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

            House Resolution No. 13.

            A resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for William R. Keith, former member of the House of Representatives.

            Whereas, With the passing of William R. Keith, Michigan has lost a gentleman of great warmth and a true champion of public education. His long and distinguished life of service to others touched many lives and will continue to influence others in the years to come; and

            Whereas, A native of Jackson, Bill Keith was a man of many talents. These gifts extended to several areas, including music, as reflected in his years in various singing groups; finance, as reflected in his 19 years as a banker; and education, as reflected in his decades of commitment to the rising generations; and

            Whereas, First elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1972, Bill Keith served the people of his Garden City area district during some key moments in the state's recent history. He was the chair of the House Education Committee from 1983 until his retirement in 1994. During his legislative career, he was a central contributor to such milestones as the crafting of the 1976 codification of Michigan's education statutes and the revamping of school financing that took place during the historic shared power agreement in the House during the 1993-94 Legislature. His knowledge and commitment were invaluable to each of these efforts; and

            Whereas, With the depth of his understanding of the challenges facing our schools, Representative Keith served on countless state, national, and international groups. Clearly, his personal passion will long be remembered; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we offer this expression of our highest esteem to honor the memory of William R. Keith, a member of this legislative body from 1973 to 1994; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Keith family as evidence of the esteem that will long be held for his memory and service.