I was introduced to Charlice Byrd a couple of years ago when a group of us met with her to discuss a concerning bill that was working its way through the legislature. What struck me immediately was her sincerity of purpose and genuine desire to do what was right, as opposed to playing a good game of politics.

Charlice communicated her commitment to constitutional principles and limited government in a people’s vernacular. There was no “holier than thou” attitude and no sense that we were bothering her – or that what we said didn’t matter because she was going to do what she wanted once we left the room.

When I went back and checked on her track record, it speaks for itself. Her consistent votes on fiscal responsibility and the rare willingness to take unpopular stands when principle demands it have earned Charlice her place in the Hall of Honest Men and Women.

What I Learned from Research and Charlice Herself

She means what she says

In a 2020 I Farm I Vote interview, Charlice laid out her philosophy clearly:

I am a proven conservative and believe in the core principles of decreasing the size of government, lessening the tax burden; promoting personal responsibility; protecting personal liberties and exercising the proper role of government.

Those are not just campaign talking points. As a member of the Georgia Freedom Caucus, she achieved a perfect score of 100 on her voter scorecard – an evaluation by rating conducted by the Freedom Caucus network in Washington, D.C., based solely on voting records, not rhetoric.

Representation Rooted in Real World Experience

Charlice doesn’t represent District 20 from an ivory tower or practice theoretical governance.

Her diverse background gives Charlice genuine insight into the lives of real people in her district and throughout Georgia.

Charlice’s career history includes teaching middle school in Louisiana in the late 1970s, managing a group of restaurants, working for attorneys in the entertainment industry, and working in banking and sales.

Involvement in the Community

According to Charlice, “I was, am and will continue to be involved with civic and political organizations in my community and county.”

• Chair, Board of Directors for North Georgia Angel House, a group foster care for girls ages 2-12. Focusing on foster care issues and DFCS.
• Chair, Georgia Freedom Caucus
• Board member of Kiwanis of Greater Cherokee
• Board member of Friends of Holly Springs Police Foundation
• 2015 one of 5 paid staffers for Trump campaign

Member:

• Towne Lake Optimist
• Cherokee Chamber of Commerce
• Cherokee County Republican Party
• Cherokee County Republican Women

As a House Representative, she serves on seven key committees that span many of Georgia’s interests:

• House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee
• House Economic Development and Tourism Committee
• House Game, Fish and Parks Committee
• House Human Relations and Aging Committee
• House Judiciary: Non-Civil Committee
• House State Planning and Community Affairs Committee
• House Transportation Committee

Interview:

How Did you Make Your Way to the Georgia Legislature?

I became involved with politics because of my mother, Beverly. She was by far the biggest influence of politics during my growing years. She taught me the importance of being involved, educating oneself of candidates and issues, and attending events. She also taught me the importance of standing strong in what you believe in.

However, politics was not on my radar until much later in life because it took too much of her time away from home. I can see her smiling from above, her pride shining through as I carry on her legacy in the world of politics.  Truth is, I became my mother!

I moved to Georgia in 1993 from Los Angeles with my husband, Michael when he took a job with Turner Broadcasting. Shortly after settling in, Michael was offered a job to become President of all international sales for Turner Broadcasting and moved to Hong Kong. In 1998, we returned to Georgia and chose Woodstock as our home.

It Started in Hong Kong

While we were in Hong Kong, I wanted to immerse myself in the history, culture and meeting other expatriates from around world. I became involved with League of Women Voters in Hong Kong and met several well-known US Congressmen who visited Hong Kong. After my involvement with these groups, I made the conscious decision to make a difference in my community and state.

When we returned to Georgia in 1998, I started my journey by joining civic and political organizations. I also applied for political institutes to eventually help others run their campaigns. In 2000, my husband ran for Chairman of Cherokee County Commission and won that election.

Charlice was the first Chinese American to Serve in the Georgia Legislature

In 2004, the State Representative seat for District 20 became an open seat. There were three candidates in the primary election, and I advanced to the run-off and won by four votes. Every vote counts! However, due to a shooting at one of the precincts during the run-off, my opponent challenged the results in court claiming voters were unable to reach the polls. The judge overturned the election requiring a new vote. In the subsequent election, I won by 132 votes. Three elections within a span of 66 days.

I took my oath in 2005 and became the first Chinese American to serve in the Georgia legislature. My father was Chinese, and my mother, Irish, English, and Scottish. My name is derived from Charles and Alice, my grandparents. It is pronounced with a hard ‘ch’, as in Charles.

You are one of the few members of the Georgia Freedom Caucus. What is the Freedom Caucus and what does it stand for?

The Congressional Freedom Caucus was founded in 2015 by Republican members of the US House of Representatives.  They advocate social conservatism, smaller government, and individual liberty. There are about 30 Freedom Caucus members in the US House of Representatives. The State Freedom Caucus Network was established in 2021 to support Freedom Caucuses at the State Level. Right now, there are 12 states with State Freedom Caucuses, including Georgia.

Charlice Byrd Explains What the Freedom Caucus Stands For

The Georgia Freedom caucus stands on four pillars:

Does it grow government?

Does it increase taxes?

Does it infringe on personal liberties?

Does it increase regulations?

After reading and reviewing the bill if fits into one of these categories, in most cases I will vote No.

The Role of Government

I also add an additional question when looking at a bill, “Is this the role of government?” So many things that the legislature votes on are not the proper role of government. In Georgia, there are 115,000 business regulations, many of which are not actively enforced or enforceable. These regulations contribute to a complex compliance environment for those conducting business in the state.

In any given year, we will vote on 600 bills – so after a two-year session, 900 to 1000 bills have been voted on. In the 2025 session, Governor Kemp signed 300 bills that became law.

Government’s role should be to protect our rights

Every bill that the Governor signs into law takes someone’s right away. Back in 2005, there was a smoking ban bill that came to the House floor for a vote, and I went to the well to speak against it. Of course, most of my colleagues did not agree with me and it passed. I believe government should have a limited role, primarily focused on protecting individuals’ rights rather than regulating private industry.

The Freedom Caucus Score Card Explained

The Freedom Caucus Network in DC has a score card for all members of the legislature.  They choose approximately 65 bills to score you on. Through review of those bills the Network give legislators a score. The biggest point for a score card is “does a legislator vote No on the budget?”  Other legislation on the scorecard includes No votes: (i) green new deal; (ii) requiring mental health screening for student athletes: (iii) Bernie Sanders-type student loan forgiveness; (iv) needs-based not merit based grants for college degrees; (v) meddles in free market based on race.

Focus on Budget Votes

There are the “must” fund items in the budget, however there are many more things that should not be funded, corporate and industry subsidies that are not a reflection of free market capitalism, workforce housing and development, tax exemptions to Hollywood businesses that promote DEI and woke-ism, subsidies to insurance companies, Medicaid expansion and much more. The budget continues to grow larger every year. The focus on budget votes is crucial because how legislators allocate funds reflect their priorities.

Shrinking Government

We know it’s easier to grow the size of government than it is to shrink it.  We see it happen every session. In 2016 Georgia’s budget was approximately $22B and under Republican control the budget has grown to nearly $40B dollars.  Our budget is funded from taxpayers hard earned money and the federal government subsidizes about ½ of our budget. We should all understand government does not create jobs. While government spending can stimulate certain sectors, most economists agree that job growth comes from the private sector.

Our primary purpose as a state legislator is to pass Georgia’s budget.

Our second purpose is to pass or repeal laws.

Bills I Vote Against Using the Four Freedom Caucus Pillars and Proper Role of Government

1. BUDGET
2. Student loan forgiveness
3. Regulating dietitians
4. Taxes, tax exemptions, tax credits

 My third purpose is constituent services. 

The better part of the job is to listen and talk to constituents…from holding town hall meetings, meeting constituents in the district, reading to pre-school and elementary students, handling issues for foster care, Medicaid waivers, assisting veterans, addressing housing concerns. Because of these varied needs, I make it a priority to remain accessible to everyone in my district and beyond. My constituents know they can email, call or meet me with their questions or problems.

One of the issues you’ve been vocal about is election integrity. Why is a priority for you and what specific reforms do you believe Georgia needs?

My overarching belief is that Georgia should be committed to democracy. There should be freedom to vote and to have honest elections. The public needs to be able to trust that our elections are honest and fair.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the integrity of our elections changed – as did the public perception that our elections were not honest. The Secretary of State unilaterally decided to have drop boxes across the state of Georgia. This was unprecedent for our elections, which forever changed the way we vote.

I am against drop boxes, but at this point, it would be difficult to get rid of them.

I am about streamlining all elections. We have a director of the board of elections. They can interpret the law as they see fit. I would like to streamline it, so everyone is following the same law.

We should clean voter rolls. – We know dead people voted in the last election.

Georgia should be committed to democracy. There should be freedom to vote and have honest elections. The public needs to be able to trust that our elections are free and fair.

We still have a long way to go – these issues might not be resolved for 2026.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for the upcoming legislative session?

I want to continue working on the following:

• Medical/health freedom. For instance, during the Covid plandemic, some families faced challenges accessing education or employment due to vaccine mandates, highlighting the tension between public health policy and individual rights especially now with Robert Kennedy, Jr.’s advocacy and MAHA gaining traction. It should be a personal decision and not mandated by government. This goes back to the question above: is this the proper role of government.
• Voter ID. This would require individuals to present documented proof of US citizenship when registering to vote. This is not a partisan issue – It is a matter of principle. Americans deserve to have confidence that our elections are free from fraud, and every legitimate vote is counted. In 1923, Soviet dictator Jospeh Stalin remarked “I consider it completely unimportant who in the party will vote, or how; but what is extraordinarily important is this… who will count the votes and how.”
• Elimination of state income tax.
• Second Amendment. A Republican introduced HB 971 for Georgians to register a gun safe with the government or pay an additional $300 in taxes. This is a de facto gun registration and extortion – a foot in the door for deadly storage law.

Periodic Review of Every Department and Agency

Something that most Georgians don’t think about is the number of state agencies, authorities, commissions and departments that taxpayer’s foot the bill. We are elected to be good stewards of taxpayer’s money, and that’s why I will re-introduce the Georgia Government Accountability Act (aka the Sunset Bill). In today’s time, it’s called DOGE! The bill’s aim is to establish a method by which the efficiency of state government is regularly reviewed, and the productivity of each agency evaluated.

There are over 130+ bureaucratic outposts in Georgia.  Think about that for a minute and now remember the check you wrote to the government to pay your taxes. This is crucial to ensure state agencies, departments and other entities are held accountable for their service to the public and responsiveness to the needs of the citizens of this state. This isn’t just to phase out unneeded and/or outdated government entities. It is also aimed at finding inefficiencies and duplicities of services provided on behalf of Georgia taxpayers.

What do you suggest to others who want to run for office to make positive change?

First, become an active member of your county and community through church or synagogue, local civic groups and political party – be engaged. You should know who is running for office and what they stand for. Research the candidate(s). What principles and values does he/she stand for? Is the candidate in line with what you believe in? If the person is the incumbent, check out his/her voting record. Attend political forums.

How can citizens, who don’t want to run for office, make a difference in the legislative process?

They need to be engaged in your local and state political party, grassroot organizations – educate yourself, know the issues… As an individual can lobby your legislator. If something is true to your heart, start calling your legislators to state your opinion. And if the situation isn’t resolved, you can take the following action:

• Call your legislator
• Make phone calls
• Write emails
• Submit letters to the editor
• Hand write postcards
• Be active on social media

What message would you like to share with the conservative voters who may be feeling discouraged about the political process?

Whenever I feel discouraged, the quotes below remind me to stay engaged and keep pushing forward. You should be actively involved and not depend on someone else to handle the issue. There are times when I hesitated to speak up but remembering these words motivated me to get involved. Never give up!

“If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”  If not me, then who?

“A decline in courage is the 1^st symptom of the end of a nation” This comes from a 1978 Harvard commencement address by Russian novelist Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. The speech, titled “A World Split Apart,”

“Courage is the root of change” (This quote comes from Bonnie Garmus’s bestselling novel, Lessons in Chemistry). If you want change, you must have the courage to stand up over and over again.

Where do you see Georgia’s future?

I pray for a Georgia that continues to grow and stays rooted in conservative principles: strong families, thriving businesses, safe communities and limited government that serves the people. But I also know that Georgia is no longer safely a red state, it is unfortunately purple, where every election matters.

The future of Georgia will be decided by the determination of the citizens willing to stand up, speak out and stay engaged. If we want Georgia to remain a state where freedom flourishes, we must each do our part to secure it.

How can people get behind what you are doing?

Follow me on Charlicebyrd.org; charlice.byrd@house.ga.gov; FB: Instagram: -Charlice_Byrd; Twitter: @charlice_byrd to see activities I am involved in that you might want to support.

References:

The State Freedom Caucus Network Is Reshaping Legislatures

Home – State Freedom Caucus Network

If you want to get involved with any of the issues that Charlice supports, click HERE