This week’s Courier Herald column: Why the heck was Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in Davos Switzerland this week?  Some that asked that question genuinely wanted to know the answer.  To many in the populist wing of the Republican party, it was more of a statement, heavy with implied derision. In those circles, “Davos” is a

From a press release: ATLANTA – Today, the House Committee on Assignments, chaired by Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington), announced committee leadership appointments for the 2023-2024 legislative session. “Our House has a strong bench of leaders ready to roll up their sleeves and go to work for the people of Georgia, and our committee leadership roster

This Week’s Courier Herald column: I made the move to writing columns for print newspapers and online publications 12 years ago this month.  The goal, then and now, was to try to bring a view of state government’s operations and workings to Georgia’s voters, citizens, and taxpayers.  Inherent in that goal but spoken less frequently

Rep. Jon Burns was officially elected by acclimation as the 75th Speaker of the Georgia House today. Speaker Burns had no opposition. A press release from the Georgia House states: “I am honored to have the trust and confidence of my colleagues in the House to serve as their Speaker,” said Speaker Burns. “My vision

I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anything else that would draw everyone, from teenagers to geriatrics, to watch hours of CSPAN three days in a row. Americans are engaged. And a few Republicans are giving them what they want and need. Congress has had an approval rating in the teens for

This week’s Courier Herald column: It’s the first week of the New Year, and I’m already breaking one of my resolutions.  Instead of sharpening the focus here on state and local political issues based on policy, the spectacle of trying to select a Speaker of the House in Washington has stolen all of our political

This week’s Courier Herald column: This is a time of year when we speak of resolutions. For too many of us, it’s all talk.  Resolutions are often just a momentary wish that we’ll commit to intentional and specific actions to improve ourselves and our situations. Talking isn’t the same as getting something done.  There’s no

This week’s Courier Herald column: The Christmas story, as told in the Gospel of Luke, contains the following phrase as part of one verse: “And on earth peace, good will toward men.” Ten months ago tanks rolled across the Russian border with Ukraine and quickly captured much of Ukraine’s eastern territories.  Suddenly, the almost unthinkable

One of the most intriguing stories of the year is the situation surrounding the Cobb County Board of Commissioners’ decision to invoke home rule to change their district map, rejecting the district map passed by the General Assembly. While it may seem straightforward, it is more nuanced. It deals with political philosophy fundamentals and constitutional

This week’s Courier Herald column: Welcome to the midpoint of our holiday season.  We’ve got Thanksgiving in the bank, Hanukkah underway as of December 18th, Christmas on the 25th, and then of course New Year’s just around the corner.   In Georgia, it’s not only permissible but now encouraged to consider the holiday season ending