Category: John F. Kennedy

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.

ATLANTA (October 8, 2024)— We’ve moved forward in our efforts to strengthen Georgia’s forestry industry with our second meeting of the Senate Advancing Forest Innovation in Georgia Study Committee at the Georgia State Capitol. Building on the groundwork established in our initial meeting, where we identified key challenges facing the sector, we are now focused on exploring solutions and emerging markets that have the potential to revitalize our state’s forestry landscape

Unfortunately, the timing of our meeting coincided with the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, which brought significant hardship to many regions of our state, including those heavily reliant on the forestry industry. Our thoughts remain with all those affected, and we will continue to support our impacted communities and first responders in the days ahead.

At this meeting, we shifted our focus from problems to possibilities. The shrinking markets for traditional forestry products that we discussed in our first meeting are not the whole story—there are emerging markets and new technologies that could represent the future of Georgia’s forestry industry. As chair of this committee, I’ve had the privilege of working with a wide range of experts to explore these opportunities, and the insights they shared during our meeting were nothing short of inspiring.

We first heard from Dr. Andreas Bommarius and Dr. Carson Meredith from the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI) at Georgia Tech, who introduced us to their groundbreaking ReWOOD initiative. This project focuses on “Xylochemistry,” a rapidly growing field that uses sustainable wood-based materials to develop products ranging from industrial solvents to jet fuel. What’s particularly exciting about ReWOOD is its potential to create new demand for Georgia’s vast forestry resources in environmentally sustainable and economically viable ways.

Next, we welcomed Troy Harris of Jamestown LLP, a real estate investment firm with a strong track record in sustainable timberland management. He spoke about Jamestown’s use of innovative practices to boost timberland productivity while ensuring sustainable growth. These practices not only increase the value of timber but also ensure the long-term health and resilience of our forests—an important consideration given the growing threat of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene.

Finally, Smitha Hariharan, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of Gulfstream, shared the company’s cutting-edge work in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Gulfstream recently made history with the first-ever trans-Atlantic flight powered by 100% SAF, a major breakthrough that could have significant implications for Georgia’s forestry industry. As demand for SAF grows worldwide, Georgia’s timber could become a key resource in meeting that demand, creating jobs and driving investment in rural communities across the state.

Our meeting made it clear that the future of forestry in Georgia lies in traditional markets and these emerging fields. Exciting opportunities are on the horizon, whether it’s sustainable aviation fuel, wood-based construction materials or innovative new uses for timber byproducts. With Georgia being the #1 state to do business and the #1 forestry producing state in the country, I believe our state is uniquely positioned to lead on this emerging market.

As we continue to work through the challenges and opportunities ahead, I am grateful for the valuable contributions of the experts and industry leaders helping us explore these new possibilities. I’m confident that by embracing innovation and working together, we can create a more sustainable and prosperous future for Georgia’s forestry industry. I look forward to sharing more updates as our committee’s work progresses.

You can find more information about the committee’s work and upcoming meetings here.

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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 Upson, Monroe, Peach, Crawford, as well as portions of Bibb and Houston County. 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.