SLS 19RS-1077 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 184
BY SENATOR ALARIO
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Senator Gerald Long for his years of service to the
citizens of the state of Louisiana while a member of the Louisiana Senate and the President
Pro Tempore.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To commend Senator Gerald Long for his years of service to the citizens of the state of
3 Louisiana while a member of the Louisiana Senate and the President Pro Tempore.
4 WHEREAS, it is with enduring gratitude that Senate President Pro Tempore Gerald
5 Long is commended for his stellar contributions to his constituents in the parishes of Grant,
6 Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, and Winn, and to the citizens of the state of
7 Louisiana; and
8 WHEREAS, Senator Long is a lifelong resident of Louisiana, having been reared in
9 Winn Parish; and
10 WHEREAS, he graduated from Winnfield High School in 1962, and in 1966, he
11 graduated from Northwestern State University; and
12 WHEREAS, while a senior at Northwestern State University, he met a beautiful
13 freshman, Rose Marie Landry, who would become the love of his life; Gerald and Rose
14 married in 1966, and that was the beginning of a love affair and partnership that would last
15 50 years until her death in 2017; and
16 WHEREAS, they reared three loving and caring children, Andrea Long Phillips, Pam
17 Long Jordan, and Richard Long; nine grandsons, and one granddaughter; Senator Long and
18 Mrs. Rose passed down a love of God, as shown by their life and love, to their children and
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SLS 19RS-1077 ORIGINAL
1 grandchildren; and
2 WHEREAS, since the death of his wife, he has remarried Valerie Aymond Long; and
3 WHEREAS, after graduating from Northwestern State University with a bachelor's
4 degree in education with a minor in English, he taught at Houma Junior High School and
5 Leesville High School; and
6 WHEREAS, after teaching for a few years, he started a career in the insurance
7 business and eventually he retired in 1999 as an insurance agent for State Farm Insurance
8 Company; and
9 WHEREAS, Senator Long earned the distinction of being a lifetime member of the
10 State Farm President's Club which is earned by fewer than two percent of insurance agents
11 nationally; and
12 WHEREAS, while an insurance agent and after he retired, Senator Long mentored
13 numerous college students, coaches, and high school and middle school students in the
14 Natchitoches area through his involvement with Fellowship of Christian Athletes for over
15 eighteen years; and
16 WHEREAS, Senator Long is a member and deacon of the First Baptist Church of
17 Natchitoches and because of his sincere and passionate belief in God, he is willing to witness
18 to anyone about his faith; and
19 WHEREAS, Senator Long is a descendant of the Long family political dynasty in
20 the state of Louisiana, and in that tradition, he ran for office in 2007, and was elected senator
21 for District 31 beginning in 2008; and
22 WHEREAS, he has served on numerous boards and commissions such as the
23 Louisiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, the Legislative Advisory Council for
24 the Southern Regional Education Board, the Louisiana Rural Caucus, the Northwestern State
25 University Athletic Board of Directors, and the Ark-La-Tex Investment and Development
26 Corporation; and
27 WHEREAS, he served on numerous legislative committees such as Agriculture,
28 Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development; Education; Finance; Insurance; Retirement;
29 Revenue and Fiscal Affairs; Transportation, Highways and Public Works; and the Joint
30 Legislative Committee on the Budget; and
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1 WHEREAS, Senator Long was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Natural
2 Resources from 2012 through 2016, and as the chairman, he advocated for water resources
3 management by passing legislation that changed the membership of the Water Resources
4 Commission and the Water Management Advisory Task Force, and that would continue the
5 development of a statewide water resource management plan; and
6 WHEREAS, beginning with his legislative term in 2016, he was elected President
7 Pro Tempore of the Senate and one of his main duties as President Pro Tempore is to
8 schedule religious leaders to open each legislative day with a prayer, and he looks forward
9 to and enjoys visiting with every religious leader; and
10 WHEREAS, when his term as senator for District 31 comes to an end, Senator Long
11 will enjoy his days fishing for crappie, watching Northwestern State University sports,
12 cheering on his grandchildren in whatever sport they are playing, and on rare occasions,
13 shelling pecans.
14 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
15 does hereby commend Senator Gerald Long and express sincere gratitude for his service to
16 his constituents in the parishes of Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, and
17 Winn, and to the citizens of the state of Louisiana during his tenure as a distinguished
18 member of the Louisiana Senate and as President Pro Tempore, and hereby extends to him
19 the best wishes of his friends and colleagues for continued prosperity and success in his
20 future endeavors.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
22 Senator Gerald Long, President Pro Tempore.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by J. W. Wiley.
DIGEST
SR 184 Original 2019 Regular Session Alario
Commends Senator Gerald Long for his years of service to the citizens of the state of
Louisiana while a member of the Louisiana Senate and the President Pro Tempore.
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