Last Friday, Representative Tom Graves was stripped of his House "hawk" position, chairmanships of the state highway subcommittee of Transportation, of the education subcommittee of Children and Youth, the general health subcommittee of Health and Human Services, and his chairmanship of the tax reform subcommittee under Ways and Means all because he voted his principles in opposition of the wishes of House Speaker Glenn Richardson. The Speaker was upset with the loss and started with Rep. Tom Graves, and has since also stripped Representative John Meadows of his vice chairmanship of Natural Resources & Environment and as secretary of the Insurance Committee, Doug Collins as chairman of the children's health issues subcommittee of Health and Human Services, and Martin Scott as co-chairman of the income tax subcommittee of Ways & Means and as secretary of Ways and Means. Tomorrow, February 5, the legislature will be back in session and there will probably be more retribution to the others who also voted against Speaker Richardson.

This is an attack on the freedom of the people of Georgia who voted for representatives who promised to vote based on conservative principles. When these Representatives act as statesmen and vote based on their principles, they are punished. This may have been the way that the Democrats ran the legislature, but we supposedly sent down real men with principles to lead Georgia and not be dictators pushing individual agendas through. We as voters of Georgia need to stand now and support these statesmen who have stood on principles, because if we don't, we might not have any statesmen left.

I am asking that each of you take time out now and write your State Representative and State Senator and let them know that this action to these men of principles should not be tolerated. The day we start punishing men for voting on principle is the day we as citizens lose our freedom.

What is at stake? The last remnant of true conservatism down at the Capitol. Speaker Richardson is trying to dismantle the 216 Policy Group which is a group of legislators who actually read every bill that comes to the House floor and rate them on conservative principles. This group has stopped a lot of bad legislation that would attack our freedom as citizens. This group must not die, but rather grow. The 216 Policy Group grades every bill on four principles: Less Government Lower Taxes Personal Responsibility Liberty and Justice for All All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. Thomas Jefferson Please forward to all concerned citizens. You may read the latest news on this issue at Insider Advantage. Find your Representative and Senator.

May God Bless You,