WHEREAS, Thomas B. Sharp was first elected to the Delaware State Senate on the Fifth Day of November, 1974; and

WHEREAS, he became Senate Majority Leader in 1978, a position he held for some sixteen years; and

WHEREAS, in 1996, Senator Sharp was elected President Pro Tempore of the Delaware State Senate; and

WHEREAS, during the course of his Senate career Senator Sharp has served the interests of the citizens of the 9^th Senatorial District of New Castle County ably and well; and

WHEREAS, he has built a well-earned reputation as a forceful advocate for Delaware’s working families, for his commitment to constituent services, and for serving the needs of the families and communities in his district; and

WHEREAS, he has been a highly effective champion for many causes during his nearly 28 years in the Senate, among which have been the fight against drug abuse and for tougher penalties for drug dealers; and

WHEREAS, he has led the fight in New Castle County to limit urban and suburban sprawl; and

WHEREAS, he has been a leader in efforts to bring about more effective land use planning throughout the State of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, he led the General Assembly’s efforts to investigate the causes of Delaware’s high cancer death rate by working to establish a cancer task force; and

WHEREAS, both in his capacity as a member of the Senate and as a member of Delaware’s Open Space Council, he has succeeded in obtaining large amounts of land in suburban New Castle County for preservation as open space for future generations of Delawareans; and

WHEREAS, one of his most noteworthy efforts in this regard was the acquisition of the Judge Hugh Morris Estate on Polly Drummond Hill Road, an expanse of field and forest amounting to more than five hundred acres, which has been combined with other open space to create an expanse of more than two thousand acres of land; and

WHEREAS, during his years in the Senate, Senator Sharp has earned justifiable renown as a master in the art of legislative debate and in the effective use of Senate rules in pursuing his legislative agenda; and

WHEREAS, this highly intelligent and effective leader has played a major role over 28 years in shaping the future of Delaware;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 141^st General Assembly of the State of Delaware that the members do hereby extend to our friend, colleague and leader, the Honorable Thomas B. Sharp, sincere thanks for his efforts on behalf of the citizens of Delaware over many years together with heartfelt best wishes for a long, happy and fulfilling retirement with his wife, Judy, his daughter and sons and their families.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Senator Sharp on the evening of the 30^th Day of June, 2002, the last day of the last regular session of the 141^st General Assembly of the State of Delaware.

Author: Senator Adams