Weeks five and six have wrapped up here in the Capitol, and they were our busiest weeks yet. Senators continued to meet for numerous committee meetings and passed legislation crucial to the wellbeing of Georgians.

Of significant note this past week was the unanimous passage of the Amended Fiscal Year 2021 (AFY21) budget. As a member of the Education and Youth Committee and Secretary of Health and Human Services Committee, I was proud to see a balanced budget passed which prioritizes education and public health. The budget includes $9.6 billion dedicated to K-12 education, including $40 million to purchase 520 school buses. Also included is a $1,000 bonus to our teachers, who have faced innumerable challenges since the start of this pandemic. I am confident the passage of this budget will allow our education system to make several necessary improvements and enhance our children’s education in this state. Additionally, the AFY21 budget adds $41 million to public health, with portions of this funding being put toward epidemiology and additional positions within the Department of Public Health. 

The Science and Technology Committee, of which I am Chairman, met last week and passed two bills to the Senate floor. Senate Bill 53 would provide the Georgia Technology Authority the power to establish standards for state agencies’ website design, navigation and accessibility, ensuring every Georgian has access to the information on our state websites. Additionally, Senate Bill 52 was passed by the Senate, which would incentivize and encourage a covered entity to maintain a cybersecurity program to protect themselves against a data breach. After spending much of my career focused on using technology to enhance business, it is imperative that we continually find innovative ways to protect these businesses.

Next week, the Senate will convene for five legislative days. As always, I am proud to serve as your senator, and I thank you for your continued trust in me. If you have any questions or concerns about legislation, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.  

As our fourth week under the Gold Dome draws to a close, I am optimistic about the great legislation that lie ahead. Last week, committee meetings began here at the Capitol and are already off to a busy start, as we are eager to start introducing legislation that will help Georgia be the best it can be.  

Last week, the Senate Education and Youth Committee, which I serve as a member, heard a presentation from the State School Superintendent Richard Woods on the impact that COVID-19 has played on the education system, particularly, as schools have had to adjust to a virtual learning setting. While we won’t have exact data on the impact of the pandemic on education until the end of this year, we do know it will be substantial. With that said, the Senate Education and Youth Committee will dedicate much of its time to looking into legislation that will strengthen our education system, get educators and students the resources they need, as well as focus on teacher retention and recruitment. I was pleased to hear that Gov. Brian Kemp announced a “Teacher Pipeline” legislative package for the 2021 legislative session. This package includes a proposed $647 million in funding to restore to schools across Georgia.  

Next week a term limit bill I sponsored will be heard in the Government Oversight Committee. This is the first time in years we have had a hearing about term limits in Georgia, and I am preparing to advocate for this important topic. As well, a lot of the election reform legislation I have been working on is coming to the forefront. We are going to ensure that we do everything we can to improve the election process before 2022.  

Additionally, the Senate Science and Technology Committee will meet for the first time next week. This is my first year chairing a committee, and I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to lend my expertise as chairman. My professional life has been largely focused on finding ways through the use of technology to enhance businesses. More than 14,300 technology companies are located in Georgia, and Georgia Institution of Technology consistently ranks as a top ten research institution in the nation. With that, our committee plays a big role in ensuring these institutions and others have the tools they need to be successful. This includes focusing on topics such as digital and electronic technology in schools, data security and privacy, cyber security, as well as space technology and drone usage.  

We will continue to take up more important legislation in committee meetings and session throughout this next week. As we do this, please know that Forsyth County is on the forefront of my mind. If you have any questions or concerns about legislation, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office. It is an honor to represent you and the 27th   Senate District, and I thank you for your continued trust in me.

Last week, the 156th General Assembly convened for its first legislative session. I am excited to be back under the Gold Dome fighting for a better Georgia. Although things look different than they did at the start of last session and a myriad of unknowns lie ahead, I have full confidence that my fellow members and I will work together to make Georgia the best state it can be.

During the first week of the legislative session, I received my committee assignments. I am pleased to say that I will continue to serve as a member of the Education and Youth, Government Oversight, and Reapportionment and Redistricting Committees. I am also honored to have been selected to serve as the Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee, as well as Secretary of the Health and Human Services Committee Within these committees, I will continue to fight for conservative principles. I will be unwavering in the promises I made to my fellow Georgians to defend their constitutional rights, develop the economy, protect students and fight for religious liberty.

During his State of the State address last week, Gov. Brian Kemp made clear that one of his priorities is providing additional funding to schools in Georgia. Our education system has experienced its fair share of hardships during this pandemic, and it needs help getting back on its feet to ensure students are receiving the education they deserve and educators are receiving the resources they need. I have vowed to protect and fund Forsyth County schools, so I stand by Gov. Kemp in his goal to provide more funding to our education system. Other priorities include taking care of rural Georgia through funding to create a broadband infrastructure grant program,  continuing the fight to eradicate human trafficking in Georgia, and perhaps most importantly, election reform. I am excited to see what this body of legislators will accomplish together this session.

This week, we had what we call “Budget Week” here at the Capitol. During “Budget Week,” agency heads made presentations on the status of their departments and budgetary needs. For example, the Georgia Department of Education made it known this week that one of its priorities is addressing the mental health of students during this pandemic. They have requested funding to be put toward counselors, social workers and nurses in schools. I am an advocate of this, as this pandemic has not only negatively affected physical health, but mental health as well. Our students need to be taken care of at the most basic level so they can then focus on their education. Other state departments that made presentations this week include the Department of Public Health, Department of Agriculture, Department of Corrections and more. I am glad to be in a position to help provide the necessary funds to these departments so they can address the issues of most critical need.

It is a pleasure to once again serve and represent the 27th District. Next week, we will be back in session for days five through nine. Please feel free to contact my office if you have any concerns you would like to talk through or any issues you would like to bring to the table. Your support means the world to me, thank you.

While it seemed everyone in Forsyth County was somewhere else (hopefully warm) last week, the General Assembly completed Day 40 of this legislative session and adjourned for the year. I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break and is ready for the final push before the glorious days of summer arrive.

The last few days were exactly what I heard they would be: fast paced, lots of reading, lots of negotiating, and in the end, lots of voting. I had a blast! My family was also able to visit the Chamber and it was the perfect reminder in the midst of the long days why we are doing this; we must preserve liberty and opportunity for the next generation.

Looking back over this first session, I am still not over the incredible honor it is to represent our wonderful community at the Gold Dome. I have heard from thousands of constituents this session, and I do not take lightly the opportunity and responsibility it is to serve.

We now only have five Legislative Days remaining and one full week of the session left. Our days have been filled with long debates in committee and on the Senate floor to ensure that every piece of legislation that leaves our chamber is beneficial to Georgians in every corner of the state.  

 

On Friday, we passed not only the most significant bill of this session, but also perhaps one of the most impactful bills the Senate has ever considered. House Bill 481, also known as the “heartbeat bill,” would prohibit abortions taking place once a fetal heartbeat is detected. After many hours of vetting in the House and in committee, the Senate devoted close to five hours of debate to this issue in the chamber. We heard heartfelt and passionate testimony on both sides of the issue, but ultimately life won. As elected officials, we were sent here to represent   all Georgians and part of that is looking out for those who can’t speak up for themselves. I am proud to stand with my fellow senators who cast a “yes” vote to ensure that every single life has the ability to reach its full potential.  

 

There are obviously people who fall on both sides of the abortion issue, and likely no issue on which so many people disagree. Women disagree, men disagree, doctors disagree, lawyers disagree, pastors disagree, etc. One thing I have tried to remain committed to is showing respect for all people in the midst of agreement and disagreement.   I have many friends who I respect who fall on the other side of this issue, and I know they feel just as convicted in their thoughts and feelings as I do mine.    While we may agree or disagree on this issue, know I am committed to working together on many issues in the future.

 

I am also happy to announce that Education Savings Account (ESA) language has been added to House Bill 68 in the Senate Education and Youth Committee. This part of the bill incorporated some language from Senate Bill 173, which I sponsored earlier this session, and would allow parents to apply to set up an educational savings account to provide greater flexibility in how their children receive their education. Every child deserves a quality education, but not every child learns the same way. While public school works well for the vast majority of Georgia’s students, this bill would give parents additional options when trying to educate their child in the way they feel is best.    This language incorporates a number of significant changes from SB173 based on feedback from a number of stakeholders.

Those changes include: reduction of the program by 50% along with a per school system cap of 2.5% of students, funds can no longer be used for post-secondary education, the program is frozen any year QBE (public school funding formula) is not fully funded, exclusion of all students other than those in the priority categories of special needs, foster children, military children, bullied children, and families up to 150% of the poverty line (down from 200%). I am grateful for the feedback we have received and those who have worked to shape the current language.  

 

Finally, I wanted to give you an update on potential upcoming votes on cannabis oil and hemp. As many of you know, I have a financial interest in a nutraceutical manufacturing company in our district. It has been an honor working with our team as they have built the company from scratch to now employing dozens of people in our community. Our company has been approached by customers about opportunities should the hemp or cannabis oil law pass. As such, I have been advised by our legal counsel to recuse on this vote, and I will be taking their advice. I committed to be fully transparent as your Senator, and I never want a potential financial interest to influence my vote, nor will I ever vote on something without disclosing a financial interest should one exist. I know I have to work every day to earn the trust of the voters, so I wanted to let you know about this investment and subsequent recusal as soon as I was able to discuss it with our legal counsel.

 

I am so proud of the work that we have done so far, we have heard and passed over fifteen bills this week alone, but we have much more to do in the coming days. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the legislation I have discussed above, or any legislation we have yet to hear, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office. It is an honor to serve Cumming and the 27thSenate District, thank you for your trust in me.

With Crossover Day behind us, our sights are firmly set on examining House Bills for the remainder of the legislative session. This week represented our longest days in Chamber so far and we took up a total of 68 bills and resolutions.  

 On Wednesday, the Senate only took up one bill. However, this bill resulted in a lengthy debate in the Senate chamber over how our state will process elections starting as early as the fall of this year. House Bill 316 would make a number of changes to how you currently vote in Georgia. Currently, we use touch screen monitors to make our selections and cast our ballots. Under this bill, we would still use a touch screen to make our selections, but a paper ballot would be printed out upon completion in order for the voter to confirm their selections were correct. Then, that ballot is fed into an optical scanner than will officially cast your vote. This system ensures that the actual ballot that is cast reflects whom you intended to vote for. This new voting method also has many strengths over a proposed fully paper ballot system, such as ease of voting for disabled and elderly individuals, elimination of the potential for irregularities to stray marks and easier and more cost-efficient recounts, should they be needed. This bill has successfully passed both chambers and has been sent to the governor for final approval. 

Perhaps the biggest piece of legislation that will be considered all session received its first hearing in the Senate Science and Technology Committee on which I serve as Vice Chair. HB 481, also known as the “heartbeat bill”, would prohibit most abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected. The committee met for nearly four hours and heard passionate testimony from parents who faced difficult decisions upon discovering they were pregnant, as well as children who faced uncertain viability in the womb, but went on to live extraordinary lives. The paramount right to life of all people must always be protected and this bill strikes a balance between ensuring the safety and comfort of the mother, while also looking after the welfare of the unborn child. While no vote was taken this week, I am hopeful we can pass this legislation quickly to protect Georgia’s unborn.  

 This week, I also filed a resolution to establish term limits for the office of the Lt. Governor. Under current law, Georgia’s Lt. Governor can serve an unlimited amount of four-year terms, while our governor is limited to two four-year terms. This resolution represents a constitutional amendment, which requires not only a two-thirds majority vote in both he Senate and the House to pass, but also a constitutional referendum which must be approved by the voters of Georgia. This resolution has the full support of our current Lt. Governor, Forsyth resident Geoff Duncan, representing a refreshing example of servant leadership. 

 If you have any questions about the bills we have already passed, or bills that will come across my desk in the coming weeks, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office—our door is always open. It is a pleasure to serve the 27thSenate District, thank you for your trust in me. 

With Crossover Day behind us, our sights are firmly set on examining House Bills for the remainder of the legislative session. This week represented our longest days in Chamber so far and we took up a total of 68 bills and resolutions.  

 One important bill the Senate passed would level the playing field for home schooled athletes wishing to participate in public school athletics. Senate Bill 163, also known as the “Tim Tebow Act”, would allow students who are home schooled to participate in extracurricular and interscholastic activities in the designated public school system of the student. We have so many amazing and talented athletes who are educated through homeschool programs and miss out on the important social and physical benefits that participating in athletics provides. Important skills such as leadership and teamwork can be learned through sports and I am glad that the Senate is offering our home schooled students the opportunity to become the next Tim Tebow. 

We also took up another important education bill that provides a real world application for what our children learn in the classroom. Senate Bill 219 would require high school students and those who wish to earn a G.E.D. to pass the U.S. Citizenship Civics Test. This is the same test that those who wish to become citizens of the United States must pass. A similar law has been passed in Indiana and other Republican-led states that simply asks our students to apply the education they have received in the classroom in a practical, real-world exercise. This will be a useful addition to our state’s civics curriculum and look forward to its implementation.  

The Senate also took up and passed a measure that would provide a pipeline of skilled computer science professionals from the classroom to the boardroom. SB 108 would require that all public high schools in Georgia offer a course in computer science by the 2024-2025 school year. Technology is a fast growing industry and one that Georgia has already emerged as a leader. As a professional in the technology industry and as the owner of a tech company, I commend the Senate for recognizing the value in a program like this that allows students to get hands on experience in coding, cyber security and other aspects of computer science from an early age.  

During my short time at the Capitol, I have already witnessed a shocking amount of legislation that has not been properly vetted by state auditors or financial experts who can speak to the true financial impact a particular piece of legislation would have on our state. Senate Bill 119 addresses this issue and would require that an economic analysis be conducted on each bill related to taxation prior to its passage. This measure will help ensure that our state is remaining a careful steward of your tax dollars and does not spend our state funds without knowing precisely what the financial impact will be.

 If you have any questions about the bills we have already passed, or bills that will come across my desk in the coming weeks, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office—our door is always open. It is a pleasure to serve the 27thSenate District, thank you for your trust in me. 

 As our seventh week under the Gold Dome draws to a close, I am encouraged by the work we have accomplished so far. Committees are meeting regularly and vetting proposed legislation to ensure that only the best bills are heard by the entire body. On the Senate floor, we are hearing these bills and debating them further to ensure that nothing is passed through our chamber without the thorough analysis and debate that all of Georgia’s laws deserve.

 On Thursday, I was able to present my first bill before a committee. Senate Bill 173, presented before the Senate Finance Committee, would create educational savings accounts (ESAs) that give parents the power to use their state education dollars for a variety of educational purposes. Specifically, this bill would allow parents to apply to participate in the ESA program and use the state funds that would have been allocated for their child in public school for private school, home school or a number of other educational opportunities. During the first year of the program, participation would be limited to half of one-percent of the state-wide public school population, but would grow in future years. The intent behind this legislation is to allow parents to pursue targeted, individualized education for their child. We know that public school is great for many of Georgia’s children. However, this bill gives flexibility to parents so that all our students can find educational success. I am hopeful this bill will reach the Senate floor for a vote before our Crossover Day deadline.  

 Also this week, the Senate passed Senate Bill 15, the “Keeping Georgia’s Schools Safe Act.” This bill would improve the two key factors related to tragic school safety breaches: lack of preparation and lack of communication. SB 15 would require public schools to conduct threat assessments and would foster improved communications between schools, the Georgia Department of Education, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center. This bill also requires the use of a statewide mobile application to report potential threats. 

 We also passed a comprehensive update on how our state tackles the issue of human trafficking in Senate Bill 158, or the “Anti-Human Trafficking Protective Response Act.” The ultimate goal of this legislation is identify victims or potential victims of human trafficking more quickly, increase the punishments for those who have been found guilty of human trafficking and make it easier for victims to find the justice they deserve. Our state has done a great job addressing human trafficking in our state and this bill is more evidence that our state is leading the charge against it. 

Next Thursday is Crossover Day. This is the deadline for all Senate Bills to pass the Senate and “crossover” to the House for consideration. This means that the amount of bills we will be hearing in committee and in chamber will increase drastically next week. If you have any questions about the bills we have already passed, or bills that will come across my desk in the coming weeks, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office—our door is always open. It is a pleasure to serve the 27thSenate District, thank you for your trust in me.  

Six weeks have passed here at the Capitol and we are officially half way through our legislative session. Of the 12 bills we passed this week, I want to take an opportunity to highlight I few that I believe will have the greatest impact in our district and our state.  

 

Wednesday, the Senate passed SB 48 which changes how our state would approach educating children with dyslexia. Essentially, SB 48 would instruct the State Board of Education to develop policies that address dyslexia screening for all kindergarten students, referrals for students with identified dyslexia characteristics in grades one to three, as well as screening for those who did not attend kindergarten or were not screened in kindergarten. Additionally, this bill would call for the development and implementation of a dyslexia certification for teachers in order to receive specialized training for educating dyslexic students. In the Education and Youth Committee, where I serve as a member, we heard passionate testimony for this bill from parents, educators and even a few dyslexic students who spoke to the challenges of learning with dyslexia and how this bill could help improve their educational opportunities.  

Thursday, the Senate took up the Amended Fiscal Year 2019 budget. The purpose of this budget is to “true up” any discrepancies between what was originally allocated for the 2019 fiscal year during last year’s session and what is actually projected to be required for the remainder of the 2019 fiscal year. This is an important milestone for the Senate because it signifies the completion of part of our constitutional mandate: passing a balanced budget. In the coming weeks, we will take up the General 2020 Fiscal Year budget and I will keep you updated on any items that will have a particular impact on District 27.  

 

In addition to our legislative duties here at the Capitol, Senators often get the opportunity to invite outstanding members of their communities to honor in the chamber. This week, I welcomed Deputy First Class Rod Reeves from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Reeves was struck at full speed by a drunk driver while parked in his patrol car on GA 400 in 2017. After 14 months of surgery and physical therapy, Deputy Reeves has returned to full duty. This week, I was able to personally commend Deputy Reeves for his incredible commitment to Forsyth County and the sacrifices that he has made while in the line of duty. To Deputy Reeves and all law enforcement in Georgia, I extend my sincerest gratitude for your dedication to public safety.  

 

As the legislative session progresses over the next 20 days, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions or concerns. It is an honor to represent the 27th Senate District and I thank you for your trust in me.