Georgia lawmakers are honoring House Speaker David Ralston, who passed away three years ago, by dedicating Hwy. 52 in his memory.
State Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, and state Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, made the announcement and are inviting the public to the road dedication ceremony happening this Friday.
In a joint statement, the lawmakers said, “The Georgia House and Senate are proud to honor Speaker David Ralston, a great statesman of Georgia, by naming a road traveled many times in his life in his honor. Everyone who travels this corridor in the future will be reminded of his many contributions to Georgia.”
A lawyer from Ellijay, Ralston led the 180-member House for 13 years. He stepped down from his role as Speaker due to health concerns, less than two weeks before passing in November 2022 at the age of 68.
He was the longest-serving Republican Speaker in state history and the longest-serving Speaker of the Georgia General Assembly since Democrat Tom Murphy, who served as the House Speaker for 29 years.
Ralston was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2002, representing district 7, which includes Fannin, Gilmer and a portion of Dawson County. Before that, he served in the Georgia State Senate from 1992 until 1998.
“A champion for job creation and economic development, Speaker Ralston has been a driving force behind many legislative accomplishments which have made Georgia the number one state in the nation for business year after year, such as Georgia’s Transportation Funding Act of 2015 and the state’s first-ever cut to the income tax rate in 2018,” a General Assembly biography stated.
He also worked with leaders in both parties to pass legislation like Georgia’s comprehensive adoption reform in 2018 and the first-ever paid parental leave policy for state employees and teachers in 2021. In 2022, Ralston fought for historic reform of mental health care in the state, resulting in the Mental Health Parity Act.
Commission Chair Charlie Paris recalled Ralston’s “tremendous” impact on Gilmer County. Commissioners were always able to go to him with their concerns or projects, and he was always willing to help.
“He was a good friend to Gilmer, to me, and he’s missed,” Paris said. “Whatever accolades or dedications anybody wants to give to him are well deserved.”
The road dedication ceremony will be happening Friday, May 30, at 11 a.m. It’s open to the public at the Oakland Community House, located at 8156 Hwy 52 E in Ellijay.