Rep. Austin Scott to go for guv

I heard this rumor down at the Capitol last week, but brushed it off, having temporarily forgotten the first rule of thumb of the Gold Dome: Lobbyists know the score.

Dick Pettys, however, apparently followed up the tip I ignored and now reports that state Rep. Austin Scott is planning to run for governor.

Who, you may ask, is Austin Scott? Well, the Tifton Republican’s relatively low name recognition is part of what made me dubious of the scuttlebutt. Another factor is his status as something of an outsider to the current GOP power structure.

Otherwise, I’d have to say that Scott is one of the most level-headed, reasonable and conscientious members of the Georgia House – although, considering much of the competition, that may sound like faint praise. (Certainly, you shouldn’t confuse him with Rep. Martin Scott, R-Rossville, who is an evangelical whackadoodle.)

In fact, Austin Scott has managed to pull down a couple of our coveted Arnie Awards for pursuing fairness and moderation in the face of peer pressure – such as when he took the well to argue against a mean-spirited tax on wire transfers targeted at immigrants. And Scott has been one of the very few lawmakers to consistently push for a meaningful expansion of Georgia’s open-records laws, which endears him to journalists.

Now, that said, few of these qualities – with the minor exception of being liked by reporters – is going to be of any help in running for governor. Good luck, Austin – you’ll need it.