Senate adopts resolution honoring Bruce A. Thompson and unveils portrait to be gifted to Department of Labor

The Georgia Senate on the floor read and adopted Senate Resolution 12 honoring the life and public service of Bruce A. Thompson.

The resolution, read by the secretary, recited Thompson’s biography, noted his service as a Georgia state senator beginning in 2013 and his later tenure as Georgia labor commissioner, and recorded that he died on Nov. 24, 2024 after an eight-month battle with pancreatic cancer. The presiding officer asked if there was objection to adoption; none was voiced and the resolution was adopted by voice vote.

The presiding officer spoke to the chamber about Thompson’s reliability and personal loyalty, saying, “He was one of those foxhole guys that if he was with you on an issue, you didn't ever have to worry about checking with him twice because he was there.” Senator Kennedy (18th District), the sponsor whose name appears on the resolution, also spoke and said Thompson held strong, straightforward views: “Bruce didn’t see gray. It was black or white.”

Following the resolution, senators unveiled a commissioned portrait of Thompson. Senate leadership said the portrait will be displayed in the Senate for a short period and then gifted to the Georgia Department of Labor, where it will be hung at the department’s discretion. Senators acknowledged members of Thompson’s family — including his wife Becky and daughter Faith — who were present in the gallery.

The resolution text included tributes to Thompson’s private-sector work and legislative accomplishments and noted his role as a mentor and public servant. The Senate did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the adoption was announced after the chair heard no objection.

The Senate recessed later in the day after a series of recognitions and routine business.