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Longtime state Rep. Butch Parrish will take the reins as chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee, House Speaker Jon Burns announced Thursday.

Parrish, R-Swainsboro, succeeds the late Rep. Richard Smith, R-Columbus, who died suddenly last month at the age of 78 while fighting the flu.

Parrish is currently serving his 20th term in the Georgia House of Representatives. He represents House District 158, which includes Candler, Emanuel and Treutlen counties, along with portions of Bulloch
County.

Parrish chairs the House Special Committee on Health Care, which Burns created last year to coordinate the work several standing committees have been doing to improve the quality of health care in Georgia.

“Chairman Parrish has done an exceptional job representing his district, fighting for our rural communities, and championing policies that lift up every Georgia family – including most recently with his work to improve health care across our state,” said Burns, R-Newington. “I am confident that Chairman Parrish will serve the Georgia House and the people of our great state extremely well in this new role.”

The Rules Committee acts as the House’s “traffic cop,” deciding which bills make it to the House floor for a vote.

“Throughout my time in the House, I have strived to bring an open mind, focus on the facts, and deliver results for my constituents and the people of Georgia,” Parrish said. “That’s what I intend to continue to do as Rules chairman.”