Two local elected officials in Georgia will hold leadership roles in the House of Representatives ahead of the state's busy 2020 legislative session.
Rep. Dewayne Hill, R-Ringgold, has been appointed as the vice chairman of the General Government Subcommittee in the Appropriations Committee and Rep. Steve Tarvin, R-Chickamauga, was appointed as the chairman of the Interstate Cooperation Committee.
Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, made the announcement Thursday.
Tarvin will take over for state Rep. David Clark, a Buford Republican who led the effort to remove Ralston from his position earlier this year.
Rep. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, was one of 10 state Republicans to sign a resolution calling for Ralston's resignation.
According to an investigation by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News, Ralston had continually used his work as a lawmaker to push back trial dates, sometimes in cases involving allegations of violent crimes.
The full list of new committee officers:
Appropriations Committee— Rep. Matt Dubnik, R-Gainesville, Secretary— Rep. Dewayne Hill, R-Ringgold, Vice Chairman of General Government Subcommittee— Rep. Darlene Taylor, R-Thomasville, Chairman of Transportation SubcommitteeGovernmental Affairs Committee— Rep. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, ChairmanInformation & Audits Committee— Rep. Don Hogan, R-St. Simon’s Island, ChairmanInterstate Cooperation Committee— Rep. Steve Tarvin, R-Chickamauga, ChairmanRegulated Industries Committee— Rep. J. Collins, R-Villa Rica, Vice ChairmanNew members of the Appropriations Committee— Rep. Josh Bonner, R-Fayetteville, Subcommittee on Economic Development— Rep. Don Hogan, R-St. Simon’s Island, Subcommittee on Human Resources— Rep. Scott Holcomb, D-Atlanta, Subcommittee on Public Safety— Rep. Miriam Paris, D-Macon, Subcommittee on Transportation
When the news broke, Ralston defended his work as an attorney. He said he was using a law that has been in place for decades.
At the time, Hill said he would not sign the resolution because he had not seen any evidence that Ralston abused the law that is in place. He argued that Ralston has done a good job as speaker, and he doesn't want to take action against him unless convincing evidence surfaces.
Ralston also appointed more members to the House Appropriations Committee and its subcommittees ahead of the busy 2020 budget session.
Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow him on Twitter @PatrickFilbin.