State Representative Jon Burns (R-District 159) of Newington in Effingham County, is not new to the State House, having joined the body in 2005. Nor is he new to leadership, having served as GOP House Majority Leader since 2015. But he is new to the office of Speaker, arguably the secondmost- powerful elected position in state government, and he will bring a slightly new approach to wielding that big gavel.
Burns was a close friend and confidante of prior speaker David Ralston and will be retaining much of the late speaker’s office staff, demeanor, and decorum in running the chamber with an eye toward bettering the lives of all Georgians. This helps explain his selection as speaker by a unanimous vote on the first day of this legislative session, while our speaker in the U.S. Congress squeaked into office by one vote on the 15th ballot.
Burns also is a farmer and small businessman, very successful and visible within the timber industry in southeast Georgia, and in the words of his peers in the House and elsewhere, he is “a classic conservative.”
Burns inherits this gavel following the sudden and unexpected death of a dear friend, but the state and the State House are in otherwise good stead. A budget surplus of more than $6 billion is being sifted through and divvied up first ... more reserves, some big-ticket, one-time expenses, and another pay raise for educators and most all-state employees.
There do exist some fissures within the Georgia GOP, but they have a very comfortable majority and almost all members are at least on speaking terms.
When Ralston followed the first GOP speaker since Reconstruction, who was leaving the office in a cloud of building scandals, the economy was in the midst of a deep recession and budget cuts were the order of the day. The GOP’s ability to govern was in question and Ralston brought transparency, an open ear, common sense, and some occasionally centrist sensibilities. He would go on to lead as the secondlongest-serving speaker in state history.
Burns is well aware of the large shoes to fill left by his friend, but he also believes that leading such a large and diverse group of 180 members and two very different political parties requires A LOT of listening.
Asked about his priorities for the session, Burns explained at a first-week briefing with members of the Capitol Press Corps, he is still hearing from committee chairs and caucus members, as well as from the other side of the aisle on what each considers to be the most pressing needs for this assembly. He explained he likes to gather his team and interested parties together and build consensus around the table, and then the group has an agenda and priority order for proceeding.
Ralston inherited a House in disarray, and in need of a strong, steady hand. The House left to Burns has been sailing pretty smoothly for several years and an even more inclusive style of leadership may be just right for the times ahead. Burns has already restructured the way that the House handles health care issues, creating another committee, chair, and structure to coordinate and plan together, as healthcare costs, particularly Medicaid, are one of the fastest-growing drivers of the state government’s budget.
The honeymoon period for Burns will be brief and many other House leaders of substance have chosen to retire in recent years. Burns will be able to make his own mark and imprint. The affable timber farmer has a disarming charm, as well as the friendly ear already mentioned. One of the larger challenges may be redefining the relationship with the state senate, which now has its own new presiding officer and lieutenant governor. But that is a column for another day.
Speaker Burns will continue to advance the House “culture of life” for the people of Georgia. Like several thousand acres of timber, I think those roots will continue to deepen and growth will continue to reach for the sky.