HJR 7021

                                                                          <BillNo> <Sponsor>
                                HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 7021
                                            By Clemmons
                               A RESOLUTION to commend Representative Joe Towns, Jr., for
                                            his honorable and distinguished service to the
                                            people of Tennessee as a member of the House
                                            of Representatives.
       WHEREAS, it is most appropriate that the members of this General Assembly should
honor those fellow legislators who have performed their duties with the utmost integrity and
whose efforts during their time in office have been dedicated to providing thoughtful and
exemplary service to their districts and to this great State; and
       WHEREAS, Representative Joe Towns, Jr., of Memphis is one such distinguished public
servant, who has served both his constituency and this legislative body with honor and ability;
and
       WHEREAS, during his tenure on Capitol Hill, Representative Towns has been a highly
influential figure in the political, social, and civic life of Shelby County, and he has served his
constituents in numerous capacities, always working diligently at his elected duties and
expending the necessary effort to understand the opposing sides of complex issues; and
       WHEREAS, Joe Towns, Jr., has distinguished himself as a public-spirited citizen of the
highest order and as an exceptional asset to the good people of the 84th House District, whom
he has represented as a member of the 99th, 100th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd, 104th, 105th, 106th, 107th,
108th, 109th, 110th, 111th, 112th, 113th, and 114th General Assemblies; and
       WHEREAS, throughout his service, Representative Towns has been prominent as a
dedicated and well-informed legislator who always votes his conscience; and
       WHEREAS, an active and dynamic participant in the legislative process during his time
in the General Assembly, Representative Joe Towns, Jr., has rendered sterling leadership as
Assistant Democratic Leader of the 110th General Assembly, Chair of the House K-12
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Subcommittee, Vice Chair of the House Calendar and Rules Committee, and Secretary of the
House Education Committee and the Joint Select Oversight Committee on Education; and
       WHEREAS, Representative Towns has served estimably as a member of the House
Business and Utilities Committee, the House Calendar and Rules Committee, the House
Commerce Committee, the House Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee, the House
Consumer and Human Resources Committee, the House Criminal Justice Committee, the
House Education Committee, the House Education Instruction and Programs Committee, the
House Government Operations Committee, the House Insurance and Banking Committee, the
House Judiciary Committee, the House Transportation Committee, and the Joint Commerce,
Labor, Transportation and Agriculture Committee; and as a member of the House Children and
Family Affairs Subcommittee, the House Civil Justice Subcommittee, the House Consumer and
Human Resources Subcommittee, the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, the House
General Subcommittee of Consumer and Employee Affairs, the House Higher Education
Subcommittee, the House Industrial Impact Subcommittee, the House Infrastructure
Subcommittee, the House Insurance and Banking Subcommittee, the House Small Business
Subcommittee, the House Transportation Subcommittee, and the House Utilities, Banking and
Small Business Subcommittee; and
       WHEREAS, he has also served as a member of the House Finance, Ways and Means
Committee of the Second Extraordinary Session of the 111th General Assembly; the House
Public Health Committee of the Third Extraordinary Session of the 112th General Assembly; the
House Commerce Committee of the First Extraordinary Session of the 113th General Assembly;
the House Calendar and Rules Committee, the House Criminal Justice Committee, the House
Criminal Justice Subcommittee, the House Disaster Relief Committee, and the House
Transportation Subcommittee of the First Extraordinary Session of the 114th General Assembly;
and the Congressional Redistricting Committee of the Second Extraordinary Session of the
114th General Assembly; and
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       WHEREAS, beyond his legislative duties, Representative Towns has remained deeply
engaged in civic and charitable life, serving as co-founder of the C.U.T.E.C. Anti Crime
Organization; a former member of the Community Service Action Board and the Democratic
Executive Committee; and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Men of Progress,
Progressive Black Men, 100 Black Men, and the Gardenview Home Owners Association; and
       WHEREAS, a successful entrepreneur and former college instructor, Representative Joe
Towns, Jr., has distinguished himself in the fields of business, management, consulting, and
entertainment while remaining grounded in his faith as a member of Mississippi Boulevard
Christian Church; and
       WHEREAS, Representative Towns earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science
from LeMoyne-Owen College and a Master of Science degree in Operational Management from
the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, achievements that reflect his longstanding
commitment to education, leadership, and personal advancement; and
       WHEREAS, throughout his outstanding career as a public servant, Representative Joe
Towns, Jr., has worked tirelessly on behalf of his constituents, bringing to his office an
honorable bearing and the traditional values of hard work and common sense; and
       WHEREAS, Representative Towns is wholly committed to the noble precepts of public
service that have earned Tennessee recognition as the Volunteer State, and he should be
specially recognized for his exemplary tenure in the General Assembly; now, therefore,
       BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED
FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE
CONCURRING, that we hereby honor Representative Joe Towns, Jr., for his meritorious
service to Tennessee as a member of the House of Representatives, commend him for his
countless contributions and many good works in service of the citizens of the 84th House
District, and extend to him our best wishes for much continued success and happiness.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
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the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.
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