Georgia Representative Richard Smith died Monday night at age 78 after fighting the flu. Smith led the House Rules Committee that set the agenda for votes in the state House. House Speaker Jon Burns informed house members that Smith died overnight in Columbus.
Smith was a Republican from Columbus who represented District 139. He was first elected into the House to represent District 134 in 2004. He was in charge of the Rules Committee from the beginning of the 2020 legislative session.
Previously, Smith was chairman of the House Insurance Committee and a City Counselor in Columbus from 1997 to 2002.