Randy Robertson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Georgia State Senate for the 29th district | |
| Assumed office January 14, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Joshua McKoon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wiley Randall Robertson October 6, 1962 Hamilton, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
Wiley Randall Robertson (born October 6, 1962) is an American politician from Cataula, Georgia. He is a Republican member of the Georgia State Senate representing District 29, elected in 2018. Robertson is a retired law enforcement officer and attended Command College at Columbus State University and the FBI National Academy.
Robertson was a Law Enforcement Officer in the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office. In 2018, he was elected to the Georgia State Senate. He was reelected in the 2020 general elections.
Early life and education[edit]
Robertson was born in Hamilton, Georgia to Bobby Ray and Elizabeth Cobb Robertson. He attended Cataula Elementary School, Harris County Junior High School, and Harris County High School. Robertson has four sisters.[citation needed]
Career[edit]
Robertson was a Law Enforcement Officer before entering politics, and after over thirty years in law enforcement retired from the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office in 2015.
In a 2000 internal investigation by the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office, then Lieutenant Robertson was found to have conducted himself in a way that was "unbecoming of an officer" and "immoral." The investigation stemmed from an extramarital affair with his sister in-law that found Robertson engaged in sexual activity. The investigation further found that Robertson was not on duty at the time the activities took place and nothing occurred within a department vehicle. Despite the internal affairs report, Robertson maintains that in his thirty years with the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office he has never been reprimanded as he was cleared of all accusations.[1]
Political career[edit]
In March 2024, Senate Majority Whip Randy Robertson of Cataula blocked a bill sponsored by State Rep. Scott Holcomb, that would open the door to compensation for wrongfully convicted individuals. Holcomb’s measure would have created a panel of appointees, all experts in wrongful convictions or criminal justice, to vet compensation claims while laying out clear guidelines for who qualifies. It also would have required that those who have been exonerated are compensated at a figure between $60,000 and $120,000 per year of wrongful imprisonment.[2]
Robertson, a former sheriff’s deputy who led the effort to stop all compensation legislation in Georgia, said he thinks the system has been “hijacked” by organizations such as the Georgia Innocence Project, which uses DNA evidence and research to clear people’s names.[3]
Robertson was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 2018 after the seat was vacated by Josh McKoon. In 2020, Robertson qualified for re-election and was not challenged in either the Primary or General election.[citation needed]
"Safe Communities Act of 2021"[edit]
On February 11, 2021, Robertson introduced Senate Bill 171, the "Safe Communities Act of 2021," which increases penalties for certain offenses committed during an "unlawful assembly."[4] Robertson introduced the legislation in response to the George Floyd protests and the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[5] The original bill failed to receive a committee vote before Georgia's crossover day.[6] On March 18, Robertson reintroduced the legislation through a committee substitute of another bill from the state house.[7][8][9] The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia said the bill "tramples on and makes a mockery of the First Amendment."[10] Mazey Lynn Causey, a legislative advocate for the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, believes that it would allow immunity for motorists that run over a protester.[11]
Personal life[edit]
Robertson is married to Theresa Garcia Robertson; they have four children and four grandchildren. The family goes to and worships with the First Baptist Church in Columbus.
Electoral history[edit]
| Georgia State Senate 29th District Election, 2018 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | Randy Robertson | 44,149 | 62.99 |
| Democratic | Valerie Haskins | 25,937 | 37.01 |
References[edit]
- ^ Evans, Daniel (2018-05-18). "Senate candidate Robertson was found in violation of conduct policy during time at sheriff's office". LaGrange Daily News. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
- ^ Prabhu, Maya (29 March 2024). "Last-ditch attempt for new wrongful conviction compensation process fails". AJC. No. Online. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ Prabhu, Maya (29 March 2024). "Last-ditch attempt for new wrongful conviction compensation process fails". AJC. No. Online. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
- ^ Prabhu, Maya T. "Georgia bill would increase penalties for crimes committed during protests". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
- ^ "Legislative Navigator - AJC". legislativenavigator.ajc.com. Archived from the original on 2022-07-31. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
- ^ "Georgia General Assembly". www.legis.ga.gov. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
- ^ Prabhu, Maya T. "Georgia proposal returns to crack down on crimes committed at protests". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
- ^ Williams, Ross (2021-03-22). "Senate revives bill that would make protests that block highways a felony". Georgia Recorder. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
- ^ "ACLU of Georgia Opposes Bill that Tramples First Amendment". ACLU of Georgia. 2021-03-01. Archived from the original on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
- ^ Dunlap, Stanley (2021-03-03). "Senate panel set to vet bill that makes highway-blocking protests a felony". Now Habersham. Archived from the original on 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2021-03-23.}
