Sesión en el pleno del Senado, 19 de febrero de 2026 (día legislativo 21)

Transcripción

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

1. 0:26:24

   The time for convening having arrived, the Senate will come to order. At this time, I will ask all unauthorized persons to exit the chamber. I recognize the senator from the first.

2. 0:26:48

   Thank you, Mr. President. It's my honor today to, uh, stand in for the rules chairman. Uh, and we have a great group of, uh, pages with us today. Uh, we have a couple of, uh, pages that are, um, children of members. Reid Brizendine, uh, the senator from the 41st, and then we have another, uh, senator, uh, from the Hudson Dixon, and I won't let you-- I'll let you guess on th- that, uh, dad there.

3. 0:27:26

   And then we have, uh, Kaylee Bynum, uh, Justice Cummings, and Steven Cummings, to brothers. Uh, Anita Daniel, uh, Ankita Daniel, I'm sorry. Hudson Dixon, Ava Gaspard, Fisher Gillis, Brantley Griffith, Henry Gurley, no relation to Todd Gurley. Uh, Donald Howard, uh, Laham, uh, Lakhani, uh, Xin Li, Madeline Montel, um, Pella Newell, uh, Vedant Pandey, Krish Patel, Graham Powers, Esteban Rodriguez, Bryant Rush, Caleb Sanders, uh, Reagan Strong, uh, Alex Ta- uh, Talipski, Kayla Thomas, Nicholas, um, Va- Va- Vaimili.

4. 0:28:15

   I think I butchered that, but, uh, hopefully, I apologize for that. Campbell Wyatt and Peyton Wyatt, uh, uh, brother and sister. Peyton Wyatt and Sa- Ya- Yaman Chely. So I think I got that. Uh, and the, that's the pages. Uh, let's give them a warm welcome here in the Senate. Thank you, pages, for being here. Really appreciate that. Uh, Mr. President, the, uh, journal has been read and is accurate, and I move that we suspend it.

5. 0:28:46

   Thank you.

6. 0:28:49

   Is there objection to dispensing with the reading of the journal? The chair hears none, and the reading of the journal is dispensed with. Is there objection to the confirmation of the journal? The chair hears none, and the journal is confirmed. All senators who have bills or resolutions to introduce, plea- please bring them to the secretary's desk at this time. First reading in reference of Senate bills and resolutions.

7. 0:29:14

   Senate Bill 522 by Senator Echols of the 49th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 5 of Chapter 13 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to excise taxes on rental motor vehicles.

8. 0:29:24

   Finance.

9. 0:29:24

   Senate Bill 523 by Senators Goodman of the 8th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to education so as to authorize public schools and post-secondary educational institutions to consider antisemitism in the same-

10. 0:29:35

    Higher education.

11. 0:29:36

    Senate Bill 524 by Senators Harbison of the 16th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 40-2-86 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to license plates promoting or supporting certain agencies, funds, or nonprofit corporations.

12. 0:29:48

    Public safety.

13. 0:29:50

    Senate Bill 525 by Senators Robertson of the 29th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 11 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions relative to the Juvenile Code so as to require the recording of all proceedings under the Juvenile Code to establish-

14. 0:30:02

    Children and families.

15. 0:30:04

    Senate Bill 526 by Senators Robertson of the 29th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 37 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to mental health so as to provide for the licensing and regulation of recovery res- residences.

16. 0:30:14

    Health and Human Services.

17. 0:30:16

    Senate Bill 527 by Senators Robertson of the 29th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 15-16-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to qualification requirements for sheriff and exemptions so as to require that candidates for the office-

18. 0:30:27

    Public safety.

19. 0:30:29

    Senate Bill 528 by Senators Robertson of the 29th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 24 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to insurance generally so as to r- require health benefit plans-

20. 0:30:40

    Insurance and labor.

21. 0:30:41

    Senate Bill 529 by Senators Merritt of the 9th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 5 of Chapter 3 of Title 51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to negligent security so as to exempt a certain-

22. 0:30:51

    Judiciary.

23. 0:30:52

    Senate Bill 530 by Senators Parks of the 7th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 7 and 8 of Title 48 and Chapter 8 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to income taxes, sales and use taxes, and fees and taxes relative to-

24. 0:31:05

    Finance.

25. 0:31:06

    Senate Bill 531 by Senator Jones of the 2nd-- of the 22nd, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 21-2-216 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to qualifications of electors generally, registration of electors-

26. 0:31:17

    Ethics.

27. 0:31:18

    Senate Bill 532 by Senators Halpern of the 39th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Articles 2 and 7 of Chapter 11 of Title 9 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to commencement of action and service of default judgment respectively so as to provide-

28. 0:31:29

    Judiciary.

29. 0:31:30

    Senate Bill 533 by Senator Summers of the 13th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions regarding elections and primaries so as to provide for certain non-resident-

30. 0:31:42

    Ethics.

31. 0:31:44

    Senate Bill 534 by Senators Merritt of the 9th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 39 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to minors so as to provide for the creation of the Georgia Baby Bond Savings Plan to provide for the administration of such plans.

32. 0:31:57

    Finance.

33. 0:31:57

    Senate Resolution 800 by Senators Goodman of the 8th and others, a resolution creating the Joint Study Committee on the Generational Sustainability of Family Farms and Private-

34. 0:32:04

    Agriculture and Consumer Affairs.

35. 0:32:08

    Senate Resolution 810 by Senators Kemp of the 38th and others, a resolution recognizing the importance of transparency, community engagement, environmental stewardship, and congressional oversight-

36. 0:32:16

    Public safety.

37. 0:32:17

    Senate Resolution 811 by Senators Parks of the 7th and others, a resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia so as to provide that the General Assembly shall be authorized to provide by-

38. 0:32:25

    Finance.

39. 0:32:26

    Senate Resolution 813 by Senators Williams of the 25th and others, a resolution urging the Department of Public Health to conduct a study of-

40. 0:32:31

    Health and Human Services.

41. 0:32:33

    Mr. President, I complete your order.

42. 0:32:37

    First reading in reference of house bills and resolutions.

43. 0:32:41

    House Bill 419 by Representatives Hawkins of the 27th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend part two of article two of chapter three of the title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to university systems so as to require the-

44. 0:32:51

    Higher education

45. 0:32:52

    ... House Bill 541 by Representatives Dempsey of the 13th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend code section 20-3-411 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to definitions regarding int- tuition equalization grants.

46. 0:33:02

    Higher education.

47. 0:33:04

    House Bill for- 943 by Representative Silcox of the 53rd and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend chapter five of title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to programs and protection of ch- for children and youth so as to establish-

48. 0:33:15

    Children and families.

49. 0:33:17

    House Bill 964 by Representative Cannon of the 172nd and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to revenue and taxation so as to exempt from state and local title avalanche-

50. 0:33:28

    Finance

51. 0:33:29

    ... House Bill 970 by Representative Townsend of the 179th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend part 14 of article six of chapter two of title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to other educational programs relative to the Quality Basic Education Act so-

52. 0:33:41

    Health and Human Services.

53. 0:33:42

    House Bill 1096 by Representative Taylor of the 173rd and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend article one of chapter 2A of title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions relative to the Department of Public Health so as to-

54. 0:33:54

    Health and Human Services

55. 0:33:55

    ... House Bill 1182 by Representative Rhodes of the 124th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend article three of chapter 12 of title two of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to soil amendments so as to provide-

56. 0:34:05

    Natural Resources and Environment

57. 0:34:09

    ... House Bill 1202 by Representative Corbett of the 174th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend code section 35-6A-17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to Georgia Motor Ve- Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Advisory Board membership and termination.

58. 0:34:21

    Public Safety.

59. 0:34:22

    Mr. President, I complete the order.

60. 0:34:24

    The secretary will read reports of standing committees.

61. 0:34:28

    Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Finance 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 430, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Hufstetler of the 52nd District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services 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 428, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Watson of the 1st District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Public Safety has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation.

62. 0:35:02

    Senate Bill 433, do pass by substitute. Senate Bill 482, do pass by substitute. Senate Bill 399, do pass by substitute. Senate Bill 468, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Albers of the 56th 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 Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 437, do pass by substitute. House Bill 521, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Brass of the 6th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Operations Generals has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation.

63. 0:35:38

    Senate Bill 447, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Dixon of the 46th, uh, 45th District, Chairman. Mr. President, I complete the order.

64. 0:35:47

    The secretary will read bills and resolutions for the second time.

65. 0:35:52

    Senate Bill 11 by Senator Rhett of the 33rd and others. Retirement. Credibly, creditable service for certain military members service provide. Senate Bill 198 by Senator Albers of the 56th and others. Georgia Legislative Retirement System, Board of Trustees of the system to increase benefit multipliers for members provide. Senate Bill 392 by Senators Albers of the fifth, 6th and others. Waste Reduction Act of 2026, enact. Senate Bill 458 by Senator Goodman of the 8th and others. Home Inspector Licensing Act of Georgia, enact. Senate Bill 485 by Senator Payne of the 54th and others.

66. 0:36:23

    Professional counselors, applicants for a license in social work enrolled in a master's degree program to take the Master of Social Work licensing examination in their final semester of the program authorize. Senate Bill 487 by Senator Hickman of the 4th and others. Education Workforce Data Governance Advisory Committee within the Office of Student Achievement establish. Senate, Senate Resolution 482 by Senator Bearden of the 30th and others. Georgia Public Service Commission, create a study committee, urge. Se- House Bill 973 by Representative Burns of the 159th and others. Supplemental Appropriations, State Fiscal Year July 1st, 2025 to J- June 30th, 2026.

67. 0:36:57

    Mr. President, I complete the order.

68. 0:37:02

    It is now time for the morning roll call. Are there any motions to excuse? Chair recognizes the senator from the 33rd.

69. 0:37:21

    You can hear me?

70. 0:37:22

    Yes, sir.

71. 0:37:23

    Good morning, Mr. President, and good morning, y'all. Ask for unanimous consent to excuse the s- senators from the 5th, the 9th, the 17th, 22, 26, 36, 40, 41, and 55 for business,

72. 0:37:50

    and the 2nd for business inside the Capitol.

73. 0:37:55

    That'd be business

74. 0:37:59

    outside.

75. 0:37:59

    Senator, is your, any of your caucus here besides you? Okay.

76. 0:38:09

    All right. Senator asks for y- uh, unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 2nd, 5th, 9th, 17th, 22nd, 26th, 36th, 40th, 41st, and 55th. Without objection, they're excused. Chair recognizes the senator from the 48th.

77. 0:38:30

    Good morning, Mr. President. Uh, just a inquiry. Were all the senators that were just excused going to Rome to visit the president, or were they going somewhere else today?

78. 0:38:39

    Ah, that's very curious. I don't know. But actually, uh, I did want to ask permission to excuse the senator from the 27th for business outside the Capitol.

79. 0:38:54

    So-

80. 0:38:58

    Without objection, the senator from the 27th is excused. Chair recognizes the senator from the 30th. Thank you, Mr. President. Ask for unani- unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 6th for business outside the Capitol. Without objection, the senator from the 6th is excused for business outside the Capitol.

81. 0:39:22

    Any other senators?

82. 0:39:28

    All right. The secretary will call the roll of senators. Signify your presence by voting the yay switch. The secretary will unlock the machine.

83. 0:40:07

    So we've got some special guests with us today in the gallery. We've got the fourth grade from the Westville School in Perry, Georgia. I'm very happy to have them with us today. Uh, please welcome them to the Senate chamber today.

84. 0:40:48

    It's now time for the morning devotion. All senators, please take your seat and cease all conversation. I would ask the doorkeepers to secure the chamber at this time.

85. 0:41:04

    I now recognize the senator from the 54th for the purpose of leading the pledges and introducing the chaplain of the day.

86. 0:41:17

    If everyone would please join me, let us pledge to our flag. 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. And to our state's flag. I pledge allegiance to the Georgia flag and to the principles for which it stands, wisdom, justice, moderation, and courage.

87. 0:41:47

    Thank you, Mr. President. And it's an honor today, friends, to, um, bring to you the, our pastor of the day, um, Tim Chaney and his wife, Jess. Um, Jess is over here. If you'll raise your hand. And their daughter, Eden. Will you raise your hand, Eden? Um, we have them today and it's an honor. But Tim and his wife, Jess, of, joined Fellowship Bible Church in February of 2010. Pastor Chaney began working on, as director of family ministry.

88. 0:42:18

    After five years of serving in, in that position, he became the lead pastor in January of 2015 and is still serving in, in this role. Pastor Chaney received a do- a degree in student ministry at the U- Union University in tw- 2007. He then continued his education to receive a Master's of Divinity from Columbia Bible Seminary in August 2011. And Bab- he established his B- Baptist Theological Seminary doctorate since then.

89. 0:42:49

    While attending Union U- Union University, Pastor Chaney met his wife, Jess, and they got married in 2008. They have three children, Eden and J- Karis, and then they also have, uh, in 2019, adopted another child, the middle child. Um, Pastor Chaney grew up in this church and believed in Jesus Christ at a young age. His passion is to see the church culture awakened by many, uh, needs of hurting, of a hurting world. He longs to see Fellowship Bible Church become a church body who dedicates themselves to, to serve the Dalton-Whitfield community with gospel intentionally.

90. 0:43:30

    Pastor Chaney, it, uses hi- his role as lead pastor to explain the scriptures in their ordinary context, in an original context, and calls the church to take up action to the holy living and dis- disci- disci- and disciple making. And it's my honor to bring to you Pastor Tim Chaney.

91. 0:43:55

    Well, good morning to you all. Thank you, Chuck, for that introduction, and thank you to all for your service to our state and your attention this morning. On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress was quite busy, but one of the lesser known things they accomplished that day was to form a new committee made up of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. Three of the most influential men in the room were designated to design the first great seal of the United States of America. And the ch- the scene that they chose and discussed to be a part of this emblem of the United States is instructive to us.

92. 0:44:31

    Where they drew their im- their inspiration challenges us. They drew it from the biblical Exodus story and the crossing of the Red Sea.

93. 0:44:40

    Franklin suggested the image be Moses standing on the Red Sea with the caption, "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." Jefferson suggested the image of the Israelites being led by a pillar of cloud and fire. Ultimately, a different image was chosen, the front being an eagle, the back is a rather strange-looking pyramid and an eye that nobody understood until Nicolas Cage told us it had something to do with the treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence. That is just to make sure that you are actually paying attention this morning.

94. 0:45:14

    The part about Franklin and Jefferson is 100% true. The rest was just Hollywood. But our Founding Fathers really did draw inspiration from the biblical Exodus story. Why is that? What did they find so inspiring in the story? I want to briefly remind you of the story this morning and ask the question, where is your eyesight going today? What are you focusing on? In which direction are you looking? You probably remember the story of the Exodus, how God sent Moses to deliver his nation out of slavery and bring them into freedom of worship.

95. 0:45:51

    And as we pick up the scene in chapter 14 of the book of Exodus, that God has miraculously delivered his people, brought them to the edge of the sea, and Pharaoh has changed his mind, and he is in pursuit. So in verse 10 of chapter 14, we'll pick up, "As Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them," and this is what's important, "they feared greatly." Despite witnessing 10 miraculous plagues and seeing God's miraculous deliverance of their nation, Israel feared.

96. 0:46:27

    Why? Because they changed the direction of their eyesight. And where their eyes went, their hearts followed. And as their hearts became fearful, they recognized that they were looking at the enemy and not at God's provision. At first, they were looking in front of them to the presence of God leading them through the wilderness. But when they turned back at the enemy behind them, their hearts became overwhelmed with fear. So what was God's next move? Then the presence of God, who was there as a pillar of cloud and fire, moved from in front of the Israelites to behind them so that they could not see the enemy without first looking through the presence of God.

97. 0:47:08

    So the presence of God became a corrective lens through which he clarified and corrected their vision. They still could see the enemy, but the enemy was only visible now through a pillar of fire. Just as we need corrective lenses to see things in the world around us, so the divine presence, the power of God, can become a corrective lens to help us see our world correctly. So the question again, where are your eyes focusing this morning? Are they looking at the struggles in front of you?

98. 0:47:40

    Are they looking at the challenges to overcome? Are they looking down in dismay, recognizing the challenges are too great and there's no real practical solutions to the issues we face as a state? As an average Georgian, I cannot imagine the weight of the decisions that you all face in this room. And so first I want to say thank you. But also I want to issue a challenge. Where are you going to put your gaze and your focus today? Are you fixing your eyes on the obstacles or are you looking up to see the presence of the Lord?

99. 0:48:14

    Because just as God came to correct Israel's vision, so Jesus stands ready to correct our vision today. Just as God delivered his children out of slavery, so Jesus stands ready to deliver sinners like you and like I from the sin that has so entangled us and deliver us from bondage into freedom. Our hope today, our only hope, is divine guidance and divine course correction. Don't look down. Don't look back.

100. 0:48:44

     Look up and see the salvation of the Lord. Let me pray for you.

101. 0:48:52

     Jesus, I thank you this morning that you overcame an enemy far greater than the Egyptian army for us. You overcame my sin and you overcame the sin of the world. You overcame the devil and you defeated death. And Jesus, we praise you for what you have done. Now God, our Holy Father, move by your Spirit in these hearts today and in this building today. I pray these men and women would see your presence and feel your presence as you meet with them. Show them the path you've laid out for their lives and in their service.

102. 0:49:24

     Show them their own sin and your wide open arms of redemption. Clarify their sight, correct their vision, that they may see who you are and see themselves in light of who you are. Show them your love. Show them where you're moving. Encourage them and enliven them today. Father, fill this place with men and women full of your Spirit so that your name would be glorified above all. Now to you, Father, to you who are able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to your power at work within us, to you be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.

103. 0:50:05

     Amen. Thank you all.

104. 0:50:09

     Great word. Thank you very much. Keep our eyes on

105. 0:56:14

     him. We are so fortunate to have physicians from all over the state volunteer with us and I will give the mic over to the senator from the 35th to introduce our doctor of the day.

106. 0:56:33

     Thank you. Bringing to you Dr. David Blake. He's a native of Bronx, New York, but he graduated from Northside Performing Arts High School in Atlanta, Georgia after relocating with his family. He received his bachelor's from Howard University in Washington, DC, um, and his medical degree at Morehouse School of Medicine. Um, just a ton of accolades. I'll pull out a couple of things here. He is the medical director for Families First Healthcare, um, in Lithia Springs, Georgia, uh, where he provides clinical, uh, perception, uh, or preceptorship, excuse me, uh, training to medical students, uh, nurse practitioner students, and physician assistant students.

107. 0:57:16

     Uh, also working closely with the American, uh, Medical Association and National Medical Association. Lots of accolades again, and I wanna just note that you will have somebody who knows exactly what they're doing. We are in very good hands here at the Capitol today. Uh, I'll just also point out kind of a fun fact. Dr. Blake has served as a ringside physician for the Georgia State Boxing Commission, uh, covering boxing and mixed martial arts events throughout the State of Georgia.

108. 0:57:47

     Um, I think that's important being that, uh, politics is a, can be a-

109. 0:57:53

     Okay

110. 0:57:53

     Contact

111. 0:57:54

     ... a contact sport. Uh, we have the right physician of the day here today. Uh, most proudly, Dr. Blake is the father of four beautiful girls, Alexandria, um, Adriana, Arielle, and Brianna. Well, I'll bring to you a doctor for the day, Dr. David Blake.

112. 0:58:13

     Thank you.

113. 0:58:16

     Thank you, Senator Howard, and all the senators represented here today for this opportunity to serve with you. And as you heard, yes, I am a native of the Bronx, but I spent most of my life here in Atlanta, and I'm past president of the Alumni of Morehouse School of Medicine. I'm, uh, past president of the Atlanta Medical Association, currently the chair of the Georgia State Medical Association. So Georgia is near and dear to my heart as well, and its citizens and the health thereof, helping to hopefully train our future doctors. I see some young people here with us today.

114. 0:58:48

     Maybe they'll be here one day taking care of you all. And I'll be remiss if I did not mention also, I'm newly married and have, uh, my wife as well, and we have four grandchildren. And, um, and we also look forward to raising them and letting them come forward and hopefully take care of you all, too. So again, thank you all for what you do, which allows me to do what I do as we all take care of the citizens of the State of Georgia. Thank you.

115. 1:00:23

     We have a special guest with us today that we would like to recognize. The secretary will read a resolution.

116. 1:00:29

     Senate Resolution 590 by Senator Davenport of the 17th. A resolution recognizing Thursday, February 19th, 2026, as Lupus Advocacy Day at the State Capitol and for other purposes. Whereas at least 1.5 million Americans, including approximately fi- 55,000 Georgians, are currently living with lupus. And whereas the Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness was established in 2014 to investigate the level of education and awareness of lupus across the state and has developed a statewide action plan with a multidisciplin- disciplinary collaborative that will launch lupus initiatives to increase knowledge, educate healthcare providers, consumers, and legislatures, address early diagnosis, access to care, and health disparities in lupus.

117. 1:01:11

     Now therefore, be it resolved by the Senate that the members of this body commend the work of the Lupus Foundation of America and other organizations devoted to finding a cure for lupus and to supporting the individuals and families whose lives are affected by this autoimmune disease. And declare Thursday, February 19th, 2026 as Lupus Advocacy Day at the State Capitol. Mr. President, that completes your order.

118. 1:01:30

     Is there objection to the adoption of the resolution? Chair hears none, and the resolution is adopted.

119. 1:01:40

     I'll now call on the senator from the 17th for the purpose of introducing our special guest.

120. 1:01:50

     Thank you very much, Mr. President, uh, senators, and guests. I am pleased to recognize Lupus Advocacy Day here at the State Capitol. We know that lupus is a, is an acute and chronic autoimmune, autoimmune d- disease, and about a million and a half persons, Americans, uh, have this disease, and here in Georgia, about 55,000. Uh, the C- Georgia Council on Lupus F- Education and Awareness was established in 2014, and I am so happy that we recognize persons who live with lupus, and we want you to know that we support you always, uh, the Lupus Foundation and the lupus, uh, persons living with lupus disease.

121. 1:02:39

     I have with me today, uh, senators joining me, uh, senators from the 43rd, the 36th, and the 55th. And also from the, uh, uh, uh, Georgia Council, we have Mr. Chris Reid, Ms. Ophelia, uh, Gaines, Ms. Kimberly Scott, Ms. Maria Harris, and Ms. Farrah Hopkins. And accepting this resolution today is Mr. Chris Reid.

122. 1:03:07

     Thank you.

123. 1:03:10

     Mm-hmm.

124. 1:03:10

     Senator Davenport, uh, President Pro Tem, Lieutenant Governor, I wanna thank you, uh, for, uh, passes of, of this resolution on behalf of the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter, and the 55,000 Georgians living with lupus. Some who are represented in this audience, if you could please stand if you're here with, with the Lupus Foundation. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Um-

125. 1:03:39

     As the resolution states, s- sixty percent of people with lupus live with chronic kidney disease, and some of that is end-stage renal disease. So I just want you to take that into consideration as you consider the bills that you're, you're looking at this legislative session. Thank you very much.

126. 1:05:22

     We've got a very, very special guest in the chamber with us today, the First Lady of Senate District 45. We are glad to have you with us today. Welcome her, please.

127. 1:07:17

     Are there any unanimous consents?

128. 1:07:22

     Does any senator wish to rise on a point of personal privilege?

129. 1:07:34

     All right. I wanna make the senators aware,

130. 1:07:40

     so we're past day 20. This is legislative day 21, and pursuant to Senate rule... Let me get your, let me get your attention, senators. Um, after day 20, pursuant to Senate Rule 8-1.7C, 8-1.7C, points of personal privilege will be limited to three minutes r- rather than the five minutes we've had prior to, prior to day 21.

131. 1:08:14

     So please keep your comments to three minutes or less. Chair recognizes the Dean of the Senate, senator from the 15th, my good friend.

132. 1:08:28

     Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to take a few moments, uh, of our time and recognize a dear friend of mine, Al Hampton of Ohio. Al Hampton and myself, along with a contingent of Marines from Camp Pendleton, California, were the first to, uh, arrive as combat, uh, participants in the Vietnam War in Vietnam, March 8, 1965. He passed recently and he is, uh, buried in, uh, Florida.

133. 1:09:04

     I was not able to attend his funeral, but Al was the kind of Marine that was a Marine when he was active duty, and he traveled from Canada to meet his friend Terry Houghton, to California to caucus with his friend Steve Pepe and Trudy Pepe and, and, uh, myself as well here in Columbus, Georgia. So Al was a Marines Marine. He was a free spirit, loved everybody. To me, he was a true friend and enduring spirit. He would travel great distances just to be friendly to somebody he had just met.

134. 1:09:39

     So, uh, he was a true Marine, simplified kind of guy that met everybody on that term. So I just want to have us pause for a few moments to recognize the passing of Al Hampton, United States Marine Corps. Mr. President. Senators, ask for a moment of silence.

135. 1:10:07

     Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you k- members of the Senate. Thank you, Dean.

136. 1:10:15

     We're honored to have a special guest in the chamber with us, with us today, good friend of mine, former Senator PK Martin, so please give him a warm welcome.

137. 1:10:31

     You'd think he'd come up here and get a picture with me, I would think. All right, good. Glad to have you, PK. Thanks for your service. Also wanna recognize special guests in the gallery from Middle Georgia State University. We're proud to have you all with us today, so welcome.

138. 1:10:57

     Chair recognizes our Ag and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman for a point of personal privilege.

139. 1:11:10

     Thank you, Mr. President. It's with a heavy heart that I come with you, uh, come before you today. Uh, you know, it's my honor to represent Hahira, Georgia. Hahira is a special place, if you've never been there. Um, I've always had a, a great relationship with their local police department. Um, the mayor, who was, uh, just elected there, who was a former p- uh, police chief, actually, uh, I was honored to, uh, to be the person to swear him in as mayor. And, uh, there's a, a young, uh, police officer with the Hahira Police Department that lost his life last night.

140. 1:11:44

     His name was Caleb Abney. He was twenty-five years old. Caleb was engaged, uh, set to be married this April. He and his fiancee had just bought a home together. And during a r- a routine traffic stop last night on I-75, he had someone pulled over, and he was just, uh, working his traffic stop and was parked in the emergency lane, and someone in a Camaro who was driving erratically, you know, passing people, just acting crazy, uh, actually rear-ended him in the emergency lane while he was doing his traffic stop, and the Camaro was doing 100 miles an hour.

141. 1:12:23

     And, uh, unfortunately, uh, Caleb lost his life in that accident. And, uh, you know, for all of those, all of our law enforcement officers across the state, you know, they wanna go and do their job and come home safe at night, and they provide the very blanket of safety in our homes every day that we sleep under. And, uh, I just, you know, my thoughts and prayers are with his family, um, and it's just a sad day in Hahira, Georgia. So Mr. President, if you don't mind, I would like to ask for a moment of silence for Caleb Abney.

142. 1:12:59

     Senator has asked for a mo- moment of silence.

143. 1:13:08

     Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the wheel.

144. 1:13:10

     Thank you, Senator. Our prayers are with the Abney family. Chair recognizes the senator from the third for a point of personal privilege.

145. 1:13:33

     Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, um, I rise to, uh, note to you that you have two items from my coastal neck of the woods on your desk. You have a progress report, 2025 progress report from the Jekyll Island Authority, and you also have an invitation to the Jekyll Island Foundation's annual Gilded and Wild celebration for early May. Um, if you have not been to Jekyll in a long time, I will tell you that Jekyll is not, it's not your parents' Jekyll Island.

146. 1:14:08

     It, so much has happened in the last 20 years. You really need to see it. A couple of highlights from this report. Jekyll Island welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors in 2025. That is 600,000 more visitors a year than just 10 years ago. The authority reached record revenues in many of its operating facilities, including the convention center, the Sea Turtle Center, mini golf and bike rental, and its retail operations.

147. 1:14:39

     In summer and fall of 2025, the island, um, celebrated the reopening of the Great Dunes Golf Course and the district shops on historic Pier Road. And also, the authority was, has received recognition for being designated a certified autism center at the Summer Waves Water Park, and they're one of the first water parks to receive this designation. Um, r- authority also received a global impact award for its ongoing work on its new conservation wildlife corridor.

148. 1:15:12

     It took, when it redeveloped its golf courses, it took one of its courses, nine holes, and, and dedicated it to a wildlife habitat. And then finally, the authority, uh, closed out its fiscal year 2025 with $3 million better than budget. As the authority continues in the second half of its fiscal year of '26, um, it's trending a little more than $2.9 million better than budget, so they're gonna have another successful year.

149. 1:15:43

     And finally, if you'll note again the invitation for Gilded and Wild, this is the, um, way that the Jekyll Island Foundation raises funds. Uh, our own senator from the 42nd's wife, Lindsey Strickland, is a member of that foundation, and she, um, and I, um, send you, uh, an invitation to come down to the coast and enjoy Jekyll Island and enjoy our beautiful coast. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the wheel.

150. 1:16:24

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 38th. And if you all would please suspend any audible conversation and pay attention to the senators as they do their point of personal privilege. Senator from the 38th.

151. 1:16:47

     Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I rise today 'cause it's a very special and ice-cold day at the Capitol today. We have the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated here. I just wanna recognize those that are in the gallery and those that are here with us.

152. 1:17:09

     Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is the oldest Black Greek organization in the country. We paved the way for folks like my good brother from the 22nd to be able, uh, to be a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. We won't hold that against him. Uh, but it is a truly an honor to be able to be a member of this prestigious organization alongside my good brother who has now joined us in the Senate.

153. 1:17:39

     We now have two state senators that are men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, Dr. Jaha Howard. And I just want to share just a little bit about Alpha Phi Alpha. Um, we are very determined to ensure that we fill the gap and work to get our people out to vote. And it was founded in 1906 by seven exceptional men who we call our seven jewels. And I just want to share a few of the great men that are members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.

154. 1:18:14

     United States Senator Raphael Warnock, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois, Ambassador Andrew Young, Mayor, the late Maynard Jackson, Congressman David Scott As well as

155. 1:18:38

     we have a few men across the hall in this fraternity. We actually have three men that are serving in the State House that are members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, and I just want to recognize the great work that this fraternity does for our community in ensuring that we are the light that our community sees. And it's just truly an honor to be a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated and to continue the legacy of our Seven Jewels, uh, throughout this state and this country.

156. 1:19:08

     So welcome, brothers. I hope you have a wonderful day, and we look forward to engaging with you throughout the day. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

157. 1:19:24

     Senators, as you know, we don't have any, uh, bills on the rules calendar today, and we wanna make sure to get all our page pictures. Uh, so if you've got a page here, let's get them lined up and let's be sure we take care of that before we exit. Chair recognizes the senator from the 23rd for a point of personal privilege. Please give him your attention. Thank you.

158. 1:19:55

     Morning, colleagues. I, I rise to acknowledge Georgia State University Day in the Capitol. We're delighted to have Georgia State University as a neighbor, but more importantly, we're delighted to have them produce some of the greatest graduates in our state. So I know a number of my colleagues here in the Senate attended Georgia State, have degrees from Georgia State. We appreciate, uh, Dr. Brian Blake. Dr. Blake has done a great job as president of, of Georgia State, and we applaud him and his efforts. I just want you to know that today they're downstairs on the second floor, so as you leave the session this morning, please drop by and visit with the various programs that Georgia State University has to offer to our entire state.

159. 1:20:37

     And with that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

160. 1:20:52

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 55th for a point of personal privilege.

161. 1:21:17

     Good morning, colleagues. I rise today as a moment of Black history, as history converges on what was dropped today as Senate Bill fi- 536, the Voting Rights Act named after Henry McNeel Turner, the first AM bishop of the South. And it's so incredibly coincidental that we have now come full circle.

162. 1:21:47

     We've come full circle because Henry McNeel Turner in 1868 was one of those 33 who served in this august body, the General Assembly, who were expelled simply because of their color. And today we have moves to take over voter, uh, election boards. We have moves to take us back to a time of reconstruction where people were not able to vote. So now we're asking for your support for Senate Bill 536 for the right to vote.

163. 1:22:23

     We've come full circle because the federal government was to protect our rights, and now it is d- taking away our rights. It is now raiding our voting booths and raiding our voting ballots. It is now threatening us with long lines to vote, threatening us even to put us in jail for the right to give someone water to drink. So now I implore all of you colleagues to recognize that democracy is built on this notion of the right to vote.

164. 1:22:55

     It is the alternative to the bullet. It's the alternative to violence. I implore you that we not repeat 1868 where people that look like me were expelled from this body simply because of their race. Simply because of their race, they were not allowed to vote. We must not repeat that. We must not become like the dictators across this nation, across this world, but we are the beacon of hope for so many.

165. 1:23:29

     So many risked their lives just to come here because of the American dream, and that dream is built on the right to vote. I yield the floor. Thank you.

166. 1:24:08

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 48th for a point of personal privilege.

167. 1:24:25

     Thank you, Mr. President. I'm here because we have 28 pages today, and we have about half as many senators in the chamber While we want to encourage these kids to participate and be part of what we do, I think it is incumbent upon us to make sure that we make this a worthwhile and meaningful experience to them. Just wanna encourage my colleagues, find your page, bring them in, let them shadow you.

168. 1:24:57

     We don't have a lot of business on the floor today. Make this, this opportunity, this time for them special. If we don't invest in them now, it's gonna be much, much harder to get them engaged later. So just a, a word of thanks to the wonderful ladies that run the page program. A word of thanks to our kids for sacrificing their day to be here. Even though it is an excused absence, it's still a day off, and obviously an acknowledgement and appreciation to their parents for giving them the time. Thank you, Mr. President.

169. 1:25:27

     I yield the floor.

170. 1:25:30

     Always love having our pages here. They get to see civics in action and come to life. So thank you, Senator. Chair recognizes the senator from the 36 for a point of personal privilege.

171. 1:26:14

     Good morning, colleagues. Um, thank you, Mr. President, and I am, uh, happy to share with you, uh, several points, uh, of personal privilege. Uh, th- this is a very busy day in the Capitol. Uh, we just held a press conference about Senate Bill 536, which would be a incredibly, uh, big step forward for Georgia to adopt a voting rights bill.

172. 1:26:51

     Uh, that is a bill that has been filed, Senate Bill 536, authored by, uh, the gentleman from the 22nd, uh, the, uh, lady from the 9th, and, uh, many others. So keep your eyes peeled for that important legislation. I'm so happy to have, uh, be hosting today the city of East Point, uh, leadership and citizens from that fair city. Uh, they are here with us today in the Capitol.

173. 1:27:23

     Uh, we are, uh, they've, they've, they've just elected, uh, of, a new mayor, and, uh, the city council members are here, and we will be, uh, enjoying lunch with them. Uh, and I just wanna remind you all the slogan of that fair city is, "There's no point like East Point," and isn't that the truth? We also have, uh, uh, there's a wonderful ex- uh, display, uh, down in the, uh, on the second floor of the, the, uh, various, uh, universities and colleges.

174. 1:28:00

     Uh, I've stopped by there and I urge you to do that as well. And Middle Georgia State is with us today in the Capitol. We're so happy to acknowledge and recognize them and, uh, their great successes. Uh, and I've seen the panther, the blue panther, roving the halls for Georgia State. Uh, so keep your eyes open for all of these events that are underway. Uh, today as well will be the Working Families Caucus, uh, uh, legislative luncheon, and that will be in, uh, CLOB 307.

175. 1:28:38

     Don't be a stranger. Come and break bread with the Working Families Caucus, uh, and, uh, learn from those who are presenting to us that, uh, uh, on that occasion. That is a weekly luncheon, uh, every Thursday in, uh, CLOB 307. So we welcome our wonderful pages, and I always remind them there are people who first came to the Capitol as a young person to page, and lo and behold, they came back when they qualified to run for office.

176. 1:29:09

     So the future is bright, and, uh, I always like to say the future is with us when we engage with our wonderful pages and thank them. I yield the floor.

177. 1:29:23

     Thank you, Senator. Middle Georgia State University is a real gem. We're proud to have them. They have a footprint all over, uh, middle Georgia and are training the workforce of the future in this awesome facility. Uh, chair recognizes the senator from the 51st. He wants to introduce some very special guests.

178. 1:29:46

     Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, senators. As you probably are already aware, this is a big week in Georgia. A big NASCAR race coming up in Atlanta this Sunday, and we're privileged and honored to have one of our famous NASCAR drivers from the South here with us today, Mr. Ross Chastain, over against the wall waving at you.

179. 1:30:07

     He, uh, most, as you most, most of y'all know, NASCAR drivers routinely live up in North Carolina near their shops, but Ross is from Florida, but he has roots in deep South Georgia. He's an eighth-generation watermelon farmer. So of course, our Ag chairman has to stand close to him if he has anything to do with agriculture. But we're pulling for you this weekend, Ross. We're also pulling for my good friend from North Georgia, Chase Elliott. But Ross has been a extremely good, uh, driver. He's won a lot of good races over the years. He, uh, has roots here in Georgia, and we, uh, we love the sport.

180. 1:30:40

     We also have Ed Clark. Ed, raise your hand. He's been the, the manager and the president of the racetrack for many, many years, and now the new president, Brandon Hutchison, is the executive vice president and general manager of Echo Park, which is the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Y'all come down to the racetrack Sunday. The race starts at 3:00, and I promise you'll have a great time. Thank you for being here.

181. 1:31:04

     Thank you, Senator. Chair recognizes the senator from the twenty-fifth for a point of personal privilege.

182. 1:31:24

     Thank you, Mr. President. I don't very often come to do a point of personal privilege, but there was another death in middle Georgia last night. In Hancock State Prison, there was another death. That brings number three this year. In Baldwin State Prison in Milledgeville, there's been one this year. Washington State Prison in Davisboro, there's been five this year.

183. 1:31:59

     That's nine inmates have been brutally killed in our supposedly correction system. This, ladies and gentlemen, very few families have not had a loved one that has been subjected and been sent to prison for some crime that they've committed. Now, a simple burglary charge where someone might be sentenced to three years in prison has turned into a death sentence.

184. 1:32:34

     It's got to stop. We need the National Guard. We need help in our prisons to take those prisons back from the prisoners and the gangs and bring order and safety to some mother's child, some father's child, some brother, or some sister. Please, let's reach out to whomever can help us to bring back control of our prisons and stop this senseless killing.

185. 1:33:09

     Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the well.

186. 1:33:26

     Senator from the tenth recognized.

187. 1:33:45

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise this morning to, uh, recognize a group that's joined me here in the chamber today. It's the American Academy of Pediatrics. They are here advocating on behalf of children and firearm safety. They have a brief agenda that, um, one of the physicians insisted that I share with you some of the things that they are advocating for. The first item on their list is safe storage and public awareness campaign. They're simply asking this body for a million dollars so they can have a safe storage awareness campaign.

188. 1:34:18

     Uh, the second item on the agenda is community violence intervention funding, which makes a lot of sense considering that gun violence is the number one cause of pediatric deaths. And the third thing they're advocating for is pediatric health and the, for the Safe Storage Act. So thank you to this body if, and thank you to those that are here with me today from the American Academy of Pediatrics down at Emory University. Glad to have you here today.

189. 1:35:11

     Senator Gooch, would you approach please?

190. 1:35:34

     Chair recognizes the senator from the twenty-first.

191. 1:35:42

     I tell you what, these freshman senators, you just never know.

192. 1:35:57

     Senator from the twenty-first waives, I believe.

193. 1:36:09

     Does any other senator wish to rise? Oh, senator from the fourteenth.

194. 1:36:25

     Thank you, Mr. President. This might be a more efficient way to have a couple conversations I was gonna have privately. But I've been asked why Trump Morning News has not been a feature of this session. It's an interesting question, right? 'Cause it was something I enjoyed doing last session. I thought it was a timely and informative way to keep my colleagues apprised of the news of the day. But you've, as you've noticed, there has not been any Trump Morning News this session. I'll explain to you this morning exactly why. I believe, even as a member of the minority, that if you elect new leadership, whether it's a president, governor, you name it, that they deserve a period of time to carry out their mandate.

195. 1:37:04

     I'll say that again. When you get elected, you deserve a period of time to carry out your mandate. The problem is, what if you're screwing up on day one or year one?

196. 1:37:14

     Well, the minority party wants to object, but the public doesn't like that too much because the public says they still have a mandate. You know, give them a chance to succeed, right? So the way to do objections in the first year of a mandate is to do it in a way that is accessible and entertaining to say, "I understand you don't want me to gripe too much about this, uh, but I do want to raise your attention to some things that maybe you should pay attention to." Folks, I believe that the political climate has changed in the last few months.

197. 1:37:45

     I'm no longer in the posture of needing to tell you how bad some things are because I think you know for yourselves how bad some things are, and I think you know for yourselves how much public opinion is already changing. So Trump Morning News was a device that was intended to make you aware of some of the, the negative things happening from the administration at a time when we were still giving the administration some deference on their mandate. But I don't think that the public is giving this administration any more deference on its mandate anymore.

198. 1:38:16

     Took a very short year to burn that up. So while everybody up in Rome has a good time today and enjoys their political theater, I know we're all well aware here in a mostly empty Georgia State Senate that the mandate of Donald Trump has expired. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the well.

199. 1:38:45

     Chair recognizes senator from the 22nd for a point of personal privilege. Minority leader.

200. 1:39:02

     Thank you, Mr. President. I'll be brief. One of the things today, we are able to drop a Voting Rights Act bill. The Henry McNeel Turner Voting Rights Act. He was a pastor. Uh, he was a fighter. He was somebody who fought for voting rights, fought for the rights of African Americans. He also was in the military. He was a pastor chaplain within the military, and that's one of the reasons why we named it after him. But then the second reason why he actually named it after him was, it was interesting that he was actually, uh, also a Republican. So I figured when this bill goes through and the name goes out, eventually somebody's gonna come up and say, "See, this guy was a Republican, and so therefore it shows you who's on the right side of history." But as I thought about it, I said, "You know what?

201. 1:39:42

     It's even better because what this shows is it's not about party labels, it's about what you actually believe in." So yes, his label was Republican, but what he believed in was voting rights for African Americans, voting rights for all people. His label may have been Republican, but what he believed in was actually fighting for good causes. And the question to be asked is not to say, "Well, you know what? The bill that you guys have named after him, or the bill that is named after him, this guy was a Republican." The question is, would you be on the same side as him in a fight today if this fight was happening right now?

202. 1:40:16

     And so therefore, I wanted him to be on there, uh, absent his party label or regardless of his party label, because it shows it's not about labels, it's actually about ideas and ideals of what you believe in, and that's what he believed in. But I do want persons to realize that we have filed that bill today, which would be one of the most comprehensive Voting Rights Act bills within the nation coming right here from the state of Georgia, coming from the Georgia Democratic Caucus. So we hopefully will be able to get a hearing on that particular legislation because it is important. It is not about partisan politics, it is about the right to vote, which is the linchpin basically to all rights that you have in society.

203. 1:40:52

     You can forget about affordability. You can forget about any other issue that you have if you cannot express yourself through the right to vote. That's why this bill is that important, because unfortunately throughout the last 15 years, the Supreme Court has been gutting that. And quite frankly, tomorrow or even next week, we may find out that Section 2 no longer exists, and that makes this bill even that much more important. With that, Mr. President, I yield the well.

204. 1:41:20

     Thank you, Senator.

205. 1:41:23

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 49th.

206. 1:41:38

     Senator from the 49th, do you wish to speak?

207. 1:41:45

     Senators, I, I will get the picture with the pages that are left so y'all don't feel like you have to come speak if you don't want to. Um, I appreciate you all helping, but we'll, I'll get, I'll stay and get the pictures. Um, chair recognizes the senator from the 43rd.

208. 1:42:27

     Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning. I rise to, um, remind you again, I know they've been recognized, but we have members of Alpha Phi Alpha S- Fraternity Incorporated, founded of course December 4th, 1906. They are the fraternity brothers of the senator from the 38th and the 35th. Um, and they are here, um, as members of Sigma Eta Lambda Chapter out of Senate District 43.

209. 1:43:01

     Please welcome them here today.

210. 1:43:08

     Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the well.

211. 1:43:44

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 31st for a motion.

212. 1:43:49

     Mr. President, I move the Senate stand adjourned until 9:30 AM on Friday, February 20th.

213. 1:44:01

     Well, we have a motion, but we're gonna pause on that. You have before you a consent calendar of privileged resolutions. Does any senator wish to remove a resolution from the consent calendar? Is there objection to the adoption of the resolutions on the consent calendar? The chair hears none, and the resolutions on the consent calendar are adopted.

214. 1:44:26

     The senator from the 31st has moved that the Senate stand adjourned until 9:30 AM on Friday, February 20th, 2026. All those in favor of the motion will say aye.

215. 1:44:39

     Aye.

216. 1:44:39

     Those opposed, no.

217. 1:44:43

     No.

218. 1:44:43

     Well, the ayes clearly have it. We stand adjourned.

219. 1:44:47

     Senator, read the announcements.

220. 1:44:49

     Read the announcements.

221. 1:44:51

     The Rules Committee will meet upon adjournment in room 450 of the Capitol.

222. 1:44:54

     I didn't know we were doing announcements.

223. 1:44:54

     The Banking and Financial Institutions Committee will meet in room 450 of the Capitol at 1:00 PM. The Education and Youth Committee will meet in room 307 of the CLOB at 1:00 PM. The Natural Resources and the Environment Committee will meet in Mezzanine 1 at 2:00 PM. The joint meeting, Senate Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committee and House Defense and Veterans Affair Committee will meet in room 341 of the Capitol at 2:00 PM. The Ju- Judiciary Committee will m- meet in room 307 of the CLOB at 2:00 PM. The Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee has been canceled. The Insurance and Labor Committee will meet in m- room, Mezzanine 1 at 4:00 PM.

224. 1:45:28

     The Higher Education Committee will meet in room 307 of the CLOB at 4:00 PM. Mr. President, that completes the order.

225. 1:45:38

     All right, going back to the motion to adjourn, the ayes clearly have it. We are adjourned.

226. 1:46:09

     Aye.