Category: John F. Kennedy

ATLANTA (February 21, 2025)—Today, the Georgia Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 68, a sweeping reform of the state’s tort laws, sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy (R–Macon).

“SB 68 is a major step toward reining in the excessive litigation that is driving up costs for healthcare providers, job creators, and consumers,” said Sen. Kennedy. “Since 2016, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has estimated that litigation costs have risen 7.1% per year—far outpacing inflation. Nuclear verdicts and frivolous lawsuits cost Georgia households an average of $5,035 annually. This broken system cannot continue.”

Sen. Kennedy continued, “The consequences of excessive litigation extend far beyond the courtroom. Because of rising litigation cost, small business owners are forced to lay off employees or shut down as their liability insurance premiums skyrocket. Pregnant women in rural areas must now travel over two hours to see an OB-GYN because local hospitals have been forced to close. When healthcare providers leave the state due to an unpredictable legal climate, entire communities suffer. It’s time to restore fairness and stability to our civil justice system, and today’s passage of SB 68 is a critical step in that direction.”

Sen. Kennedy sponsored and carried SB 68 on behalf of Governor Brian P. Kemp, who made tort reform his top priority for the 2025 Legislative Session in his State of the State address last month.

For more information about the legislation, read it here.

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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, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

ATLANTA (February 12, 2025) — Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy (R–Macon) recently introduced Senate Bill (SB) 123, legislation that directly addresses chronic absenteeism in Georgia schools. Chronic absenteeism is a growing issue across the state that places students at an extreme disadvantage, and SB 123 will ensure they have the resources necessary for future success inside and outside of the classroom.

“For far too long, absenteeism has affected our communities and inhibited Georgia students from reaching their full potential,” said Sen. Kennedy. “This legislation will enable local school districts to identify and implement protocols that directly address this issue, get our chronically absent students back in the classroom and ensure they have the necessary resources to build a foundation for future success.”

The number of students chronically absent in Georgia doubled between 2019 and 2023 – a clear indicator of a growing crisis across our state. In 2024, 21.7 percent of students – or nearly 360,000 young people – missed 10 percent or more school days. Georgia law addressing chronic absenteeism has not been updated in 18 years, and we must take action to give our kids a chance at a brighter future. 

SB 123 will address this growing crisis head on by prohibiting schools from expelling students solely on absenteeism, requiring local school districts to adopt policies and strategies that provide targeted support, and mandating schools to create attendance review teams that report their progress to the General Assembly. School attendance is crucial to student success, and these solutions will create a best approach forward that combats this pressing issue and puts all Georgia students, no matter their zip code, first.

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Sen. John F. Kennedy serves as the President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate. He represents the 18^th 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, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.