Category: Larry Walker III

By: Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry)

We have completed week six of this year’s general assembly session, and the pace of activity has dramatically increased. The Senate has been hard at work passing a total of 17 bills this week, the most that have been considered thus far in the 2023 Legislative Session. Committees continue to operate at full speed as the workload continues to pile on. Bills we took up on the floor this week dealt with combatting crime and gang activity, increasing penalties for human trafficking offenses, cracking down on invasive telemarketers, expanding the workforce, and more.

As I previously mentioned, gang violence, terrorism, and human trafficking was a common theme in the Senate this week as several bills were passed covering these areas, some with bipartisan support. Senate Bill 44, known as the “Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act,” and sponsored by Governor’s Administration Floor Leader, Sen. Bo Hatchett (R – Cornelia), would establish a mandatory minimum sentence for individuals who are partake in gang activity. Specifically, this mandatory minimum sentence would apply to individuals who have knowingly recruited a minor to participate in gang activity or any gang related crime. It is no secret that Georgia has experienced a rapid increase in gang violence and crime within our state lines. What is even more concerning is when the violence spreads to the point of impacting Georgia’s children. Often times, gang activity involves hardened criminals. These individuals have no regard for the safety and security of minors and under no circumstance should these acts of violence be tolerated. Since his first term, Gov. Kemp has made it abundantly clear that gang violence and crime will not be tolerated in Georgia. I imagine this will be the first of many measures taken up this legislative session that address the Governor’s top priority to crack down on violent criminal gangs and do all that is necessary to keep Georgians safe. I am proud to support this legislation and look forward to seeing it on the Governor’s desk in the coming months.

On a similar note, legislation to address concerns related to human trafficking was brought to the Senate floor for a vote. Senate Bill 42, sponsored by Sen. Mike Hodges (R – Brunswick), another Senate Floor Leader for the Governor, seeks to increase penalties associated with the failure to properly comply with the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline. Like Gov. Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp has spearheaded the fight against human trafficking throughout her service to Georgia. SB 42 would further penalize those who fail to properly report incidents of human trafficking to the resource center’s hotline. Again, these measures are necessary and imperative when it comes to ensuring the safety and security of our citizens.

I am eager to provide you with an update on Senate Bill 110, the “Back the Blue Act.” On Wednesday, SB 110 was heard and properly vetted in the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor, a committee as you know, I have the distinct honor of chairing. The committee had the opportunity to hear from Mike Mitchell with the Georgia Sheriff’s Association as he offered his full support of the legislation on behalf of the Sheriff’s Association. SB 110 ultimately seeks to show support for our sheriff’s departments in Georgia as they are often the first line of defense when it comes to keeping our communities safe. I am pleased to report that SB 110 was favorably reported out of committee and will now make its way to the Rules Committee. I look forward to hopefully presenting this bill on the Senate floor in the near future.

While the General Assembly remains hard at work, the legislative session also serves as a time for many visitors and honored guests to get a glimpse of the action under the Gold Dome. This week, I had the pleasure of welcoming a group of students from Bonaire Middle School’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) organization to the Senate Chamber. The group was joined by their advisor, Mrs. Michaela Fitzwater, who teaches Family and Consumer Sciences at Bonaire Middle School along with my son, Mr. Wade Walker, who teaches 8^th Grade Georgia History at Bonaire Middle School. It was a pleasure to welcome these young leaders to the Georgia Senate. I am proud of their interest in state government and the workings of the General Assembly, and I applaud the community involvement and service work of FCCLA chapters here in Middle Georgia. Also this week, the Senate welcomed members of the Georgia Farm Bureau organization to celebrate Georgia Farm Bureau Day at the State Capitol. The Georgia Farm Bureau is Georgia’s largest and strongest voluntary agricultural organization with thousands of members eager to serve farming families. Agriculture remains the driving force behind Georgia’s thriving economy and because of this, it’s vital that we continue to show our support to Georgia’s farmers, and farming industries. It was a pleasure to recognize members of Georgia Farm Bureau in the Senate chamber.

As the Senate has now reached the halfway point of the 2023 Legislative Session, I anticipate the workload will only grow as we quickly approach Crossover Day. I look forward to continuing to provide you with updates from the Capitol and as always, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you have any questions or concerns regarding legislation. It is an honor to serve the 20^th Senate District here in Atlanta.

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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.   

By: Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry)

The Senate is quickly approaching Crossover Day as we wrap up week five under the Gold Dome. With less than a month until we reach the final day for bills to pass over to the opposite chamber for consideration, we are operating at a frenetic pace. This week, the Senate passed a number of bills on the floor and had a full week of committee meetings, vetting and perfecting legislation. Perhaps the most significant event of the week took place during the Senate Appropriations Subcommittees as members of each committee had an opportunity to closely analyze each line item of various sections of House Bill 18, the Amended FY 2023 Budget with a fine-tooth comb.

On Thursday, I, once again, chaired the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. The committee had the pleasure of hearing from Georgia’s newly elected Agriculture Commissioner, former State Senator Tyler Harper, in addition to the Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources and the State Forestry Commission Director. With agriculture’s oversized role in Georgia’s economy as our number one industry, I take these hearings very seriously. Each appropriations subcommittee will only meet once to hear additional proposals and budget requests from Georgia’s state agencies and departments therefore, it is crucial that we take this time to ensure all taxpayer dollars are being used to their fullest potential.

I am also pleased to report I have introduced a number of bills to be considered this legislative session. Senate Bill 102 would make it clear that a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) is not working under the supervision of the surgeon, when administering anesthesia in an acute care or surgical setting. This is already the established practice at hospitals and is consistent with CRNA’s advanced education and training in the practice of nursing. The men and women of the healthcare profession in Georgia are vital to the state’s workforce. Ensuring all Georgians are receiving the highest level of healthcare services is of the utmost importance. I am proud to sponsor this legislation, requested by many of our rural hospitals, that should help hospitals recruit and retain surgeons and allow rural hospitals to provide surgical services, cost effectively, in our rural communities. In addition, I have the pleasure of sponsoring Senate Bill 105, which would revise the minimum and maximum allowable benefit multiplier for current and future retirees in the Public School Employee Retirement System. Our school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, school custodians, and school maintenance workers are essential to the daily operation of our public schools in a manner that is safe, welcoming, nutritious and conducive to learning. With this legislation, we recognize the importance and dedication of these hardworking men and women and seek to do more for them in their retirement.

As I mentioned at the start, our days at the Capitol are full and very busy right now. However, we are here to serve you, and I welcome your questions or concerns. Please contact my office by phone or email, if we can be of service. 

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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.   

By: Sen. Larry Walker (R – Perry)

Things have really begun to ramp up under the Gold Dome as the Senate convened Monday through Thursday of this week for Legislative Days 9 through 12. This week, we held a vote on our first Senate Bill of the session and I had the opportunity to Chair my first meeting of the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor.

This week, the Senate considered its first bill of the session on the Senate floor. Over the past few years, and even in the last few weeks, our state has witnessed a growing number of incidences of civil disturbance, escalating, unfortunately, into violence. While we will always respect the right of Georgians to peacefully protest and assemble, we cannot allow radical groups, often from out-of-state, to engender harm to our neighborhoods, residents and first responders. Senate Bill 11, sponsored by Sen. John Albers (R – Roswell), is known as the “Georgia Fights Terrorism Act”, and allows the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to either work independently or in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies to investigate and arrest individuals or groups engaged in domestic, cyber, biological, chemical or nuclear terrorism. Measures such as this are important not only to protect the lives and property of bystanders and business owners, but also to shield peaceful protestors from potential violence. I was proud to support this measure and believe it sets the tone for our body to pursue positive, meaningful legislation for the session.

This week, the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor convened for our first meeting of the session. As an owner and operator of an insurance agency back home, I am excited to assume the role of Chairman of this critical committee. Our committee will cover a wide range of issues dealing with home and auto insurance, health insurance, workers’ compensation and more. The only official action taken in our first meeting was the adoption of committee rules, the establishment of two sub-committees and the assignment of our first bill to our health insurance sub-committee, but we already have eight bills assigned to us that we will be considering over the next few weeks.

Our counterparts in the House have also been hard at work and, on Thursday, passed the amended version of the Fiscal Year 2023 (AFY23) budget. The purpose of the amended budget is to true up revenue between what was originally budgeted last session and what is projected now, as well as to make any necessary additions or reductions within line items. Notably, this budget includes several of Gov. Brian Kemp’s key budgetary priorities, allocating $1 billion for one time property tax relief for Georgians and a little over $1 billion in state personal income tax rebates. In addition, this budget includes $23 million to enhance school security and $2.4 million to enhance security measures at Georgia’s domestic violence shelters. The budget will now be sent over to the Senate Appropriations Committee, and its various subcommittees, to further analyze and make additional recommendations. As Chairman of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I look forward to examining budget items specific to these areas closely.

Next week, we look forward to picking up right where we left off, with four more legislative days dedicated to considering and passing legislation, both in our respective committees, as well as on the Senate Floor. If you ever have any questions or concerns about any legislation currently before the General Assembly, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.

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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