Friends,

This time of year Georgians across our state begin to get excited for football season.  

Here in the 159th District and across our state, the high school season is underway, with many of our teams kicking off their season last Friday night.

I’m looking forward to seeing my Georgia Southern Eagles kick things off on September 3rd against Morgan State. 

Bulldog fans are getting ready for a road trip to Atlanta to see their team launch its title defense against Oregon in Atlanta with Kirby Smart at the helm.

The Jackets are preparing to take on Clemson. 

Like many Georgians, I love football weekends because they bring us all together. Republican or Democrat, we all love joining our friends to watch a great game. 

And when the Bulldogs make a title run again, I know that just like last year, there will even be some Yellow Jacket fans who are happy for their neighbors in Athens. 

Unfortunately, sometimes politics gets in the way of our efforts to cheer on Georgia’s teams and make our state a premier sports destination.  As we saw last year when Stacey Abrams and her allies led protests surrounding the Major League Baseball All-Star game that had nothing to do with baseball, the game was moved out of state hitting many Georgians in the pocketbook.  

That’s why I was proud to see Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens join each other to announce that college football’s national championship game will return to Atlanta in 2025 — making our capital city the first to host the title game for the second time.  

These leaders were able to put their political — and team — allegiances aside, working together to do what is best for our state.  

And while Kemp and Dickens no doubt have their differences on plenty of issues (including when their teams play on the Saturday after Thanksgiving), they showed true leadership by working together on what was best for Georgia.  

I congratulate Kemp and Dickens on this win for our state, and look forward to watching the Dawgs play for the national championship in Atlanta in 2025. 

Conclusion

I look forward to seeing many of you on the sidelines this season, cheering for our teams in the 159th District and statewide. 

Always remember that should you have questions, comments, or concerns about issues affecting District 159, your rights as a parent, or ways you can hold your schools accountable, you can always reach out to me at (404) 656-5052, email, or engage on Facebook. If you would like to receive email updates, please visit my website to sign up for my newsletter or email me.

Jon Burns represents District 159 in the Georgia General Assembly, where he serves as the House majority leader.