Celebrating Our Nation’s Founding this Independence Day

Friends,

As most in South Georgia know, Effingham County was the site of some of Georgia’s earliest settlements.  The county was created by the Georgia state Constitution of 1777, named for Thomas Howard, the 3rd Earl of Effingham - a British nobleman who resigned his military position and seat in the House of Lords in protest of the war against the colonies.  

A lot has changed in the nearly 250 years since Effingham County’s creation. Bulloch County and Screven County were created within the original Effingham boundaries. Our region came through the American Revolution and grew into a successful farming community. 

And in recent years, our great schools, welcoming neighbors, safe communities, and location close to Savannah, coastal Georgia, and the port have contributed to prosperity and growth.  

One thing that hasn’t changed over that time is the respect in our community for the principles upon which this nation was founded. Freedom of speech. A respect for public service. A carefully crafted separation of powers between state and federal governments, and between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. And a limited government that recognizes that the voters have ultimate authority over their leaders.   

As we have seen in recent weeks from Washington, that separation of powers sometimes creates tension between the branches of government. Supreme Court decisions have overturned laws enacted by Congress and the President. Congress has launched investigations of senior executive branch officials. And the First Amendment rights of American citizens won out in a court victory over government regulation of speech. 

As we celebrate the Fourth of July and our nation’s independence this year, I hope that all Georgians appreciate the foresight of our founders in creating a lasting form of government that preserves our God-given freedom. 

As we embark on the next 250 years of our nation’s history, challenges lay ahead.  But I believe that if all Americans work together, we can continue on a trajectory as a nation that would make our founders proud. 

Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions about my work as your Representative or as Speaker of the House, or with information about events in the community.  You can contact me at 404.656.5020, Jon.Burns@house.ga.gov, or on Facebook at www.FB.com/JonBurnsGA.  If you wish to sign up for my weekly emailed newsletter, visit https://www.friendsofjonburns.com/home to sign up.