ATLANTA — Georgia state Sen. Colton Moore will be allowed back into the House chamber following his arrest at the State of the State address on Thursday, with House Speaker Jon Burns saying the chamber would “resume business as normal — with all members of the General Assembly present.”
Sen. Moore had been subjected to a ban from the House chamber over previous disparaging remarks about the late House speaker David Ralston.
He attempted to attend Gov. Brian Kemp’s State of the State address in the House chamber on Thursday, and was arrested after being accused of escalating the situation with Georgia State Patrol troopers securing the address. GSP said he “pushed into troopers multiple times.”
Moore was then charged one misdemeanor count of Willful Obstruction of Law Enforcement Officers.
The Republican state senator decried the episode, saying, “The people of Georgia haven’t seen this type of Tyranny since General Oglethorpe.”
Speaker Burns had said in a statement Thursday that “the integrity and decorum of this House are non-negotiable — period.”
But on Friday he signaled that Moore’s ban would end thanks to a request from Ralston’s family.
“While the Senator’s actions were despicable and hurtful to all who knew, respected and loved former Speaker David Ralston — we know that Speaker Ralston’s first priority was always to serve the people of our great state, and he wouldn’t want that important work to be hindered,” a statement by Burns, a Republican, said. “For this reason, the Ralston family has expressed to their family here in the House that they desire for our Chamber to resume business as normal—with all members of the General Assembly present — for any future joint sessions with or without the apology they and the House deserve.”
Moore’s arrest set off an outcry Thursday among conservative activist and political networks, and Georgia Republican Party Chairman Josh McKoon issued a statement saying he was deeply disappointed and that, “No duly elected member of the State House or State Senate, regardless of party or position on an issue of the day, should be denied the opportunity to represent the people who elected them at any such joint session, wherever it is taking place.”
Video showed Moore in a scuffle with the troopers outside the House chamber, and he later posted a video saying he was getting medical treatment at a hospital in Midtown Atlanta.
“Today they took my freedom and liberty away as I was fighting for your liberty and freedom,” he said.
Update from Senator Moore. Thank you to all the patriots who have shown their support today. I have a Constitutional duty and will be back in the legislature tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/kyIQXNfr1u
— Sen. Colton Moore (@realColtonMoore) January 16, 2025
Speaker Burns, in his statement, said he would “remind all those we invite to our Chamber to be respectful and comply with the rules of the House as we conduct the people’s business.”