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December 17, 2009

Dickson commends "excellent choice" of Ralston

Jamie Jones

A Blue Ridge lawyer is on track for one of the most powerful positions under the golden dome in Atlanta. And having a North Georgia resident as the speaker of the house of representatives could be a boon to Whitfield County, according to one local legislator.

The Republican caucus on Thursday nominated Rep. David Ralston for speaker. If elected by the full House on Jan. 11, which many expect is a formality, Ralston will replace Glenn Richardson, who stepped down after a suicide attempt and allegations by his ex-wife of an affair with a lobbyist.

“I think it was an excellent choice,” said Tom Dickson, R-Cohutta, who was in Atlanta on Thursday for the caucus meeting. “It’s particularly beneficial I think to those of us in North Georgia to have someone from our area that knows the problems that we face in these financial times.”

Blue Ridge is about 55 miles east of Dalton.

Ralston and Dickson have served together for six years, and Ralston is someone Dickson turns to for advice on the legal impact of bills.

“What you find when you serve in the Legislature, you deal with a lot of issues that you don’t know a whole lot about personally, so you establish relationships with people in the Legislature that you respect and respect their knowledge on different subject matters and how it would impact our area,” Dickson said.

Members also said goodbye to Richardson on Thursday. He addressed the caucus during a “very emotional” presentation, Dickson said. Richardson accepted responsibility for his actions — just as he had when he spoke to the caucus by phone — and encouraged members to come together to support the new speaker, whoever it may be.

“It was an emotional farewell to his service in the House,” Dickson said. “My personal relationship with Speaker Richardson, I had a lot of respect for him. Obviously you question some of the things that have gone on as you look at it, but in terms of him dealing with me I always found him to be very fair, very professional and always interested in what was best for the state.”

Dickson believes Ralston has the “integrity” and “desire to do what’s best for the state” to lift the Republican Party past Richardson’s personal problems and ethics charges that have dogged some members.

“I have the utmost confidence in Speaker Ralston in terms of his ethics, his morality,” Dickson said. “I’m sure that it’s going to be a positive move for the Republican caucus and the state of Georgia.”

Rep. Roger Williams, R-Dalton, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

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