Georgia Capitol Conflict: Speaker Jon Burns Faces Backlash Over Colton Moore Ban

What happened yesterday at the Georgia Capitol was avoidable. Everything is the fault of Speaker Jon Burns, the representatives from Dist 159. It is up to the people of district 159 to call for the resignation of Rep Jon Burns, but he does need to resign as Speaker of the House.
Yesterday Governor Kemp gave his State of the State address in front of a joint session. They use the House chamber floor for the joint session. Burns does preside over the House chamber.
Now Colton Moore is the duly elected Senator from district 53 and had every constitutional right to walk on to the floor of the house during the joint session. Everything could have been calm.
This conflict started March 14, 2024. Speaker Jon Burns banned Colton Moore on that day. Colton Moore tried to reach out to Jon Burns to resolve the issue before yesterday. But everything was planned and staged for it to happen. Why was it allowed to happen? Why didn’t Governor Kemp call Speaker Burns to tell him to not allow anything to take the news cycle off the State of the State address? Why didn’t Lt Governor Burt Jones intervene?
The sergeant of arms was not to allow Colton Moore into the House chamber. Keith Williams is general counsel for the speaker 's office. Why does Speaker Burns have his general council at the door? The Georgia State Police is under the direction of the Governor office authority in the state of Georgia.
Why did Colton Moore get banned? Jon Burns doubled down. Jon Burns faces bipartisan pushback after banishing republican lawmakers. Here is his comment: The situation outside of the House Chamber this morning was incredibly unfortunate. (it could have been avoidable). The Senator refused to cooperate with doorkeepers and law enforcement, and created a dangerous situation when he chose to use force against our law enforcement (no he didn't, he stood there as he was handcuffed, he only tried to do his constitutional duty by attempting to enter the chamber) dedicated doorkeepers and House staff. I want to thank every House staff member and our entire House family for holding the line to honor Speaker Ralston’s legacy of dedicated service to our state. As you saw today, the integrity and decorum of this House are non-negotiable–period.
March 14, 2024, Colton Moore went to the floor of the Senate and called out David Ralston. It was ugly. David Ralston put money into the budget to build a UNG campus in Blue Ridge where Governor Kemp signed the Budget that year. After that Speaker Ralston dies. On March 14 they passed a resolution naming the building after David Ralston. That day Colton Moore gave an ugly accurate speech from the well of the Senate. It may have been the wrong place at the wrong time, but it doesn’t change the fact that everything he said that day was true.
Jon Burns has caused everyone to look into David Ralston.
David Ralston was chairman of the Judicial Non-Civil committee in 2006. He introduced the bill SB503. This is a self benefiting bill. Section 3…relating to grounds for granting continuances when a party or a party’s attorney is in attendance at the General Assembly, as subsection and by interesting a new subsection at the end of such Code section to read as follows: a continuance and stay shall also be granted for such other times as the member of the General Assembly or staff member certifies to the court that his or her presence elsewhere is required by his or her duties with the General Assembly. There was a form letter to be able to claim Legislative leave by law. The judge in question had to grant you continuance. That is why you have all these committee meetings, study committees. You can always find a way to be busy. Now if you are speaker of the house you have statewide duties year round.
The accusation Colton Moore said was that David Ralston sold his status as defense attorney to never go to court. David Ralston abused the Legislative leave.
Jon Burns fired up the Ralston articles and research out there. If he was really concerned about the “honorable” Speaker Ralston he would have left this alone.
SR687 was the resolution to name the building. The governor that signed the bill SB503 granting legislative leave was Sonny Perdue.
A Georgia senator was exiled from the GOP Senate caucus and then was banned from the State House chambers. On that day Colton Moore went to the floor of the Senate and gave a speech and like it or not he didn’t lie.
WE have had it from March until yesterday. We knew yesterday was coming. Colton Moore had a constitutional right to be in those chambers. The House members did not vote. The house members are not allowed to have an opinion. If they speak out they are not allowed to get a bill on the floor. This is the authority they have over the people and the elected officials. The day before this happens the governor's office knows that everyone is getting whipped up into a frenzy. What do they do about it?
It is understood that Colton Moore sent a letter to Jon Burns in advance that he had a constitutional right to represent his district that he will be attending the State of State address. Jon Burns ignores the letter. Colton Moore goes to Speaker Burns' office and is told that Burns was busy. And then made a second attempt. It was cordial until Speaker Burns said if you want to go on the floor you have to apologize for the speech on David Ralston. Speaker Burns put in a condition for the speech. Why would you apologize for telling the truth? That is when Jon Burns said he would not allow Colton into the House chambers. Colton Moore tried to avoid it. This is 100% Jon Burns.
Keith Williams, the general counsel of the Speakers office putting his hands on Colton Moore and throwing him to the ground. There were questions last night for arrest warrants for Keith Williams and Corey Mulkey (the doorkeeper), it has not been confirmed. Colton Moore did not push back, he didn’t fight back when he was getting arrested.
82 Lt. Governor Burt Jones statement: “
We are asking for Speaker Jon Burns' resignation. They are safeguarding Speaker Ralston and the office because they don’t want anyone to look around.
On Jan 6, 2021 there were people assembled at the US capitol. They want to know who you are. The magnate is if you thought there were agitators in the crowd on Jan6. Now yesterday there were agitators in the crowd to draw you in. Why would Governor Kemp walk the red carpet on his day and all this to take the newscycle?