Georgia’s newest state representative is wasting no time in announcing his plans for the upcoming session. At his swearing in for the District 71 seat recently, Rep. Philip Singleton (R- Sharpsburg) said he planned to establish the House Veteran Caucus.
“It is my honor to serve the men and women who have given so much for us,” said Rep. Singleton. “We will work tirelessly to make sure that Georgia is the best state in the Union for our veterans, both active and retired.”
According to Singleton, he will work with State Representatives David Clark (R-Buford) and Mike Glanton (D-Jonesboro) to form the Veteran Caucus. He said the intention was for the House Veteran Caucus to serve as a bi-partisan caucus to help facilitate discussions regarding state policies and legislation that may impact the lives of veterans and active duty military in Georgia.
Singleton, a Veteran, touted military issues during his campaign in the special election for the House seat.
On his website, Singleton said, “While there are many issues that face us in today’s politically divisive age, (Philip Singleton) takes a Soldier’s approach to attacking the issues that most directly affect the people of Georgia’s 71st District.
He went on to say, “With the 5th largest active military population in the US, we have the opportunity to excel in service delivery to our veterans. Currently, there are over 750,000 veterans living in Georgia and we can expect this number to continue to grow. Simple, innovative solutions can help us retain the valuable skills that veterans bring to the workforce and our communities. States can no longer wait on the VA to deliver results for our veterans. While there are many issues to address, Veteran services and care are without question my number one priority.”
According to his campaign information, Singleton joined the Army nine days after the Sept. 11th attacks. After spending two years in the Georgia Army National Guard and completing a bachelor’s degree in Middle Eastern History, he commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. Singleton spent the next 13 years as an active duty officer flying the AH-64D Longbow both in and out of combat.
Singleton, a vocal critic of House Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), defeated Marcy Westmoreland Sakrison — a private school teacher and daughter of former Congressman Lynn Westmoreland who had the support of Ralston. The race was to replace former state Rep. David Stover, R-Newnan.
