Of 34 Republican state senators in 2009, about 60 percent — 20 — have left the chamber (and at least three more are leaving at the end of this year). About two-thirds of those are back involved in state government, according to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis.
Some have been appointed to high-paying jobs by Deal, some have been appointed to boards, some have run for and won other posts in government, and some are or will be shortly lobbying the same senators they once called colleagues.
Goggans is a dentist who was a member of the Senate leadership team and active in health care issues before retiring in 2012. Board memberships are unpaid positions.
Recently, the University System hired state Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, to a newly created $165,000 a year administrative job. Also recently, former Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers was fired from his $150,000 a year job with Georgia Public Broadcasting, a hiring that brought Deal political grief when it was announced in late 2012.
