--- title: SR 874. Johnson, Rita Celeste; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr874 cite_as: SR 874, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr874 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr874.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr874/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73720 date: 2026-02-26 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/sr873.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr875.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 94 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr874.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 874 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-26 last_action: Senate Read and Adopted sponsors: - Sonya Halpern - Clint Dixon - Chuck Payne - Josh McLaurin - Jaha Howard text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR874/2025 upstream_id: 2124809 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - Senate resolution - Spaulding County - local government - community recognition --- # SR 874. Johnson, Rita Celeste; recognize ## Text Senate Resolution 874 By: Senators Halpern of the 39th, Dixon of the 45th, Payne of the 54th, McLaurin of the 14th and Howard of the 35th A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Rita Celeste Johnson; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Rita Celeste Johnson, a native of Bardstown, Kentucky, graduated from Bardstown High School in 1987 and was later inducted into the Bardstown High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of her athletic excellence; and WHEREAS, she earned a four-year athletic scholarship to Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication in 1992; and WHEREAS, she began her professional career with State Farm Insurance in 1992 as an Auto Claims Field Adjustor, serving for seven years before relocating to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to join the State Farm Catastrophe Services Team, where she served in a managerial capacity for approximately three years; and WHEREAS, after witnessing firsthand the devastating impact of catastrophic events on families and communities, she chose to further serve others as an insurance agent and small business owner, ultimately establishing her business in Griffin, Georgia; and WHEREAS, in January 2013, she was elected to the Spaulding County Board of Commissioners representing District 3, where she demonstrated a passion for excellence, sustainability, innovation, customer service, and responsible public stewardship; and WHEREAS, throughout her public service, Commissioner Johnson worked to strengthen county governance, support community growth, and advocate for policies that enhanced the quality of life for residents of Spaulding County; and WHEREAS, she has remained actively engaged in civic and community leadership, serving on the Griffin-Spalding Chamber of Commerce Executive Board of Directors, the Griffin Downtown Main Street Executive Board of Directors, as President of the American Business Women's Association Griffin-Spalding County Iris Chapter, and as a member of Saint John's Lutheran Church in Spaulding County; and WHEREAS, Rita Celeste Johnson's career reflects a lifetime of leadership, resilience, service, and dedication to both public and private sectors, leaving a lasting impact on Griffin and Spaulding County. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize and commend Rita Celeste Johnson for her distinguished service as a former Spaulding County Commissioner and for her continued leadership as a businesswoman and community advocate. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to Rita Celeste Johnson. ## 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 Senate resolution formally recognizes and commends Rita Celeste Johnson, a former Spaulding County commissioner and Griffin businesswoman, for her public service and community leadership. ### Plain-language summary This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a law that changes anyone's rights or duties. It recounts Rita Celeste Johnson's biography, from her upbringing and education in Kentucky through her career at State Farm Insurance, her move to Griffin, Georgia, to start an insurance business, and her election in 2013 to the Spaulding County Board of Commissioners representing District 3. The resolution states that the Senate recognizes and commends her for her service as a former county commissioner and for her ongoing work as a businesswoman and community leader in Griffin and Spalding County. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to her. It does not amend any Georgia statute or create any new legal obligation. ### What it does - Formally recognizes and commends Rita Celeste Johnson for her service as a former Spaulding County commissioner. - Commends her continued leadership as a businesswoman and community advocate in Griffin and Spalding County. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Johnson. - Creates no new law, funding, or legal requirement; it is a ceremonial statement by the Senate. ### Who it affects This resolution names and honors one individual, Rita Celeste Johnson. It does not impose duties on the public but does direct the Secretary of the Senate to produce a copy of the resolution for her. ### Why it matters Ceremonial resolutions like this one carry no legal force and change no Georgia law. Their significance is symbolic, formally placing a Senate statement of appreciation for an individual's community and public service on the legislative record. ### Key provisions - The whereas clauses describe Johnson's education, her career at State Farm Insurance, and her founding of an insurance business in Griffin, Georgia. - The whereas clauses note her 2013 election to the Spaulding County Board of Commissioners for District 3 and her civic board memberships. - The resolved clause states the Senate's recognition and commendation of her service as commissioner and as a businesswoman and community advocate. - The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available for distribution to Johnson. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-02-26) - Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-02-26) - Sponsors: Sonya Halpern, Clint Dixon, Chuck Payne, Josh McLaurin, Jaha Howard - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73720 > The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr874.md?full=1