Dunwoody Republican Tom Taylor, a state Representative first elected to the Georgia House in 2010, was arrested in Rabun County last week on a number of charges, including DUI.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution, citing an incident report from the Clayton Police Department, said Thursday that Taylor, 54, had a blood-alcohol content of .225 at the time of the arrest. That figure is nearly three times the legal limit of .08.
According to the AJC, officers initiated a traffic stop at 2:45 p.m. on April 7 after clocking Taylor's SUV traveling 72 mph in a 45 mph zone. Taylor was driving with four juveniles in the vehicle at the time he was pulled over.
Officers said upon exiting his vehicle, Taylor smelled strongly of alcohol but denied having anything to drink. The AJC said officers also reported that Taylor, who was legally carrying a gun on his hip, had bloodshot eyes and a "very red" face.
Officers were given permission to search Taylor's vehicle, eventually finding an empty water bottle that, according to the AJC, "smelled of alcoholic beverage."
Taylor was arrested a short time later after he refused to comply with a field sobriety test, with the AJC listing his charges as DUI, possession of an open container and speeding.
Taylor told the Atlanta newspaper he will seek re-election despite his arrest. He also expressed his regret regarding the situation, and thanked the officers involved in the case for their professionalism.
Taylor added that the arrest was his first-ever run-in with authorities, and vowed that it would also be his last.
He is a member of several committees in the House, including Appropriations, Governmental Affairs and Economic Development and Tourism. He is also the chairman of the joint House-Senate committee that oversees the MARTA program.
Barring future changes, Taylor will face Tom Owens in the House District 79 race in the May 24 primary elections.
