State Rep. Matt Dollar, Who Represented East Cobb, Resigns From Georgia House

EAST COBB, GA — Georgia State Rep. Matt Dollar, a Republican who represented East Cobb, resigned from the state House of Representatives on Tuesday, effective immediately.

In a news release, Dollar — first elected in 2002 — said he stepped down because he accepted a position with the Technical College System of Georgia as the deputy commissioner of economic development.

“Colleagues, today is my last day as a member of this house,” Dollar said Tuesday from the House floor, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. “Several of you have asked me if I was leaving early, and I’ve had to lie to many of my friends in here.”

At the time of his resignation, Dollar served as the chairman of the House Creative Arts and Entertainment Committee, focusing on Georgia's film industry. He authored House Bill 1032, which updated the state's film tax credit, 11Alive reported.

Dollar was also the youngest member of the state legislature to serve as a committee chairman, and was instrumental in getting the East Cobb cityhood bill advanced through the state House. The bill is awaiting a full Senate vote, followed by a signature from Gov. Brian Kemp.

Related: East Cobb Cityhood Bill Passes Georgia House Of Representatives

"Having been born and raised in Marietta, it has been the greatest honor of my life to serve the citizens of House District 45 in the Georgia House of Representatives,” Dollar said in the release. “I want to thank the people of East Cobb for putting their trust in me, as well as Speaker David Ralston for the confidence he has shown in me during my time as a member of the Georgia House."

The new House map drawn by the Georgia General Assembly placed Dollar in the same district as state Rep. Sharon Cooper, who currently represents District 43. The new map takes effect this year, and Dollar already announced he wasn't planning on running for reelection in November after the new maps were released.

Tuesday was the ninth day in a 40-day Georgia legislative session, which is expected to wrap up in early April. Kemp has 10 days to call for a special election to fill the vacancy, which would then take place in the next 30 to 60 days, East Cobb News reported.