Georgia CommonsSR 755: Coleman, Dr. Thomas L.; condolences
Last action February 11, 2026 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of Dr. Thomas L. Coleman, a DeKalb County public servant and Air Force veteran who died on January 31, 2026.
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 memorial resolution passed by the Georgia Senate. It does not change any law; instead it formally recognizes the life and death of Dr. Thomas L. Coleman, who served over 25 years in the United States Air Force and later held several public service roles in DeKalb County, including Chief of Staff to former DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Burrell Ellis and Chief Deputy Commissioner at the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. The resolution recounts his career and community service, including his time as a commissioner with the DeKalb County Housing Authority and various civic boards, and the honors he received during his life. The Senate resolves to express its condolences to his family and directs the Secretary of the Senate to send an official copy of the resolution to them.
What the bill does
- Formally expresses the Georgia Senate's condolences over the death of Dr. Thomas L. Coleman on January 31, 2026.
- Recounts his military service in the United States Air Force and decades of public service roles in DeKalb County and Georgia state government.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute an official copy of the resolution to Dr. Coleman's family.
- Creates no new law, funding, or regulatory change; it is a commemorative statement only.
Who it affects
This resolution directly concerns the family and community of Dr. Thomas L. Coleman. It has no regulatory or financial effect on the general public, businesses, or government agencies beyond the Senate's own administrative act of distributing the document.
Why it matters
The resolution carries symbolic weight rather than legal effect. It provides an official Senate record honoring Dr. Coleman's decades of military and public service and gives his family a formal expression of the legislature's sympathy, but it changes no laws or policies.
Key provisions
- The resolution recites Dr. Coleman's biography, military service, and public service career in DeKalb County and Georgia state government.
- The Senate resolves to honor his life and memory and expresses its sincere regret at his passing.
- The Secretary of the Senate is directed to make a copy of the resolution available to Dr. Coleman's family.
From the bill
“he served as a guardian of this nation's freedom and liberty with the United States Air Force, valiantly and courageously protecting his fellow Americans for over 25 years”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Emanuel Jones (D, SD-010)
- Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
- Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
- Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
- Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
- Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
- Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
Topics
- memorial resolution
- DeKalb County
- Georgia Senate
- public service honors