The traditional confetti storm had barely settled on the floor of the Georgia House of Representatives early Friday morning when the chamber’s new leader proclaimed the just-ended session – his first – a success.

“I really wanted to change the climate here in the House,” Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) told reporters just minutes as the 2010 session ended at midnight Thursday.  “We had had some distractions, and I thought it was important that we bring some stability to the House; that we make the House more open, more inclusive.”

“I think we did that.”

A lawyer from the Georgia mountains, Ralston took over after a tumultuous five House sessions led by former Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram), who resigned after his ex-wife accused him of having an affair with a lobbyist.

Many lawmakers hoped Ralston would be a strong counterpoint to the mercurial Richardson, whose critics accused him of being too volatile, too domineering and tone-deaf to the concerns of anyone who dared cross him.

Republicans, who control the state Legislature, think Ralston won the first round and has set the tone for a new era at the state Capitol.

“The whole demeanor and stress level in the House is better than it has been in my 14 years here,” said state Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton), who is running for Congress. “I think he’s proven himself as a leader.”

Many Democrats are not so sure.

“Is it better? Yes,” said outgoing House Democratic leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin), who is running for governor. “Is it where it ought to be? No.”

Porter said Ralston should have taken a more aggressive role on ethics and transportation reform. Major transportation and ethics bills, backed by Ralston, passed during the session. But  critics contend the ethics bill has too many loopholes and the transportation bill did not go far enough.

“A lot more  needs to be done to open this process up,” Porter said.  “People should not be afraid to have bills deliberated on the floor.”

Joe Wilkinson (R-Sandy Springs) said Ralston’s sense of humor and his laid-back approach have had a calming effect on the House.

“He’s more accessible,” Wilkinson said.  “There seems to be mutual respect between the members and the speaker, and it’s been much easier to work with the Senate.

“This is the way it’s supposed to work.”

Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) has worked with Richardson and Ralston.

“David is rock steady with his (emotions), and Glenn was just the opposite,” Rogers said.

He said Ralston “will work with you to find an answer, even if he doesn’t necessarily agree with you. He directed all of us of his budget people to work with us. He’s not one to micromanage.”

Rep. Bill Hembree (R-Winston),  appointed by Ralston as chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, said his new boss exudes a much more relaxed management style than his predecessors.

“He said, ‘Run the committee in the style that you think best,’ " said Hembree, a 16-year veteran. “He gave me a lot of freedom, and I’m glad. Otherwise, what’s the point if he’s going to decide behind the scene.”

Ralston’s first year as speaker was marked by the longest session in modern history, largely the result of withered state revenues and a $1 billion budget hole that had to be plugged. The state budget must be balanced – that is the only thing the law actually requires lawmakers to do every year.

“The whole session has been pretty crazy,” said state Rep. Alan Powell (D-Hartwell) “They have never had to deal with anything like this budget.”

Ralston took over at a particularly fluid time in the House’s history. The late Speaker Tom Murphy (D-Bremen) ruled for 30 years before an upstart Republican won his House district in 2002. Democrat Terry Coleman of Eastman then took over as Speaker. But Republicans in 2004 won a majority of seats in the House the first time since Reconstruction and elected Richardson speaker in 2005.

Ralston has enjoyed something of a honeymoon with the Capitol media during his first year as House leader. That’s not uncommon for politicians, be it Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue and former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes.

On the session’s last day, Ralston publicly honored a Macon reporter who was leaving town after years of covering state politics.

He’s also shown a deft touch for deflecting criticism from the Fourth Estate. As the session neared an end, an exhausted Ralston opened his newspaper to find an unflattering cartoon by Mike Luckovich in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That same night, Ralston showed up at a banquet to joke with the cartoonist, even presenting Luckovich a gag gift.

Calling Ralston “a really good guy,” Luckovich promised that he would never draw the beefy speaker again -- at least, naked.

That first-year sense of goodwill, however, did not extend to some abortion opponents who pushed a bill that would have criminalized race-based or coerced abortions. Ralston suggested a last-minute alternative and the legislation stalled in the late-going.

“I feel we got crossways somewhere in the process, and we’re going to be working on that over the summer,” said Dan Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life.

The group, Becker said, had a 10-minute meeting with Ralston at the beginning of the session.

“We were led to believe we were on track to producing a stellar piece of legislation,” Becker said. But the pro-life leader said the group “was cut off completely” as the session went on.

“We scheduled appointments with [Ralston’s} staff, and staff cancelled,” Becker said.  “It was quite frustrating.”

Staff Writers James Salzer and Aaron Gould Sheinin contributed to this article.