Son surprises Balfour in Skype chat from Afghanistan
A surprise appearance Monday left state Sen. Don Balfour, R-Snellville, nearly speechless as his son Trey joined a live Skype chat from Afghanistan on Georgia National Guard Day at the state Capitol.
“I love you. I miss you. I’ll get out of here in one piece,” Trey Balfour told his dad.
“I look forward to seeing you back home soon,” Don Balfour replied after an emotional pause.
Balfour had not talked with his son since Trey deployed earlier this month, although he had received updates from his son’s fiancee.
Both the House and the Senate broadcast live video chats with members of the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Kabul. The team, which is made up of 3,600 soldiers, has deployed several times in recent years including to Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
—Kristina Torres
House gun bill still in process
Supporters of expanded gun rights in Georgia had expected to have legislation introduced in the House on Monday, but legislative leaders said Tuesday is now the target.
Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, the main sponsor of the bill, last week said he hoped to file legislation Monday. But he was still circulating a draft for support.
The bill will not include a provision allowing 21-year-old college students to carry firearms on campus, supporters said. A provision allowing churches to decide whether to allow guns in sanctuaries is expected.
— Aaron Gould Sheinin
Smyre, Barnes added to Walk of Fame
State Rep. Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus, and former Gov. Roy Barnes were inducted last week into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Washington.
Smyre, the longest-serving state House member, and Barnes join Hank Aaron, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Rosa Parks and others on the Walk of Fame, part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.
“Calvin is an accomplished leader, a great Georgian and a man I am proud to call my friend,” said Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge. “His induction into the Civil Rights Walk of Fame is a tremendous honor for him personally and also for the Georgia House of Representatives.”
Ralston on Monday sponsored a resolution in the House honoring Smyre.
— Aaron Gould Sheinin
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