--- title: HR 5. Holden, Benjamin A.; condolences collection: bills id: 2026-special/hr5 cite_as: HR 5, 2026 Special Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr5 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr5.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr5/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74796 date: 2026-06-17 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/hr4.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr6.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 131 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr5.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 5 session: 2026 Special Session session_slug: 2026-special chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-06-17 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Carolyn Hugley - Vance Smith - Debbie Buckner - Teddy Reese - Carmen Rice text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR5/2026/X1 upstream_id: 2154089 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - memorial resolution - Georgia journalism - Columbus Georgia - Georgia House of Representatives --- # HR 5. Holden, Benjamin A.; condolences ## Text House Resolution 5EX By: Representatives Hugley of the 141st, Smith of the 138th, Buckner of the 137th, Reese of the 140th, and Rice of the 139th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of Benjamin A. Holden; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its distinguished citizens with the passing of Benjamin A. Holden on June 10, 2026; and WHEREAS, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, Benjamin A. Holden began his journalism career at the age of 17 as a cub reporter for the sports department of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, demonstrating a remarkable talent that earned him a full scholarship from the Pulitzer family to attend the University of Missouri; and WHEREAS, throughout his decades-long career, he served as a Los Angeles–based reporter for The Wall Street Journal and covered some of the nation's most significant legal and public affairs stories, including the aftermath of the Rodney King beating trial, the O.J. Simpson double murder case, and the murder trial of Snoop Dogg; and WHEREAS, from 2004 until 2010, he served as executive editor of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, providing thoughtful leadership during a transformative period for the newspaper industry while strengthening the publication's role as a trusted source of news and information for the citizens of the Chattahoochee Valley; and H. R. 5EX WHEREAS, deeply committed to the preservation of democratic institutions and press freedom, Benjamin A. Holden further served as director of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for the Courts & Media, where he worked to strengthen relationships between the judiciary and the press and traveled internationally to provide training and guidance to judges, prosecutors, and journalists seeking to build transparent and accountable systems of government; and WHEREAS, among his most enduring contributions was the founding of Columbus Scholars Inc. in 2009, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting economically disadvantaged students through mentoring relationships and scholarship opportunities, which has since raised more than $1 million and assisted more than 100 students in pursuing higher education and achieving their goals; and WHEREAS, Benjamin A. Holden was united in love and marriage to his wife of 31 years, Melanie Slaton, and he was blessed with a remarkable daughter, Joy Holden; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Benjamin A. Holden 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 Benjamin A. Holden 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 Benjamin A. Holden. H. R. 5EX ## 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 journalist and Columbus community leader Benjamin A. Holden, who died on June 10, 2026, and offers condolences to his family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a formal statement from the Georgia House of Representatives marking the death of Benjamin A. Holden, a journalist who worked for The Wall Street Journal and later served as executive editor of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer from 2004 to 2010. It recounts his career covering major legal cases, his work on press freedom and judicial transparency through the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for the Courts & Media, and his founding of Columbus Scholars Inc., a nonprofit that has raised over $1 million for disadvantaged students. The resolution does not change any Georgia law. It formally expresses the House's sympathy for Holden's passing and directs the Clerk of the House to send a copy of the resolution to his family, including his wife Melanie Slaton and daughter Joy Holden. ### What it does - Formally expresses the Georgia House of Representatives' regret over the death of Benjamin A. Holden on June 10, 2026. - Recounts Holden's journalism career and his tenure as executive editor of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer from 2004 to 2010. - Recognizes his founding of Columbus Scholars Inc., a scholarship nonprofit for economically disadvantaged students. - Directs the Clerk of the House to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Holden's family. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names Benjamin A. Holden's family, including his wife Melanie Slaton and daughter Joy Holden. It also reflects recognition for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Columbus Scholars Inc., and the broader Columbus and Chattahoochee Valley community he served. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or financial effect and changes no Georgia statute. Its significance is symbolic: it places an official record of appreciation for Holden's journalism and community work into the Georgia House's records and provides his family a formal memorial from the state legislature. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses detail Holden's career, including his time at The Wall Street Journal and as executive editor of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. - The resolved clause has the House join in honoring Holden's memory and expressing regret at his passing. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute a copy of the resolution to Holden's family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-06-17) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-06-17) - Sponsors: Carolyn Hugley, Vance Smith, Debbie Buckner, Teddy Reese, Carmen Rice - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74796 > The history, votes, and amendments (131 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/hr5.md?full=1