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COLUMN: Ginn: Investing in Families, Veterans and the Future of Georgia

By: Sen. Frank Ginn (R–Danielsville)

Georgia is following through on its promise to support hardworking families and our nation’s heroes in its newest budget. I’m proud to highlight two key bills I supported this session, House Bill 68 and House Bill 266, that ensure Georgia’s gratitude isn’t just spoken, but written into law.

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Walker: The FY26 Budget: Georgia Gets the Job Done

By: Sen. Larry Walker, III (R–Perry)

When you hear “state budget,” you might think of bureaucrats in suits arguing over line items in some far-off building. However, we do things differently here in Georgia, and this year’s budget proves it.

On July 1, our Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget officially took effect. It’s an almost $38 billion spending plan that reflects conservative principles: live within your means, invest in what matters and never forget whose money you’re spending. Unlike Washington, where gridlock and runaway spending seem to be the norm, Georgia passed a balanced budget on time, with no drama and no new debt.

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I worked closely with Chairman Blake Tillery and my colleagues to ensure this budget reflects the values of middle Georgia — places like Warner Robins, Dublin, Cochran and Hawkinsville — where folks work hard, stretch a dollar and expect their government to do the same.

Let’s start with education. Whether you have a child in school, a grandchild learning to read or just want to see the next generation succeed, this budget pledges meaningful investments. We fully funded the new Promise Scholarship Program, expanding school choice so more families can find the right fit for their children. That’s a conservative win, empowering parents instead of bureaucracy.

We added $18.4 million to place 116 new literacy coaches in schools and increased funding for student mental health and advocacy specialists. These aren’t abstract policies; they’re life-changing personnel that will support schools across our state.

On the practical side, we’re helping school districts afford safer, more reliable transportation by spending $20 million on new buses and over $10 million to strengthen routes and operations. This support makes a real difference in spread-out systems like those in Laurens or Dodge County.

We also doubled down on job training. Career and technical education is booming across Georgia, and we’re meeting that demand with $33.4 million for our technical colleges, plus $15.8 million for high-demand fields like commercial truck driving, nursing and aviation.

At the end of the day, not every student needs a four-year degree to build a successful life. Whether they’re training at Oconee Fall Line Tech or Central Georgia Tech, we’re ensuring students in our area can gain the skills they need and start a career without piling on student debt or leaving home.

I was especially proud of our substantial investments in agriculture, Georgia’s number one industry. We added $7.3 million for updated ag-ed equipment and expanded Young Farmer positions in schools across the state. That kind of seed planting pays off for future family farms, vital to food security in the coming years. We also invested over $51 million to modernize Department of Agriculture facilities and funded a pilot program to promote Georgia-grown wood products, boosting our timber industry.

While our counterparts in D.C. spend months debating how many billions to borrow, here in Georgia we’re putting taxpayer dollars to work where they matter most and doing it without spending money we don’t have.

Public safety was another top budget priority this year. We committed nearly $40 million to hiring additional correctional officers and raising pay for chaplains, counselors, and food service workers. That matters here at home, too, as Pulaski State Prison and other correctional facilities in our region rely on these investments to remain fully staffed and secure. We’re also upgrading crime lab technology and building a new law enforcement training center in Monroe County, so that Georgia’s next generation of officers is well-prepared to keep our communities safe.

While Congress continues to delay federal VOCA funds that support crime victims, we stepped in with $3.1 million to keep those services going.

All of this — and I’ll say it again — while lowering taxes.

That’s the difference conservative leadership makes. We didn’t chase headlines or fund every pet project. We focused on the basics: strong schools, good jobs, safe communities and smart investments that deliver real results for the people of the 20th Senate District.

If you’d like to know more about how this budget impacts you or if you have ideas for how we can keep improving, my door is always open, and I’m proud to serve you.

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Sen. Larry Walker serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Dooly, Laurens, Treutlen, Pulaski and Wilcox counties, as well as portions 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.

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COLUMN: Kennedy: A Strong End to the 2025 Legislative Session

By: Sen. John F. Kennedy (R–Macon)

After twelve weeks of tireless work under the Gold Dome, the 2025 Legislative Session has officially come to a close. My Senate Republican colleagues and I fought each day to protect your freedoms, defend your wallets, and invest in the values that make our state strong. We passed bold, conservative legislation that will support communities across the state, empower families, and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent effectively.

Our most significant achievement was the passage of House Bill 68, the balanced state budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. On Friday, the General Assembly fulfilled its constitutional duty by sending the state’s budget to Governor Kemp’s desk. Our budget priorities fund essential services across our state and reflects our commitment to conservative governance. We’re cutting taxes, funding school choice, and strengthening law and order in our state prisons. Our budget prioritized the gang prosecution task force, strengthens our anti-human trafficking prosecutors, and boosts school safety initiatives that will protect our children from those who wish to cause harm. This budget isn’t just numbers; it’s a roadmap of Republican priorities that put Georgians first.

This year, Senate Republicans advanced key legislation to benefit hardworking Georgians. HB 112 delivers tax rebates up to $500 for families and HB 111 will reduce our state income tax rate, empowering all Georgians to keep more of their hard-earned money. Before we gaveled out for the year, the Senate gave final passage to SB 1 to protect women’s sports and ensure female athletes are able to compete on a level playing field.   

I was proud to author and carry Governor Kemp’s key priority, delivering meaningful tort reform to balance our civil justice system and stop frivolous lawsuits that burdened our small businesses, farmers, and job creators. We also prioritized assistance for those affected by Hurricane Helene, allocating millions in disaster aid and created catastrophe savings accounts to encourage responsible storm preparation and establishes tax incentives for Georgians to prepare for future natural disasters. These priorities send a clear message: Georgia takes care of its own, and Senate Republicans will ensure it stays that way.

School safety was one of our top priorities for the 2025 Legislative Session. House Bill 268 will require schools to implement panic alert systems and require campus mapping to assist first responders in the face of danger, and imposes serious consequences for threats against our students, teachers, and school personnel. HB 268 will also hold those who want to do students harm accountable when they commit acts of violence, because the safety of our schools will never be up for negotiation. At the same time, HB 268 supports mental health programs, suicide prevention and youth violence reduction to guarantee students in crisis get the help they need.

We also prioritized education, passing key pieces of legislation to improve our public schools. SR 237 will build a stronger workforce pipeline, establish mentorship programs, and improve training for our educators. HB 37 ensures our educators fully understand their retirement benefits, ensuring Georgia remains competitive when recruiting future educators. HB 150, the Combating Threats from China Act, increases transparency around foreign influence in our universities. Finally, HB 371 increases capital outlay funding cap for schools and upgrades Georgia’s playgrounds to meet modern accessibility standards. Because every child deserves a safe place to play and learn.

This session, we fought hard to protect your rights in the courtroom and restore integrity to our judicial system. SB 259, “Ridge’s Law,” ensures families can seek a second opinion when child abuse is alleged, a crucial safeguard against unjust state interference. I was especially proud to support HB 582, the Georgia Survivor Justice Act, which gives victims of domestic violence a voice in court when they act in self-defense. Justice must consider context, and survivors deserve our full support when they take a stand against abuse.

Senate Republicans stood firmly to support our veterans, law enforcement and emergency responders. HB 266 eliminates state taxes on military retirement income and incentivizes donations to law enforcement foundations. We also passed SR 8 and SR 231, renaming intersections in honor of fallen officers Deputy Brandon Cunningham and Officer Jeremy Labonte. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

During our final week under the Gold Dome, we proudly recognized Mercer University. It was an honor to welcome the future leaders from an incredible educational institution to the Senate Chamber as we concluded our legislative business.

On Sine Die, we also approved several key study committees, including the Senate Study Committee to Combat Chronic Absenteeism, an issue I’m deeply committed to addressing during the interim. Earlier this session, I was proud to author and carry Senate Bill 123, which will prevent students from being expelled for missing school and require schools to develop ways of intervening with chronically absent students. Although SB 123 will take the initial steps towards solving the problem of chronic absenteeism, this crisis persists with hundreds of thousands of Georgia children still missing significant parts of their education, putting their growth, learning, opportunities and future success at risk. With this study committee, we will have a vital opportunity to dig into the underlying issues and return to the Gold Dome next year with meaningful solutions that support our students.

Though the 2025 Session may be over, my service to Senate District 18 continues year-round. Whether it’s legislation, budget priorities, or individual constituent needs, I’m here to serve you — every day, in every season. Although we have finished the 2025 legislative session, my door is always open.

Let’s keep Georgia strong, safe and free.

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Sen. John F. Kennedy serves as the President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate. He represents the 18th Senate District, which includes Crawford, Monroe, Peach and Upson counties, as well as portions of Bibb and Houston counties. He may be reached at (404) 656-6578 or by email at John.Kennedy@senate.ga.gov.

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