---
title: HR 37. Jackson, Bishop Reginald Thomas; condolences
collection: bills
id: 2026-special/hr37
cite_as: HR 37, 2026 Special Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr37
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr37.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr37/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74897
date: 2026-06-22
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/2026-special.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr36.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr38.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 131
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr37.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 37
session: 2026 Special Session
session_slug: 2026-special
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-06-22
last_action: House Read and Adopted
sponsors:
  - Venola Mason
  - Mekyah McQueen
  - Arlene Beckles
  - Robert Flournoy
  - Doreen Carter
  - Jasmine Clark
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR37/2026/X1
upstream_id: 2154454
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson
  - memorial resolution
  - African Methodist Episcopal Church
  - voting rights history
  - Georgia hate crimes law
---

# HR 37. Jackson, Bishop Reginald Thomas; condolences

## Text

House Resolution 37EX
By: Representatives Mason of the 94th, McQueen of the 61st, Beckles of the 96th, Flournoy
of the 74th, Carter of the 93rd, and others
A RESOLUTION
Honoring the life and memory of Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson, a native of Dover, Delaware, was called to
ministry at the age of 18, pursued his theological education at Turner Theological Seminary
at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and was ordained an
Itinerant Elder in 1977, beginning a ministry that would span more than five decades and
leave an indelible mark on the State of Georgia; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson was elected and consecrated the 132nd Bishop of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church at the 49th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference held
in Nashville, Tennessee, in July 2012, ascending to one of the highest offices in America's
oldest Black denomination, which was founded by the Reverend Richard Allen in
Philadelphia in 1787; and
WHEREAS, from 2016 to 2024, Bishop Jackson served as the Presiding Prelate of the Sixth
Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, providing spiritual leadership,
moral vision, and prophetic witness to a community of more than 500 churches across the
State of Georgia; and
H. R. 37EX
WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson served as Chairman of the Board of Morris Brown College and
Turner Theological Seminary in Atlanta, and under his steadfast leadership, the Sixth
Episcopal District retired all of its institutional debts and Morris Brown College regained full
accreditation in 2022, preserving an irreplaceable pillar of Historically Black College and
University education for the citizens of Georgia; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson was a relentless and courageous champion of hate crimes
legislation in Georgia, renewing his public call for its passage in the wake of the murder of
Ahmaud Arbery and countless others, until Georgia's Hate Crimes Legislation was signed
into law in 2020, providing historic protections for the people of this state; and
WHEREAS, recognizing that access to the ballot box is the cornerstone of American
democracy, Bishop Jackson launched Operation Voter Turnout, a comprehensive statewide
mobilization initiative requiring every African Methodist Episcopal congregation in Georgia
to establish voter registration committees ensuring that every eligible voter in the pews was
registered, educated on the issues, and ready to exercise their constitutional right to vote; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson was among the most prominent and courageous opponents of
Senate Bill 202, the Georgia Election Integrity Act of 2021, calling it an attempt to "turn
back time to Jim Crow," leading the Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church to join as a plaintiff in federal litigation challenging provisions of the law,
and working alongside the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to protect the voting rights of Black
Georgians; and
WHEREAS, in 2022, Bishop Jackson founded Faith Works, a historic multidenominational
coalition uniting African American faith leaders from across Georgia representing more than
H. R. 37EX
1,000 churches and hundreds of thousands of parishioners in a unified effort to protect voting
access and counter voter suppression, declaring "Faith without works is dead"; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Jackson invoked his moral authority to call on major Georgia-based
corporations, including Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, and Home Depot, to take unambiguous
public positions against voter suppression legislation, demonstrating that prophetic leadership
demands accountability from all institutions with power to shape the common good; and
WHEREAS, beyond his voting rights leadership, Bishop Jackson was an outspoken advocate
for quality healthcare access for all Georgians, a living wage, education equity, and criminal
justice reform, declaring that "school ought not to be the pipeline to prison" and embodying
the fullness of a social gospel that served body, mind, and spirit; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson entered eternal rest on November 25, 2025,
at the age of 71, in Washington, D.C., and upon his passing, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
declared that "his leadership during the fight against voter suppression helped protect the
fundamental right to vote for countless Black Georgians" and the African Methodist
Episcopal Church honored his "extraordinary legacy of preaching, teaching, advocacy, and
servant leadership"; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson is survived by his beloved children, Regina
Victoria Jackson and Seth Joshua Jackson, and by the thousands of Georgians whose lives,
communities, and democratic participation are forever enriched by his witness and sacrifice.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body join in honoring the extraordinary life, service, and legacy of
Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson, 132nd elected and consecrated Bishop of the African
H. R. 37EX
Methodist Episcopal Church, and recognize him as a defender of democracy, a guardian of
the sacred right to vote, and a towering figure in the civic and spiritual history of the State
of Georgia.
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 Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson.
H. R. 37EX

## 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 and legacy of Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson, a longtime African Methodist Episcopal Church leader and voting rights advocate who died in November 2025.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives is a memorial tribute rather than a change to state law. It recounts the life of Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson, who led the Sixth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Georgia from 2016 to 2024, oversaw the restoration of Morris Brown College's accreditation, pushed for Georgia's 2020 hate crimes law, and organized voter registration and turnout efforts through Operation Voter Turnout and Faith Works.
The resolution formally recognizes Bishop Jackson, who died on November 25, 2025 at age 71, as a defender of democracy and a major figure in Georgia's civic and religious history. It directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to his family, Regina Victoria Jackson and Seth Joshua Jackson.

### What it does

- Formally honors Bishop Reginald Thomas Jackson's life, ministry, and civic advocacy on behalf of the Georgia House of Representatives.
- Recounts his role in Georgia's 2020 hate crimes law and his opposition to Senate Bill 202, the Georgia Election Integrity Act of 2021.
- Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to his surviving children.
- Creates no new statute, funding, or penalty; the resolution is a commemorative statement rather than a change to Georgia law.

### Who it affects

The resolution directly names Bishop Jackson's family, the African Methodist Episcopal Church's Sixth Episcopal District, Morris Brown College, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who must distribute the document. It has no regulatory effect on the broader public.

### Why it matters

The resolution carries no legal or financial consequence, but it places the Georgia House of Representatives' formal recognition on the record for a figure tied to major civic events in the state, including the 2020 hate crimes law and litigation over the 2021 election law.

### Key provisions

- The whereas clauses detail Bishop Jackson's ordination in 1977, his 2012 elevation to bishop, and his 2016-2024 leadership of the Sixth Episcopal District covering more than 500 Georgia churches.
- The resolution credits him with helping secure passage of Georgia's hate crimes legislation in 2020 following the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.
- It notes his opposition to Senate Bill 202 and his founding of Operation Voter Turnout and Faith Works, voter mobilization efforts spanning more than 1,000 churches.
- The resolving clause has the House of Representatives recognize him as 'a defender of democracy, a guardian of the sacred right to vote, and a towering figure' in Georgia history.
- A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send a copy of the resolution to his family.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-06-22)
- Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-06-22)
- Sponsors: Venola Mason, Mekyah McQueen, Arlene Beckles, Robert Flournoy, Doreen Carter, Jasmine Clark
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74897

> The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr37.md?full=1