ATLANTA – State Representative Lehman Franklin (R-Statesboro) today attended the White House State Leadership Conference hosted by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) to discuss the state of the U.S. forestry industry, as well as other topics. The conference served as an opportunity for Georgia elected officials to hear from federal leaders about current national initiatives and ways to collaborate with those leaders at the state level.
“I am deeply grateful for the invitation to join fellow state leaders and White House officials for meaningful dialogue about the future of our state and nation,” said Rep. Franklin. “I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to highlight the challenges facing our forestry industry and explore practical solutions to support hardworking Georgians throughout the federal shutdown. I hope that by amplifying our state’s needs, we can help bring about timely solutions for our constituents and communities across Georgia.”
Conference speakers and guests included cabinet secretaries, senior White House officials and members of the White House Domestic Policy Council. There was a Q&A session after each speaker, along with IGA representatives from federal agencies and departments. Topics included education, veteran affairs, welfare, energy, health and the impact of the shutdown.
Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) recently joined speakers from other southeastern states in sending a letter to members of Georgia’s Congressional Delegation requesting urgent relief for the U.S. forestry industry.
The full letter is available here.
*Editor’s note: Rep. Franklin includes photos from the conference.
Representative Lehman Franklin represents the citizens of District 160, which includes portions of Bryan and Bulloch counties. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Retirement Committee and of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education. He also serves on the Economic Development & Tourism and Interstate Cooperation committees.
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