women and supporting the effort to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in Georgia. The Senate resolves to formally express its regret at her passing and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to her family. It has no regulatory or budgetary effect.
What the bill does
- Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's condolences on the death of Nellie Dunaway Duke.
- Recites her biography, family history, and decades of civic and advocacy work in the resolution's text.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to her family.
- Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory requirement, as is typical for a memorial resolution.
Who it affects
The resolution directly affects the family of Nellie Dunaway Duke, including her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, who will receive a copy of it. It has no effect on the general public, agencies, or businesses.
Why it matters
While the resolution carries no legal or financial consequence, it serves as an official public record of the Georgia Senate honoring a private citizen's civic contributions, including her role in advancing women's rights in Georgia.
Key provisions
- The resolution's whereas clauses detail Nellie Dunaway Duke's birth, family, education, marriage, and career in community and civic work.
- The resolving clause states the Senate's regret at her passing and honors her memory.
- A further resolving clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute a copy of the resolution to her family.
From the bill
“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”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
- Elena Parent (D, SD-044)
- Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
- Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
- Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
- Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
- Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
- Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)
- Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
- RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
- Donzella James (D, SD-028)
- Jason Esteves (D, SD-035)
- Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
- Ed Harbison (D, SD-015)
- Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
- Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
- Sheikh Rahman (D, SD-005)
- Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
- Marty Harbin (R, SD-016)
- Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
- Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
- Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
- Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
Topics
- memorial resolution
- women's rights history
- Georgia Senate
- Carrollton Georgia