Sen. Colton Moore was arrested Thursday after trying to enter the Georgia House. The House speaker banned the senator from the chamber last year. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
State Sen. Colton Moore will now be allowed to attend future joint sessions of the Legislature after the north Georgia lawmaker was arrested Thursday for trying to do just that.
House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, banned Moore from entering the House chamber last year after Moore spoke ill of the late former GOP Speaker David Ralston while Ralston was being honored posthumously during a Senate session.
Last year, Moore called Ralston “one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders we’ll ever see in our lifetimes.” Ralston had faced accusations that he used his position to delay court trials to the advantage of clients he represented. Moore came under criticism in part because Ralston’s family was present in the Senate chamber.
Burns announced Friday afternoon that he would modify the ban to allow Moore, a Trenton Republican, to attend proceedings in the House when members of both chambers are present, such as when lawmakers heard from the governor Thursday.
“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,” Burns said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
In a tussle that has since gone viral, Moore attempted to push his way past the House doorkeeper and Keith Williams, a lawyer for the speaker’s office, to enter the House for Gov. Brian Kemp’s annual State of the State address. At one point in the melee, Williams pushed Moore, who stumbled and landed on his back. After Moore continued trying to enter the chamber, Capitol police placed Moore under arrest.
In a text message shortly after Burns announced the change, Moore said he had not heard directly from Burns and indicated he was not ready to squash the beef.
“He should remove Keith Williams from state employment immediately, and resign from the office of speaker,” Moore said.
Moore is considered to be on the far right side of his party and has raised GOP hackles before. He was kicked from the caucus after lawmakers said he doxxed colleagues in an effort to target Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for arresting former president, now President-elect Donald Trump.
Though some fellow senators may not be fans, Moore has a strong base of support among very conservative Georgians, some of whom were waiting outside the House chamber with cameras at the ready Thursday morning. Supporters have posted well-wishes and memes online, including side-by-side photos of Moore’s mugshot with that of Trump, who was booked in the same Fulton County jailhouse in 2023.
On Friday, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is a Republican, told senators he spoke with Burns that morning.
“I told him that that what happened yesterday was an embarrassment for the General Assembly as a whole, whether we know it or not, whether you were involved in or not, that was an embarrassment for all of us, and it shouldn’t happen again, and we both agreed to that, and I do appreciate him doing that.”
Jones is a key Trump ally in the state and is considered likely to run for governor in 2026 when Kemp will be term limited.
“I can tell you this moving forward, you have my word that this will not happen again under my watch, and I will make sure that every senator has a voice in this building,” Jones added.
But some House members are of different minds about the takedown.
Watkinsville Republican Rep. Marcus Wiedower spoke out in favor of the speaker Friday, implying Moore was trying to cause a scene to advance his political prospects.
“Certain people use this as theater,” Wiedower said to his House colleagues. “Certain people plan things to be able to raise money. They play on people’s emotions. They play on what people want to hear at home, because they think that’s going to get them to their next step. I’m not here for that. The man that I elected to control this chamber is not here for that.”
Woodstock Republican Rep. Charlice Byrd, who is also considered to be to the right of the average Georgia Republican lawmaker, came out on Moore’s side.
“This unprecedented action undermines the integrity of our legislative process and sets a dangerous and unconstitutional precedent when a duly elected member of the General Assembly is barred from fulfilling his duties,” she said. “When differences of opinion lead to exclusion and arrest rather than open dialog, we erode the very foundation of our republic. This is about more than one individual. It is about protecting the principles of representative democracy and ensuring that every voice elected to this body has the opportunity to be heard.”
Deputy editor Jill Nolin and senior reporter Stanley Dunlap contributed to this report.
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