With the signing this afternoon by Gov. Nathan Deal of House Bill 287, the Georgia Archives officially moves to the University System of Georgia.
About two dozen Archives supporters, including several members of the Georgia Genealogical Society, attended the signing. Among the attendees was Rep. Matt Hatchett (R-150) from Dublin, who was the principal author of the bill and an avid supporter of the Archives during the 2013 legislative session.
After the short ceremony, people left the governor’s office to make way for the next signing, stopping to chat and say their good-byes on the way out of the capitol.
They were greeted with a surprise when they exited the capitol. All alone, walking around the capitol, was Morrow Mayor J. B. Burke. The mayor, a great friend of the Georgia Archives and the Georgia Genealogical Society, was carrying a sign thanking the governor and Archives advocates for their support in making the transition a reality. “This is a great day for Georgia,” exclaimed.
His unexpected one-man parade served as a perfect exclamation point on a hopeful day for the Georgia Archives.
Vivian Price Saffold
GeorgiaArchivesMatters 
This sounds like a win for Georgia. In Indiana, the archives are stuck in a building that has a very questionable roof – and Indianapolis gets plenty of rain each summer. The legislators have a lot of priorities that trump the preservation of old papers.
Alan Zeller