House Speaker Pro-Tem Jan Jones (R-Milton) is the Joan of Arc of re-creating Milton County.

Hopefully, she'll end up with a better end game than the famous French national heroine did.

The resolute Jones is determined to make sure of that. And she's pulling out all the stops to get the 125 votes she needs in the House next week to insure her constitutional amendment — HR21 —gets to the senate.

Jones, speaking before a record crowd at the annual Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce Expo breakfast in Alpharetta on Friday, said she is a handful of votes short of the two-thirds majority she needs — as of today. “We have been working the other side of the aisle, and we have picked up considerable Democrat house support,” Jones said. “We've closed the gap considerably in the last several days.” Earlier this week Jones stated, “Good governance and economic efficiency is non-partisan and slices through party affiliation.” She says Fulton County cannot be fixed. “The only way to fix it is to eliminate it,” Jones argued. The North Fulton legislator maintains that the resolution is good for all Georgians. “It [HR21] is gaining momentum as more House members review the facts behind it,” she claimed. Jones says she needs about 20 Democrat votes to get it over the top.

Rep. Kevin Levitas, a Tucker Democrat, validated that Jones' had gained momentum in his Party, but stopped short of forecasting a Milton victory. Levitas, who said he plans to vote for HR -21 “because it's the right plan for Fulton residents,” predicted his Democrat Caucus would come out against the resolution. “I'm not bucking my Party leadership,” Levitas claimed. “I just vote my conscious. That's why I'm here.”

REPUBLICAN BAILOUTS

Jones' Milton county supporters got thrown for a loop last week when her Majority Whip, Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Buckhead) came out against the resolution and tacked on an amendment at the last minute to stall it from getting out of an obscure house committee. His Kamikaze bid failed, 9-7, but his opposition forewarned trouble ahead.

Several veteran North Fulton legislators vented their frustration with Lindsey's stealth bombshell, saying that he ambushed his Speaker Pro-Tem, while demonstrating a lack of respect that ultimately underpins her leadership. Usual protocol for Party caucus leaders who disagree on a bill is to give each other a heads up. Lindsey neglected to do that.

GOV. CANDIDATES GET INVOLVED

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton), a candidate for governor, has waffled on the amendment of late, saying he needs to see more financial evidence. Jones has reportedly attempted to get him back in the Milton fold. But Scott said Friday he has not made a final decision.

On the contrary, Republican gubernatorial frontrunner, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, lauded the benefits of the HR-21, and reiterated his support. “Certainly key details have to be worked out,” the commissioner said, “but fundamentally this initiative is sound policy and speaks to good governance.” Oxendine called the Fulton County government a dismal failure. “The re-creation of Milton county brings citizens closer to their government, eliminates waste and inefficiency and forces financial accountability,” Oxendine claimed. “It's a solid conservative platform.” When questioned about the politics that have usurped the dialogue in Fulton County proper, Oxendine shrugged it off. “What's right is right, and what's wrong is wrong,” he said. “Too many politicians worry about themselves and lose sight of why they were elected in the first place,” he added, suggesting that may be driving the bane discourse of late. “I commend Jan Jones for the way she has handled this,” Oxendine said. “Jan is a model of effective leadership.”

BIG GUN CALLED IN

 Jones countered the Lindsey and potential Scott defection by rolling out her big gun: Rep. Mark Burkhlater (R-Johns Creek). The former House Speaker, who has staked his political career on making the re-creation of Milton County a reality, delayed several business trips to help Jones and her North Fulton legislative team round up votes. Burkhalter, immensely popular in the Gold Dome with deep ties to many Democrat house colleagues, has been working feverishly to gain support for the resolution, sources say. “He's made great progress, as our entire team has,” Jones said. When contacted, Burkhalter predicted victory, although admitting it will be tough. “The facts will carry this resolution,” he said.

DO OR DIE IN RULES

Jones says she is confident the resolution will sail through the Rules committee next week. Once accomplished, the gnostic house leader said the historic floor vote would then get on the docket. But Jones warned that she would not bring the resolution to the floor if she didn't have the votes. “If we are not successful in this session, I will bring it back next year,” Jones vowed. “It's not a matter of ‘if' for Milton County,” she predicted. “Its a matter of when.”

One thing that may be turning the tide for Jones and her supporters is that the opposition may be overplaying the race card. “It's gets to the point of diminishing returns,” one legislator commented. “When you can't carry a debate on principal or logic, you have two choices: revert to race or pit rural vs. metro. Both approaches poison the dialogue.”

Milton County, written off for dead several times already this year by this newspaper, now has a shot to pass the House. I now believe it will. That's because the big guns are pulling out all the stops.