Overview

• House Speaker Jon Burns confirmed Sunday that Ballinger, a Republican from Canton, died following a lengthy fight with cancer.
• Ballinger chaired the House Judiciary Juvenile Committee and served on panels including Appropriations, Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Judiciary Non-Civil, Reapportionment and Redistricting, and Transportation.
• Gov. Brian Kemp praised her as a passionate leader respected across party lines for her work on justice issues.
• Officials lauded her advocacy for children and survivors of domestic violence, noting service on state bodies such as the Georgia Commission on Domestic Violence and the Georgia Child Fatality Review Board.
• She represented Cherokee County and was in her fourth term in the Georgia House; she is survived by her husband, State Court Judge Allen Morris, and their son, Henry.