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Capitol Recap: Week Three

By: Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry)

On Monday, January 23, 2023 the Senate reconvened for week three of the 2023 Legislative Session. After budget proposals were presented last week by the heads of Georgia’s state agencies, the Senate returned to its routine. New bills were introduced and assigned to the appropriate standing committee, and several standing committees met for the first time this session to adopt their committee rules for the biennium. After Monday’s adjournment, we held a Senate Republican Caucus meeting, where I was elected to serve as Senate Majority Caucus Secretary. I am honored to follow former Sen. Dean Burke in this caucus leadership role.

On Wednesday, the General Assembly had the pleasure of hearing from Governor Brian Kemp as he delivered his annual State of the State Address from the House Chamber. Each year, the Governor addresses the members of the General Assembly to outline his legislative and budgetary priorities for the legislative session. The past few years have not come without their set of unique challenges due to the state-wide economic impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, despite those trying times, under Governor Kemp’s leadership, Georgia continues to remain a force to be reckoned with economically. Below I have outlined a few highlights from the Governor’s address:

The education system and the teacher workforce in Georgia remains a constant priority for Governor Kemp and the General Assembly. The Governor’s proposed budget recommends providing an additional $1.9 billion in funds to fully fund the Quality Basic Education formula, a formula that accounts for a large percentage of the state’s budget. You may remember that when Governor Kemp first ran for office, he made a promise to raise teacher pay by $5,000. Last year, that pledge was fulfilled. This year, Governor Kemp intends to go further by requesting an appropriation for an additional $2,000 teacher and state employee cost of living increase. If we are going to continue to prosper as a state, we must have an educated workforce and a well-run state government.  Recruiting and retaining talented teachers is essential to the preparation of our children for a productive future, and their pay should reflect their importance. Without dedicated teachers, our children will miss out on the education they deserve and the life changing opportunities an education provides. We also must attract and retain quality state employees in order to deliver high level of service from state offices that our citizens deserve. Therefore, I support these pay raises.

With regards to our healthcare system, the Governor made a strong point in his address to shed light on the lack of healthcare resources and facilities in rural parts of the state. Currently, there are 67 counties in Georgia with less than 10 physicians in the area. The need for more healthcare professionals is unprecedented. Because of this, Governor Kemp is proposing a $4.5 million increase to fund loan repayment programs to grow the number of healthcare workers in our state. In addition, the Governor is calling for 102 residency slots through an additional investment of $1.7 million, increasing the initial goal of this program. I am fully supportive of these proposals made by Governor Kemp. The need to provide adequate healthcare resources to Georgians should be a top priority and I intend to do all that is necessary to ensure my constituents are receiving the best care. 

Perhaps the most significant event of this week for me occurred on Thursday, when the Senate Majority Caucus held a press conference at the State Capitol to roll out our legislative priorities for the 2023 legislative session. Lt. Governor Burt Jones, President Pro Tempore Sen John F. Kennedy (R – Macon), Senate Majority Leader Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega), and my fellow caucus colleagues gathered to unveil our plans to continue to improve the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians.

During the press conference, the Senate Majority Caucus highlighted four main themes we intend to prioritize. These areas include bolstering opportunity and innovation in Georgia’s economy, cultivating an educated workforce, creating safer communities, and supporting the health and well-being of families and at-risk youth.  Through an in-depth analysis of Georgia’s approximately 200 special tax credit and tax deduction allowances, currently on the books, we want to eliminate those not proven beneficial. This will allow us to provide broader income tax relief to ease the financial burden on all hardworking Georgians. Improving literacy rates across the state will benefit our workforce and ensure success for generations to come. Tightening bonding requirements for violent offenders will make our communities safer, and efforts to expand telehealth services for rural and underserved communities will improve healthcare access and outcomes across Georgia. The Senate Majority Caucus is unified in our determination to advance carefully crafted legislation this session to move Georgia forward in each of the four areas we’ve identified. We’ve heard from you, our constituents, and know that these are issues of utmost importance to you and your community, and we are committed to delivering smart public policy that will make for a more prosperous, better educated, safer and healthier Georgia.

While bills related to Senate Majority Caucus priorities have yet to be introduced, we have been working for some time on the policy concepts and draft legislation. I expect some of these bills to be dropped in the Senate Hopper next week, and I look forward to working with bill sponsors to perfect and advance the priority legislation and as it moves through the various committees. Next week, we will reconvene in the Senate Chamber Monday through Thursday for legislative days 9-12, and our committee work will really get cranking. If you have any questions or concerns related to any potential legislation that may come up this year, please do not hesitate to contact my office. I am here to serve you.

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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Secretary of the Senate Majority Caucus. He also serves as Chairman of the Insurance and Labor Committee.  He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Laurens, Pulaski, Treutlen and Wilcox counties.  He may be reached by phone at 404.656.0095 or by email at larry.walker@senate.ga.gov.   

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Senator Blake Tillery Encourages Students to Apply for the Senate Page Program

ATLANTA (January 27, 2023) | Sen. Blake Tillery (R – Vidalia) is calling for students age 12 and older to apply for the Senate Page Program for the 2023 Legislative Session. The Senate Page Program offers an opportunity for students to visit the State Capitol to observe and participate in the legislative process. Senate pages serve the Senators by delivering important information and message to them in the Senate Chamber during the legislative session day.

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Capitol Recap: Budget Week

By: Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry)

We traditionally set aside the week following the convening of session for Joint House and Senate Appropriations Committee meetings, where we begin the process of evaluating the budget and dive into the Governor’s recommendations for adjustments to the current budget and setting the next fiscal year budget. As you may know, the only action required of the Georgia General Assembly stipulated in the state constitution is that we pass a balanced budget each year, and I do not take this responsibility lightly.  The budget reflects our priorities as a state, and it is imperative we thoroughly and thoughtfully allocate funding in a manner that best serves the needs of all Georgians. Georgia is a large and growing state with a complex budget, and there is simply no way to cover everything that I would like to cover here.  Therefore, I will focus this week’s column on some of the highlights of the proposed Amended FY 2023 and FY 2024 budgets that have generated the most interest.

In the Amended FY 2023 budget, the Governor recommends $100 million of our revenue surplus be returned to all Georgians that paid individual state income tax in 2022. If passed, individual filers will receive up to a $250 tax refund and joint filers will receive as much as a $500. All state revenue comes from you, the taxpayer.  So, it is very appropriate that we return surplus funds to the taxpayer rather than growing government even more.

As has been widely reported, the Governor’s FY 2024 budget includes an across the board pay raise for state employees and educators, providing a $2,000 cost of living adjustment. I strongly support this and believe that our dedicated teachers and state employees have earned and deserve this COLA.

Each year, education in Georgia accounts for over 50% of the state’s budget. This year is no different. We must continue to invest in our education system at both the K-12 and higher education levels. Last year, a large portion of funds were appropriated to fund the K-12’s QBE formula. This year, an additional $745 million is recommended in the Amended FY 2023 and more than $1.1 billion in FY 2024 for K-12 education, fully funding the Quality Basic Education formula. It is imperative that we continue to build a workforce our growing state needs and that can only be achieved through providing our young Georgians with the highest level of education that will lead to fulfilling employment.

Healthcare in Georgia continues to remain a top priority. More specifically, we know that healthcare remains a significant cost for many Georgia families. With that being said, I am pleased to see the FY 2024 budget recommends including $52 million to implement the Georgia Pathways Coverage program which was established pursuant to the Patients First Act, legislation passed in 2019. The Georgia Pathways Coverage Program will increase access to adequate health insurance statewide and give Georgia families who struggle to find coverage through their workplace a better opportunity to provide care for their families. When the Patients First Act was signed in 2019, Georgia only had four carriers offering plans in the individual market. Today, we have seen an astonishing 250% increase with 10 carriers offering plans for 2023.

Agriculture is Georgia’s number one industry, providing jobs, goods and infrastructure, boosting our economy despite the record high inflation we have experienced in recent years. I am pleased to see that Governor Kemps FY 2024 budget proposal includes recommending funds be allocated to the Georgia Agricultural Trust Fund which is generated through agricultural tax exemptions to provide funding for the maintenance and operations of state farmers’ markets and marketing to promote the production of Georgia’s agricultural products. In addition, the Governor recommends providing funds to the Department of Transportation to replace lost motor fuel tax revenue resulting from the temporary suspension of this tax in order to help Georgians cope with exorbitant fuel costs.

While this is just a small fraction of what is recommended for the completion of this fiscal year and the upcoming fiscal year, I am pleased with the progress we have made thus far and look forward to getting these budgets vetted and passed through the General Assembly and signed by the Governor.

Next week, we will reconvene in the Senate Chamber Monday through Thursday for legislative days 5-8. We also plan to get back to work in our committees to assess legislation brought before us. If you have any questions or concerns related to the budget or any potential legislation that may come up this year, please do not hesitate to contact my office. I am here to serve you.

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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Chairman of the Insurance and Labor Committee.  He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Laurens, Pulaski, Treutlen and Wilcox counties.  He may be reached by phone at 404.656.0095 or by email at larry.walker@senate.ga.gov.   

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An Update From the Gold Dome: Weeks One & Two

By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega)

On Monday, January 9, 2023, the Georgia General Assembly officially gaveled in to kick off the 2023 Legislative Session.  The Georgia Constitution requires that the Georgia General Assembly convene on the second Monday in January and is limited to a term made up of 40 non-consecutive legislative days. The first week of session typically encompasses ceremonial motions as a number of new leaders were sworn into office including Lt. Governor Burt Jones, President Pro Tempore Sen. John F. Kennedy (R – Macon) and 10 incoming freshman Senators. I am pleased to announce that I will be serving as Majority Leader for the Senate Majority Caucus for the 2023 Legislative Session.  I am honored that my Republican colleagues in the Senate have chosen me to serve in this role and look forward to supporting a strong conservative policy agenda for all Georgians.  I anticipate that the 2023 Legislative Session will be a historic one with new leaders and new faces in the Senate Chamber and I look forward to this great opportunity to forge new partnerships and build on the work of our predecessors to continue to grow our state.

Last week, the official Inauguration of Georgia’s 83rd Governor, Brian P. Kemp and our state’s Constitutional Officers took place at Georgia State University.

Kicking off this legislative session, I am proud to be a sponsor of Senate Bill 1 which will prohibit the requirement for proof of COVID-19 vaccination status for employment by state government agencies.  Also prohibited by SB1 are the mask mandates that have been forced on our children by school boards and administrators.  It is fitting that this is our first bill of a session we are entering with the strong intent to restore the freedoms of Georgians.  I am also a sponsor of Senate Bill 3 which orders state agencies to regularly assess degree requirements for state employment and reduce the number of positions which require a four year college degree as a condition of employment. In this era of record low unemployment rates, we look to strengthen the ability for government to cut red tape and ensure employment opportunities for job-seeking Georgians.

This past week, much of the General Assembly’s time was devoted to Joint Hearings of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees. “Budget Week,” as we call it, is a time for the heads of Georgia’s state agencies and departments to present their budget requests to the General Assembly for review. These hearings are often long, but are critical in ensuring that your taxpayer dollars are spent as responsibly as possible. Here are some of the highlights from the past week’s hearings.

In the Amended FY 2023 budget, the Governor recommended a regulated surplus of $100 million be used for income tax reductions for all taxpayers for the 2022 tax year. If passed, a $250 tax cut would be issued for individuals filing jointly and a $500 tax cut for joint filers. I strongly support this item. The government does not spend its own money, it spends your money so to return those dollars back to the taxpayer is of utmost importance. In the FY2024 budget, the Governor recommends a $2,000 cost of living adjustment for state employees and teachers across Georgia.  

This week, we will reconvene in the Senate Chamber Monday through Thursday for legislative days 5-8. We also plan to get back to work in our committees to assess legislation brought before us. If you have any questions or concerns related to the budget or any potential legislation that may come up this year, please do not hesitate to contact my office. I am here to serve you.

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Sen. Steve Gooch serves as Majority Leader of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents the 51st Senate District which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Union and Pickens Counties and a portion of White County.  He may be reached at 404.656.7872 or via email at steve.gooch@senate.ga.gov