Georgia’s Faith Leaders Honor Champions of New State Law Securing Death Penalty Protections for the Intellectually Disabled
The Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center announces its 2025 Legislator and Advocate of the Year honorees, recognizing the champions behind the Georgia death penalty reform bill enacted this year aimed at ensuring that no person with an intellectual disability is subject to the death penalty in the State of Georgia.
Atlanta, GA, December 11, 2025 --(PR.com)-- The Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center (GIPPC) today announced Georgia Rep. Bill Werkheiser (R-Glennville) and human rights advocate Cathy Harmon-Christian as its 2025 legislative honorees for successfully championing legislation to help ensure that no person with an intellectual disability becomes subject to the death penalty again in the state of Georgia.
GIPPC — a nonpartisan nonprofit organization educating and empowering faith leaders to advocate for the common good by uniting Georgia’s people of faith — named Werkheiser the 2025 Legislator of the Year and Harmon-Christian the 2025 Carole Maddux Advocate of the Year. These awards represent the collective voice of Georgia’s associated faith community, comprised of Baptists, Catholics, Hindus, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Muslims, Jews, Presbyterians, Disciples and civic and lay leaders.
After many years of coalition efforts, Werkheiser and Harmon-Christian worked throughout the 2025 Georgia legislative session to advance House Bill 123, which created a pre-trial process to determine the intellectual disability of a defendant and set a new standard for this determination at "a preponderance of evidence." The bill passed the state legislature almost unanimously and was signed into law on May 13.
“Chairman Werkheiser's leadership building bipartisan support for an issue that protects some of our state's most vulnerable citizens is worth celebrating and should not go unnoticed," said Wesley Myrick, executive director, Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center. “We are incredibly thankful for his commitment to seeing this critical legislation through.”
Werkheiser is chair of the state House Industry and Labor Committee.
Harmon-Christian advocated for HB 123 as, then, executive director of Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. She is now public policy director for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities.
Myrick said, “Cathy’s advocacy efforts are particularly important as they affirm what can be accomplished when an intergenerational, interfaith coalition unites to support the common good. House Bill 123 not only protects a vulnerable population, but it also inspires us all to believe in the power of public policy built on human dignity and universal values to ignite the spirit of cooperation across Georgia.”
The Advocate of the Year award bears the name of GIPPC’s founder and former executive director, the Venerable Carole Maddux, Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. It further reflects the values of love, justice, mercy and hospitality upon which she founded the organization.
About Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center (GIPPC)
The Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center educates and equips faith leaders to advocate for the common good, while serving as the unified voice of Georgia’s Faith Community on issues of consequence. Through its values of love, justice, mercy and hospitality, it acts to advance an advocacy portfolio that includes economic development, healthcare access, attainable housing, criminal justice reform and voter engagement.
For more information about the Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center, visit
https://georgiainterfaithcenter.org.
GIPPC — a nonpartisan nonprofit organization educating and empowering faith leaders to advocate for the common good by uniting Georgia’s people of faith — named Werkheiser the 2025 Legislator of the Year and Harmon-Christian the 2025 Carole Maddux Advocate of the Year. These awards represent the collective voice of Georgia’s associated faith community, comprised of Baptists, Catholics, Hindus, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Muslims, Jews, Presbyterians, Disciples and civic and lay leaders.
After many years of coalition efforts, Werkheiser and Harmon-Christian worked throughout the 2025 Georgia legislative session to advance House Bill 123, which created a pre-trial process to determine the intellectual disability of a defendant and set a new standard for this determination at "a preponderance of evidence." The bill passed the state legislature almost unanimously and was signed into law on May 13.
“Chairman Werkheiser's leadership building bipartisan support for an issue that protects some of our state's most vulnerable citizens is worth celebrating and should not go unnoticed," said Wesley Myrick, executive director, Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center. “We are incredibly thankful for his commitment to seeing this critical legislation through.”
Werkheiser is chair of the state House Industry and Labor Committee.
Harmon-Christian advocated for HB 123 as, then, executive director of Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. She is now public policy director for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities.
Myrick said, “Cathy’s advocacy efforts are particularly important as they affirm what can be accomplished when an intergenerational, interfaith coalition unites to support the common good. House Bill 123 not only protects a vulnerable population, but it also inspires us all to believe in the power of public policy built on human dignity and universal values to ignite the spirit of cooperation across Georgia.”
The Advocate of the Year award bears the name of GIPPC’s founder and former executive director, the Venerable Carole Maddux, Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. It further reflects the values of love, justice, mercy and hospitality upon which she founded the organization.
About Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center (GIPPC)
The Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center educates and equips faith leaders to advocate for the common good, while serving as the unified voice of Georgia’s Faith Community on issues of consequence. Through its values of love, justice, mercy and hospitality, it acts to advance an advocacy portfolio that includes economic development, healthcare access, attainable housing, criminal justice reform and voter engagement.
For more information about the Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center, visit
https://georgiainterfaithcenter.org.
Contact
GIPPC
Saudia Muwwakkil
404-827-8147
https://georgiainterfaithcenter.org/
Saudia Muwwakkil
404-827-8147
https://georgiainterfaithcenter.org/
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