2019 Legislative Session

Chamber at the Capitol

The start of Georgia’s 2019 Legislative Session is just around the corner, and as a member of the Georgia Chamber, we want you to know that our Government Affairs team is working hard on your behalf to drive pro-business legislation that will make a positive impact on our great state.

Get to know our legislative experts, along with their various issue-areas:

David Raynor, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Oversees all issue-areas on the Government & Political Affairs team David Raynor has over 18 years of experience in navigating Georgia’s political and legislative arenas.  Prior to assuming the role of Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Chamber, David served as Georgia State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) after serving as Chief of Staff to State Senate Majority Leaders Bill Stephens and Tommie Williams. David started his lobbying career representing the physician community at the Medical Association of Georgia in 2001.

Kyle Jackson, Vice President of State & Political Affairs Oversees Health & Wellness and Law & Judiciary Kyle Jackson joined the Georgia Chamber a little over three years ago. At the Chamber, Kyle heads the organization’s political operations and also helps manage the government affairs team. A registered lobbyist, he focuses on healthcare policy, civil justice reform, and labor issues. Prior to joining the Georgia Chamber, he spent time lobbying and building a grassroots and political advocacy network for the National Federation of Independent Business/Ohio (NFIB) for 10 years and was the NFIB/Georgia State Director for five years. A graduate of The Ohio State University, he and his wife Abbey are raising two young children, Keller and Izzie and live in East Cobb.

Cosby Johnson, Director of Government Affairs Oversees Environment & Energy, Education, and Business & Industry Cosby Johnson joined the Georgia Chamber four years ago after working in the offices of former United States Senator Saxby Chambliss and Governor Brian Kemp, then Secretary of State. During his tenure in federal and state government, Cosby covered a multitude of areas ranging from public affairs to managing regional issues that were affected by federal policies. Cosby was recently elected to the board of  his alma mater Valdosta State University where he completed his degree in Political Science. Cosby looks forward to continuing to work on policies that help grow opportunities for business owners and communities across Georgia.

Chelsey Ruppersburg, Director of State & Political Affairs Oversees Tax & Economic Development, Business & Industry, and Transportation Chelsey Ruppersburg joined the Chamber two years ago after working as U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson’s deputy finance director on his 2016 re-election campaign. Prior to working in political affairs, Chelsey received her doctorate in Cell Biology at Emory University. While working on her Ph.D., Chelsey was actively engaged in science funding advocacy and gained exposure to state-level legislative work by interning with Emory’s office of Government & Community Affairs for one session. She looks forward to continuing to use her unique background to work in legislative affairs with a focus on tax, economic development, and transportation issues across the state.

Allison Plummer, Government & Political Affairs Coordinator Oversees the Government Affairs Council (GAC) Allison Plummer started at the Georgia Chamber as the Government & Political Affairs Coordinator in July of 2018. Prior to joining the Chamber, Allison coordinated political campaign fundraising efforts for Geoff Duncan for Lieutenant Governor. Before working on the campaign trail, Allison started her career in Washington, DC, serving as Staff Assistant & Press Assistant for US Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08). She looks forward to supporting GAC at the Georgia State Capitol throughout her first official legislative session as a lobbyist.

In 2018, our team tracked 397 bills, 76 of which a support or oppose position was taken by our Government Affairs Council (GAC). Of those supported, 28 were signed into law by Governor Deal, along with all five Chamber Scorecard bills.

The Chamber looks forward to continuing that success this session, as we focus on issues such as improving economic prosperity for rural Georgia, developing a more complex network of public transportation systems across the state, increasing access to affordable healthcare, and much more.

Get Plugged In

Be on the lookout for our first Georgia Business Action Network (GBAN) update on January 18th, which will then continue to be distributed every Friday throughout session providing you with detailed information on everything happening under the Gold Dome, and don’t forget to join us at Eggs & Issues on January 16th to receive an official list of the Chamber’s 2019 Legislative Priorities.

For more information on becoming a member of our Government Affairs Council (GAC), click here.

To support pro-business candidates, consider donating to the Georgia Chamber Political Action Committee (PAC). The PAC strengthens our collective voice by providing support to our business champions serving under the Gold Dome, as well as pro-business candidates running for office. Click here to make a difference.