South Gwinnett News

The Georgia Senate advanced a bill allowing a statue of Republican Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to be placed at the state Capitol.

Thomas, who has sat on the Supreme Court for over three decades, was born in Pin Point, Georgia, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

"Justice Thomas has served all of America and all of Georgia no matter your race, your gender, your community or your culture," Sen. Jason Anavitarte, the primary sponsor of the bill, said during the Senate hearing.

Support among Republicans was widespread, with the vote along party lines, but Democrats opposed the idea calling it premature, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

"There may be years ahead for Justice Thomas," Sen. Nan Orrock said at the hearing. "None of us know what the future holds and that's why the wisdom of not elevating and naming things and setting up statues prior to a person's conclusion of their public service."

Opinions on Thomas have been divisive during his time in office. When he was nominated in 1991, lawyer Anita Hill accused Thomas of sexual harassment. He has also been a critic of several progressive causes, such as affirmative action and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, causing Democrats to look upon him unfavorably, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

"I'm not saying I speak for every Black American, but I come from those families. I listen to the conversations," Sen. Nikki Merritt said at the hearing. "I think I have a pretty intimate knowledge and a grip on how we, Black people, as a collective feel about Justice Thomas. It's not that we have a problem that he's a conservative or a Republican, we think he's a hypocrite and a traitor."

Democrats also pointed to Ginni Thomas, his wife, as a source of concern, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. She recently spoke out criticizing the committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol insurrection.

"The story of Justice Thomas is a Georgia story, a story of who he is. Not one Supreme Court decision he wrote on in 30 years up there, not allegations tossed at him at hearings over 30 years ago, not something maybe his wife may have said a couple years ago to somebody," Sen. Brian Strickland said at the hearing. "The story of Clarence Thomas is a story of [...] somebody that was homeless from an early age, was the first person in his family to go to college and then went on to go to Yale Law School. That's the story of this guy. It's a Georgia story and that story should be told now, not after he's gone."

The Georgia House of Representatives will review the bill before it can receive the governor's approval, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.