Committee approves amendment to HB 254 to place Clarence Thomas statue at Nathan Deal Judicial Center

The standing rules committee voted to pass House Bill 254 as amended, approving a substitute that included language to place a statue of the Honorable Clarence Thomas in the Nathan Deal Judicial Center, a committee member said.

Representative Buckner presented HB 254, describing the bill’s initial purpose as part of a commemoration tied to the 250th anniversary of the nation and noting the House had previously approved related language. Leader Anovarte offered an amendment in the substitute (LC395054S) that, as described on the floor, would place a statue of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the Nathan Deal Judicial Center; Leader Anovarte stipulated the placement would not use public funds.

After debate the committee moved to pass the bill as amended. The chair conducted a counted vote; the committee recorded 13 votes in favor and 4 opposed. The chair said the measure will be reported out of committee the following day and potentially appear in regular rules.

Why it matters: The amendment inserts a specific, high-profile commemorative element into HB 254 and names a sitting U.S. Supreme Court justice as the subject of a statue in a state judicial facility. The committee’s approval by a recorded count (13–4) means the amended substitute will proceed toward further consideration.

The standing meeting also took up HB 199, the annual IRC/tax-conformity update, which passed by unanimous voice vote.