By state Representative Dr. Karla Drenner (D- Avondale Estates)
With Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson on his way out as one of the three top leaders in Georgia state government, there is a power vacuum needing to be filled. This could lead to a nasty floor fight to determine his successor, as was the case when Rep. Terry Coleman won the office by beating Rep. Larry Walker. Unfortunately that Speaker’s race split the chamber in two, leaving repercussions that haunt the House to this day.
An alternative to this divisive infighting would be to hold bipartisan open meetings where all members of the Georgia House of Representatives can come together to choose a Speaker representative of our great and varied state. Each of the 180 members of the House represents approximately 45,000 Georgians. In all 180 districts, those 45,000 people contain a mix of Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, old and young, rich and poor. Doesn’t each of them deserve a say in who their next Speaker should be? After all, the Speaker does represent all of Georgia, not just certain parts.
With this new day in the life of the Legislature, bipartisanship should prevail to ensure a healthy debate on issues rather than our usual modus operandi, hand-to-hand political combat. We have made pettiness an oft-consumed political food group and elevated intrigue to a spectator sport worthy of its own bowl game.
Georgians, like most Americans, are tired of closed door governments making decisions based on secret negotiations. That has been a major complaint of both the Democrat controlled federal government and our Republican controlled state government. By electing our next Speaker through a transparent bipartisan manner, the Georgia House of Representatives can set a positive example of how governments should be run.
As a Democrat I realize that some may dismiss this text as a political ploy to gain entry into the backroom election process; however, that could not be further from the truth. My goal is simple, to work as a servant leader for my constituents and the people of Georgia. In this case that means subjugating egos for the betterment of this great state. I simply hope this text starts a conversation about the direction of Georgia.
For too long there have been “two Georgias.” Every year politicians try to end this “Atlanta vs. Georgia” mindset but fail because the same closed door partisanship that created the two Georgias problem persists. The election of a new Speaker of the House presents a rare opportunity to truly change things for the better and unify our state. I can only hope that my fellow representatives see past party affiliation, political ideology and “good-old-boy-ism” and instead look to Georgian’s bright future.
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State Rep. Dr. Karla Drenner represents a portion of DeKalb County. Her district includes Clarkston, Scottdale and part of Avondale Estates. She was elected into the House of Representatives in 2000, and currently serves on the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Health & Human Services, Natural Resources & Environment, and Rules Committees.