1 SJR113
2 219359-2
3 By Senators Reed, Albritton, Allen, Barfoot, Beasley, Butler,
4 Chambliss, Chesteen, Coleman-Madison, Dunn, Elliott, Figures,
5 Givhan, Gudger, Hatcher, Holley, Jones, Livingston, Marsh,
6 Melson, Orr, Price, Roberts, Sanders-Fortier, Scofield,
7 Sessions, Shelnutt, Singleton, Smitherman, Stutts, Waggoner,
8 Weaver, Whatley and Williams
9 RFD:
10 First Read: 06-APR-22
Page 0 1 219359-2:n:03/29/2022:LK/cmg LSA2022-61R1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8 COMMENDING SENATOR JIM MCCLENDON ON HIS RETIREMENT
9 AND YEARS OF SERVICE.
10
11 WHEREAS, at the conclusion of the 2019-2022
12 quadrennium of the Legislature of Alabama, Senator Jim
13 McClendon of Springville, Alabama, will end his tenure in the
14 Alabama State House; and
15 WHEREAS, Senator McClendon attended
16 Birmingham-Southern College for his undergraduate studies and
17 earned his doctorate from the University of Houston; he served
18 in the Navy Medical Service Corps during the Vietnam War,
19 before teaching clinical optometry at the University of
20 Alabama at Birmingham; and
21 WHEREAS, Senator McClendon was first elected to
22 represent District 50 in the Alabama House of Representatives
23 in 2002; following his election to the Senate in 2014, Senator
24 McClendon served on the Senate Finance and Taxation Education
25 Committee, the Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee,
26 the Finances and Budget Committee, the Senate Rules Committee,
27 the Senate Education Policy Committee, the Transportation and
Page 1 1 Energy Committee, the Education and Youth Affairs Committee,
2 the Shelby County Local Legislation Committee, has chaired the
3 Healthcare Committee and served as vice chair of the Health
4 and Human Service Committee, and has led redistricting efforts
5 in both the House of Representatives and the Senate; and
6 WHEREAS, Senator McClendon is past president of the
7 Alabama Optometric Association; a former board member of St.
8 Anne's Home, a residential treatment program; and a past
9 member of the Jefferson County Planning Commission; he was a
10 founding director of the Davis Lake Fire Department, and
11 serves the First United Methodist Church of Springville in
12 several roles; and
13 WHEREAS, Senator McClendon is married to the former
14 Ellen Tate of Arab, who has supported him throughout his years
15 of service; they live together on the family farm in St. Clair
16 Springs, and enjoy time with their daughter, Lara, and
17 granddaughter, Natalie; and
18 WHEREAS, when he is not fishing for votes, Senator
19 McClendon loves to play the fisherman; he and his wife share a
20 passion for trawling the waters of the state, and beyond;
21 these lovebird anglers spent their honeymoon in the Amazon
22 fishing for peacock bass; we pray that his impending
23 retirement will offer him many chances to toss a line out in
24 the water; and
25 WHEREAS, smart and quick-witted, seasoned and
26 educated, and always willing to take a gamble on gaming
27 legislation, Senator McClendon will be missed by his
Page 2 1 colleagues in both chambers for his medical and practical
2 expertise, his calm demeanor, and his ability to give - and to
3 take - a joke; indeed, this distinguished senator-optometrist
4 would never comment on the speck in his brother's eye without
5 first putting a plank in front of their other eye and asking
6 them, "Which is better, one or two?"; now therefore,
7 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH
8 HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That Senator Jim McClendon is
9 hereby commended for his many years of service to the State of
10 Alabama and its peoples; and that a copy of this resolution be
11 presented to him as a token of our high esteem and great
12 thanks.
Page 3