Georgia
‘It affects my family’: Georgia Senator speaks on losing job after voting against lawsuit reform
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A Georgia state lawmaker lost his day job after voting against the contentious lawsuit reform bill aimed at curbing business liability lawsuits and large insurance payouts.
“It affects my family,” state Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain) said. “It was a very negative effect on my wife and my whole family.”
Smith said he was fired as the CEO of the Harris County Chamber of Commerce in a Zoom call Friday, the day after he voted against Senate Bill 68.
“My vote wasn’t taking the chamber in the direction that they wanted to go, and therefore we’d had to part ways,” he said, paraphrasing what the chamber’s board chair Theresa Garcia Robertson told him.
In a sit-down interview with Atlanta News First Investigates, Smith said he sat in four of the hours-long subcommittee sessions to hear the testimony and debate regarding the bill and how it would affect Georgians’ everyday lives.
“I’m a small business. I’ve got an LLC. I’m a member of my own chamber. I definitely think about small business on the issues that I vote on, it affects me directly and affects everybody else in the community across the state,” Smith said. “I didn’t know the outcome was going to lead to where we are now.”
The bill passed on Friday, a day after the House approved a substitute in a 91-82 vote.
Smith said he can’t even count the number of texts, calls and emails he’s gotten since.
“I want to thank you. This is a family in here,” he told the House chamber Tuesday. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
Democrat representatives rushed up to comfort him as he began to choke up.
“I guess I’m kind of a sentimental guy,” Smith told Atlanta News First Investigates.
Smith said he had a few concerns about the bill and had been asking a lot of questions.
For example, he had asked for representatives with insurance companies to call him to explain what they would do going forward.
“Looking at this bill, will this bill entice companies to come back to Georgia? Will it ease the fears of companies that are here in Georgia to that they’ll stay in Georgia?” he asked, but said to this day, he hasn’t heard from anyone from the insurance side.
“I said, ‘Well, you know, if we can make this a better bill, I think I’ll vote no now so we can work on that bill some more,‘” Smith said.
He had no idea it would cost him his job representing businesses in Harris County.
“My position here is very important to me. I want to do what’s right,” he said.
Garcia Robertson, who fired Smith, is the wife of one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Randy Robertson. Some have asked Smith if he believes losing his position was also party retaliation for his vote.
“I honestly will not speculate,” he said. “We’ve got legislation to do. I’ve got to work ‘til April the 4th midnight, passing bills that are meaningful to my area of the state and in, actually to the whole state. So I’ve got to concentrate on that.”
Garcia Robertson told Atlanta News First Investigates in an email statement, “We do not comment on personnel matters. What we can tell you is that we hold Vance in high regard personally and appreciate his service to our community and his district.”
Smith said he helped start the Harris County Chamber of Commerce in the early 1990s and had been CEO for almost three years.
This is his 24th year as a Georgia lawmaker.
House Majority Whip James Burchett, who also co-sponsored SB 68,addressed Smith’s firing in a release.
“Numerous members have suffered threats to their livelihoods and independence because of their votes on Senate Bill 68,” he wrote. “We should hold legislators accountable for their votes at the ballot box – not by taking aim at their ability to support their families.”
Atlanta News First Investigates also reached out to the Georgia Senate’s press office for a comment from Sen. Robertson. We are still waiting to hear back.
Atlanta News First Investigates previously reported on online “threats” made to businesses that supported SB 68.
One example is a story post on Facebook from a personal injury attorney, who said: “I cannot wait to sue businesses who blindly support tort reform. Not only will I give you a lesson on how insurance works, but I will punish you for your pathetic attempt to put profits over people. Welcome to the show.”
The attorney told Atlanta News First Investigates, “While admittedly zealous, my post reflects my thoughts that if the businesses that blindly supported tort reform and spread misinformation end up in lawsuits because their carriers failed to resolve claims fairly.”
The bill was heavily supported by the business community, which said insurance premiums were rising so rapidly that some small businesses couldn’t afford to have them anymore.
Small business owners in the state said they’re frustrated with constantly having to pay huge settlements over lawsuits they feel are frivolous.
Opponents of the bill also noted that nothing in its language actually required insurance companies to lower their rates.
The last day of this year’s Georgia General Assembly is set for Friday, April 4, 2025.
Atlanta News First and Atlanta News First+ provide you with the latest news, headlines and insights as Georgia continues its role at the forefront of the nation’s political scene. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest political news and information.
Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.
Severe weather swept across Georgia this weekend, leaving behind widespread power outages and property damage from high winds, heavy rain, and lightning. Utility crews from across the state, including Georgia Power and local EMCs, have been working nonstop to restore power and ensure public safety.
As of Sunday morning, Georgia Power reported it had restored electricity to more than 190,000 customers since Saturday. Still, thousands remain without service. Significant damage was reported in areas including Athens, Alpharetta, and Rome. Georgia Power noted that its “smart grid” technology enabled remote switching and faster restoration in some areas, even as storms continued to move through the state.
Across North Georgia, electric membership cooperatives have faced similar challenges. Habersham EMC crews worked through the night to repair several broken poles and remove downed wires. The cooperative warned that restoration will take time due to the extent of the storm’s impact, and urged residents to steer clear of fallen lines.
“We know being without power is not pleasant,” Habersham EMC stated. “We greatly appreciate your continued patience and understanding. We won’t stop working until all power has been restored.”
Hart EMC reported 3,593 members still without power Sunday morning and identified five broken poles that need replacement. Three were replaced overnight, despite the labor-intensive nature of the work—each pole taking 3–4 hours to change out. Additional support came from ten Utiliclear workers who cleared trees and debris to assist linemen.
“Our crews are exhausted and hungry, yet they continue working to restore your power,” Hart EMC stated. “Please remember to stay clear of downed lines.”
Meanwhile, Blue Ridge EMC crews are addressing more than 4,000 outages caused primarily by toppled trees and lightning strikes. The utility reported 17 broken poles and asked for the public’s patience as repair efforts continue.
Jackson EMC and Amicalola EMC also responded to widespread outages. At the latest report, Jackson EMC had over 9,000 customers without power, and Amicalola EMC was working to restore service to nearly 4,000 members.
Despite the round-the-clock efforts, utility companies caution that more outages could occur. With the ground already saturated from days of rain, additional wind gusts may bring down more trees and power lines.
Safety remains top priority
Utilities are urging all residents to stay away from downed lines and poles, which could be energized and extremely dangerous. Other safety reminders include:
- Never touch or move tree branches entangled with power lines.
- Avoid standing water or saturated areas where lines may be hidden.
- Do not approach chain-link fences that could conduct electricity.
- Use generators only in well-ventilated areas and follow all manufacturer instructions.
- Unplug sensitive electronics to protect against surges when power is restored.
Stay informed
Georgia Power and local EMCs are providing outage updates through their websites, social media channels, and outage maps. Customers are encouraged to sign up for outage alerts and check for real-time restoration estimates.
Visit GeorgiaPower’s online outage map for updated outage information.
Use the Georgia EMC outage map and alert systems for localized updates.
DORAL, Fla. – A 27-year-old Georgia man appeared in Miami-Dade bond court Saturday after being arrested in connection with a string of residential and vehicle burglaries in Doral, authorities said.
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Doral police said Lawrence Trevonne Young, of Fayetteville, is accused of stealing a vehicle and breaking into multiple homes and cars in the Doral Landings East community on Thursday.
According to investigators, Young entered a home through a garage door left open, while the residents were asleep, and took credit cards, personal documents, vehicle keys, laptops and other valuables.
Police also said that he stole a 2023 Kia Sportage valued at $21,000.
They said surveillance footage showed a man matching Young’s description walking through the neighborhood around 1:25 a.m., opening car doors and entering several properties.
Investigators said stolen credit cards were later used at stores including CVS and Target, with purchases totaling more than $1,000. Store surveillance and witness statements, including from an Uber driver, helped police identify Young.
Doral police confirmed the arrest of Young on Friday. At the time of his arrest, they said he was found with five credit cards belonging to two of the victims.
Jail records show Young faces charges in two separate cases, including burglary of an occupied dwelling, grand theft, and multiple counts of fraudulent use of credit cards and personal identification.
His total bond was set at $80,500 after a judge found probable cause for all charges.
The judge also issued a stay-away order, prohibiting Young from contacting five victims in connection with the incidents. He was also banned from entering the Doral Landings East community.
He is due back in court later this month.
Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
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