IV 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 159 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 11, 2009 Mr. Hodes (for himself and Ms. Shea-Porter) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform RESOLUTION Honoring the New Hampshire State Senate for becoming the 1st statewide legislative body with a majority of women in the United States.

Whereas for over 200 years the citizens of the State of New Hampshire have elected State Senators to serve in the legislature; Whereas, from 1931 to 1933, E. Maude Ferguson served as the 1st female member of the New Hampshire State Senate; Whereas Vesta Roy served as the 1st female State Senate President, and in 1983 she became the 1st female Governor of the State of New Hampshire; Whereas, in 1994, the Honorable Sylvia Larsen was elected to the New Hampshire State Senate and has served 7 consecutive terms thus far; Whereas, in 1996, the Honorable Terie Norelli was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives and has served 6 consecutive terms thus far, and in 2008 was re-elected to serve as Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives for a 2nd consecutive term; Whereas, in 2008, the Honorable Sylvia Larsen was re-elected to serve as State Senate President of New Hampshire for a 2nd consecutive term; Whereas the Honorable Sharon Carson, Jacalyn Cilley, Martha Fuller Clark, Betsi DeVries, Peggy Gilmour, Margaret Hassan, Molly Kelly, Sylvia Larsen, Bette Lasky, Amanda Merrill, Deborah Reynolds, Sheila Roberge, and Kathleen Sgambati comprise the majority female body of the New Hampshire State Senate and were elected to office on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on December 3, 2008; Whereas the New Hampshire State Senate was comprised of 13 women and 11 men for the legislative session beginning on December 3, 2008; and Whereas the New Hampshire State Senate had 9 women chairing committees and 5 men chairing committees for the legislative session beginning on December 3, 2008: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives honors the New Hampshire State Senate for becoming the 1st statewide legislative body with a majority of women in the United States.