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AJC.com > Legislature > Georgia Beat > Archives > 2005 > January > 10 > Entry
GOP officially takes control
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The 2005 General Assembly session opened this morning with Republicans taking charge of the House for the first time in 135 years and formally electing the first GOP speaker.
State Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) stood before the House just before 11 a.m. to officially nominate state Rep. Glenn Richardson, of Dallas, for the speaker’s job.
“Glenn will put people before politics and will work for the good of the state, not the spoils of politics,” Cooper said.
Her nominating speech drew a standing ovation from Republicans, who control the House, 99-81. Some Democrats, including Minority Leader-elect DuBose Porter, of Dublin, did not stand.
Republicans in the House met shortly after the Nov. 2 elections to pick Richardson as their choice for speaker.
He immediately went to work making plans for major changes in the House, including a new key-card voting system and sweeping changes to rules that govern the 180-member chamber.
Richardson, a Paulding County attorney and eight-year House veteran, was officially picked at 11:10 a.m.
House Democrats, now the minority, offered their own candidate. But even some of them supported Richardson’s nomination.
The official vote was 117-60 in the 180-member House.
“Thank you for having the faith in me,” Richardson told the House, which greeted his selection with a standing ovation.
In his acceptance speech, the eight-year House veteran teared up briefly as he thanked his wife, Susan, and their three children for their support.
“I don’t mean to be emotional. I’m trying not to be,” Richardson told House members and a standing-room only crowd of well-wishers. “The gravity of this moment is overwhelming to me.”
Richardson said the new era of Republican control in the Georgia House since 1870 is “a time for change” and “a time to lead.”
House Republicans in November tapped Richardson to succeed state Rep. Terry Coleman (D-Eastman) as speaker. But his election was not official until the full House vote.
His mark is already on the House. House members used their new key-card voting machines for the roll call and for the speaker’s election.
Richardson said the new key-card voting system will bring a new air of professionalism to the chamber.
Democrats offered their own nominee for speaker, as Republicans used to do when they were in the minority. They nominated state Rep. DuBose Porter (D-Dublin).
State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) said Democrats acknowledge Richardson’s abilities and values, but picked Porter as their nominee “because of the issues that face Georgia” and “because of the way he cares about all Georgia.”
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