HJR 41 Summary

• House Joint Resolution mourning the passing and celebrating the life of former Alabama House Representative Alvin Holmes, who died on November 21, 2020.

• Honors Holmes as one of the first African-American members of the Alabama Legislature since Reconstruction and recognizes his 11 terms of service as Dean of the Alabama House.

• Acknowledges Holmes's advocacy for civil rights, including efforts to remove Jim Crow-era language from the state constitution, remove the Confederate battle flag from the Capitol dome, include sexual orientation in hate crime statutes, and establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a state holiday.

• Celebrates Holmes's professorial approach to legislation and his willingness to engage in constructive debate on controversial issues throughout his career.

• Adopted by the House on February 23, 2021, and adopted by the Senate on February 24, 2021.