Richardson survives speaker challenge

ATLANTA - Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson has survived a challenge for his gavel.

The House Republican caucus voted on Monday to keep Richardson on as speaker.

He faced a challenge from state Rep. David Ralston of Blue Ridge.

Ralston said good leadership is not ``grounded in fear, or intimidation or threat of retribution.'' And he argued that without change, Georgia Republicans could suffer the same loss of power that the GOP in Congress did.

Richardson pointed to his accomplishments over the last four years as speaker and said he'd learned from his mistakes.

Richardson's temper has become legendary at the state Capitol.

He became irate at the end of the last legislative session as his plan to eliminate property taxes was killed by fellow Republicans. He blasted Gov. Sonny Perdue the year before that.

In addition, State Representative Doug Collins of Gainesville was able to vote Monday by proxy, according to Channel 2 Action News. The representative from the district serving parts of Hall, Lumpkin and White counties is on active duty in Iraq with the Air Force Reserves. (See separate story.)