Contributed Photo from the Georgia House of Representatives
Rep. John Meadows, R-Calhoun, has been named chair of the powerful House
Rules Committee. The former Calhoun mayor
will have his hand in every piece of legislation debated in state's lower chamber. He is seen here on the first day of the 2011 legislative
session.In the Georgia House of Representatives, the Rules Committee is a place of life or death, where bills are groomed for easy passage or die, never making it to the House floor.
So this week, when Rep. John Meadows, R-Calhoun, was promoted to chairman of the committee, the job came with more than a four-room office suite and three-person staff. The four-term legislator and former Calhoun mayor now has plenty of influence.
"I walk down the halls, and all my cohorts are giving me the glad hand, but a lot of the lobbyists ... they don't know me," Meadows said. "All they know is my reputation, and that I'm pretty direct, and I don't believe in passing a lot of bills."
Meadows said he will take that approach to his new leadership role, in which he plans to exercise his right to say "no" to legislators and lobbyists. The ability to say no is one reason House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said he wanted Meadows for the job.
"The citizens aren't crying out for us to pass a whole lot of legislation," Ralston said. "In fact, I think we could go through the books and repeal a lot of laws that have outlived their usefulness."
Every piece of legislation in the House first must be debated and passed by various committees, then it stops in the Rules Committee for a final passage before being debated on the House floor. The Rules chairman simply can decide not to schedule bills, making Meadows' new job a key one.
"It's one of the two or three most important positions in the House," Ralston said. "For the Speaker's office, it's probably the most important position, and it's important to have someone there that you know and that you trust and know you can depend on."
House leaders late last week chose to oust former Rules chairman Rep. Bill Hembree, R-Winston, after he reportedly supported Rep. James Mills, R-Gainesville, in an unsuccessful bid for House majority leader. Ralston was backing Rep. Larry O'Neal, who won that job.
Meadows wouldn't comment on the selection and he wouldn't say who asked him to put his name in for the position, but he admitted he is a steadfast supporter of Ralston, a two-term speaker.
"I'm extremely fond of David Ralston," Meadows said. "I supported him when he first tried to run and our efforts failed, and I paid the price for that, as I have for other things. But I did it because I thought it was right."
Meadows and other legislators will return to work Jan. 24.
Contact staff writer Adam Crisp at acrisp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6323.