Earl Ehrhart | |
|---|---|
| Member of theGeorgia House of Representatives from the 36th district | |
| In office January 11, 1989 – January 14, 2019 | |
| Succeeded by | Ginny Ehrhart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Earl Day Ehrhart (1959-08-08)August 8, 1959 (age 65) Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Ginny Ehrhart |
| Alma mater | University of Georgia (BA) |
Earl Day Ehrhart (born August 8, 1959) is an American politician and businessman from the U.S. state ofGeorgia.[1] From 1989 to 2019, he served as aRepublican member of theGeorgia House of Representatives representing District 36, which encompasses parts of westernCobb County.
Born inMiami, Florida, Ehrhart has lived in Cobb since 1964 and resides inPowder Springs. He graduated from theUniversity of Georgia with aBachelor of Arts inpolitical science in 1980. While there, he was a member ofPi Sigma Alpha the national political science honor society, as well as a member ofPhi Kappa Psi fraternity.
Ehrhart was first elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1988 and served eight years as theMinority Whip.
He served as Chairman of the House Rules Committee until January 2010,[2] and is a member of theAppropriations, Banks, and State Institutions committees.
In 2005, Ehrhart was elected as the National Chairman ofAmerican Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). He is also a member of the National Republican Legislator Association.
In 1990, theNational Federation of Independent Business named Ehrhart the "Guardian of Small Business", due to his work in Georgia. He also received the "Champion of the Free Enterprise System Award" from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia. He also received awards from theMedical Association of Georgia,Kennesaw State University,The Twenty Second Air Force Reserve, and theGeorgia Federation of Young Republicans.
In 2005, Ehrhart co-sponsored a bill that overhauled Georgia'schild support guidelines. The bill (House Bill 221) was made law April 22, 2005.
In 2007, Ehrhart urged passage of a bill that would have legalizedpayday lending in Georgia.[3] The Georgia legislature narrowly defeated the measure.[4][5] In 2009, regulators withdrew the state charter Georgian Bank. Ehrhart was on the board of directors of this bank. The bank was founded in 2001 and became very profitable during the housing boom. However, it suffered losses when the real estate market collapsed.[6]