Nathan Deal is ‘censured’ by west Georgia Republicans over religious liberty veto
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. Brant Sanderlin, bsanderlin@ajc.com
The highlight of the Republican district conventions Saturday was the dizzying maneuvering to be a delegate to the Republican National Convention. But each also featured a beneath-the-surface fight over resolutions aimed at sending a message to elected officials in Georgia and the rest of the GOP.
And the Third District, which covers a sprawling swath of west Georgia, sent quite a signal.
The conservative activists at the district’s meeting voted to “censure” Gov. Nathan Deal after his veto of the controversial “religious liberty” legislation. Though it is purely symbolic, it’s a startling sign of the conservative backlash to Deal’s decision to reject the legislation – and another reminder that the debate over the measure never really ended.
Just as surprising, though, was the conservative politician who spoke in Deal’s favor at the meeting. State Sen. Josh McKoon is an outspoken supporter of the legislation – and a constant thorn in the side of Deal and other GOP leaders. But the Columbus Republican urged his fellow west Georgia partisans to oppose the censure.
“I said that it was not constructive for the GOP to lash out at the governor, and that if we want to pass conservatives initiatives next year, we need to make a positive case for their adoption,” he said after the vote.
It didn’t matter. The censure carried overwhelmingly.
More: Inside the deepening rift in Georgia over the ‘religious liberty’ bill
And: ‘Religious liberty’ veto could be turning point for Georgia governor
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