ATLANTA – State Representative Andy Welch (R-Locust Grove) today announced that he will not seek re-election to the Georgia House of Representatives. Rep. Welch will retire at the end of his current term, which will end in January 2021, after serving ten years in the Georgia General Assembly.
“I am thankful to all of those who have put their faith in me to represent the interests and needs of the citizens of House District 110,” said Rep. Welch. “It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives, and I am proud of the work that my colleagues and I have accomplished for our state over the last several years. While I may not be seeking re-election, I remain engaged and committed to serving my constituents for the remainder of my term.”
Rep. Welch was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves as the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety. The Subcommittee on Public Safety is charged with writing and overseeing the budgets for the Attorney General’s Office, Departments of Corrections and Defense, Georgia Bureau of Investigations, Georgia State Patrol, and the Judicial branch and other agencies and departments.
During his time in the legislature, Rep. Welch has worked to improve the quality of health care, protect small businesses and secure benefits for veterans. He also focused his efforts on cutting taxes, reducing income tax increases and expanding the use of sales taxes to fund educational programs and material. Additionally, he has helped secure increased state funding for the Southern Crescent Sexual Assault and Child Advocacy Center in Hampton, Ga. and funding for Phase I and Phase II of Henry County’s first technical college campus, voted to deepen the Savannah Harbor, advocated for improving his community’s local airport, as well as provided incentives for manufacturing and film industry jobs.
One legislative achievement that Rep. Welch is most proud of was the passage of the Safe Harbor Act or Rachel’s Law in 2015. This legislation established a Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Fund Commission and toughened the fines and penalties against sex traffickers. Most recently, during the 2020 legislative session, Rep. Welch championed House Resolution 1023, which would provide for a constitutional amendment that would allow Georgia citizens and corporations domiciled in Georgia to seek declaratory relief. Additionally, House Resolution 164, which was also sponsored by Rep. Welch, was recently adopted to allow the General Assembly to dedicate revenue from fees or taxes regarding the disposal of hazardous wastes and solid wastes, such as scrap automobile tire fees, to the public purpose for which such fees or taxes were imposed.
Also during his time in office, Rep. Welch sponsored the Pharmacy Audit Bill of Rights, which removed a penalty from Georgia law that cost pharmacies thousands of dollars for minor clerical errors; he co-sponsored legislation which entered Georgia into a compact and called for an Article V constitutional convention with the intent of amending the United States Constitution to include a balanced budget requirement for Congress; he sponsored the J. Calvin Hill, Jr., Act, which repealed various obsolete Georgia laws that were deemed as unconstitutional or had been preempted or superseded by subsequent laws; and he introduced legislation to create the Journalism Ethics Board to protect and ensure ethical practices for Georgia’s journalism industry.
Rep. Welch has a long history of serving his community, including his service as the chairman of the Henry County Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Chamber’s Transportation Committee. Rep. Welch also served in former Congressman Lynn Westmoreland’s Transportation and Aviation Advisory Council and United Community Bank’s Advisory Board.
Rep. Welch resides in Locust Grove and is a partner in one of Henry County’s oldest law firms, Smith Welch Webb & White, LLP. He received his undergraduate degree from Presbyterian College, and he attended Vermont Law School for his Juris Doctorate. After college, Rep. Welch served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana, West Africa.
Representative Andrew Welch represents the citizens of District 110, which includes portions of Butts, Henry and Newton counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety. He also serves on the Code Revision, Juvenile Justice, Judiciary and Regulated Industries committees.
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