Each year, the Georgia Chamber’s Government Affairs Council recognizes legislators for their votes on critical business legislation. During this year’s spring meeting Senator Jeff Mullis, Representative John Meadows and Representative Beth Beskin all received top honors in recognition of their support of pro-growth and pro-job policies.
 
“I would like to thank our state legislators for their leadership and support of legislation that will continue to create jobs, improve the quality of life, and promote economic growth for the State of Georgia,” said Georgia Chamber President and CEO Chris Clark. “As we continue our mission of leading the nation as the number one state for business we need our leaders now more than ever to continue to support pro-business polices.”
 
Chair of the Senate Rules Committee - Senator Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) was awarded Legislator of the Year for being a champion for the business community in voting, actions as well as behind the scenes. He consistently works to make Georgia a great place to do business. “Senator Mullis has carried Chamber-supported legislation many times and we are fortunate to have him as Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee,” said Elizabeth Chandler, GAC Chairwoman (2014-2016). Mullis also received a scorecard vote of “A” on the Georgia Chamber’s legislative scorecard.
 
Chairman of the House Rules Committee - Representative John Meadows (R-Calhoun) was also recognized as Legislator of the Year for his steadfast support and advocacy for advancing a pro-business agenda in the House. Chairman Meadows scored an A+ on the 2015-2016 Scorecard, however more importantly, he’s often a trusted and respected voice of reason and counsel on difficult votes and issues.  “He’s always willing to listen to the Chamber’s viewpoint on an issue and never fails to provide candid and sage feedback,” said 2016 Georgia Chamber Board Chair and Executive Vice President, AGL Resources Hank Linginfelter.
 
For the past 6 years, the Georgia Chamber’s Government Affairs Council has recognized legislators from both sides of the aisle who work hard to pass legislation that supports economic progress.  The Georgia Chamber’s new digital scorecard http://gachamberscore.com/ provides the opportunity for the business community and Georgia voters to track how legislators vote on important economic issues.
 
The final award of the legislative season was given to the Rookie of the Year – Representative Beth Beskin (R-Atlanta) for quickly asserting herself as the leading champion on the House Judiciary Committee for common-sense, pro-business civil justice legislation.  As the sole “No” vote in committee on a very anti-business E-Discovery bill during the 2016 session, Representative Beskin was the only legislator willing to stand up in support of the business community on a tough vote.  She also earned an A+ on the Chamber’s 2015-2016 Scorecard and has quickly become a strong friend and ally of the business community.
 
Georgia is fortunate to have leaders like these who strongly support economic development in our state. The Georgia Chamber will continue to cultivate the important partnership we have between the state and the business community to ensure we are promoting further growth in Georgia.