The Speaker, on behalf of the entire membership of the House of Representatives, offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 478.

            A resolution of tribute for the Honorable Barbara Farrah.

            Whereas, It is with deep admiration for her dedicated service to the Thirteenth District, as well as the entire state, and the members of this legislative body, that we honor Representative Barbara Farrah as she draws to a close her tenure in the Michigan House of Representatives. Her expertise in local governmental issues and her ability to bring people together on both sides of the aisle have greatly enriched the efforts of the legislature over the past 6 years; and

            Whereas, Barbara Farrah is a dedicated public servant and champion of local concerns. After earning a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan, she worked for the Downriver Community Conference, a consortium of local governments. She was elected to the Southgate City Council in 1991 and served on the council for 10 years, 3 of which as the Council President. She was also the vice-chairwoman of the Southgate Tax Increment Finance Authority Board; and

            Whereas, Representative Farrah's deep knowledge of local issues, her talent for diplomacy, and her roll-up-your-sleeves work ethic were an immense value to her legislative colleagues. She served on the Tax Policy Committee for her entire legislative tenure and fought to make Michigan's tax structure fairer for residents. She worked diligently, authoring legislation to ensure seniors receive excellent care in nursing facilities and legislation that would boost homeland security by using money from drug forfeitures. She also introduced legislation that would encourage businesses to be more environmentally friendly to preserve Michigan's land and water; now, therefore, be it            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we offer this expression of tribute to commend and thank the Honorable Barbara Farrah for her notable contributions to this legislative body and our entire state; and be it further

            Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to Representative Farrah as evidence of our gratitude and best wishes.