GLENN RICHARDSON

GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

DISTRICT 19

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Glenn Richardson was born in Douglas County, Georgia, where he graduated from Douglas County High School in 1978.  In 1981, Glenn earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Georgia State University and was a member of Georgia State University's first law school class earning his Juris Doctor in 1984.

In 1985, Glenn joined the firm of Vinson & Osborne and made partner two years later.  Now known as Vinson, Talley, Richardson & Cable, Glenn continues to practice with the same firm.  In 1989, he was appointed to serve as County Attorney for Paulding County and served in that position for 16 years.

In 1996, Glenn became the first Republican from Paulding County elected to the Georgia House of Representatives since Reconstruction.  In 2003, Governor Sonny Perdue hand- picked Glenn to serve as the Administration Floor Leader in the House and in November 2003, the Republican Caucus chose Glenn to serve as Minority Leader.  He was elected to his sixth consecutive term in 2006 to represent House District 19.  As a result of his role in securing Republican control of the House for the first time since Reconstruction, in 2005 Glenn was chosen by his colleagues to serve as the first Republican Speaker of the House in over 130 years.

Glenn has brought about much-needed change for Georgians.  Glenn was influential in the requirement of photo identification to vote in Georgia to curb voter fraud, and he has played an instrumental and supporting role in passing Georgia's laws protecting private property rights and tougher laws against sexual predators.  He is also tirelessly working towards the repeal of the entire ad valorem system and is a huge proponent of tax reform.  Additionally, he is leading a new program to help more students graduate from high school by partnering with technical and vocational schools.  He has worked diligently to make it possible for local governments to build more reservoirs so Georgia will be prepared for the next drought.  He is an advocate of new and improved solutions to address Georgia's growing transportation problems.

Throughout his service to the state of Georgia, his colleagues, the media and many private organizations have recognized his commitment and dedication.  The Republican Party of Georgia named him the 2003 Legislator of the Year.  He was the recipient of the 2003 American Cancer Society Capitol Dome Award.  The March of Dimes recognized him “for providing extraordinary leadership in passing legislation to reduce the number of premature births in Georgia.”  Insider Advantage's James Magazine named him the 2005 “Man of the Year.”  He was also the recipient of the prestigious 2005 Wayne Shackelford Award from the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia and the James A. Coffman Award by the Medical Association of Georgia.

In 2006, Glenn was named chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) and the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee (RLCC).  As chairman of the SLC, Glenn worked with other southern states to foster greater intergovernmental cooperation and communication to address regional issues.  The RLCC is an organization dedicated to electing Republicans to state legislative offices.

Glenn has three children - Maggie, Bryn, and Will.