NEWSLETTER: Week 9 of the Legislative Session
Legislative News
The House convened last week for the ninth week of the 2024 legislative session on Monday, March 4. Now that we are past Crossover Day, we are busy in committees to vet the bills that have crossed over from the Senate. This means we didn’t pass as many bills on the House floor last week. As the committees do their jobs, the pace will pick up as we approach our final day of the Session, Sine Die.
The Georgia General Assembly is tasked only one thing by the Georgia Constitution, to pass a budget. And, unlike the Federal Budget, our budget must be balanced. Also, according to the Georgia Constitution, all budget items must originate in the House. Last week the House passed HB 916, the FY 2025 House Budget. The budget will now go to the Senate for their revisions. Once the Senate votes on their version the two documents will be referred to a conference committee comprised of three House and three Senate members. This committee will work out a compromise suitable to both chambers and then each chamber will vote to agree with the conference committee report. I have provided a detailed overview of the Houe budget in previous newsletters. You can view the entire House budget on the General Assembly’s website HERE.
With the passing of the FY 2025 House budget now behind us, the House of Representatives will continue our busy schedule of committee hearings to perfect Senate bills and bring them to the House floor for votes. The House will return to session for Legislative Day 33 on Monday, March 11. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the budget or other legislation.
Taiwan Invite Resolution
On Tuesday, March 5, I had the honor of welcoming Elliot Wang, Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, to the Capitol along with House Georgia-Taiwan Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Matthew Gambill. Taiwan is a committed friend to the United States and recognizing Director General Wang and key Taiwanese-American business leaders was a highlight of the visit. Rep. Gambill and I presented HR 1026 to commemorate the occasion.
Under the Gold Dome
Boy Scout Day at the Capitol was this past week and it was my pleasure to recognize the Scouts in Troop 1, headquartered at the Log Cabin Church in Vinings, on the occasion of their 100th anniversary. Troop 1 has a history of service, leadership, and outdoor exploration, and they have truly followed the principles of the Scout Law for the past 100 years. This troop is also special to my family because it is the troop where my son earned the rank of Eagle Scout. We also commemorated the Troop 1 Centennial with HR 1362.
Recognizing International Women's Day
I officially qualified to run for reelection on Tuesday, March 5! I am proud of what I have accomplished in HD 42 (all three iterations of the map...) since my election in 2017.
I’ve passed several bills that make Georgia a better and safer place for women (no small feat for a Democrat), including legislation that codified the definition of sexual harassment for the first time in Georgia law, and I’ve fought bad bills that would target LGBTQ youth, limit our reproductive freedom, jeopardize women’s health, limit access to democracy and freedom of expression, and roll back criminal justice reforms. I’ve worked alongside colleagues and stakeholders in Cobb to improve public health, transportation and mobility, improve education, ensure job growth, and position our vibrant and diverse community as a place where we all can thrive.