ATLANTA (January 13, 2025) — On Sunday, December 7, Sen. Donzella James (D–Atlanta) hosted a community outreach event to provide blankets, hygiene kits and other essential items to individuals experiencing homelessness throughout the metro Atlanta area. At the event, volunteers, community partners and local leaders came together to connect attendees with resources for food, shelter and health services.
Continue reading “Sen. Donzella James Hosts Community Outreach Event to Distribute Essential Items to People Experiencing Homelessness”Sen. Greg Dolezal Applauds Fulton County Case Dismissal
ATLANTA (December 2, 2025) — Sen. Greg Dolezal (R–Cumming) issued the following statement regarding Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s decision to dismiss the racketeering case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis:
Continue reading “Sen. Greg Dolezal Applauds Fulton County Case Dismissal”Sen. Derek Mallow Issues Statement on the Dispute Between Chatham Area Transit and Chatham County Board of Commissioners
ATLANTA (November 25, 2025) — Today, Sen. Derek Mallow (D–Savannah) released the following statement on the dispute between Chatham Area Transit Authority (CAT) and the Chatham County Board of Commissioners:
Continue reading “Sen. Derek Mallow Issues Statement on the Dispute Between Chatham Area Transit and Chatham County Board of Commissioners”Sen. Randal Mangham to Hold Virtual Town Hall Meeting on Georgia’s Education System
ATLANTA (November 10, 2025) — On November 13, 2025, Sen. Randal Mangham (D–Stone Mountain) will hold a virtual town hall meeting to discuss the impact of the Trump administration on Georgia’s education system. Sen. Freddie Powell Sims (D–Dawson), Rep. Segun Adeyina (D–Grayson), Joseph T. Fleming from the Georgia Association of Educators and Former Georgia State Representative Alisha Thomas Searcy will also serve as panelists.
Continue reading “Sen. Randal Mangham to Hold Virtual Town Hall Meeting on Georgia’s Education System”Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee to Hold Fourth Hearing
ATLANTA (November 7, 2025) — On Wednesday, November 12, the Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee, co-chaired by Sen. Sally Harrell (D–Atlanta) and Sen. Shawn Still (R–Suwanee), will hold its fourth hearing. During the meeting, senators will evaluate the impact of phone-free schools and school AI policy.
EVENT DETAILS:
- Date: November 12, 2025
- Time: 10:00 a.m.
- Where: 450 State Capitol, 206 Washington St SW, Atlanta, GA, 30334
- Open to the Public: The event is open to the public. The committee meeting will be live-streamed on the Senate website here.
ABOUT THE MEETING:
The bipartisan Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee, created through Senate Resolution 431, will evaluate online platforms’ (i.e., social media, gaming, AI, etc.) impact on children. The study committee will also make formal recommendations for state action at its final meeting. The study committee will partner with parents, policy experts, representatives from state agencies and private organizations to determine how online protections may be improved and strengthened to ensure safer online experiences.
The study committee’s first three meetings examined how online platforms can be addictive and harmful to young people, as well as specific state policies that can result in safer online experiences. Senators also further examined the potential dangers related to the use of AI-driven chatbots in online platforms by minors.
Georgia’s “Distraction-Free Education Act” (HB 340), which passed during the 2025 legislative session, bans smartphones for public school students grades kindergarten through eight. Out of respect for these students, attendees and members of the Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee are being asked to voluntarily go without their phones for the duration of the meeting.
You can watch the replay of the study committee’s meetings on the Georgia State Senate YouTube page here.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
We kindly request that members of the media confirm their attendance in advance by contacting SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.
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Sen. Sally Harrell represents the 40th Senate District, which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett County. She may be reached by phone at (404) 463-2260 or by email at Sally.Harrell@senate.ga.gov.
Sen. Shawn Still serves as Majority Caucus Chair. He represents the 48th Senate District, which includes portions of Forsyth, Fulton and Gwinnett counties. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-7127 or by email at Shawn.Still@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.