--- title: HR 1531. Representative Mandi L. Ballinger Memorial Interchange; Cherokee County; dedicate collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1531 cite_as: HR 1531, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1531 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1531.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1531/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73800 date: 2026-03-06 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1530.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1532.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 129 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1531.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1531 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-03 last_action: House Second Readers sponsors: - Bill Fincher - Rick Jasperse - Brad Thomas - Jordan Ridley - Mitchell Scoggins - Jan Jones text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1531/2025 upstream_id: 2128613 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - memorial resolution - Cherokee County - transportation naming - Georgia House of Representatives --- # HR 1531. Representative Mandi L. Ballinger Memorial Interchange; Cherokee County; dedicate ## Text House Resolution 1531 By: Representatives Fincher of the 23rd, Jasperse of the 11th, Thomas of the 21st, Ridley of the 22nd, Scoggins of the 14th, and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life of the Honorable Mandi Lia Ballinger and dedicating an interchange in her memory; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the Honorable Mandi Lia Ballinger has long been recognized by the citizens of this state for the vital role that she has played in leadership and her deep personal commitment to the welfare of the citizens of Georgia; and WHEREAS, Representative Ballinger was born on April 14, 1975, and grew up in Forsyth County, Georgia; and WHEREAS, she served as a victim advocate with the district attorney's offices in Cherokee and Forsyth counties before founding and directing the Child Advocacy Center; and WHEREAS, she was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2012, representing the citizens of the 23rd District and was a tireless advocate for justice, children, and survivors of domestic violence and served as chairperson of the House Judiciary Juvenile Committee; and WHEREAS, during her tenure with the General Assembly, Representative Ballinger championed legislation to protect domestic violence survivors, combat child abuse, and reform the juvenile justice system; and WHEREAS, Representative Ballinger was a staunch advocate for the Second Amendment, which was recognized with commendations, including the prestigious Defender of Freedom Award from the National Rifle Association and Legislator of the Year from Georgia Carry; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that this remarkable and distinguished Georgian be recognized appropriately by dedicating an interchange in her memory. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that the interchange of I-575 and State Route 5/Riverstone Parkway in Cherokee County is dedicated as the Representative Mandi L. Ballinger Memorial Interchange. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is authorized and directed to erect and maintain appropriate signs dedicating the Representative Mandi L. Ballinger Memorial Interchange. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the family of the Honorable Mandi Lia Ballinger and the Department of Transportation. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution would name the I-575 and State Route 5/Riverstone Parkway interchange in Cherokee County the Representative Mandi L. Ballinger Memorial Interchange in her honor. ### Plain-language summary This resolution honors the late Representative Mandi Lia Ballinger, who represented Georgia's 23rd House District starting in 2012 and worked on legislation involving domestic violence survivors, child abuse, and juvenile justice reform. The resolution recounts her background as a victim advocate and founder of a Child Advocacy Center before her time in the legislature. The operative part of the resolution dedicates the interchange of I-575 and State Route 5/Riverstone Parkway in Cherokee County as the Representative Mandi L. Ballinger Memorial Interchange. It directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the dedication, and directs the Clerk of the House to send copies of the resolution to her family and to the Department of Transportation. ### What it does - Dedicates the interchange of I-575 and State Route 5/Riverstone Parkway in Cherokee County as the Representative Mandi L. Ballinger Memorial Interchange. - Directs the Georgia Department of Transportation to erect and maintain signs marking the interchange's new name. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to send copies of the resolution to Ballinger's family and the Department of Transportation. ### Who it affects The Georgia Department of Transportation, which must install and maintain signage, and the family of the late Representative Mandi Lia Ballinger, who receive a copy of the resolution. Drivers using the I-575 and State Route 5/Riverstone Parkway interchange in Cherokee County will see the new memorial name on signage. ### Why it matters The resolution creates a lasting public memorial to a former state legislator by permanently renaming a Cherokee County highway interchange in her honor, requiring the state to install and maintain signage reflecting that name. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount Representative Ballinger's biography, career as a victim advocate, and legislative record before her death. - The first resolved clause names the I-575 and State Route 5/Riverstone Parkway interchange in Cherokee County the Representative Mandi L. Ballinger Memorial Interchange. - The second resolved clause authorizes and directs the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain appropriate signs for the dedication. - The final resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to Ballinger's family and the Department of Transportation. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-03-03) - Last action: House Second Readers (2026-03-06) - Sponsors: Bill Fincher, Rick Jasperse, Brad Thomas, Jordan Ridley, Mitchell Scoggins, Jan Jones - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73800 > The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1531.md?full=1