Georgia CommonsSR 7: Simpson, David S.; condolences
Last action June 20, 2026 · Senate Read and Adopted
A Georgia Senate resolution formally honors the life of David S. Simpson, a longtime Little Five Points community figure and civil rights era activist, who died on April 3, 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 from the Georgia Senate, not a law that changes policy. It recognizes David S. Simpson, who was born in Athens in 1945, served in the United States Navy, and was active in civil rights and student organizing groups during the 1960s. He later moved to Atlanta and became a well known figure in the Little Five Points neighborhood, helping start the Coyote Trading Company (now Turtle Trading Company) and taking part in neighborhood safety and business groups. The resolution states that the Senate recognizes and commends his life and memory and expresses sympathy to his family and friends. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare a copy of the resolution for his family. It does not create any new rule, program, or funding.
What the bill does
- Formally states that the Georgia Senate recognizes and commends the life and memory of David S. Simpson.
- Expresses the Senate's sympathy to Simpson's family, friends, and community.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Simpson's family.
- Recounts biographical details, including his Navy service, civil rights era activism, and role in the Little Five Points community, without enacting any change to Georgia law.
Who it affects
This resolution directly names David S. Simpson's family and friends, as well as the Little Five Points community and organizations he was part of, such as the Coyote/Turtle Trading Company and the Little Five Points Business Association. It has no broader regulatory effect on other Georgians.
Why it matters
The resolution carries symbolic and ceremonial weight rather than legal effect. It provides an official Senate record honoring a community figure's contributions and gives his family a formal keepsake document, but it does not change any statute, funding, or requirement in Georgia.
Key provisions
- The whereas clauses recount Simpson's biography, including his birth in Athens in 1945, Navy service, and civil rights era activism with groups like Students for a Democratic Society.
- The resolved clause states the Senate recognizes and commends his life and memory and extends sympathy to his family and friends.
- A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy of the resolution available to Simpson's family.
From the bill
“the members of this body recognize and commend the life and memory of David S. Simpson and express their deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and all those who were blessed to know him”
“affectionately known by many as "The Sheriff of Little Five Points," "The Mayor of Little Five Points," and later the self-appointed "Ambassador to Little Five Points,"”
Status timeline
- Senate Read and Adopted (Senate)
- Senate Hopper (Senate)
Sponsors
- Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
Topics
- Georgia Senate resolution
- Little Five Points
- civil rights history
- memorial resolution