Posted on

Sen. Chuck Payne Celebrates Final Passage of Literacy Legislation

ATLANTA (April 24, 2026) — Today, Sen. Chuck Payne (R–Dalton) celebrated the final passage of key legislation aimed at strengthening childhood literacy across Georgia. House Bill 1193, also known as the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026, would direct Quality Basic Education funding for school-based literacy coaches to every K-3 public school statewide.

Both the House and the Senate approved the final budget for the 2027 Fiscal Year, which includes $70 million to implement HB 1193’s literacy initiative.

Continue reading “Sen. Chuck Payne Celebrates Final Passage of Literacy Legislation”
Posted on

Legislation to Aid Victims of Investment Scams Becomes Law

ATLANTA (April 24, 2026) — Senate President Pro Tempore Larry Walker (R–Perry) applauds Governor Brian P. Kemp for signing into law Senate Bill 284, sponsored by Walker, to strengthen protections for Georgians targeted by financial fraud.

SB 284 grants the Securities Division within the Secretary of State’s Office additional regulatory authority, ensuring stronger enforcement against bad actors. Prior to the enactment of Walker’s bill, the Division could only issue civil penalties and direct fines to the state treasury. Under this new law, regulators can now require fraudsters to repay victims directly, returning stolen funds to the individuals who were bilked.

“Exploiting hardworking Georgians now comes with additional consequences for the perpetrators under this legislation,” said Sen. Walker. “The safety and security of our residents is always at the forefront of our work in the Georgia Senate, and sadly, we’re seeing increasingly frequent and sophisticated schemes targeting people’s financial assets, especially those of our senior citizens. The victims of these con artists deserve to get their money back, and by empowering the Securities Division to force repayment, we are holding fraudsters accountable and restoring the hard-earned savings of Georgians.”

SB 284 reinforces Georgia’s commitment to a fair, secure and transparent securities marketplace, ensuring that the financial risk inherent with investments is matched with strong consumer protections.

You can read more about SB 284 here.

# # # #

Sen. Larry Walker III serves as President Pro Tempore of the Georgia Senate. He represents the 20thSenate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Pulaski, Treutlen and Wilcox counties, as well as a portion of Houston County.  He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-0095 or by email at Larry.Walker@senate.ga.gov.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov

Posted on

Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte Applauds Funding for Dallas Public Library

ATLANTA (April 17, 2026) — Today, Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte (R–Dallas) praised the $3 million allocation in the Georgia General Assembly’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget for the renovation of the Dallas Public Library. This investment will expand access to educational resources, technology and community spaces for Paulding County residents through the West Georgia Regional Library System.

“Paulding County is one of the fastest-growing counties in our state, and this investment ensures our infrastructure keeps pace with that growth,” said Leader Anavitarte. “We were proud to lead the effort, alongside Representative Martin Momtahan and my fellow Paulding delegation members, to secure this important project for our community. The Dallas Public Library will be a major asset for students and families, strengthening literacy and supporting education across Paulding County for years to come.”

While the Senate’s version of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget included $3 million towards the project to match local funds of over $1.6 million for the project in collaboration with Paulding County government. The funding will be utilized for the first major renovation of the library since it was originally built in 1978- since then the population of Paulding County has increased over 650%. The budget now awaits the Governor’s signature to become law.

The conference committee version of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, which outlines the final agreements between the House and Senate on key spending priorities, may be read here.

# # # #

Sen. Jason Anavitarte serves as Senate Majority Leader. He represents the 31st Senate District, which includes Polk County and a portion of Paulding County. He may be reached via email at Jason.Anavitarte@senate.ga.gov.

For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.