STATE OF ALASKA
THE LEGISLATURE
2020
Legislative
Source Resolve No.
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Dedicating Capitol Room 106 in the Alaska State Capitol to the late Senator Bettye J. Davis.
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BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
WHEREAS Senator Bettye J. Davis served as a member of the House of
Representatives from the Seventeenth through the Nineteenth Alaska State Legislatures and as
a member of the Senate from the Twenty-Second through the Twenty-Seventh Alaska State
Legislatures; and
WHEREAS, during Representative Davis' time as a member of the House of
Representatives, she served as both majority and minority whip and as a member of the House
Health, Education, and Social Services Committee, serving as vice-chair of the committee
during the Seventeenth Alaska State Legislature; and
WHEREAS, during Senator Davis' time as a member of the Senate, she served as a
member of the Senate Health, Education, and Social Services Committee during the Twenty-
Second and Twenty-Third Alaska State Legislatures, chair of the Senate Health, Education,
and Social Services Committee during the Twenty-Fifth Alaska State Legislature, and chair of
the Senate Health and Social Services Committee and vice-chair of the Senate Education
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Committee during the Twenty-Sixth and Twenty-Seventh Alaska State Legislatures; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis' legislative accomplishments include passage of Acts that
addressed suicide prevention, foster care, raising the minimum wage, mental health care, good
governance, and authorizing youth courts throughout the state, and she sponsored a great deal
of legislation aimed at improving the state and the lives of people in the state; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis began her long political career when she was elected to the
Anchorage School Board where she served from 1982 to 1990, including two terms as board
president; Senator Davis was appointed to the state Board of Education by Governor Tony
Knowles in 1998 and served through 2000, including serving as chair from 1998 through
1999; Senator Davis returned to the Anchorage School Board as a member in 2013 and served
until 2018; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis attended Grambling State University where she received
her Bachelors of Social Work degree in 1971; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis arrived in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1972 as a military spouse
and continued her higher education at the University of Alaska, Anchorage; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis began her career in family services working at the Alaska
Psychiatric Institute from 1972 to 1975 as a nurse and social worker; and
WHEREAS, from 1975 to 1989, Senator Davis worked in various positions within
the Department of Health and Social Services as a childcare specialist, social worker, and
foster care coordinator; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis received countless awards and honors, including the title
of 2010 Pioneer Woman of the Year from the North to the Future, Business and Professional
Women, the 2010 Celebrate Liberty Award from the Alaska Civil Liberties Union, induction
into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame by the Alaska Women's Network in 2010, the Martin
Luther King Jr. Foundation of Alaska Humanitarian Award, the Mayor's Award for Public
Service, the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau Meeting Champion Award, the
YWCA Woman of Achievement Award, the Alaska Black Caucus President's Award,
selection for the 2000 Notable American Women, selection for the Who's Who of American
Women, and the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Award; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis was an active member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist
Church and was affiliated with various organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,
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the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Business and
Professional Women's Foundation, Alaska Women's Political Caucus, the Athena Society,
Special Olympics, Zonta Anchorage, Campfire, Alaska Center for Children and Families, and
March of Dimes; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis helped develop the next generation of state leaders,
including many African American leaders, through mentorship and an eye for those with a
dedication to public service; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis was a passionate public servant through the peaceful end
of her life; and
WHEREAS Senator Davis was known as the "Conscience of the Legislature,"
passing legislation that continues to influence education, social issues, and economic
development;
BE IT RESOLVED by the Alaska State Legislature that the House Health and Social
Services Committee Room and House Education Committee Room, currently Room 106 of
the Capitol, be dedicated to Senator Bettye J. Davis for her exemplary service as a member of
the House of Representatives and the Senate; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that a bronze plaque shall be placed on or near the door of
the room celebrating Senator Bettye J. Davis' legislative achievements, dedication, and
service to the state and the legislature, bearing the following inscription:
THE BETTYE J. DAVIS COMMITTEE ROOM
The Bettye J. Davis Committee Room memorializes the service
and compassion of Bettye J. Davis, who served as a member of
the House of Representatives from the Seventeenth through the
Nineteenth Alaska State Legislatures and as a member of the
Senate from the Twenty-Second through the Twenty-Seventh
Alaska State Legislatures. She was the first African American
woman elected to the Alaska State House of Representatives
and the first African American elected to the Alaska State
Senate. She served as a member of the House Health,
Education, and Social Services Committee during the
Seventeenth and Eighteenth Alaska State Legislatures,
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 including a term as vice-chair, and as chair of the Senate Health
and Social Services Committee and vice-chair of the Senate
Education Committee during the Twenty-Sixth and Twenty-
Seventh Alaska State Legislatures. Her commitment to children
and those living hard lives earned her recognition as the
"Conscience of the Legislature." Her tireless advocacy for all
Alaskans serves as an example for future generations of
legislators.
A COPY of this resolution shall be presented to the family of the late Senator Bettye
J. Davis.
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