ATLANTA -- State Republican legislators, holding a caucus meeting at Georgia Tech Friday morning, voted in secret ballot to remove and exclude the press from the meeting.
The meeting was called to discuss the naming of a new House speaker behind Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter's announcement that he would not serve as speaker when the General Assembly convenes in January.
Notably absent from the meeting, outgoing House Speaker Glenn Richardson and Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter.
When asked about the decision to kick the media out of the meeting, Gov. Sonny Perdue, who was in attendance, said, "I don't invite the media into my home when I'm having a private family discussion."
Though Perdue is not a member of the Republican House Caucus or involved in setting the rules, he was present at the meeting and was asked by 11Alive's Jaye Watson about the Caucus' decision.
The meeting is set to run into the afternoon.
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