A truly wild scene erupted Thursday at the Georgia Capitol when State Senator Colton Moore was arrested after attempting to enter the House chamber.
All of it was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media.
Moore, who was previously banned from the chamber for daring to allege corruption from former House Speaker David Ralston, was trying to attend Governor Brian Kemp’s State of the State address.
Ralston was replaced by Republican House Speaker Jon Burns, who then ordered Moore be banned unless he issued a formal apology to Ralston’s family and supporters.
It’s unclear how that ban has any legal basis. Or basis in reality, for that matter. Barring a senator from the chamber in which they are meant to do the work of the people is not how representative bodies work.
And Moore was set to challenge the order.
Colton Moore Forcibly Removed
Sen. Colton Moore, a Republican, tried to defy the ban, leading to a physical altercation where he was pushed to the ground by House staff and Georgia State Patrol.
Moore attempted to argue that House rules could not supersede the constitutional obligation of a joint session. He’s right, morally if not ethically.
As a result of the confrontation, Moore was charged with willful obstruction of law enforcement officers, a misdemeanor, and was taken into custody.
Watch the wild incident unfold below …
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) January 16, 2025
It’s clear that one man in the video pushed Moore to the floor. At which point they contend that things had gone too far. Colton agrees.
“It has gone too far,” said Moore. “I have an obligation to be in that room. I represent 200,000 people in northwest Georgia who duly elected me to be here today.”
RELATED: Social Media Posts Show Fulton County DA Fani Willis Questioning 2020 Election
Embarrassing For Georgia
It is beyond embarrassing for the state of Georgia to see lawmakers scuffling in the hallways because one tried to ban their colleague after they offended one of their cronies. Burns should be ragingly embarrassed.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) seemingly agreed, condemning the arrest.
“All elected 56 senators and 180 representatives deserve the opportunity to fulfill their responsibility to attend joint sessions of the General Assembly,” Jones told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
He continued: “There is real work to be done this session and the focus should be on delivering for the people of Georgia instead of personal grievances and egos.”
Burns has defended the action, stating, “the integrity and decorum of this House are non-negotiable-period.”
But Burns and the Georgia Republicans might have something else unsettling their britches. Colton Moore is the individual who initiated the inquiry into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis following her legal actions against former President Donald Trump.
Moore was hit with an indefinite suspension from the Georgia Senate Republican Caucus due to his advocacy for this investigation. The caucus criticized Moore, asserting that his campaign misled both the public in Georgia and nationwide, escalating tensions and hostility while also endangering the safety of his fellow caucus members and their families.
Moore had branded Republicans who opposed the investigation as “RINOs” (Republicans In Name Only), and he rallied his supporters to push for Willis’s investigation.
It turns out he was right. Willis was pursuing illegal, malicious prosecution. And the RINOs didn’t want to step in to do anything about it.
Ironically, Burns should be banned from the chamber until he issues an apology to Moore.
