Former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr currently serves as the Southeastern Regional Representative to the Libertarian National Committee. On January 24th Barr received the 2007 Georgia Speaker Of The Year award from the Emory University chapter of the National Forensics Honor Society. The award is presented annually to the Georgian who represents effective, intelligent, and responsible speech. The society was impressed by Barr’s steadfast dedication to protecting privacy rights, and his commitment to making Georgia a better place to live.
Previous recipients of the Georgia Speaker of the Year Award include former Governor Roy Barnes, Attorney General Thurbert Baker, Georgia Supreme Court Justice Robert Benham, and journalist Ralph McGill.
When presented with the award at the annual Barkley Forum Awards Dinner, Congressman Barr said “It is an honor receiving this award that so many other outstanding Georgians have received. I am grateful the National Forensics Honor Society has recognized the importance of the work in which I am engaged stressing our right to privacy and other civil liberties, and to the role vigorous political debate plays in preserving these fundamental rights.”
Congressman Barr left the US House in 2003 after one of many recent redistricting episodes. Barr resigned from the Republican Party and joined the Libertarian Party of Georgia in 2006. He is a board member of the National Rifle Association, and is a consultant to the American Civil Liberties Union. He also works with the Marijuana Policy Project, The American Freedom Agenda, and The Constitution Project, as well as serving on the Libertarian National Committee.
