Governor Appoints Senator Smith to
be Administration Floor Leader
Less
than one year after winning the election to serve his first term, State
Senator Preston Smith (R–Rome) has been appointed as ‘Assistant
Administration Floor Leader’ by Governor Sonny Perdue.
In a statement released by the Gov ernor’s
office on Monday afternoon, Perdue said, “I am pleased to announce the
addition of these floor leaders to my team.
Faced with tough budget restraints, Georgia needs elected
representatives of vision and determination leading them in the
legislature.
I am confident that this team will help my Administration advance
an agenda for all Georgians.”
This
extraordinary appointment marks the first occasion when a Senator has
been appointed to a prestigious administration floor leader position
during his first year in office.
Sen. Smith said that he was “extremely honored” by the
appointment and believed that it would benefit the constituents that
elected him.
“I appreciate the confidence that the Governor and my Senate
colleagues have expressed in my leadership ability and believe that by
serving on the inner circle of the Governor’s leadership team, I can
be even more effective for the constituents that elected me and the
state as a whole.”
Smith said he “believes that this appointment will also allow
him to have more influence over important local issues such as roads,
healthcare, jobs, education and other key transportation and economic
development issues.”
 Smith
said that having such close access to the Governor will ultimately serve
to benefit the needs of constituents in his district.
Smith will have increased responsibilities in this new role.
In addition to regular meetings with the Governor on all issues
affecting the legislative body, he will be responsible for carrying all of
the Governor’s legislation introduced in the Senate and will serve as a
spokesman for the administration in the Senate.
He will also have a significant role in the planning and
implantation of new legislative policy.
Smith said he had already begun working and meeting with a small
group of legislative leaders including the Speaker of the House and the
Majority and Minority leaders of both chambers in private meetings with
the Governor.
“
Smith’s
new role will also mean a relocation of his Senate office from the
Legislative Office Building on Mitchell Street into his new office under
the gold dome inside the State Capitol Building.
His new office address and phone number will be announced at a
later date.
Sen.
Eric Johnson, (R-Savannah) the President Pro Tem of the Senate applauded
the Governor’s decision, calling Smith, “one of our brightest new
stars” and saying that Smith would “rise quickly to be one of
Georgia’s most recognizable faces.”
Sen. Don Balfour (R-Snellville), the Chairman of the influential
Senate Rules Committee, said “It
is a high honor to be picked for this leadership role and even more so as
a first year Senator.”
The
Administration Floor Leader position was previously held by Sen. Bill
Stevens (R-Canton) who recently became the newly elected Majority Leader
of the Senate.
Sen. Stephens said, “Preston is one of the brightest young
leaders that has ever been elected to the state Senate and has an
extremely bright future ahead of him.
He will do a tremendous job as an administration floor leader.
This will be a great benefit for the people of Northwest
Georgia.”
Along
with Sen. Smith, the Governor will also have two other floor leaders, Sen.
Dan Lee (R-LaGrange), and Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth).
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