AJC at the Gold Dome
AJC at the Gold Dome

Georgia lawmakers plan for eventual return to Capitol

ajc.com
By Mark Niesse
April 17, 2020

Georgia legislators are preparing to get back to work when the coronavirus subsides.

House Speaker David Ralston appointed a committee Thursday to make recommendations and review protocols for when the General Assembly reconvenes.

The legislative session has been suspended since March 13, leaving the state's 2021 budget and hundreds of other bills pending.

"None of us can know what the remainder of the session will look like," wrote Ralston, a Republican from Blue Ridge, in a memo to House members. "All we can know is that how we conduct our business will be significantly different than when we suspended the session."

Ralston appointed three Republicans and two Democrats to the committee.

The Republicans are Majority Leader Jon Burns, Majority Caucus Chairman Matt Hatchett and Rep. Mark Newton. The Democrats are Minority Leader Bob Trammell and Rep. William Boddie.

Ralston also named Chief of Staff Spiro Amburn, House Clerk Bill Reilly, Director of Constituent Services Holli Pitcock and House Messenger Betsy Theroux to the committee.

About the Author

Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

Follow Mark Niesse on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

First Liberty Building & Loan founder Brant Frost IV. (Photo illustration: Philip Robibero/AJC)

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC

Georgia investigators ramp up probe into First Liberty collapse

Witnesses are being called in Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's civil inquiry into the collapse of First Liberty Building & Loan.

OPINION

Red flags piling up for Georgia Republicans heading into 2026 midterms

The warnings are mounting for Georgia Republicans about the danger they'll face in the 2026 midterm elections if the party does not change course.

Warnock urges Congress to do more to combat America’s affordability crisis

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock said in a speech he worried that concerns about rising costs are leading to something darker: anger and frustration.

The Latest

President Donald Trump dances to music after speaking at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP)

Credit: AP

OPINION

Red flags piling up for Georgia Republicans heading into 2026 midterms

Warnock urges Congress to do more to combat America’s affordability crisis

Georgia investigators ramp up probe into First Liberty collapse

Featured

Waymo autonomous vehicles operate across 65 square miles inside I-285 and have been involved in six incidents with Atlanta Public School buses since May. Waymo issued a recall because of their cars briefly stopping or slowing down before continuing forward while a bus was stopped and flashing its lights. (Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools)

Credit: Courtesy of Atlanta Public Schools

Waymo cars ignored stopped school buses in Atlanta. What happens now?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation. The autonomous vehicle company has issued a software recall.

Search for new MARTA chief hits snag

The search for a new leader for the regional transit authority is widely seen as one of the most important duties facing the Marta Board

Georgia high school coach choked player, put another in headlock, warrants say

The Greene County High coach was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of simple battery, according to investigators.