GRA President Nathaniel Darnell & NFRA Director Abigail Darnell (right) pleased to stand with Chief Justice Tom Parker of Alabama (left).
Today the Alabama State Supreme Court in a 7-to-2 decision upheld the lives of the preborn conceived through in-vitro fertilization(IVF)! 👏 We wish to commend Chief Justice Tom Parker of Alabama (who has been an Alabama Republican Assembly member) & the other six Justices who concurred with him in this honest and courageous holding.
Babies—no matter how they are conceived—are human beings and have all of the DNA of a unique individual person.
Chief Justice Tom Parker, who agreed with the majority opinion, wrote a separate opinion to expand on how the Alabama “Sanctity of Life Amendment” introduced a strong legal public policy to protect unborn life in Alabama, including IVF embryos. (Read Chief Justice Parker’s special concurrence here.) Chief Justice Parker wrote, “A good judge follows the Constitution instead of policy, except when the Constitution itself commands the judge to follow a certain policy. In these cases, that means upholding the sanctity of unborn life, including unborn life that exists outside the womb.”
That life is sacred because every human being is made in the image of God, noted Chief Justice Parker, and the People chose to make that a clear matter of constitutional law.
Our Cobb County Republican Assembly chapter had the pleasure of hosting Chief Justice Parker’s Chief of Staff Ben DuPré for a special report on the state of jurisprudence in 2022, which you can see here:
This parliamentary procedure training in northwest Georgia was led by Northwest RA chapter President Eddie Caldwell (also the Whitfield County GOP Chairman).
The new local chapter elected as their chapter Chairwoman Jennifer Tudor (also the Chattooga County GOP Chairwoman) and as their local chapter President Charles Stoker.
Our Republican Assembly leaders in Chattooga have already been instrumental in advancing several beneficial projects in their community, and we look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the days ahead.
We had a delightful time this evening with the Cobb County Republican Party & folks who came from as far and wide as Whitfield, Coweta, Floyd, & Fulton counties to participate in the Convention & Parliamentary Procedure Training! Thanks to our GRA President Nathaniel Darnell & our GRA Chairman and attorney Alex Johnson for leading the training!
Don’t believe the lies and excuses from alleged “elected leaders,” the political prosecutions by Fani Willis of President Trump, former GAGOP Chairman David Shafer, and many others can be ended immediately. Not in years, not in months, but this week. But only with immediate action: take two minutes to make these crucial calls to ensure “Republican” officials fulfill their promises to voters and to the Republican Party.
Living in a “Republican” state, voters should be able to presume that those in elected office are going to act like Republicans. Sadly, the only way this is going to happen is by (1) you sharing this message with others and (2) taking a few simple actions to push your elected representatives to actually act like Republicans.
The first way to do this is by making sure this bill, S.B. 416, which we’re calling the “Stop Political Prosecutions Act,”gets passed. It is a simple bill that would change the RICO law in Georgia to immediately end the current Fani Willis prosecution of Trump and other Republicans here in Georgia.
No longer would the GAGOP be paying out tons of money in legal fees. This would put an end to politically motivated prosecutions in our state. It would be over. Immediately. Ending the stress and torture of past GAGOP Chairman David Shafer, President Trump, and all of the others.
This is so important that any elected official not signing on to this needs to get a primary challenger who can run a really simple campaign: “I would vote to end the prosecution of Republicans, and the incumbent failed to do so.”
Currently, the only two people currently showing themselves in the State Senate to be Republicans are GRA-endorsedSen. Colton Moore (for initiating this bill), and Sen. Brandon Beach for co-sponsoring it. Call them and thank them: they deserve praise for doing the right thing. All of the others? Not so much. But there’s still time for them to change their mind, which will only happen with your help.
Senator Brandon BeachSenator Colton Moore
First, please call the Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch (cell: 706-300-6568) (as well as your own local representatives) and tell him that you want him to get S.B. 416, the “Stop Political Prosecutions Act,” passed immediately. Be respectful. But be firm. He works for you. The legislature has the authority to do this, as they are the legislative branch of government, and they write the laws that govern the judicial system. And the bill would undoubtedly be effective to end the prosecutions. As the Majority Leader, Steve Gooch has the direct authority to expedite the passage of this bill: all of the committee chairs and others that typically give excuses follow his lead.
And as we’ve discussed before, the “Prosecutorial Commission” they are trying to use as cover to mislead the voters into thinking they are doing something about the prosecutions is, sadly, being talked about solely to intentionally mislead voters. The commission already stated that they weren’t going to consider past conduct, and it would actually likely be unconstitutional if they tried to. The *only* way being considered that Republicans can immediately stop these prosecutions is by passing S.B. 416, and the only reason they’ll do so is if you make it clear to them that you will field primary challengers against anyone who doesn’t support the bill. If they aren’t going to use their office to fix the problem, why even have them there?
Second, you can make sure that Sen. John Kennedy (R-Macon) knows that while he continues to keep Republican Sen. Colton Moore out of the Republican caucus, and tells people to “respect the judiciary” allowing the prosecution of President Trump to continue, that you expect him to stop playing those political games and for him to do his job by starting to act like an actual Republican by getting S.B. 416 passed, as well as by letting Sen. Moore back into the Republican caucus. (You can see how they kicked him out in past messages.)
Third and finally, engage in this year’s GAGOP convention cycle to ensure our principles are upheld. It’s essential to participate, and we encourage newcomers by offering training in convention procedures and Robert’s Rules of Order.
We need to be involved in order to effectively have the GAGOP put pressure on (and potentially not qualify for office) candidates that fail to live up to Republican principles. While it can be intimidating for newcomers, that’s why it’s important to invite as many Republicans as possible to come, and also make sure to invite them to convention/Roberts Rules of Order training so that they can have an impact. GRA officers have regularly helped host these trainings around the state last year, and will be working to do so again this year.
Personally, I will be involved at trainings at two county GOPs in the coming weeks to help get people ready, and you (and other Republicans) are invited. The first was tonight, starting at 7 PM, in DeKalb County. The second will be in Cobb County this Wednesday, February 7th, at 6 PM. Details are here.
If you would like to have any such trainings for your group or local GOP, please let us know.
We must work together. And we must defeat the Establishment. If we fail now, and people get discouraged and are not involved in their county parties or next year’s convention cycle, the opportunity will not come again.
The GRA Executive Committee voted unanimously to pass a resolution commending and honoring State Senator Colton Moore (R-Dade) for his leading the charge to hold Democrat D.A. Fani Willis accountable in her harassment of political opponents such as the 2020 presidential alternate electors. The resolution also calls for the State Senate Republican Caucus to re-admit Moore to the caucus, and to support legislative reforms that prevents this kind of law-fare.
Read the entire resolution by clicking on this image link:
The Republican Presidential Primary debates may be over, but some of the discourse from those debates continue to reverberate across the country. In one of the debates between the GOP Presidential hopefuls, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey asserted that to be consistent on parental rights, Republicans should allow for parent-initiated gender transition surgeries for minors. He proclaimed:
“I stood up every single time for parents, to be able to make the decision for their minor children… every once in a while, parents are going to make decisions that we disagree with. But the minute you start to take those rights away from parents you don’t know that slippery slope… what rights are going to be taken away next.”
Governor Ron Desantis
Meanwhile Governor Ron Desantis of Florida maintained, “You do not as a parent have the right to abuse your kids…. This is cutting off their genitals! This is mutilating these minors. This is irreversible procedures!”
How did we know what is the appropriate jurisdiction of parental authority? The “law of nature’s God” makes it clear. Since the Founding Fathers believed all rights come from God, it makes sense that the limitations of those rights are also set by God.
Different Spheres of Authority
The Bible teaches that Civil Government and the Family each represent a jurisdiction of authority that is separate and carries distinct responsibilities. Both are legitimate and instituted by God himself (see Gen. 2:24, Gen 9:6) Both include specific, defined responsibilities (Ephesians 6:4, Prov 8:15, et al).
After the GA GOP State Committee meeting concluded in St. Simon Island on Saturday, GRA members on the state committee and local GRA members from the Coastal RA chapter, SEGRA chapter, and South GA RA chapter gathered for a reception and fellowship:
GRA President Nathaniel Darnell, GRA-endorsed GA GOP Secretary Caroline Jeffords, & GRA Chairman Alex JohnsonNFRA Director Abigail Darnell & GRA Membership Chair Nancy Rikard (Cobb)Members of our Coastal RA chapter
Most of these fellow GRA members are separate by so many miles that they rarely get to see each other in person, so this was a delightful opportunity. Thanks to everyone who participated!
Much of the conversation centered around the business of the State Committee meeting. In particular, particpants discussed the close vote by the GA GOP State Committee to nearly endorse Donald Trump for President, the resolution Sam Carline introduced and was passed in favor of paper ballots, and the progress on the legal efforts to stop Democrat D.A. Fani Willis from harassing the alternate electors.
South GRA members Tyler Johnson (2nd District GA GOP Chairman) & Kevin ParkerNorth Metro RA members from Cherokee County: Marcia Cox, her mother, Susan Haddad, & Annabella BrancoSouth GRA ladies: Beth Majeroni, Debra Giddons, Kandiss Taylor, & Brittany Brown (Chatham County GOP Chair)Lots of good food and fellowship shared by all!
We were excited last year to help GRA-member Kandiss Taylor win election as the new 1st Congressional District GA GOP Chairwoman, and we were also happy to help Brittany Brown (our SEGRA President) win election as the new Chatham County GOP Chairwoman. These two ladies and their teams have greatly improved the Republican Party in the southeastern corner of the state, after two years of chaos for the region, and Kandiss’ skills as a hostess were on bright display as state committee members, elected officials, and other esteemed guests arrived for this special event:
GRA President Nathaniel Darnell, GRA member Jackie Harling (Walker County GOP Chairwoman), & GRA member Ron Hooper (Banks County)Our NFRA Director Abigail Darnell with husband Nathaniel & baby daughter Blessing SophiaThe M.C.s for the Gala: GRA member Kandiss Taylor (1st District Chair) & Cooper Jacks
GRA-endorsed State Senator Colton Moore (R-Dade) once again led the auction Friday evening for the 1st District’s fundraising gala, which grossed $50,000. At least $15,000 was raised to help the alternate electors being harassed by Fulton D.A. Fani Willis.
GRA member Denise Burns (14th District Chair) with GRA 1st Vice President Brant Frost VSouth GRA member Holly Kessler with Cooper JacksGRA President Nathaniel Darnell with south GRA member Kevin ParkerState Senator Colton Moore taking with Coastal RA President Jeff Jones (former State Representative)GRA member Joy Turner (1st District Treasurer) with NFRA Director Abigail Darnell
Last Thursday, the Chattooga County GOP hosted a public forum for questions and respectful debate regarding the local Accountability Rule recently adopted by their organization. The meeting attracted enthusiastic attendance from no less than eight different counties and included four different GOP County chairs who came out to show their support for Chattooga GOP Chairwoman Jennifer Tudor and her team.
GRA Chairman Alex Johnson & GRA President Nathaniel Darnell both stand shoulder-to-shoulder in support of Jennifer TudorA Congressional District Chair, two fellow county GOP Chairs, & an attorney standing in solidarity with Jennifer Tudor of Chattooga County
Attorney and GRA Chairman Alex Johnson answered questions from the crowd and moderated the discussion. The vast majority of comments and crowd feedback was overwhelmingly supportive with only a few who opposed the rule.
Jennifer Tudor read aloud from the 2023 Georgia Election Code Annotated a passage that says:
“Authority of Party to Refuse To Qualify a Candidate: The state and county executive committee of a political party have the authority to refuse to qualify a candidate upon a determination that such candidate does not meet the qualifications for nomination to a public office.”
Brian Pritchard, GA GOP 1st Vice Chairman also presented to the crowd his reasons for supporting the Chattooga team that implemented the rule. He shared how his area in rural Fannin County is overwhelmingly Republican and suffers from the same problems as counties like Chattooga where the community is roughly 75% Republican, making it nearly impossible to win an election as a Democrat. In these cases, Republican primaries can be flooded with Democrats in disguise. One woman in the crowd commented that this rule would help people like her who are “tired of having to hold their nose to vote Republican.”
“I’ve never had to hold my nose to vote Republican!” retorted one of the handful of men present who opposed the by-law change. “Never!”
Members of the Etowah RA chapter attend up to show support.
One of the concerns brought forward was that the Accountability Rule might in the future be used arbitrarily by the local party against a candidate for no good reason. Alex Johnson shared how Chattooga citizens could remedy that problem if it ever arose by participating in the local party convention and show up to elect different leaders who could be trusted to be loyal to the principles of the party. One of the main goals of the GRA is educating grassroots Republicans so they know how to get involved in the convention process and in elections to replace people who abuse power with those who steward it with integrity. This is one of the reasons the GRA hosts parliamentary procedure trainings and mock conventions where patriots can practice making motions.
Interestingly, the Chattooga County Democrat Party used a similar Accountability power to block a candidate from running as a Democrat back in 2014. The Democrat Party Chairman wrote: “When you sign the qualifying papers, it signifies that you are a Democrat. If you wish to support the opposition, then you should feel free to do so. But, do it as a member of that opposition. We must and should expect a Democratic elected official to actually be a Democrat, and to publicly conduct themselves as one. And frankly, those of us who labor for the Party and candidates like yourself as volunteers don’t feel that’s too much to ask. We must stand for something. We have a philosophy unique to our Party as all political parties do.”
As the recently elected new GRA President, I want to extend a happy greeting to you on behalf of our organization at this “most wonderful time of the year!” We count it a privilege to work alongside all of our grassroots friends across the state. Although we’ve changed a few things on our leadership team, we want to renew our commitment to you to continue to stand for the American principles of the Republican Party which have made our nation great.
The Christmas season is a good time to consider how we should reform the political landscape in our state. The themes and archetypes of the season depicted in the popular stories, songs, and movies are rooted in the original historic story of Christ’s birth and the circumstances surrounding it. Here are some lessons we can learn from them:
1. Don’t Be a Herod / Grinch / Scrooge / Mr. Potter
All the classic Christmas fiction seems to have a hardened bully character with a bad attitude who opposes the spirit of the season. Whether the character goes by the name of “Scrooge” or “Mr. Potter” or “the Grinch,” they ultimately hearken back to the curmudgeon of the original Christ’s birth story: King Herod. At the state capitol in Atlanta, we’ve had our share of real-life characters of this sort. Sometimes they come under the label “Democrat” and sometimes by the label “Republican,” but they all have some things in common such as a lording of their human power over others, a closing of their ears of compassion to needs they have the jurisdiction and power to alleviate, and a rejection of the significance of Christ’s coming in their lives.
King Herod in the Bible was so desperate to cling to his material political power that he became notorious for murdering a whole generation of babies in his land in his attempt to kill Christ, and today we also have politicians complicit in the murder of thousands of babies—and they force you to pay for it with your tax dollars. In fact in Georgia since Dobbs, there are now more abortion murders committed at clinics each year than there was before!
The Herod-type political characters are not only cold to the murder of those who cannot vote, they’re hard hearted to the stealing of millions of dollars through socialist programs, they turn a blind eye to evidence of stolen elections, and they don’t care about the dissolution of the nuclear family.
In some of the Christmas fiction stories, the Herod archetype character experiences redemption (such as Scrooge or the Grinch). We observe that kind of thing in the Bible when the persecutor Saul of Tarsus had his Damascus Road experience and became the Apostle Paul. But in the original Christ’s birth story, King Herod sadly never experienced any change of heart. Only judgment.
Great to see the excitement!
