Speaker David Ralston has passed away
Featured Stories November 16, 2022
GEORGIA – David Ralston, Speaker of the House for the Georgia House of Representatives, has passed away.
The Georgia House of Representatives has put out the following statement following his passing:
“Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), 73rdSpeaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, passed away today following an extended illness. He was 68 years old.
His loving wife, Sheree, his children and other members of the family were with him when he passed.
At the time of his passing, Speaker Ralston was the longest currently-serving state house speaker in the country. He represented Georgia’s seventh House district which includes Fannin and Gilmer counties and a portion of Dawson County.
As provided by the Georgia State Constitution, Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton) became the 74th Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives for the remainder of the term which ends in January.
Arrangements will be announced in the future.”
The new Speaker of the House, Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton), made a statement regarding the passing of Ralston and now his new title.
“The State of Georgia has lost one of its greatest leaders with the passing of Speaker David Ralston. This is an unfathomable loss and one that leaves a hole in the heart of each and every House member.
“David and I were members of the same freshman class – having both been elected in 2002, and I am proud to have served as Speaker Pro Tempore for thirteen years under his leadership. While I will miss his guidance and advice tremendously – I will miss his friendship more.
“Whether it was growing jobs and expanding opportunity in rural Georgia or making adoption easier and reforming mental health care in our state, David Ralston spent his career in public service trying to lift others up and move our state forward. He knew the awesome power of bringing people together – reasoning together – and finding common ground. Regardless of political ideology, he treated everyone with respect and was a model of civility.
“We pray for his wife, Sheree, and their entire family at this most difficult time. While our House of Representatives will continue to lead, it will never be the same without Speaker David Ralston.”
David Ralston announces he will not run again for Speaker of the House
Feature News, Featured, Featured News, Featured Stories November 4, 2022
Georgia – FYN has learned that at noon on Friday, November the 4th, a press conference to announce the Georgia State Speaker of the House, David Ralston, will be making an announcement. According to information we have received Mr. Ralston will not seek another term as Speaker of the House.
Currently Mr. David Ralston is the Representative of Georgia ‘s 7th District which includes Fannin, Gilmer and part of Dawson county. FYN will update as more information becomes available.
See Press Release below:
Speaker David Ralston
PRESS RELEASE
Speaker Ralston Announces He Will Not Seek Nomination as Speaker of the House for the 2023-2024 Legislative Session
He intends to Represent 7th House District as State Representative.
ATLANTA – Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), 73rd Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, announced today that he will not seek nomination for Speaker of the House for the 2023-2024 legislative session. He will serve the remainder of his current term as Speaker of the House which ends in January.
“Serving as Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives has been the honor of a lifetime, and I owe a heartfelt thank you to my colleagues for the trust and confidence they placed in me thirteen years ago,” said Speaker Ralston. “I need to take time to address a health challenge which has arisen recently, and the House needs a Speaker who can devote the necessary time and energy to the office. I love the House and want to see the honorable men and women who serve in it succeed. I will work the remainder of my term as Speaker to ensure a smooth transition for my successor.”
If re-elected by his constituents, Speaker Ralston intends to serve as State Representative for the 7th House district for the 2023-2024 legislative session. Speaker Ralston is unopposed for that seat.
“I appreciate the continued support of my friends and neighbors in Fannin, Gilmer, and Dawson counties,” said Speaker Ralston. “I intend to serve out the next term as their state representative and fulfill the duties they have entrusted to me.”
Speaker Ralston was first elected to the House in 2002 and was first elected as Speaker of the House in 2010. He is the longest currently-serving state house speaker in the country.
A champion for job creation and economic development, Speaker Ralston has been a driving force behind many legislative accomplishments which have made Georgia the best state in the nation for business year after year, such as Georgia’s Transportation Funding Act of 2015 and the largest-ever income tax cut in state history.
Speaker Ralston has also worked with leaders in both parties to move Georgia forward through bipartisan legislation like Georgia’s comprehensive adoption reform in 2018 and the state’s first-ever paid parental leave policy for state employees and teachers in 2021.
In 2022, Speaker Ralston led the fight for historic reform of mental health care in Georgia. Georgia’s Mental Health Parity Act and accompanying funding transforms both access to and delivery of mental health services and treatment options throughout the state.
“I want to thank all the staff members who have assisted me throughout the years, particularly my Chief of Staff Spiro Amburn who has been by my side from the beginning,” said Speaker Ralston. “I could not have done all of this without the love and support of my family, particularly my wife, Sheree, and our children. They have been my rock, and I love them very much.”
The Speaker of the House is elected by and from the members of the House on the first day of each biennial legislative session. The Speaker serves as the House’s chief administrative officer. The Speaker also presides over House floor sessions, assigns bills to committees, and calls matters before the House for debate.
The House of Representatives will elect a new Speaker when the House convenes for the first day of the 2023-2024 legislative session on Monday, January 9, 2023.
Collins comes to Blue Ridge to set the record straight
Election 2020, Featured, Featured Stories, News, Politics October 22, 2020
Blue Ridge, Ga. – Congressman Doug Collins stopped in Blue Ridge on his campaign tour in the race for U.S. Senate. With him were special guests Georgia State Speaker of the House David Ralston and former member of the foreign policy advisory panel to Donald Trump, George Papadopoulos.
Collins spoke briefly on his record as U.S. Congressman, highlighting his conservative values and his reputation for representing the people of the 9th District.
Collins has stood up to multiple government agencies and individuals during his career, most notably holding the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and James Comey accountable.
Collins was also a visible ally to President Donald Trump during the U.S. House of Representatives Impeachment Hearings.
Now, Collins wants to take this same momentum and move it to the U.S. Senate.
Georgia State Speaker of the House David Ralston and Congressman Doug Collins in Blue Ridge.
With the U.S. Senate seat open to a Jungle Primary on the Nov. 3 ballot, Collins wants to set the record straight on what is and isn’t true about himself and his biggest Republican rival, Senator Kelly Loeffler.
According to Collins, Loeffler’s attacks on him are unfounded and in many cases an attempt at deflection about her true nature and intent.
Collins specifically sited Loeffler’s pro-life stance that seems to not have been her view a mere two years ago when she worked with Planned Parenthood to have a booth set up at a basketball game where monies raised would be split with the organization.
“I am the one who is actually concerned about life,” Collins said pointing to decisions his family has made in their personal life that reflect these values.
Loeffler also made claims that Collins was not Pro-Second Amendment and that as a lawyer Collins represented criminals.
Collins assured the crowd, having grown up the son of a trooper neither of these claims could be further from the truth.
“She doesn’t want you to know that she worked with Michael Bloomberg,” Collins said of Loeffler’s Second Amendment claims and her own personal work on a gun control agenda.
In his career as a lawyer, Collins took indigent clients, none of which were pictured in Loeffler’s ad. Collins stated, “Doug Collins defender of criminals? No, Doug Collins did his constitutional duty taking indigent clients.”
Loeffeler has also released ads containing a picture of Collins with former Georgia House Representative Stacey Abrams.
Abrams made waves as the Democratic nominee for Georgia Governor in 2018, known for her liberal stances.
George Papadopoulos gives his endorsement of Collins for Senate.
Collins explained the photo, “This was after we saved the HOPE scholarship. Stacey joined us on a conservative idea and voted for it because she understood that people needed that money.”
According to Collins, Loeffler actually employed Abrams as an attorney for a basketball team and in 2018 Loeffler honored Abrams as a woman of distinction while “Abrams for Governor” signs were in the background of the photo-op.
Lastly, Collins pointed out that Loeffler makes her decisions based on her own self-interest and money.
“She claims to be tough on China,” Collins said and added, “Take the ten state owned companies that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, owned by the Chinese Communist Party, and delist them.”
Jeffrey Sprecher, Leoffler’s husband, is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Intercontinental Exchange, and the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
Collins said of his suggestion to delist the Chinese companies, that it will never happen because Loeffler will choose her pocketbook and their pocketbook over policy everyday.
“I may not have $35 million, but I’ve got all I need because I’ve got you and I’ve got the voters of Georgia and they understand who the real conservative is in this race,” Collins said referencing the amount the Loeffler has spent on her Senate campaign, “Georgia can’t be bought.”
Author
CORE receives grant and state office at ribbon-cutting
News July 24, 2019
ELLIJAY, Ga. – “This is the kind of project that will spread prosperity throughout our entire region. It is the kind of skin-in-the-game project that deserves support…” Georgia Speaker of the House, David Ralston praised the CORE Facility in Ellijay who hosted their official ribbon-cutting today.
Nestled just off Maddox Drive on the banks of the Coosawattee River in Ellijay, Georgia, the CORE Facility hosts business offices and incubation locations for entrepreneurs and start-ups in need of an office or workspace without the hassles of long-term investment.
Left to right, Gilmer Commission Chairman Charlie Paris, Fannin Commission Chairman Stan Helton, and Pickens Commission Chairman Rob Jones celebrate with Greater Gilmer JDA Executive Director Kent Sanford at the CORE Facility ribbon-cutting in Ellijay, Georgia, on July 24, 2019.
However, the facility’s impact reaches so much farther than the city limits or the county’s borders. Today marked a celebration for the region and for the state. Representatives statewide joined together for this ribbon cutting including Gilmer Commission Chairman Charlie Paris, Gilmer Post Commissioner Karleen Ferguson, Pickens Commission Chairman Rob Jones, Fannin Commission Chairman Stan Helton, Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston, State Senator Steve Gooch, State Representative of District 11 Rick Jasperse, Ellijay City Mayor Al Hoyle, Gilmer Schools Superintendent Dr. Shanna Downs, and many representatives from the Ellijay and East Ellijay City Councils and Gilmer Board of Education. Efforts from many organizations have led into combined organizations such as the Greater Gilmer Joint Development Authority (JDA) and the Greater Gilmer Community Foundation.
That Foundation was the birthplace of the initiative to build CORE. According to Kent Sanford, Executive Director of the Greater Gilmer JDA and part of the Greater Gilmer Community Foundation, a 14-month birth cycle has finally come to full fruition.
While the celebration was a culmination of efforts so far, it is only the beginning. It is a project that holds great impact on the future, according to Ralston who said, “It will create jobs in our area. The jobs of tomorrow will be possible because of the work that goes on in this building.”
Speaker of the House, David Ralston announces a $420,000 state grant for the CORE facility to applause from attendees at the ribbon-cutting on July 24, 2019.
Ralston also dedicated support to the facility as he announced, “Because of the local commitment to the CORE building the State of Georgia, through our OneGeorgia Authority, is awarding $420,000 to this project to be used for Facility purchase and improvement costs. This $420,000 grant is historic. both in terms of its dollar amount and the impact it will have on this project and community.”
Ralston continued speaking about the economic development and job creation in the county before offering the second announcement of the day regarding the Center for Rural Prosperity & Innovation, also known as Georgia’s Rural Center.
Ralston stated at the ribbon-cutting, “I am proud to announce that the new North Georgia of the Georgia Center for Rural Prosperity & Innovation will be housed right here in Ellijay in this facility. The office will be led by Janet Cochran.”
Ralston’s office later offered a full Press Release on the announcement stating the center serves as a central information and research hub for rural best practices, including community planning, industry-specific assistance and cooperative efforts with community partners. The center was proposed by the House Rural Development Council in 2017 and was created by House Bill 951, which was enacted in 2018.
The Georgia Center for Rural Prosperity & Innovation, also known as Georgia’s Rural Center, was officially announced to open a North Georgia Office at Gilmer’s CORE facility during a ribbon-cutitng on July 24, 2019.
These announcements were applauded by those present and praised by the Chairman of the Gilmer Chamber, John Marshall, who said, “Mr. Speaker, once again you have proven yourself to be the very epitome of a stalwart and faithful advocate not only to your hometown and all the other communities in these beautiful North Georgia Mountains, but to each and every corner of the state of Georgia.”
President of the Gilmer Chamber, Paige Green also praised the facility as the realization of a dream for the community that has spread to benefit not only one county but something larger that now spans the region.
Today was a celebration of completing the first steps of a larger plan for the facility. Though it is now open, it is only the first phase of that dream. Director Sanford noted last year that the hopes for the facility include two more phases.
In Phase II, the foundation will continue renovation onto the second floor to open up a larger area for education and training in a 1,200 square foot space upstairs.
In Phase III, hopes for the CORE Facility could extend into the schools for things like STEM Classes, STEM Saturdays, or other forays into education connection. Consolidating resources for these could include shared STEM kits or a shared expense for a STEM subscription service involving 3d-printing necessary components. However, specific details into PHASE III have yet to be finalized.
Ultimately, the CORE wants to continue spreading and growing this larger community where possible. Opportunities that may come have yet to be revealed, but one ribbon-cutting today, one celebration, can lead to something bigger than imagining tomorrow.
Ralston Endorsed by Georgia Carry – Vote Ralston
Uncategorized May 14, 2018
Our 2nd Amendment rights are not up for debate. That’s why I refuse to entertain gun control activists who seek to undermine our safety and compromise the freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. From passing “the most pro-gun bill in state history” to ensuring that students, faculty, and visitors can protect themselves on a college campus, I am proud of my record of defending and expanding our 2nd Amendment Rights.
This election, I am once again endorsed by the NRA – National Rifle Association of America and countless #2A supporters throughout the District. Together, we will stand up for our God-given rights and remain “freedom’s safest place.”
BKP Interviews Georgia House Speaker David Ralston
State & National February 13, 2018
On FYN TV, BKP interviews Georgia’s District-7 Representative Speaker of the House (R-Blue Ridge) David Ralston, as they discuss President Trump’s aggressive plan for 1.5 trillion dollar infrastructure investment that was presented and highlighted at a meeting for Republican leaders including Ralston, Monday at the White House. Speaker David Ralston comments on what that means for Georgia.
Pictured below: Speaker of the House for Georgia District 7 David Ralston at this past weekends Infrastructure Meeting at the White House with Republican leaders and President Donald Trump.
Republicans Better Address Health Care, Tax Reform, and Build a Wall or Risk Losing The House in 2018
Featured, Politics April 11, 2017
Does the thought of Nancy Pelosi once again being Speaker of the House terrify you? After the failed attempt to repeal and replace Obama Care the American people put health care squarely on the shoulders of the Republicans. Republicans will need to pass health care, tax reform and fund the construction of a wall on our southern border. April 18th we will find out how much trouble the Republicans may be in with voters. That’s election day in the 6th Congressional District of Georgia. Democrats need 24 seats to take over The House. If their candidate, Jon Ossoff, wins that may put in motion what Democrats hope to be 23 more seats in 2018.
There are 435 seats in The House of Representatives. See the statistics of past years below:
– 2004 –
- Republicans: 232
- Democrats: 202
A difference of 30 seats.
-2006-
- Democrats: 233
- Republicans: 202
The Democrats won 31 seats and took control.
-2008-
President Obama was elected.
- Democrats: 257
- Republicans: 178
The Democrats won another 21 seats.
-2010-
Republicans take back control.
- Republicans: 242
- Democrats: 193
The Republicans increased 63 seats. This was the largest single shift in an election cycle.
-2012-
- Republicans: 234
- Democrats: 201
The Republicans lost 8 seats.
-2014-
- Republicans: 247
- Democrats: 188
The Republicans gained 13 seats.
-2016-
- Republicans: 241
- Democrats: 194
The Republicans lost 6 seats.
24 seats is what the Democrats need to take back over control.
Who will hold The House of Representatives in 2018?
When we need action – David Ralston is there for us
Election, Featured, Featured Stories, Politics May 16, 2016
