Sesión en el pleno del Senado, 4 de febrero de 2026 (día legislativo 12)

Transcripción

195 turnos. Seleccione un tiempo para reproducir ese momento del video.

1. 0:21:26

   Good morning. Good morning. The time for convening has arrived. The Senate will come to order. At this time, I ask all unauthorized personnel to exit the chamber.

2. 0:21:42

   Recognize the senator from the sixth, the man from Newnan, Georgia, the pride and joy.

3. 0:21:51

   Good morning, Mr. President. I don't know about the pride and joy, but certainly the pride.

4. 0:21:56

   Oh, no, I was down at that school. I, I saw your jersey retired on the wall and everything.

5. 0:22:03

   That was my in-school suspension jersey.

6. 0:22:09

   I'm in the Hall of Fame in that one. Mr. President, happy State of Judiciary Day. Big day for Georgia. We got a great group of pages here today. In fact, to lead it off, we have the doctor of the day's daughter is with us, Sariah Dice. We have twins from Gainesville, Georgia, Bennett and Brooks Fields. I think you'll recognize them since they look the same.

7. 0:22:44

   We have Rishi Jain from Atlanta, Bryce Motley from Richmond Hill, Pia Patel from Atlanta, Blair Weaver from Milledgeville, Clara Williams from Haddock. Y'all give these pages a big round of applause. We appreciate you being here, serving our great state and our great Senate. Mr. President, the journal has been read and found to be correct, so I move we dispense with the reading of the journal.

8. 0:23:19

   All right. Thank you, Senator, and thank all those pages from all over the state for being here today. We greatly appreciate you coming down and joining us today. So is there objection to dispensing of the reading of the journal? Chair hears none, the reading of the journal dispensed with. Is there objection to confirmation of the journal? Chair hears none, and the journal is confirmed. All senators who have bills and resolutions introduced, please bring them to the Secretary's desk at this time. First reading and references to Senate bills.

9. 0:23:51

   Secretary?

10. 0:23:54

    Senate Bill 455 by Senators Merritt of the 9th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 12 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia-

11. 0:24:00

    Science and Technology

12. 0:24:01

    ... Senate Bill 456 by Senators Bearden of the 30th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Title III of the Official Code-

13. 0:24:06

    Regulation Industries

14. 0:24:07

    ... Senate Bill 457 by Senators Dixon of the 45th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend and-

15. 0:24:13

    State and Local Government

16. 0:24:14

    Mr. President, that completes the order.

17. 0:24:18

    First reading and references of the House bills.

18. 0:24:24

    House Bill 350 by Representatives Cameron of the 1st and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to domestic relations so as to-

19. 0:24:32

    Health and Human Services

20. 0:24:33

    House Bill 946 by Representatives Clifton of the thir- 131st and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to game and fish-

21. 0:24:42

    Natural Resources

22. 0:24:43

    House Bill 999 by Representatives Leverett of the 123rd and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 5 of Chapter-

23. 0:24:49

    Judiciary

24. 0:24:50

    Mr. President, that completes the order.

25. 0:24:59

    Secretary will read reports of standing committee.

26. 0:25:07

    Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Assignments has had under consideration the following appointment to the Ju- Judicial Qualifications Commission, Mr. Richard Hyde, appointed by the governor, and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation: that the appointments be confirmed as submitted. Respectfully submitted, the Honorable Burt Jones, chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Children and Families has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation: Senate Bill 431, do pass. Senate Resolution 622, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Kirkpatrick of the 32nd District, chairman.

27. 0:25:42

    Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Education and Youth has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation: Senate Bill 171, do pass by committee substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Hickman of the 4th District, chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Higher Education has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation: Senate Bill 400, do pass by substitution, unanimous vote. Respectfully submitted, Senator Hickman of the 4th District, vice chairman.

28. 0:26:12

    Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Retirement has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation: Senate Bill 150, do pass by substitute. Senate Bill 261, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Williams of the 25th District, chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Rules has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the S- Senate with the following recommendation: Senate Bill 116, do pass by substitute. Senate Bill 239, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Brass of the 6th District, chairman.

29. 0:26:45

    Dear Mr. Secretary, pursuant to Senate Rule 2-1.6, I hereby give notice that I will introduce a minority report to be read along with the majority report of Senate Bill 116, which passed out the, the Senate Committee on Rules on February 3rd, 2026. Sincerely, Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones, uh, Harold Jones II. Mr. President, that completes the order.

30. 0:27:09

    Secretary will read bills and resolutions for the second time.

31. 0:27:13

    Senate Bill 384 by Senator Hatchett of the 50th and others, motor vehicle, optional five-year motor vehicle registration and revalidation for certain motor vehicles, provide. Senate Bill 403 by Senator Kirkpatrick of the 32nd and others, unclaimed property, property is presumed abandoned, provide for exceptions. Senate Bill 411 by Senator Still of the 48th and others, professions and businesses, dry needling to be performed by certain licensed professionals, provide. Senate Bill 422 by Senator Bearden of the 30th and others, elections and primaries, the date of most municipal elections shall be in even-numbered years, a one-year extension to the terms of office of most municipal officers, provide.

32. 0:27:48

    Mr. President, that completes the order.

33. 0:27:51

    All right. It is now time for the morning roll call. But f- before we have the morning roll call, I'd like to recognize the brains behind the senator from the 19th's whole operation, his lovely wife, Dr. Tillery, is here today. Let's give her a round of applause.

34. 0:28:15

    She is by far the breadwinner in that household, thank goodness. He can come down here and play politics, you know? So, so good to see both of you here today. So, all right. Any motions to excuse? Recognize the senator from the 50th.

35. 0:28:32

    Thank you, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 29th for business outside the chamber.

36. 0:28:38

    Without objection, senator from the 29th is excused. Any other motions to excuse? Recognize the senator from the 33rd.

37. 0:28:46

    Thank you, Mr. President, and good morning y'all. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senators from the 28, 7, and 5.

38. 0:28:56

    Without objection, the senator from the 28th-

39. 0:28:58

    4,000

40. 0:28:58

    ... 7th and 5th are excused. Any other motions to excuse?

41. 0:29:09

    Recognize the senator from the 43rd.

42. 0:29:14

    Thank you, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 26th.

43. 0:29:20

    I just saw the senator from the 26th.

44. 0:29:23

    Okay.

45. 0:29:24

    You sure?

46. 0:29:25

    He'll just have-

47. 0:29:26

    Yeah, he'll c- he'll come, he'll come out and do roll call. Thank you though, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 8th.

48. 0:29:36

    Mr. President, I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 11th for business outside the capitol.

49. 0:29:43

    All right, without objection, senator from the 11th is excused. Recognize the senator from the 31st.

50. 0:29:47

    Pre- Mr. President, if it hasn't already been said, I'd like to excuse the senator from the 27th for business outside the capitol.

51. 0:29:54

    Without objection, the senator from the 27th is, is excused. Recognize the senator from the 9th.

52. 0:29:59

    Good morning, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator, senators from the 41st and the 7th.

53. 0:30:07

    Without objection, the senators from the-

54. 0:30:09

    Four- and the four-

55. 0:30:10

    ... 40th

56. 0:30:10

    ... and the 44th. Sorry. 4-0. Oh, the 40th. 4-0. Yes, 4-0. Sorry.

57. 0:30:16

    The 40th and the 7th. All right. Secretary will call the roll. Senators, signify your presence by voting the yea switch. Secretary, unlock the machine.

58. 0:32:03

    It is now time for the morning devotion. All senators please take your seats and cease all conversation. I would ask that the door keepers secure the chamber at this time. I now recognize the senator from the 39th to lead us in our pledge and introduce our pastor of the day. Senator?

59. 0:32:21

    Thank you, Mr. President. Please join me in saying the pledge to the flag, American flag.

60. 0:32:26

    I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

61. 0:32:39

    And now the Georgia flag.

62. 0:32:41

    I pledge allegiance to the Georgia flag and the principles for which it stands: wisdom, justice, moderation, and courage.

63. 0:32:51

    All right.

64. 0:32:53

    Good morning, colleagues. It is my proud honor to introduce our pastor of the day, Pastor Pete Peterson. Pastor Peterson has attended Community Bible Church in Stockbridge for more than 16 years, where he currently serves as executive pastor of the church and as pastor of schools for Community Christian School. Pastor Peterson is a retired US Army officer with a distinguished career spanning more than 23 years. He earned numerous military awards for outstanding achievement, including the Bronze Star and several meritorious service medals.

65. 0:33:31

    His international military assignments include Germany, Korea, Kuwait, and Iraq. Pastor Peterson holds a master's degree in military arts and science from the Command and General Staff College, and a master's degree in education from Central Michigan University. Most recently, Pastor Peterson was selected by Governor Brian Kemp in 2022 to serve on the Georgia Veterans Service Board. He met his wife, Anita, while they were both serving as soldiers in Germany.

66. 0:34:05

    They have been married now for 39 years. They have two adult children, both military veterans, and three grandchildren. And colleagues, it is especially fitting that Pastor Peterson is with us today because today marks the 85th birthday of the United Service Organizations, the USO. Founded on February 4th, 1941 during World War II by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide morale, recreation, and support services to our service members and their families.

67. 0:34:39

    Pastor Peterson's life of service, leadership, and care for military families reflects that same mission. Side note, I will be honoring the USO's 85th birthday here in the chamber later this month, and I also invite you to join us this afternoon at 2:30 at the USO at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest USO in the world, for a cake cutting ceremony recognizing the men and women who've served and defended our nation for more than 250 years in so many roles.

68. 0:35:13

    And now, please give a warm Senate welcome to Pastor Peterson.

69. 0:35:17

    Oh,

70. 0:35:21

    yeah.

71. 0:35:21

    Come on, we can do better than that, right? I hope. Can we just a little bit better? Thank you. Thank you for that unsolicited...

72. 0:35:31

    For God so loved the world

73. 0:35:33

    that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Can y'all help me say that? For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And my question to you this morning is: When was the last time somebody told you that they love you?

74. 0:36:04

    Just look around. When was the last time somebody actually told you that they loved you? And if you haven't heard it for a while, I just wanna say today that I love you in Jesus' name. Matter of fact, look at your neighbor and say, "Neighbor-" Neighbor. "I love you in Jesus' name." I love you in Jesus' name. All right, very good. Amen. So I wanna thank Senator Halpern for the invitation and that amazing introduction. Uh, Mr. President, and to the rest of this esteemed chamber, thank you for what you do here at the Capitol.

75. 0:36:38

    We pray that the Lord will bless you with the wisdom, the compassion, uh, and the love to help all Georgians to live a secure, stable, and prosperous life. So today, I started out the session by declaring John 3:16. And, and, and why did I do that? Now, I know most of you heard that John 3:16 at church. I know I heard it at Sunday school because my grandmother, Johnnie Lee Levitt, down in Dawson, Georgia, Terrell County, she would religiously come and abduct my brother and me from our home and take us to church against our will.

76. 0:37:12

    It was a hostage situation. We did not want to go, but she still took us to Beulah Land Baptist Church. But I thank God now, looking back over all those years, that my grandmother wanted to make sure that her grandboys had a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ more than she wanted to be popular with us, 'cause I wanna let you know, she was not popular with us, okay? Just wanna let you know that. But I started out talking about John 3:16, and it's to remind everyone that this is one of the most life-changing, uh, transformative scriptures in the Bible.

77. 0:37:49

    This scripture lets each one of us know that God loves us so much that he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to pave the way to heaven. And this is not just a touchy-feely love that fades when I blow it. It's the type of love that we call agape love. It is unconditional, it is long-suffering, and it is enduring. Now, it's not enough just to know John 3:16 and that God sent Jesus to rescue mankind.

78. 0:38:20

    We have to personally accept him. Somebody say personally. Personally. All right. Somebody say person- awesome. Now, as a 20-year-old soldier in Hanau, West Germany, 3rd Armor Division, one Friday night, I was sitting in the back of the church and the pastor gave the altar call, and I found out that my destination was not heaven. So I was no longer comfortable with that, so what I did, I walked down to the altar and said, "I want Jesus in my heart." And let me tell you this, that significantly changed the trajectory of my life, and I have not been the same.

79. 0:38:57

    Not just because I got an assurance of a heavenly home, but more than that, it changed my heart to the point that the love of God started pouring out of me, and it started affecting those around me. Now, I don't know about you, but when I grew up in my household, we never really hugged each other. We never said, "We love you." We never kissed each other. We were not The Brady Bunch. We were not The Cosby Show. We were the Petersons. Now, I know that my mom and dad loved us because they fed us, they clothed us, and they nurtured us, but it just was not our tradition.

80. 0:39:32

    And, uh, I wanna let you know that as I did grow up, I got a chance to leave and leave Dawson, Georgia, and get ready to fly out to Germany, and I remember that my, my mom, as a 19-year-old soldier, she took me to the Albany bus station. I was getting on that to go to Charleston, South Carolina, to fly out to Germany. I wanted to tell my mom that I loved her, but I didn't. I wanted to hug her, but I didn't. She wanted to do the same thing, but she didn't because that was not our tradition. And it was 28 months later that I saw my mom again, and by that time, the love of God had been shed abroad in my heart.

81. 0:40:11

    And when I got home, I sat in my mom's lap, I gave her the biggest kiss I could, and I told her that I loved her. And we started a legacy of love so that now my kids, my grandkids, we all say that we love you, we all hug each other, and we all kiss each other. Okay. Now, Pete, you're sitting here talking about love in the Senate chamber. How's that gonna help me? I am so glad that you asked that. I asked earlier, when was the last time somebody told you that they loved you?

82. 0:40:46

    And I know that as elected officials, and you're taking care of the business of the people, you need to know that somebody loves you, somebody, uh, has your back, and you have family members that you can also love. Just know that love reciprocates. If you spread love when you need it, you can get it back when you need it the most, okay? Again, why do we need to know this?

83. 0:41:17

    Has anybody ever had a difference of opinion with anybody in the chamber here? No. No. There you go. That's what I thought. But the thing is, showing love and letting love shed abroad in our heart, we can still be civil to each other because we know that we have a God that really, really, really loves us. So I keep talking about this legacy of love, and this is one of the things I wanna talk about, that the Lord sent Jesus, His very best, to redeem us. His love builds bridges and tears down walls if we let it.

84. 0:41:54

    I did ask when was the last time somebody told you that they loved you. Now, when was the last time you told somebody that you loved them? And if it's been a while, I wanna make sure that you go out and tell them. Please remember that your heavenly Father loves you so much that He cared to send His very best to rescue you. Now, as we stand for our prayer, as we stand, I remember a hymn by Joseph Scriven and it says, "What a friend we have in Jesus.

85. 0:42:26

    All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege it is to carry everything to God in prayer." Can y'all join me in saying that? Look at your neighbor and say, "Neighbor."

86. 0:42:35

    Neighbor.

87. 0:42:36

    "What a friend we have in Jesus."

88. 0:42:38

    What a friend we have in Jesus.

89. 0:42:38

    "All our sins and griefs to bear."

90. 0:42:41

    All our sins and griefs to bear.

91. 0:42:41

    "What a privilege it is"

92. 0:42:45

    What a privilege it is.

93. 0:42:46

    "to carry everything"

94. 0:42:47

    To carry everything.

95. 0:42:47

    "to God in prayer."

96. 0:42:50

    To God in prayer.

97. 0:42:51

    Let us pray. Lord, You are good and Your mercy endures forever. Thank You for being our God. Thank You for being our friend. Today, we ask that You would bless these senators to faithfully serve You and the citizens of Jo- Georgia. Give them the wisdom, courage, and compassion to be blessings to their constituents so that we can live quiet and peaceful lives. It's in Jesus' name we pray and we thank God. Amen.

98. 0:43:17

    Amen.

99. 0:43:18

    Amen and amen. God bless you.

100. 0:43:20

     Thank you. I enjoyed that. Thank you.

101. 0:43:24

     Dave, that was, that was really-

102. 0:46:03

     Just remind everybody, we have the State of the Judiciary today, so we'll be walking across at about 10:40. 10:40. So in about nine minutes from now. I know, you get excited, Senator. It's gonna be fun.

103. 0:46:25

     Senator from the 52nd. Senator from 52nd. You got the doc of the day? Come on up here, Doc.

104. 0:47:09

     Just go ahead, Senator.

105. 0:47:11

     Thank you, Mr. President. I actually don't have the doc for the day, but since the senator of the 42nd isn't in here, I'll introduce him. Um, he, uh, Shahmi Das is an attending and assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Emory University Hospital, background in social biological sciences, and he's been active in organized medicine since 2010. He and I both do watch The Pit, so, uh- ... um, it, it can be realistic at times.

106. 0:47:43

     And, uh, with that, I'll, uh, let him say a few words to us. We appreciate his work in the ER and, um, working at Emory where, as you know, I did my anesthesiatry.

107. 0:47:54

     All right.

108. 0:47:58

     Thanks, Senator. It's a true pleasure. So my name is, again, Shahmi Das. I'm an ER doc at Emory over our main campus, so if you ever need anything, please don't ever hesitate to come and reach out and find us. Uh, we are here to serve you. Uh, and the Doctor of the Day Program is a privilege for us, so it's an honor for me to be here, and I hope if you have any issues, I've already treated a couple of y'all, your colleagues today, uh, please don't hesitate to stop by the medical aid station. The one thing I do wanna state is that it's so important that the work you do today, uh, and do here this session, because as you know, healthcare is one of the major issues that our patients are facing on a day-to-day basis, and access to care is one of those big challenges.

109. 0:48:32

     So anything you can do to improve healthcare access would be great for all Georgians and our, uh, prosperity. Thank you.

110. 0:48:39

     Doc.

111. 0:48:40

     Dr. Das, I am. Oh, hi.

112. 0:48:41

     This is, this, this is, senator, your guest here.

113. 0:49:49

     Are there any unanimous consents? Does any senator wish to rise on a point of personal privilege?

114. 0:50:01

     I know the senator from the 1st was willing to be first.

115. 0:50:08

     Oh.

116. 0:50:09

     All right, I recognize the senator from the 12th.

117. 0:50:17

     Sorry. Sorry.

118. 0:50:32

     Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues,

119. 0:50:39

     I rise to defend my professional and political integrity and that of my seat, Senate District 12.

120. 0:50:54

     Senate Bill 171 was presented in the Education Committee on yesterday. And let me make this perfectly clear. For 22 years, I have strongly advocated for quality education. In the state of Georgia for quality educators in the state of Georgia and most certainly quality educational leaders in the state of Georgia.

121. 0:51:31

     And for 22 years, we have failed our children miserably with piecemeal educational policies and billions of dollars. During the discussion of SB 171, it was inferred falsely of me speaking for minority students only.

122. 0:52:03

     I did not say that. I did not use the word minority student.

123. 0:52:10

     When constituents in District 12 have issues, need help or assistance, they do not care about party affiliations. They don't care what color the senator is. They don't care how many degrees one may hel- hold. They only want to be served. So as we legislate, please remember, as I was taught from a child until now, to respect all individuals.

124. 0:52:53

     And when I made the pledge to be a state senator, it was for everybody in my district, regardless to who they are and where they live. And I respectfully request that we do not infer or make inferences as to what and how we feel.

125. 0:53:22

     Every piece of legislation that I'm looking at, that I'm signing onto, is for the good of District 12 and the state of Georgia, every child, every adult citizen. So I w- would respectfully ask that we not categorize individuals based on what we think and how we feel.

126. 0:53:52

     It's insensitive, it's demeaning, and it's not true. Thank you, colleagues, for listening. Thank you, Mr., uh, President. I yield the will.

127. 0:54:05

     Thank you, Senator.

128. 0:54:08

     One of the finest senators in this room from Albany, Georgia. She's a good lady. Okay. Um, we're gonna, majority leader's getting ready to make a motion. We're gonna get ready to head over to the House for the State of Judici- Judiciary. Uh, recognize the majority leader for a motion.

129. 0:54:31

     Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand in recess pursuant to SR 645 for the purpose of convening a joint session to hear the addre- an address from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and that upon delusion, di- dissolution of the joint session, the Senate stand adjourned till 10:00 AM Thursday, February 5th.

130. 0:54:53

     All right. Secretary, read the caption.

131. 0:54:58

     The Rules Committee will meet upon adjournment in room 450 of the Capitol. The Public Safety Committee has been canceled. The Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee will meet at 2:00 PM in room 307 of CLOB. The Finance Committee will meet at 3:00 PM in Mezzanine 1. The Health and Human Services Committee will meet at 4:00 PM in room 450 of the Capitol. Mr. President, that completes the order.

132. 0:55:21

     All right, so we'll, uh, after this motion passes, we will line up back there and then we'll walk over for the States of the State for the Judiciary. So, uh, the majority leader has moved. All those in favor of the motion signify by saying aye.

133. 0:55:39

     Aye.

134. 0:55:39

     Oh, wow. Y'all are lively today. Wow. All right. All those opposed, no.

135. 0:55:44

     No.

136. 0:55:46

     All right, we are adjourned, and let's head over to and see our friends across the hall.

137. 0:56:17

     The Finance Committee meeting has been canceled.

138. 1:18:35

     Members of the General Assembly, joint session will come to order. All members, please take your seats.

139. 1:19:06

     Recognize the Doorkeeper, Ms. Sergeant at Arms.

140. 1:19:11

     Mr. President, the Honorable Nels S.D. Peterson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable Sarah Hawkins Warren, Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable Trenton Brown, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeal, and the justices and the judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals respectfully await entrance into the chamber.

141. 1:19:47

     Mr. Sergeant at Arms, please allow the Honorable Nels S.D. Peterson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable Sarah Hawkins Warren, Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court, and the Honorable Trenton Brown, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, justice of the judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals acce- allow them access into this chamber. House Doorkeeper will escort them to their seats.

142. 1:24:01

     All members will take their seats. All members will take their seats.

143. 1:24:17

     Mr. Speaker, it's great to be in the People's House today. How about that, huh? It's good to be here. Secretary, read the caption.

144. 1:24:26

     Senate Resolution 645 by Senator Walker III of the 20th and others. A resolution calling a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate for the purpose of hearing a message from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, inviting each justice of the Supreme Court and each judge of the Court of Appeals to be present for the joint session and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

145. 1:24:46

     Thank you, Secretary. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize some very special guests here today. Obviously, the speaker of this fine house, Mr. John Burns.

146. 1:25:06

     Welcome.

147. 1:25:11

     Also, I'd like to recognize Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones here.

148. 1:25:21

     And our President Pro Tem, Mr. Larry Walker III.

149. 1:25:31

     Also, I'd like to welcome all our constitutional officers and their guests here. And now to introduce our Chief Justice here. And it gives me great pleasure to introduce Honorable Nell S.D. Peterson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Justice Peterson was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Nathan Deal in 2016, and assumed office as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on April 1, 2025. Prior to his time on the court, he served in a variety of other roles in Georgia state government, including as a judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals, General Counsel to the University System of Georgia, Georgia's first Solicitor General in the Attorney General's office, the Executive Counsel to the governor.

150. 1:26:19

     Before entering, entering the state government, he practiced law in Atlanta and clerked for Chief Judge William H. Pryor, Jr. of United States Court of Appeals of the 11th Circuit. He is a proud graduate of Kennesaw State University and Harvard Law School. He serves on numerous government nonprofit boards and committees, as, and has re- received a variety of honors and awards. He lives with his wife and two children in Cobb County, and he, it is my honor to present you today the Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable Nels Peterson.

151. 1:27:16

     Lieutenant Governor Jones, Speaker Burns, President Pro Tem Walker, Speaker Pro Tem Jones, members of the General Assembly, Presiding Justice Warren and my fellow justices, Chief Judge Brown and my friends on the Court of Appeals, other judges, and fellow Georgians. Every year, the governor reports on the state of the state, and that report always includes the announcement of significant policy proposals and budget priorities.

152. 1:27:46

     The subjects of that speech are critical to your work as legislators. This speech is different. Unlike the governor, the courts have no formal role in the legislative process. Sometimes chief justices use this as a time to brag on the good work of Georgia courts or talk about promising judicial branch policy initiatives. And I'll do some of that because there's a lot of great work to tell you about. But today, I principally want to talk to you about what the judicial system is for, and to remind us all of the role we must each play to support and defend the rule of law.

153. 1:28:28

     Central to the rule of law is the idea that no person is above the law's requirements or beneath its protections. It's the idea that law applies equally to everyone, and the courts apply it impartially and independently. And today, I can proudly report that the State of Georgia's judiciary is strong because Georgia's commitment to the rule of law is strong.

154. 1:29:06

     The state of our judiciary will remain strong only so long as we remain committed to the rule of law. The rule of law has always required defending, and today is no exception. The judicial oath calls Georgia judges to do equal rights for the poor and the rich. In other words, for the weak and the powerful. Of course, the rule of law is rarely tested when the powerful or the popular win in court. Results that go the other way can sometimes be a different matter.

155. 1:29:39

     The rule of law has always been fragile because by its very nature, it requires the strong and the rich to accept results in favor of the weak and the poor. It requires popular majorities of all kinds to accept outcomes in favor of small, unpopular minority groups. And it requires the most powerful of all, the government, to accept and obey limits on government power. This rule of law that we enjoy as Americans has rarely happened throughout human history.

156. 1:30:14

     What we have had in this country for two hundred and fifty years, as imperfect as it has been, especially here in the South, is so rare, and yet we often take it for granted. If we're to continue to enjoy the many blessings that flow from the rule of law, we cannot continue taking it for granted.

157. 1:30:47

     Each of us, all of us, must do our part, whatever that may be, to defend the rule of law. A critical part is this. When you hear about judicial decisions whose outcomes you don't like, don't reflexively question the court's legitimacy. It's okay to disagree, even to protest, but the rule of law will not survive when the legitimacy of judicial decisions and those who make them is routinely questioned every time there's an unpopular outcome. And here, I should add a word on what the rule of law is not.

158. 1:31:21

     The rule of law is not rule by judges. The law's constraints fall most strongly on judges. If we push against those constraints, we ourselves undermine the rule of law. We must not stray out of our limited scope of deciding the cases before us according to the text of the law that other people make. Judges talk about the rule of law all the time, but it's also critical for the legislature.

159. 1:31:52

     Neither of our branches has the authority or the ability to exercise force. That function is reserved for the executive. Instead, the work product of both of our branches is just our words. Judicial branch words come in a jury's verdict or in a written judicial opinion. We expect that these mere words will control the outcome of criminal prosecutions, decide which parent gets custody of their child, resolve matters with millions of dollars at stake, and everything in between, one case at a time.

160. 1:32:30

     Legislative words work a little differently. One of you puts words on a page, and after a lot of work, the rest of you pred- press red or green buttons. And with enough green buttons, those words reshape Georgia law for everyone. The words on the pages of both branches, although they operate differently, share this in common. The rule of law is the only thing that give any of our words power.

161. 1:33:01

     Without the rule of law, you are all wasting your time, and we judges in robes are just playing a strange game of dress up This state capital is a building for policymaking and sometimes even politics. Policymaking and politics are team sports, but judges don't play for a team. We wear robes, not jerseys, except, I suppose, for the occasional Saturday in the fall. But the rule of law depends on judges following the law impartially and independently.

162. 1:33:35

     One key opportunity you have this session to strengthen healthy judicial independence and impartiality is by passing House Resolution 251, sponsored by Representative Kimberly New. This constitutional amendment would end the partisan election of probate judges. Last year, you passed House Bill 426, also sponsored by Representative New and by Senator Rick Williams, which ended the partisan election of magistrate judges, and we thank you for that.

163. 1:34:07

     Taking this final step with HR 251 will ensure that all elected Georgia judges are elected solely on a nonpartisan basis. Judges must be impartial, and we must also conduct ourselves in such a way as to be perceived as impartial. Requiring any of us to publicly and formally align ourselves with a political party can only undermine the public's perception of the judiciary as impartial.

164. 1:34:40

     I am grateful to former governors Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal for recognizing this truth and for jointly endorsing this constitutional amendment. Another important step that we are grateful you took last year was reforming Georgia's judicial compensation system. Representative Rob Leverett and Senator Bo Hatchett carried House Bills 85 and 86, which modernized an archaic and splintered system of compensating Georgia's statewide and s- superior court judges.

165. 1:35:13

     And Chairman Matt Hatchett and Chairman Blake Tillery oversaw the funding of this system consistent with the new model. We are grateful to you all, and we look forward to this new model strengthening the judiciary over time. And what better way to transition from judicial compensation than to talk about how hard your courts are working? And we are. Annually collected statewide trial court data is not without limitations, but I'd like to highlight case filing increases in a few specific circuits around the state.

166. 1:35:47

     For example, in the South Georgia Circuit between Albany and the Florida border, case filings increased nearly 44% between 2023 and 2024. N- just next door in DeKalb, cases have increased 17% during the same time period, and in the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit, which includes Columbus, they've gone up 14%. And we know that trial courts are working hard across the state because appellate court caseloads have gone up. Year over year, the Supreme Court's direct appeal caseload has gone up 25%, and the Court of Appeals direct appeal caseload in the same time period has gone up 24%.

167. 1:36:28

     Because trial courts have to decide a case before an appellate court ever sees it, our appellate trends suggest that the trial court's workload and output has been trending upward over time. Now, while deciding cases is the core function of the judiciary, there's only so much we can say about that. Judicial ethics rules prohibit us from talking about specific cases. So our public focus is often instead on judicial policy initiatives, and I'm about to shift my focus to some of those, but I want to preface that shift with the acknowledgement that our work deciding cases is the critical work that courts do, and all the policy stuff is significant only to the extent that it enables and improves our work of deciding cases.

168. 1:37:19

     In recent years, we have worked to improve the quality and reliability of data related to juvenile courts and foster care, an area of great importance and interest to our branches, and I hope you are seeing in the data that you receive, uh, those results. Our Court Improvement Program, in partnership with the Department of Family and Children Services, is piloting a new model intended to reduce the time from removal to reunification for Georgia children in foster care.

169. 1:37:49

     This joint project is operating in Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett, and we hope will provide lessons and opportunities for expansion. Additionally, the juvenile courts in Athens-Clarke, Gwinnett, and Troup Counties are serving as pilot sites for Georgia Thrive, Georgia's new infant toddler court program. The product of the work of many partners across the healthcare, child welfare, legal, and public policy communities, this multi-year initiative seeks to address the unique needs and opportunities related to children from birth to age three who find themselves in our juvenile courts through obviously no fault of their own.

170. 1:38:34

     We are grateful that legislators regularly lend their time to our branch on, on initiatives like this in the interest of helping improve the administration of justice. And with that service in mind, I want to take this opportunity to publicly extend the condolences of the judicial branch on the passing of a remarkable woman who committed her time to serving on our court's Committee on Justice for Children and was a tireless voice for young Georgians, Representative Mandy Ballinger.

171. 1:39:26

     Her life of service has left a legacy that will echo for generations. We have recently concluded two important study committees in the judicial branch. The first is the Judicial Council Ad Hoc Committee on Artificial Intelligence in the Courts, led by Justice Andrew Pinson, Vice Chief Judge Elizabeth Gobiel, and Superior Court Judge Steve Kelly. As AI's power and reach continues to advance rapidly, we all have to keep up, and AI poses both risk and opportunity for the judicial system.

172. 1:40:01

     On the risk side, the most publicized problems are likely the least significant. You may have heard stories about lawyers filing briefs that are AI-generated, that cite nonexistent cases because the AI tool invented them. That has happened here in Georgia. It shouldn't, and the lawyers that have, have done it expose themselves to serious discipline under existing rules. But the risk that kind of misconduct poses the system is relatively minimal as long as judges read the cases that are cited in their briefs.

173. 1:40:37

     The more significant risks, that we know about anyway, are things like fabricated evidence. AI's capacity to generate false recordings or images presents a serious challenge to the court system's historic approach to authenticating evidence. We don't yet have answers to these problems, but we continue to work on them. AI may also offer opportunities. As a reminder, a core part of the rule of law is that no one is beneath the law's protections.

174. 1:41:11

     But in 2023, over four hundred and twenty thousand Georgia civil cases involved at least one party without a lawyer. That's over one-third of the civil cases in Georgia's Superior State Probate and Magistrate Courts. And while Georgia's Constitution guarantees the right to represent yourself in court, it's a safe bet that most of those four hundred and twenty thousand unrepresented parties lacked a lawyer because they couldn't afford one. And in some counties, even if you can afford a lawyer, there may not be one to hire.

175. 1:41:45

     Fifty-four Georgia counties have ten or fewer attorneys, and eight counties, up from seven last year, have no lawyers at all. The rule of law cannot be available only to those with access to lawyers. And as AI tools-- I agree. And as AI tools improve, it may be that AI has a role to play in closing that gap. But we're not waiting for AI to solve this problem for us.

176. 1:42:16

     The second study committee that recently completed its work is the Supreme Court Study Committee on Legal Regulatory Reform, led by Justice Carla Wong MacMillan and Presiding Judge Steve Dillard. It's easy to look at the problem of unrepresented litigants and decide that the government should just throw money at it. That is not what this committee did. The Georgia Constitution vests the exclusive authority for regulating the practice of law in the Supreme Court, and we do that through the State Bar, an arm of the court.

177. 1:42:51

     This committee studied our regulation of the practice of law to determine whether restrictions and limitations on-- that we have imposed on non-lawyers assisting with legal issues might be making this problem worse. The committee recommended that the court consider a pilot project in which we permit trained non-lawyers to perform certain limited legal tasks. Other states have been experimenting with similar models, and we have the opportunity to use what worked for them and to avoid what didn't.

178. 1:43:25

     As we evaluate this recommendation, I am hopeful that our creativity in lifting regulatory limitations may be a useful tool in closing the justice gap and ensuring that no Georgian is beneath the law's protections. And just as the rule of law requires that all people enjoy the law's protections, it also requires that we protect judges from those who would do them harm because of their rulings. Threats against judges have received national attention the last several years.

179. 1:43:58

     Just a couple, uh, weeks ago, an Indiana judge and his wife were shot through their front door by a criminal defendant with a pending case in front of him. And the U.S. Marshals Service reports more than five hundred and sixty threats against federal judges during FY twenty twenty-five alone. Georgia, on the other hand, has never had a process for tracking threats against Georgia judges comprehensively. Thanks to the great work of the Judicial Council Standing Committee on Security, led by Justice Shawn Ellen Lagrua and Presiding Judge Brian Rickman, and supported by strategic investments that you have made, we are working towards such a process.

180. 1:44:42

     And even with the existing limitations, we have already tracked thirty-five threats against thirty justices and judges since late twenty twenty-four, resulting in nine arrests. This year, we will look to build on the progress that we have already made. As I mentioned in greater detail several weeks ago to the Joint Appropriations Committees, the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals budget requests seek a modest increase for funding for a joint effort to enhance judicial security that, if funded, will pay dividends across the state.

181. 1:45:15

     I thank each of you for the support that you have given us in improving judicial security, and I ask that you continue to make it a priority. Given all of these challenges, why do Georgia judges persist in the hard work of making the rule of law real for Georgians? I think the answer is the same answer for you members of the General Assembly. You too face threats to your security. You too face all sorts of challenges in your community through your service.

182. 1:45:48

     Both judges and legislators face a lot of the same challenges. We are all in this together, and we all face those challenges head-on because we care about our communities, we care about the people we serve, we care about doing the right thing, and above all, we are committed to fulfilling our oaths. Your oath is a bit different from our oath because our roles are different. The judicial oath promises independence and impartiality.

183. 1:46:21

     In contrast, the legislative oath promises the exercise of judgment in the service of the interests and prosperity of the state. But despite these differences, both the legislative and judicial oaths are rooted in the promise to uphold the Constitution of the State of Georgia and the Constitution of the United States. When we take these oaths, we make a promise to our communities. We make a promise to those who elected us. We make a promise to our families.

184. 1:46:53

     And for many of us, we also make a promise to God. This aspect of the oath as a promise to God has shaped the history of our legal system. In fact, in colonial England, and for most of our history as a state, criminal defendants were prohibited from testifying under oath, lest in their desire for acquittal, they brought upon themselves divine judgment. Georgia was the last state in the Union to change that rule. We didn't change it until 1962.

185. 1:47:26

     In the Catholic tradition, St. Thomas More is the patron saint of lawyers. But he wasn't just a lawyer. He also served as Speaker of the House of Commons, and then Lord Chancellor of England under Henry VIII. He's a great example of both judges and legislators to emulate. He ultimately gave his life to avoid breaking his oath. His commitment to keep that promise to God is reflected, no matter the cost, is reflected in his last words, which characterized himself as the king's good servant and God's first.

186. 1:48:03

     That's pretty good. But of course, as we like to remind our British friends every July 4th, and especially during this 250th anniversary of American independence, here in the United States, we don't have a king. As the Constitution makes clear, here the people are sovereign. And so, as

187. 1:48:33

     And so, as you return to your legislative business and we return to our judicial business, let us all commit to keep our oaths to the Constitution and the rule of law it embodies. If we do, we will truly be the people's good servants as we seek to be God's first. Thank you. May God bless each of you, our great state of Georgia, and the United States of America.

188. 1:49:20

     Thank you. Good job, Chief Justice. Thank you, Justice Pearson. Thoroughly enjoyed that. We greatly appreciate that, and we greatly appreciate all the judiciary members here. Uh, and thank y'all for your service and dedication to the State of Georgia. Mr. Doorkeeper, please escort the chief justice of the Justice Supreme Court and the judges of the Court of Appeals from the chamber at this time.

189. 1:51:47

     Recognize the pro tem for a motion.

190. 1:51:50

     Thank you, Mr. President. I know we've got a lot of work to do for Georgians, so I move that this joint session of the Georgia General Assembly be dissolved.

191. 1:52:01

     The President pro tem has moved that the joint session be dissolved. All those in favor signify by saying aye.

192. 1:52:08

     Aye.

193. 1:52:09

     All those opposed, no.

194. 1:52:12

     No.

195. 1:52:12

     Ayes clearly have it. Have a wonderful day, everybody.