GOP lawmaker loses job hours after he opposed Brian Kemp's priority bill

(Atlanta Journal-Constitution) The Democrats who crossed party lines to vote for Gov. Brian Kemp’s legal overhaul aren’t the only ones feeling the heat. A prominent Republican legislator may have lost his job because he opposed the governor’s top priority.

State Rep. Vance Smith, R-Pine Mountain, isn’t commenting on what happened with his role as president and CEO of the Harris County Chamber of Commerce. But officials said he was ousted from the job on Friday, only hours after the House narrowly approved the measure without Smith’s support.

“It became obvious that we had different visions for the future success of our organization and its members and it was time for us to move forward in a different direction,” wrote the board’s chair, Theresa Garcia Robertson, in an email we obtained.

On Sunday, Garcia Robertson declined to comment on personnel matters but added that board members hold “Vance in high regard personally and appreciate his service to our community and his district.”

https://www.ajc.com/politics/politically-georgia/gop-lawmaker-loses-job-hours-after-he-opposed-brian-kemps-priority-bill/BI27R3AK55A4TL7AZF634LQZKQ/