Georgia lawmaker punished for Civil War mailer

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State Rep. Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson, has never been shy about sharing his provocative opinions on the Civil War, race relations and even the Ku Klux Klan.

But a mailer sent from his office to House members challenging slavery as a root cause of the Civil War apparently was the final straw.

House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, Friday stripped Benton of his leadership position as chairman of the House Committee on Human Relations and Aging. The speaker also kicked Benton off a study committee on civics education in Georgia’s public schools. Ralston had appointed him to the committee earlier this month.House spokesman Kaleb McMichen said Ralston was among those who received the envelop from Benton with an article titled “The Absurdity of Slavery as the Cause of the War Between the States.”

When asked if Ralston disagreed with Benton’s distribution of the article, McMichen said, “The actions he has taken reflect his sentiments on this matter.”