Georgia state senator arrested for attempting to enter state House chamber despite ban

A Georgia state senator was arrested on Thursday morning for trying to enter the state House's chamber for Gov. Brian Kemp's State of the State address, which defied a ban that forbid him from doing so. 

Conservative state Sen. Colton Moore was banned from the lower chamber last year after he made disparaging statements about the late-Georgia state Speaker David Ralston. Moore's outburst at the time was condemned by lawmakers on both sides.

Ralston's successor, Republican House Speaker Jon Burns on Wednesday ordered House doorkeepers to bar Moore from entering the chamber during the joint State of the State address, claiming Moore's statements were "some of the vilest that you can make about a good man." 

Moore was arrested at the Capitol after trying to get past the doorkeepers to enter the chamber, according to Fox 5 Atlanta.

"This is a joint session of the General Assembly. Your House rules do not apply," Moore told the doorkeeper. "I'm going into the chamber."

The state senator was then pushed to the ground and arrested by the  Georgia State Patrol. He was taken to the Fulton County Jail, but released a few hours later. It is not clear what charges he faces.

"Senator Colton Moore, who exposed and defeated corrupt District Attorney Fani Willis last year, has been arrested by the Anti-Trump Speaker of the Georgia House," Moore's office said in a statement after the arrest. "Colton is being held in the same Atlanta jail as President Trump. We are working to ensure his expedient release. Please pray for all those standing up for freedom and peace for all Georgians.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.