Things move fast when it comes to finding a candidate to replace arguably the most powerful politician in Georgia politics. But he won’t be chosen by registered voters in the general public. The State House Republican Caucus plans to meet to conduct a secret ballot vote on who to elect as the new Speaker of the House in five days on Monday, November 14th. Over the last week, two State House candidates have emerged to promote their candidacy for Speaker of the House.
Rep. Jon Burns
Word has it Speaker Ralston is favoring State Rep. Jon Burns (District 159) from Newington, which is reason enough for grassroots Republicans to oppose his candidacy for Speaker. We do not want a new Speaker who will run things like Ralston or who will be his puppet and continue to attack and primary fellow conservative Republicans. Besides this, Jon Burns has a legislative vote scorecard of 43%, which is a D rating. Tell your State House Republican Representative: “We do not want to get Burned!”
Another candidate under consideration is State Rep. Barry Fleming (District 121) from Harlem. Fleming’s legislative vote scorecard, however, is only marginally better with a score of “48,” which is still a D.
Rep. Barry Fleming
Fleming’s previous voting record leans serious doubt as to whether or not he will be anywhere near conservative enough for the speakership.
Both of these candidates voted in favor of the terrible original version of Speaker David Ralston’s “Mental Health Parity” legislation last session. Surely the Republican Caucus in the State House can find someone better to succeed David Ralston as Speaker of the House! 🤷♂️
We urge you to call your Republican Representative in the Georgia State House and encourage them to vote for a Speaker who will allow legislation promoting issues that will advance the Republican Party platform, to make it to the House floor for a debate and vote. A Speaker who will not try to attack and shoot down his fellow Republicans when they work to advance the GOP principles.
We are not sad to receive the news about David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) resigning from serving as the Speaker of the Georgia State House of Representatives. We are notgoing to miss him.
Yes, the current Speaker of the GA House David Ralston announced Friday that he would not be seeking re-election as Speaker when the Georgia General Assembly reconvenes in January for the next legislative session. Of course, the bulk of our endorsed State House candidates who won their Republican primaries had already pledged to not vote to re-elect him anyways. When you combine that fact with how much the Republican majority in the State House has shrunk — particularly given how Ralston redistricted some of the most conservative represenatives into Democrat districts — Ralston’s chances of getting re-elected have become tenuous.
But Speaker Ralston cited health concerns, about which rumors have been spreading for months. We take no pleasure in Ralston’s bad health, but we do rejoice in the Lord for providentially using such an illness to rescue us all from Ralston’s reign of tyranny over the last decade. We confess that we are unapologetic in making that statement.
We won’t delineate again right now the long list of grievances against Ralston that have accumulated over his tenure as Speaker. It would take too much time. But he will answer to God. Most of you probably haven’t forgotten at least the highlights. Suffice it to say, most of the Republican principles Ralston has obstructed advancing over the years have been conducted in the following ways:
Block good legislation with grassroots support from ever getting out of committee so as not to embarrass your fellow RINOs when they vote against it. Tell your committee chairmen to never let the bill see the light of day or else they will lose their chairmanships!
Lay it on heavy if any Republican does not support your pet legislation. Tell them you’ll take away all their preferred committee assignments, put them in the office overlooking the dumpster, and move their assigned parking space to the compact one in-between the two giant pillars at the farthest end of the parking deck, etc.
Raise up RINOs to primary any principled Republican who dares to cross you. Call upon your committee chairmen to each make a considerable campaign contribution to the troublemaker’s RINO primary opponent and hire consultants to assist in stomping the little twerp into the ground!
Now any professed Republican legislator who allows himself to be intimidated from serving the well-being of his constituents and doing what is morally right before God due to these tactics is also arguably at fault. Few have been willing to confront Ralston — but the few who have been were GRA-endorsed state legislators!
Speaker David Ralston
Nevertheless, when our representatives in the Republican Caucus of the Georgia State House of Representatives meet after the election to decide who they will elect to succeed Ralston, they should look for a candidate who will not follow in Ralston’s example in these key misbehaviors.
We urge you to contact your Republican State Representative and urge them to vote for a new Speaker who will not obstruct Republican principles as David Ralston has!
The next Republican Speaker of the House in Georgia should at least allow legislation with popular grassroot’s support to run through the legislative course and make it to the House floor for debate and a vote. Regardless of whether the legislation is over securing gun rights, saving preborn babies from abortion murder, enacting realelection integrity reform—or anything else!
Beyond voting on candidates for civil government office from U.S. Senate, to the Governor, to state legislators, and local officeholders and judges, people going to vote for the general election will be presented with ballot questions on some significant proposed state constitutional amendments.
The SEGRA chapter has done research on the top proposed state constitutional amendments and offers the following recommendations:
NO, NO, NO AND MORE NO’SON ALL THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND ISSUES. HERE’S WHY:
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
1. You get no salary following a felony indictment if you are one of these guys: Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State School Superintendent, Commissioners of Insurance, Agriculture, Labor, or any member of the general assembly
Vote: NO!
Innocent until proven guilty
Makes it harder to fight the charges and prove innocence, since you have no income. Also, you can’t support your family.
Most importantly, Republicans are being targeted with lawfare, making this a dangerous amendment
2. Gives big powers to grant temporary tax relief after disasters to: County governments, city governments and the boards of education of each school system.
Vote: NO!
Confers power; not relief
Any tax relief means shifting the burden somewhere else; onto someone else
Picking winners and losers
Vague: we don’t know how this will be implemented
Why is this elevated to a Constitutional Amendment – this power will never go away
Why are school boards allowed to make these decisions
Anytime politicians talk about a measure in terms of “breaks my heart” and “love they neighbor”….I’m suspicious!
STATEWIDE REFERENDUMS
Note: ad valorem taxes are generally levied on real estate and major personal property like cars, boats, big equipment. Ad Valorem taxes are typically a major, if not the major, revenue source to both state and municipal government.
1. Exempt certain timber production, reforestation and harvesting equipment from the ad valorem tax.
Vote: NO!
Why is this on the ballot? It seems to me it’s there likely because the timber industry has a strong lobby in Atlanta.
You don’t get an exemption on your home, your car or your boat.
Vote no for special interest exemptions
2. More exemptions! This time expanding exemptions that now apply to family farms for farming equipment and certain products. The exempt products would now include eggs and dairy products. Instead of just applying to family farms, these exemptions would now include owners of multiple farms.
Vote: NO
Again, family farms are already getting a number of tax breaks, why add more breaks?
Maybe there is reason to help the individual family farm, but why extend this to owners of multiple farms/big conglomerates?
Special Election Questions
1. TSPLOST – 1% Transportation Special Sales Tax. Adds up to $420M over five years.
Vote: No!
The SPLOST which is a popular revenue source generated some $1.5 billion since it began back in 1985 – it has been passed over and over again ever since. Chatham County has used 73% of this $1.5 billion for roads and drainage.
The 1% for SPLOST is still a part of our 7% sales tax.
What have they done with the money pouring in for roads and drainage? It is still pouring in. I think this needs to be explained.
Not only that, but sales tax is considered regressive, which means it hits low income households harder than higher-income households.
Now, with Biden’s inflation (commonly referred to as Build Back Bloated), is not the time to increase the burden of making ends meet.
2. Taking money from Eisenhower improvements and using it to develop a big plan for improvements to county storm water drainage.
Vote: No!
Why do we need to pay for a plan? Drainage is part of the SPLOSH expenditures. Remember, the $1.5 billion dollars and the continuing 1% SPLOST income which is currently part of our sales tax. The majority spent on roads and drainage. Where did that go? And where is it continuing to go?
We’ve spent all that money on drainage during the past 37 years and now…..we need a plan!!???
YouTube cancels one of our videos — AGAIN! Earlier this year at a medical conference held near Ronald Reagan Boulevard, we co-hosted a panel discussion “How Shall We Then Live? A Panel Discussion on the Intersection of Politics, Medicine, & Theology.” The video of the panel was one of our most watched recorded events, but this morning YouTube notified us that they had taken it down because “it violates [their] medical misinformation policy.” Thankfully, the video is still available for viewing on our Rumble account! Watch it here:
Click the image above to watch the video on our Rumble channel.
In case you missed it: We have postponed our GRA President’s Dinner until next year after Democrat U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock accepted Republican nominee Herschel Walker‘s challenge to a debate the same evening of Friday, October 14th at 7:00pm. The debate will take place in Savannah, the city where Warnock was born. Walker was born not far from there in Wrightsville, Georgia.
We want you to be able to watch this political debate live so you can be informed about which of the candidates running best represents the principles of the Republican Party. Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver has also qualified for the Nov. 8 general election, and we would recommend learning about his platform as well. We also realize that many of our members are activist volunteers in many campaign efforts, and we don’t want to distract from their important work.
Tune into the debate between Herschel Walker and Raphael Warnock this coming Friday evening at any of the following television networks:
In any campaign for U.S. Senate, a Republican candidate needs to appeal to strong conservatives—including fiscal conservatives! When Republicans are in control of the White House and Congress, the National Debt should be going DOWN—not up slower! When Republicans in the U.S. Senate vote to expand the size and spending of the federal government, they disenchant many conservatives who then vote third-party. If we want to win, remember the lesson of 2020 and don’t make this mistake again, Republicans!
This news chart suggests that many who would normally vote for the Republican voted third-party after seeing how the Republican U.S. Senator voted repeatedly for increased deficit spending and other fiscally irresponsible policies:
Our new North Metro Republican Assembly chapter is co-hosting a “Georgia Unite” Conference on October 8th, and they would like to invite you to come! Unite with fellow American Patriots to learn from conservative leaders on what threatens our Constitutional Republic and how to inspire change for tomorrow. Register here!
In case you missed the Cobb County Republican Assembly’s recent special event, you can now watch the video recording of attorney Ben DuPré’s report Life, Liberty, & Pistols: The Impact of SCOTUS’s Recent Term! In addition to serving as a lawyer who has worked on many cases over the years dealing with the subject matter involved in the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent rulings, Ben also serves as the Chief of Staff for the Chief Justice of the Alabama State Supreme Court.
Watch the video on the Cobb RA YouTube channel here:
The North Metro RA chapter has just confirmed ICE Acting Director under the Trump Administration, Thomas Holman, as their keynote headliner for the 2022 Georgia Unite Conference scheduled for Oct. 8th. They are hosting it in Cherokee County at a 500 seat event facility at The Bluffs Governmental Complex in Canton. Our North Metro GRA Chapter is also planning a VIP Fundraising Dinner the evening before on Friday night.
They are also pleased to report that their newsletter is coming out this weekend to promote the event as they just confirmed our keynote headliner today.
The Georgia Unite theme centers around securing our Southern Border. Previous 6th District Congressional candidate Mallory Staples, soon to be the new Freedom Caucus Georgia Director, is serving as the MC. They are bringing multiple local conservative Patriot Groups together to rally together around securing the sovereignty of our country, otherwise have no country!
In addition, the North Metro RA created this announcement for the chapter to recruit volunteers because only four phone callers were logged into Hershel’s “Turn-out-the-Vote” phone system in all of NW Georgia last Saturday. They say “he needs our sacrificial help NOW!”
They have released this calendar of events for their chapter:
Since Georgia’s Heartbeat law went into effect on July 20th, pro-life Georgians have been surprised and disappointed by the data shared by sidewalk counselors. The observations they share from their numerous hours outside abortion facilities indicate the law is not very effective at saving babies lives despite all the pro-life celebration and the hysteria from pro-abortion activists.
Full-time sidewalk counselors (also called pro-life missionaries) who peacefully pray and evangelize outside abortion facilities have shared some disturbing reports of high abortion numbers and contrasted pre-heartbeat law averages with the averages seen today.
The Columbus Women’s Health abortuary has tripled their normal rate of abortions since the Dobbs ruling overturned the precedent started with Roe v. Wade.
Seneca Choices For Life (left) Columbus Women’s Health abortion mill (right).
Seneca Choices for Life, the local pro-life pregnancy center is strategically located beside the leading Columbus abortion facility. The pregnancy center maintains a constant presence outside the clinic, praying and pleading with women to change their mind and receive the free resources they provide.
“Just here in Columbus the abortions have tripled since before Roe,” said Amber Snipes, Director of Seneca Choices for Life.
“This is a reason we are suspicious of illegal activity because there’s been a significant spike in numbers once abortions became illegal after 6 weeks.”
Amber Snipes and infant outside Seneca Choices for Life, Columbus.
Some speculate that the high volume of abortions in Columbus is due to its proximity to Alabama, a state with stronger legal protections for pre-born children compared to Georgia. Alabama law protects children from the moment of fertilization with the only exception for serious health risk to the pre-born child’s mother. It contains no exception for rape or incest, unlike Georgia’s Heartbeat law.
Data collected by Columbus sidewalk counselors reveals the mothers entering the abortion mill drove vehicles with a diverse array of state license plates hailing from Alabama, Louisiana and even Texas. These out-of-state licenses and the higher volume of elective abortions committed in border cities like Columbus indicates that Georgia is becoming an abortion destination state.
In Augusta the data shows abortion numbers are down, but not by much.
“The volume has been cut down from about 30 to [between] 12 to 20 per day. They aren’t following the law,” said Steven Smith, a pro-life missionary in Augusta.
They say that after the primary is over, all Republicans are supposed join together, sing Kumbaya, and work together to get our Republican nominees elected in November. That’s what they said, anyway, before theGRA helped 13 of our endorsed Republican State House candidateswin their Republican nominations in the May primary. As some nominees and new activists are learning now, that’s “rules for thee and not for me!”
All in all, the GRA got not only 13 endorsed State House candidates primary wins, but also won three endorsed State Senate races, two congressional candidate races, and three state-wide races!
But last weekend, the State House Republican Caucus (which is controlled by Speaker David Ralston) met with the Republican nominees in Georgia to give several of our endorsed nominees in viable races against Democrats the ol’ smack down: How dare you get the endorsement of the GRA?! If you are with the GRA, we will provide you with zerohelp in the general election—and we may even find a way to help your opponent! If you’re with the GRA, we’re against you!
Speaker David Ralston
At least three of these endorsed nominees have received intense pressure to renounce the GRA, their endorsement, and even their membership in the GRA! So right now when the Atlanta Establishment could be trying to mend old wounds and build bridges to earn conservative support for the general election —instead they’re stirring more division! Why would they risk losing these critical viable seats to Democrats? Why sabotage their own party? Why would the State House “Republican Caucus” be so against activists dedicated to promoting accountability to the principles of the Republican platform?
This is the same caucus leadership that opposed a special session to investigate and evaluate the allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, and who opposed getting rid of the QR codes and the absentee drop boxes. It’s also the same ones who pushed the Mental Health Parity bill, who imposed eugenics (it’s okay to murder the baby this alternative way) language on the Heartbeat bill, who blocked the Constitutional Carry bill for several years, who blocked legislation to stop taxpayers from having to pay for abortion services for state employees, who “balance the budget” as our state law requires by issuing more debt through bonds, etc., etc., etc.
In each of these fights and more, it has been the GRA and our endorsed legislators who have been standing up against this wayward Republican leadership. Our numbers are growing in the legislature with this recent batch of primary victories, and it’s making them nervous. Why?
Because it would only take ten votes to unseat David Ralston (Blue Ridge) from being Speaker of the Georgia State House, and they know that most of our endorsed candidates have pledged to vote against Ralston as Speaker next year. They also know we are in reach of obtaining that objective. They know we are a threat to these RINOs. They fear us.
If the Republican Caucus won’t support them, and is using intimidation tactics to pressure them to cave, they need to count on us.
Let’s encourage and embolden our endorsed candidates to courageously stand up for the issues that concern us from the Republican platform — the issues so many Republicans in the legislature seem reluctant to advance! Don’t abandon them to the intimidation tactics of David Ralston and his gang of thugs in the so-called “Republican” Caucus. Help us fight back with your $50, $100, or $250 donation today.
Our GRA-endorsed legislators have been the few Republicans consistently standing up for you and I—the grassroots—in our concerns at the state legislature.
