Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Bill SJR17 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~SJR17ENROLLED~~
	1	+	SJR17INTRODUCED
2	2		Page 0
3	3		SJR17
4		-	F2E2DCD-2
	4	+	F2E2DCD-1
5	5		By Senators Waggoner, Albritton, Allen, Barfoot, Beasley,
6	6		Bell, Butler, Carnley, Chambliss, Chesteen, Coleman,
7	7		Coleman-Madison, Elliott, Figures, Givhan, Gudger, Hatcher,
8	8		Hovey, Jones, Kelley, Kitchens, Livingston, Melson, Orr,
9		-	Price, Roberts, Sessions, Shelnutt, Singleton, ~~Smitherman,~~
10		-	Stewart, Stutts, Weaver, Williams
11		-	RFD: ~~Rules~~
	9	+	Price, Reed, Roberts, Sessions, Shelnutt, Singleton,
	10	+	Smitherman, Stewart, Stutts, Weaver, Williams
	11	+	RFD:
12	12		First Read: 12-Feb-25
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22		-	10 ~~SJR17 Enrolled~~
	22	+	10 F2E2DCD-1 02/10/2025 bm (L)bm 2025-670
23	23		Page 1
24	24		First Read: 12-Feb-25
25		-	Enrolled, An Act,
26	25		SJR___ COMMENDING THE HONORABLE JUDGE CAROLE SMITHERMAN ON
27	26		HER RETIREMENT.
28	27		WHEREAS,highest commendations and congratulations are
29	28		herein proudly presented to the Honorable Judge Carole
30	29		Smitherman for outstanding professional achievement on the
31	30		occasion of her retirement from her position as Circuit
32	31		Judge in the Civil Division of Jefferson County at the end
33	32		of her term in January 2025; a member of the Rock City
34	33		Church, she firmly believes the Lord sent her to serve; and
35	34		WHEREAS, Judge Smitherman has served on the Tenth
36	35		Judicial Circuit Court since 2012, devoting her life to
37	36		public service, breaking barriers, and achieving historic
38	37		firsts as a trailblazer in Alabama's legal and political
39	38		arenas; and
40	39		WHEREAS, Carole Caitlin Smitherman was born on
41	40		September 25, 1952, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Willie and
42	41		Rochelle Davis, and reared by her grandparents, Jerry and
43	42		Thelma Catlin, who instilled in her the values of education,
44	43		hard work, and service; and
45	44		WHEREAS, she graduated from Spelman College in 1973
46	45		and earned her Juris Doctor from Miles Law School in 1979,
47	46		where she graduated first in her class, the only woman to do
48	47		so; and
49	48		WHEREAS, in 1979, Judge Smitherman began her
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77		-	28 SJR17 ~~Enrolled~~
	76	+	28 SJR17 INTRODUCED
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79	78		WHEREAS, in 1979, Judge Smitherman began her
80	79		illustrious legal career as the first woman of color to
81	80		serve as a Deputy District Attorney in Jefferson County,
82	81		later founding the county's first Victim Assistance Program
83	82		to provide care and support for crime victims and their
84	83		families; and
85	84		WHEREAS, she has served with distinction as a
86	85		Birmingham Municipal Judge, the first woman of color
87	86		appointed as a Circuit Court Judge in Alabama, a prosecutor
88	87		for the City of Irondale, a Constitutional Law professor at
89	88		Miles Law School, and a member of the Birmingham City
90	89		Council, where she became the first woman of color to serve
91	90		as its president; and
92	91		WHEREAS, in 2009, Judge Smitherman was sworn in as
93	92		the 31st Mayor of Birmingham, becoming the city's first
94	93		female mayor and its first woman of color to hold this
95	94		esteemed office; and
96	95		WHEREAS, her numerous accolades, including the
97	96		Alabama Bar Association Maude McLure Kelly Award, induction
98	97		into the Magic City Bar Association Hall of Fame, and
99	98		recognition from the Birmingham Bar Association with a
100	99		Lifetime Achievement Award, underscore her extraordinary
101	100		contributions to the legal profession and public service;
102	101		and
103	102		WHEREAS, Judge Smitherman's greatest joy and proudest
104	103		achievement is her family; in 1980, she married the esteemed
105	104		Rodger Smitherman, whom she lovingly describes as "the air
106	105		beneath her wings"; in 1992, the two joined forces in
107	106		private practice, establishing Smitherman & Smitherman Law
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135		-	56 SJR17 ~~Enrolled~~
	134	+	56 SJR17 INTRODUCED
136	135		Page 3
137	136		private practice, establishing Smitherman & Smitherman Law
138	137		Firm, and in 1994, he was elected to the Alabama State
139	138		Senate; and
140	139		WHEREAS, together, they built a legacy of love and
141	140		success, raising five cherished children, the late and
142	141		beloved Roderick, Rodger Mell II, Tonya Renee, Mary Elaine,
143	142		and Crystal Nicole; following in her mother's footsteps,
144	143		Crystal was appointed as the Birmingham City Councilor for
145	144		District 6, later serving as President Pro Tempore of the
146	145		Council, continuing the family's tradition of leadership and
147	146		service to Birmingham; Judge Smitherman is also a devoted
148	147		grandmother to six beloved grandchildren, Naomi, Justin,
149	148		Tony, Leah, Jaden, and Noah; and cherishes her granddog,
150	149		Charlie; and
151	150		WHEREAS, through the years, she has earned widespread
152	151		respect for her fairness, dedication, and competence; Judge
153	152		Smitherman's presence on the bench will be greatly missed,
154	153		but her retirement plans call for resuming private practice
155	154		and continuing her life of service to her community; now
156	155		therefore,
157	156		BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH
158	157		HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That Judge Carole Smitherman is
159	158		highly honored and commended, and this resolution is offered
160	159		to her with deepest admiration and appreciation for her
161	160		immeasurable service to the State of Alabama, as well as
162	161		with sincere best wishes for continued success in all future
163	162		endeavors.
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189		-	82 SJR17 Enrolled
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191		-	endeavors.
192		-	________________________________________________
193		-	President and Presiding Officer of the Senate
194		-	________________________________________________
195		-	Speaker of the House of Representatives
196		-	SJR17
197		-	Senate 12-Feb-25
198		-	I hereby certify that the within Act originated in and
199		-	passed the Senate.
200		-	Patrick Harris,
201		-	Secretary.
202		-	House of Representatives
203		-	Passed: 18-Feb-25
204		-	By: Senator Waggoner
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	188	+	82