David Ralston, speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, writes today that his objective in proposing his Pastor's Protection bill in the next legislative session is to reassure the faith community that the separation of church and state will remain a pillar of Georgia’s values, even though that protection is provided in the the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In our second column, a UGA scholar says Ralston’s legislation is not unusual or legally necessary, but beware other religious liberty bills that are bound to beat a path to the General Assembly’s door next year.

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Seokmin Song, 35, his daughter Hayeon Song, 2, and his mother attempt to fly a kite in Piedmont Park in Atlanta on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

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Julian Conley listens during opening statements in his trial at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. The 25-year-old is accused of fatally shooting 8-year-old Secoriea Turner in July 2020. (Abbey Cutrer/AJC)

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