Georgia lawmakers advance bill to revive disciplinary commission for state prosecutors

The Georgia House of Representatives begins the legislative session as the new Georgia House Speaker, Jon Burns, speaks at the Georgia State capitol on Jan. 9, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Republicans in the Georgia House of Representatives on Monday advanced a bill that would revive a new state commission to discipline and remove state prosecutors.

Some Georgia Republicans want the new commission to discipline Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for winning indictments of former President Donald Trump and 18 others.

Though Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation last year creating the new commission, it was unable to begin operating after the state Supreme Court in November refused to approve rules governing its conduct. Justices said they had “grave doubts” about their ability to regulate the duties of district attorneys beyond the practice of law. Because lawmakers hadn’t expressly ordered justices to act, they were refusing to rule one way or the other, they said.