Gov. Kemp fills out roster of legislative floor leaders
ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp Thursday, Dec. 31, named four returning members of the Georgia House of Representatives and three new state senators to his roster of floor leaders for the 2021-2022 General Assembly term.
Republican Reps. Bert Reeves of Marietta, Jodi Lott of Evans, Dominic LaRiccia of Douglas and Josh Bonner of Fayetteville will serve as the GOP governor’s House floor leaders.
Lott, LaRiccia and Reeves were all elected to the House in 2014 while Bonner was elected in 2016.
Kemp’s three Senate floor leaders – Republicans Clint Dixon of Buford, Russ Goodman of Valdosta and Bo Hatchett of Cornelia – were all elected in November.
Goodman will succeed Sen. Ellis Black of Valdosta, who opted not to run for another term in the Senate this year. Dixon and
Hatchett will succeed Sens. Renee Unterman of Buford and John Wilkinson of Toccoa, respectively, both of whom left the legislature in unsuccessful bids for Congress.
Floor leaders sponsor bills introduced into the General Assembly on behalf of the governor and shepherd them through the committee process and onto the floor of their respective legislative chambers.
Kemp noted previous floor leaders have carried dozens of his healthcare bills through the General Assembly as well as legislation targeting human trafficking and criminal street gangs.
“Our partnership with the General Assembly has been critical in the fight against COVID-19 as we have worked every day to protect lives and livelihoods,” Kemp said in a statement. “I am confident these outstanding legislators will carry that important work forward, and I appreciate their commitment to the people of Georgia.”