Sesión en el pleno del Senado, 2 de abril de 2026 (día legislativo 40, parte 2)

Transcripción

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

1. 1:43:35

   Just to, uh, give y'all a little update, uh, we're waiting. The governor, um, is coming over here to address us. Should be here in a few minutes. He was over in the House, and that's the reason why we have not come back to order officially. So we are just be on standby, because he will be here very shortly. Thank you.

2. 1:46:00

   All right, if the Senate will come to order, please. The Senate will come to order. The governor is making his way over, so if, uh...

3. 1:46:14

   Oh, the floor leader. The floor leader, would you, uh... I mean, don't you have a duty to do or something? Or something.

4. 1:46:27

   You, my friend. All right. Yeah, if Senate will come to order. We've got the, um... If everybody get in their seats and, uh...

5. 1:47:02

   All right, Senate will come to order.

6. 1:48:47

   Recognize the senator from the 42nd. What purpose do you rise?

7. 1:48:50

   Mr. President, I have a point of order.

8. 1:48:52

   State your order.

9. 1:48:52

   Mr. President, would it be appropriate... You can't turn it off, though. Would it be appropriate to have the world, excuse me, the universe, solar system's longest serving floor leader escort the governor down one last time here tonight?

10. 1:49:05

    Oh, man. I really, I think so. I think that's right. I think that's an appropriate move there, Senator.

11. 1:49:42

    Uh, uh, listen up, everyone. Listen up.

12. 1:49:46

    The honorable, quiet, and dignified governor of the great state of Georgia. George waits entrance into the chamber.

13. 1:49:56

    Well, please allow the governor in. We'd love to see him.

14. 1:50:03

    Hear, hear. Hey, hey, hey.

15. 1:51:24

    It is a pleasure to have the governor here tonight, and this will, will represent his last time, uh, here in the chamber re- um, addressing us as the governor of the state of Georgia. This is where it all began for him, though, way back in the early 2001, I believe, 2002, ran as a, as a state senator. He was the state senator from the 46th District here. And, uh, we always knew he got his training from right here in this chamber here. So, but, uh, but, uh, he has had a fantastic career as our 83rd governor.

16. 1:52:00

    Uh, thank you. Is, without, without hesitation, I think anybody would tell you the first four years of, of his governorship were, uh, probably some of the most, uh, troublesome years as far as with COVID and everything else. And, and he brought our, his leadership, his calm demeanor brought us through, uh, those tough times as, uh, as individuals and businesses. And, and, uh, he has had huge economic succe- successes, huge job growth opportunities here in the state.

17. 1:52:32

    And, uh, he is truly, uh, going to leave the state of Georgia in a better place than where he found it, and I think that's what all of us strive to do as elected officials. So Governor, well done. Job well done. We appreciate you, uh, being here, you and your family, and the First Lady, and the, and his daughters over there. Uh, appreciate all the, uh, leadership and, uh, and everything that you've had to go through as a family, because I know it's a lot. And but we appreciate the governor for, for his, uh, his, his, his involvement with the both chambers, the House and the Senate.

18. 1:53:09

    And, uh, without further ado, I'd just like to represent- like to introduce you to the 83rd governor of the state of Georgia, Brian Kemp. Thank you. I appreciate you. Lieutenant Governor Jones, thank you so much. Thank y'all very much. Honored to be with you.

19. 1:53:35

    Thank y'all so much.

20. 1:53:39

    Thank y'all.

21. 1:53:45

    Y'all are very kind. Thank you.

22. 1:53:49

    I just wanted to let you know your friends in the House said to tell you hello. Lieutenant Governor Jones, President Pro Tem Walker, Majority Leader Anavitarte, Minority Leader Jones, and members of the Senate, as in past years, tonight I'm proud to be joined by the nation's greatest First Lady, Marty Kemp.

23. 1:54:25

    We are proud to be here with the lieutenant governor and the first lady of the Senate. Certainly wanna thank them for their service over the years. We're also thankful to have our daughters, Lucy, Amy Porter, Jarrett, and Jarrett's husband, Brooks, with us this evening. We came into this office as a family, we serve the people of this state as a family, and when we leave office next year, we will do that as a family as well. Hear, hear. I told-

24. 1:55:00

    I told your counterparts across the way I could not have asked for a better team and support than these four wonderful ladies that have truly blessed my life. Our time in these elected positions comes and goes, but our family does not. That's something we should all remind ourselves of, especially in an election year when truly important things can get so easily lost or ignored. Lieutenant Governor Jones, I just wanna thank you and your team for your engagement over the last four years on so many issues of importance both to us and the people of this state.

25. 1:55:38

    Thank you.

26. 1:55:47

    On many occasions, along with Speaker John Burns, we have worked to address Georgia's challenges and opportunities. I want you to know, all of you, that we have appreciated that partnership. As the lieutenant governor mentioned, this is where I started my political career, and it is where I'll end my last legislative session as your governor. The first time I sat back in that seat back there in District 46 until now, some 23 years later, four different lieutenant governors have presided over the State Senate.

27. 1:56:24

    More members than I can remember have come and gone from this chamber, and as our state has grown and developed both in population and in economic success beyond what you could have imagined back in 2003. But in all that time and across all that change, one thing has remained constant in this chamber. It is the service of someone who has given over three decades under this Gold Dome to his fellow Georgians, someone that Marty and I are fortunate to call a friend, Senator Ed Harbison.

28. 1:57:28

    I was honored to serve alongside him when I first came into this chamber, and he is now the only one from that class of legislators still serving in the Senate. Ed, you have been a great leader. You've also been a tireless advocate for Georgia's military and our veteran population. Your record both in the armed forces and in this legislative body is one that will be remembered and valued for years to come, and Marty and I wish you the best as you prepare to leave the General Assembly. God bless you.

29. 1:58:06

    It has been an honor to serve with all of you as we have truly worked through unprecedented challenges, especially during the pandemic. We've kept our state a place where its people and its businesses know that they are safe. We've created historic economic developments for our communities, passed legislation to make Georgia a safe haven for the victims of human trafficking and a hostile place for traffickers, and so much more. Thank you for that partnership throughout the years.

30. 1:58:38

    I also wanna thank a lot of people who have supported you and me during these legislative sessions but who don't always get the attention or the applause that they deserve. I'm referring to the Secretary of the Senate, James Tripp, and his great team, the Senate-

31. 1:59:04

    The Senate General Counsel and the Legislative Council team, the staff at the Office of Policy and Legislative An- A- Analysis, the Senate Press Office, the news media... Wait, never mind. Disregard that last one. The committee staff workers, legislative aides, administrative assistants, interns, pages, and of course, your ever vigilant door keepers.

32. 1:59:51

    Please know that Marty and I see all that you do, and we appreciate your service. You're just as much a part of what we have achieved under this gold dome as any elected official is, including me. So thank you again for your hard work and dedication. As this final session during my time in office draws to a close, I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying that, I want to thank you for your contributions and hard work. It has been an honor for Marty, the girls, and me to serve our fellow Georgians these last seven years or so, and I know you share in that honor with us.

33. 2:00:29

    In the hours ahead and in future sessions for those that are returning to this chamber, I hope you'll continue to put hard work and Georgians first because as I've said to this body before while recalling the words of Nehemiah, we must finish the great work that we started. Good luck the rest of the night. God bless you all, and keep chopping. It's been an honor. Thank you very much.

34. 2:03:28

    Recognize the senator from the 10th.

35. 2:03:41

    Well, we're taking points of personal privilege right now because they're waiting on something real quick but...

36. 2:03:56

    Thank you, Mr. President, members of this body. Thank you for this privilege, uh, that's been afforded to me, but I cannot leave this chamber tonight without recognizing someone who has been instrumental to not just my career but has also been instrumental to me growing in this body and in this chamber. It's not that ... It, it is, um,

37. 2:04:22

    it is very, very rare to have someone who actually sees something in you to say, "Emanuel, I think you'd be a great person and a great fit for the legislative body." So at this time, I want to recognize, uh, the person who brought me into this chamber, the person who saw something in me well over 20 some odd years ago, and that person is none other than Samuel Timm.

38. 2:04:52

    So Sam, Sam who is ... Sam has worked in this, in this building a lot longer than I have, but I just want to say to you, Sam, and we do have a resolution that's been prepared for you. I won't take the time to read it, but I am gonna present it to you. But please know how much I appreciate the 22 years that you spent with me and the other five that you spent recruiting me to run for this office. And, uh, we have a small token of our appreciation that I would like to present to you because I would say to you I would not be here had it not been for Sam taking an interest in me so many, many years ago.

39. 2:05:35

    Sam, thank you for being my friend, and thank you for continuing to be and to hang in here with me. I love you just like a father and as a brother. Thank you, my friend.

40. 2:06:57

    Would anybody else like to take a point of personal privilege while we're waiting on the couple of things?

41. 2:07:05

    Is this your farewell? All right. Come on, Senator.

42. 2:07:22

    Time limit. Thank you, Mr. President. No time limit unfortunately, Senator, the 24th. Um, I want to thank everybody for eight of the strangest but most fulfilling years of my life. I came in in the election of 2018, the so-called Blue Wave in the House, uh, with a number of my colleagues in here. There's a couple things I knew how to do in 2018, and that was tweet and yell.

43. 2:07:53

    Uh, and I did a lot of both, including from the House floor. Now, the House floor, if any of you have not spent too much time there, is very big. It's kind of almost like a gladiator arena. And, uh, I remember after four years of giving speeches in the House, I came over here and former Senator John F. Kennedy, who used to sit over here as Pro Tem, he came up to me after my first speech in the Senate and he said, "Now Josh, I don't know what exactly you were trying to accomplish with that speech, but-

44. 2:08:23

    Uh, but that's not gonna work in here, right? And, and I thought he was being partisan at first, but he actually said, "No, I'm trying to help you. This is a smaller, it's a more intimate environment. You can get your point across through friendship. You don't have to be as bombastic." Uh, and the thing I've learned, to keep it short and just sum it up, 'cause there's a lot you can learn from this building, is a lot of times people think that arguing or making a principled, you know, opposition to something is gonna cost you a friendship.

45. 2:08:57

    "Well, I can't oppose that bill," or, "I can't vote against my friend because they're gonna get mad." And I learned this over the years, because a lot of people will tell you straight up, if you tell somebody the punch is coming, you can punch. But also if you punch or if you argue with kindness, uh, and with concern about the humanity and the wellbeing of your opponent, uh, that you can, quote, unquote, "get away with that" as well. And so this is what I'd like to see, and here's my, here's my vain aspiration for the future of democracy, if you're ready for that. I think both in DC and to some extent right now, we have a political environment where people are afraid to make principled arguments, but there's a lot of rancor and distrust and unkindness.

46. 2:09:44

    But we, we could actually do better on both fronts. We can have principled arguments where we really bring conviction and passion to what we're doing, but we can also do it in a way that preserves and protects kindness and friendships and relationships. Because at the end of the day, I think the relationships we have in a bipartisan sense reflect the aspiration we have for the state of Georgia, which is that we don't want to have to skip Thanksgiving because it's too painful to talk to our own family about politics or anything else. Um, so I'm grateful to you all that this chamber, for most, the most part, has been a model for how to talk to one another with kindness, with respect, but with principle, and we're not afraid to disagree.

47. 2:10:26

    'Cause it's harder to hold your friends accountable than it is somebody that you've written off. Uh, I have not written you off. I consider you all friends. Uh, I'm grateful for the opportunities you've given me to work with you. Uh, and who knows? Maybe you'll see me next year, maybe you won't. Uh, but in any event, I'll always miss being in the trenches, hitting the button, being annoying on the microphone. Uh, I will always miss that, uh, and, and doing it with you all. So thank you for some of the, eight of the most interesting and best years of my life. All right. Hey, hey.

48. 2:10:57

    Got time for one more.

49. 2:11:27

    If anybody else wants to take a point of personal privilege, got time for another one.

50. 2:11:35

    Recognize the senator from the 44th.

51. 2:11:56

    Thank you. Good evening, colleagues. Um, it is so bittersweet to give a farewell speech. Um, so I wanna start by answering a question that I know is burning on many of your minds, which is, how on earth did Senator Parent turn out the way she did? And in all seriousness, um, I do wanna talk a little bit about my parents and my upbringing. Um, I certainly don't think that I would have ever entered public service without the two people who raised me being who they are.

52. 2:12:36

    Um, two left of center parents with graduate degrees and a deep commitment to their faith in Alexandria, Virginia, right outside the nation's capital, is how I grew up. We were Catholic. We never missed mass, no matter if we were traveling or when I was a teenager, I would go Sat- to the 5:00 PM Saturday, you know, get it out of the way, so I didn't have to get up early. But very committed to our Catholic faith. And the strain of, or segment, section, I don't wanna make it sound weird, of Catholicism of the church that I grew up within, um, is a tradition that has always emphasized serving the least of these as in Matthew 25:40, devotion to the poor, immigrants, and those in need of grace.

53. 2:13:33

    My father, Neil, spent six years in the seminary before deciding not to become ordained, which was a obviously huge stroke of luck for me and my sisters. And he went on to work for Catholic organizations for his entire career. So the faith I was raised in was very focused on serving others and on a moral obligation to prioritize the most vulnerable. My dad, uh, often said to us, "Don't filter life through what's in it for me.

54. 2:14:06

    Always think of others." And so that was my childhood foundation. And I think that's what I took with me to adulthood, and I, and that's why I wanted to be involved in public service. And there are, of course, many different ways. And I know we all have different views on the best way to accomplish helping those that I just listed. But for me, being involved in public service, um-

55. 2:14:33

    was a, was a, was a way that I could fulfill my desires to make a difference for folks who really need a hand up. Honestly, that's why I've voted no on all of our income tax cuts that have come through while I've been here. I worry about the widening wealth gaps that our country currently has, and I do believe that for those that

56. 2:15:04

    to whom much has been given, much is and should be expected.

57. 2:15:12

    So life will never be equal, and I don't think that needs to be our goal. It's not realistic. But I do believe that government is essential to giving everyone a fair shot. I want every Georgian to have a fighting shot to reach his or her full potential. And that belief has guided the work I've tried to do in this chamber. It's one of the reasons I've cared a lot about our schools, our public schools.

58. 2:15:47

    I've, I've tried to, with some of the issues that I tried to advance, work on strengthening dual enrollment and expanding access to childcare and early childhood education, driven my, my by belief that those are areas, things within our control that really are a place to make a huge difference in allowing someone to get a leg up in life, no matter where they're born or to whom.

59. 2:16:16

    So like all of us, I came here to try to solve problems, and I know we don't always agree on the way to do it, but that's okay. One thing I have grown more concerned about over the, the years I've served, and it's been fourteen total years over a period of sixteen years,

60. 2:16:36

    is that I see our system disintegrating in how well it reflects the priorities of everyday voters. It is, it is worse than when I first got elected. And by everyday voters, I'm talking about people who are working hard and raising a family and don't have time to come advocate on the ropes and don't have time to read the newspaper, and they don't spend all day on social media. They are just living their lives. Our system now, with the way the media is fragmented, social media in particular, and the way this, this building is set up and the way the incentives for all of us are set up, is real great at making sure that people in the halls have a voice, real great at making sure that loud but sometimes quite extreme activist groups have a voice, that big donors have a voice.

61. 2:17:32

    But it's not so great at making sure that, that, I say it all the time to y'all, I'm like a broken record, that sort of broad sixty to seventy percent of voters that are in the middle of the ideological spectrum, it's not doing a very good job anymore at making sure that those priorities are centered.

62. 2:17:55

    Look, we've had money in politics for a long time. We've had gerrymandered districts for a long time and partisanship. But those forces to me are amplified more than I've seen before through this media environment and through social media. It rewards the most extreme voices, and let's face it, we haven't yet, most of us...

63. 2:18:15

    These are part-time jobs. We have a whole lot coming at us. I don't think most of us have really grappled with the fact that in order to do our jobs well, you just are gonna have to have more conflict with your own people and ride out, um, mobs that attack you online. It's the path of least resistance is, is just doing the go along, get along. And listen, I count myself in that. It's hard. But I think in order for our system to survive in this age, we all have to grapple with, with having more courage to go against the people sometimes that are in the halls, the activists in our districts, and be ready to take criticism from online mobs that are not representative of the voters.

64. 2:19:06

    So life is short, and I have loved almost every minute of my service. Representing the hopes and futures of two hundred thousand people has been deeply meaningful and a deep honor. There is more that I would probably like to do for Georgians, so who knows? Maybe somewhere down the road there will be some office or campaign that gets my blood going. But for now, I am very excited for a new chapter, a new challenge, and also to be a better mom to my children.

65. 2:19:38

    I wanna thank just a couple people. There's no way with the amount of time I have to thank everyone who deserves it. But my parents, whose unconditional love allowed me to have the abilities to seize what life's opportunities brought me. The senator from the twenty-second, thank you for the partnership we've had. There is no one that I would rather have been on this twelve-year journey with than you.

66. 2:20:12

    I am so proud of the work that we have done to build our caucus.

67. 2:20:19

    I only had two assistants in twelve years, Stephanie Tanner and Paige Terhune, and if I ever looked like I had it together, it was because of them. And then to all my staff over the years, thank you for your hard work, your wisdom, your friendship, and for working for a lot less pay than you deserved And most importantly, thank you to my husband, Briley, our boys, Brooks and Reed. Public service asks a lot of families, and my husband has been a reluctant participant in all my time away.

68. 2:20:52

    But I never could have done it without his support. And to all of you, you know, we have our disagreements, but I have true affection for every single one of you. I do like to think of us as a family, a very dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless. Politics is and always will be foremost about relationships, and all of you have left a mark on me.

69. 2:21:30

    I didn't grow up in Georgia, but I need to say thank you to Georgia and to this body. Georgia is the state that has given me the opportunities of my adult life. We live in a remarkable state that has been a leader throughout history in so many different ways. While I may always in some ways be a Virginian at heart, it is here in Georgia that I found my home. Thank you for your friendship and your support over all these years. I'll miss y'all.

70. 2:23:06

    Senator from the 29th.

71. 2:23:14

    Senator from the 29th, we're gonna start with you.

72. 2:23:24

    Mr. President, I move the Senate agree to the House substitute of SB 501 as amended by amendment number one.

73. 2:23:31

    Secretary, read the caption.

74. 2:23:37

    Senate Bill 501 by Senators Robertson, the 29th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend titles eight and 25 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to buildings and housing and fire protection and safety respectively so as to improve government efficiency by updating provisions to the Office of the Safety Fire Commissioner to provide for an effective date, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

75. 2:23:55

    Safety Fire Commissioner.

76. 2:23:57

    Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 501, a bill to be entitled an act to amend titles eight and 25 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to buildings and housing and fire protection and safety respectively so as to improve government efficiency by updating provisions of the Office of the Safety Fire Commissioner and for other purposes. Mr. President, Senator Robertson of the 29th District offers the following amendment. Amendment one, amend the House substitute to Senate Bill 501 by deleting lines 14 through 18, by deleting lines twen- 249 through 503. Mr. President, that completes the order.

77. 2:24:37

    Is, is there objection? Hearing none, recognize Senator from the 29th.

78. 2:24:52

    Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, SB 501 is a department bill. I wanna say that again. It's a department bill. It was brought to me by Commissioner John King. We went through the bill section by section, and after doing that, I agreed to carry the bill. What he and his office does is extremely important. And so when a House bill is amended, when language is added on that makes the commissioner uncomfortable, I feel only obligated to take the bill back to where it was originally

79. 2:25:42

    agreed to. And so today, after the bill came over from the House, the commissioner came over and asked if I would remove the amendment that was made on the other side. The amendment on the other side adds more work to the insurance commissioner, which is not budgeted. It adds several other issues related to fireworks here in Georgia. So I respectfully ask that you agree to subs- excuse me, to amendment number one, and that you, um, vote for the legislation.

80. 2:26:23

    What it does is it adds, clarifies the responsibility when it comes to the Department of Insurance, when it comes to inspecting property for safety, when it comes to putting in an appeal process for those who may be denied building permits at certain levels. It puts in a due process system so that the commissioner and his staff can be involved. It's very pro-small business because of that fact And I would appreciate your full support.

81. 2:26:59

    And with that, Mr. President, I'll yield for any questions.

82. 2:27:02

    You have no questions, Senator.

83. 2:27:03

    I yield the well.

84. 2:27:05

    Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure?

85. 2:27:11

    Senator from 29th has moved that the Senate agree to House Substitute on SB 501 as amended by Amendment One. Is there objection?

86. 2:27:28

    All those in favor, will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

87. 2:30:41

    On the motion to agree to the House Substitute as amended, the yays are 51, the nays are zero, and this motion has prevailed.

88. 2:30:57

    Recognize the senator from the 33rd.

89. 2:31:03

    Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Senate agree with the, to the House Amendment to the Senate Substitute of HB 858.

90. 2:31:16

    All right. Secretary, read the caption.

91. 2:31:19

    House Bill 858 by Representative Cummings of the 39th and others, a bill to be entitled an Act, amended Act, creating the State Court of Cobb County, approved March 26th, 1964, as amended, so as to change the compensation number of certain staff of the Solicitor General to provide related matters to repeal conflicting laws for other purposes. Mr. President, the Senate offers the following substitute to H- House Bill 858, a bill to be entitled an Act to amend an Act creating the State Court of Cobb County, approved March 26th, 1964, as amended, particularly by an Act approved May 3rd, 2017, so as to provide for additional assistant solicitor positions, to change the salaries of certain staff of the Solicitor General, to provide for an effective date, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

92. 2:31:53

    Mr. President, the House offers the following amendment. Amend the Senate substitute to House Bill 858 by inserting after county on line 21 the following, "And approved by the governing authority of Cobb County," by inserting after supervisors on line 24 the following, "The Solicitor General shall pres- prescribe the duties and assignments of such assistant solicitors, and while so employed, such assistant solicitors shall not engage in the private practice of law." Mr. President, that completes the order.

93. 2:32:16

    Recognize the senator from the 33rd.

94. 2:32:34

    Thank you, Mr. President, fellow senators, colleagues, friends, and y'all. This is just a s- a minor adjustment to a local consent bill, whereas the assistant solicitors, while employed, shall not engage in private practice of the law. Thank you for your time. Mr. President, I yield the well.

95. 2:32:57

    Recognize the senator from the 21st.

96. 2:33:00

    Mr. President, I'd like, uh, unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 23rd, please.

97. 2:33:05

    Without objection, senator from the 23rd is excused. Any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Hearing none, the senator from the 33rd has moved that the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate Substitute on HB 858. All those in favor, vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

98. 2:34:39

    On the motion to agree, the yays are 50 and the nays are zero, and this motion has prevailed.

99. 2:35:52

    Recognize the senator from the 29th.

100. 2:35:59

     Mr. President, I move the Senate agree to the House Substitute of SB 306.

101. 2:36:31

     Secretary, read the caption.

102. 2:36:34

     Senate Bill 306 by Senator Robertson of the 29th, a bill to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 48-5-7.4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to preferential assessment for bona fide conservation use property and bona fide residential transitional property so as to require notices of impending expiration to be sent via certified mail, to provide for the reinstatement of certain covenants and pr- preferential assessments in certain limited circumstances, to provide for appeals and refunds, to prohibit a- additional fees or interest, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, the House-

103. 2:37:02

     Change transfer of ownership

104. 2:37:03

     ... offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 306, a bill to be entitled an Act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions regarding ad valorem taxation of property so as to revise the definition of bona fide conservation use property to include carbon sequestration, to in- to require certified notices of impending expiration, to provide for the reinstatement of certain covenants and profe- preferential assessments in certain limited circumstances, to provide for appeals and refunds, to prohibit additional fees or interest, to permit the combination of multiple covenants of a single owner into a single new 10-year covenant, to provide for exceptions, to provide for the change of forest land use assessment property to current use assessment property after a transfer of ownership, and for other purposes.

105. 2:37:40

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

106. 2:37:43

     Recognize the senator from the 29th.

107. 2:37:53

     Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, some of this will be familiar to you on SB 306. This is the bill that originally we passed out dealing with language on CUVA, um, in regarding, uh, options, uh- For notification of taxpayers on expiring CUVA covenants. It allows the taxpayer to request notification by certified mail or email in addition to the standard notification via first-class mail. It gives two new notification options for expiring covenants to the taxpayer and the county assessor's office.

108. 2:38:29

     It's a good thing. These CUVAs were expiring without the individuals knowing.

109. 2:38:39

     There's also language in the bill

110. 2:38:44

     that also deals around current CUVA language and the primary purpose is described in the bill would includes lands conservation and ecological forest management in which commercial production of wood and wood fiber products may be undertaken primarily for conservation and restoration purposes. The FLPA statute baseline qualifying language and the CUVA statute baseline qualifying language mirror each other. But what would, the FLPA language specifies carbon sequestration as a qualifying use, which is much similar to a, a hunting lease when you allow a particular number of your trees to be done.

111. 2:39:29

     And finally, um, the last part of the bill cleans up some of the language that passed out of a House bill on March 18th, um, related to tax credits so that, uh, it appears that the wording in the House bill that passed out on March 18th need to be cleaned up because it put existing projects in jeopardy under, uh, affordable housing. So with that, Mr.

112. 2:40:00

     President, um, I ask for full support of SB 306 and I yield the well.

113. 2:40:24

     Is there any other senator who would speak for or against the measure? Hearing none, the senator has moved that the Senate agree to the House substitute on SB 306. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

114. 2:42:08

     On the agree to the House substitute on SB 306, the yays are 52 and the nays are 0, and this motion has prevailed.

115. 2:42:23

     Recognize the, well, here we are, ladies and gentlemen, the longest serving floor leader right here.

116. 2:42:37

     Senator from the 50th. I appreciate the recognition, Mr. President. Uh, I move that the Senate agree to the House substitute to Senate Bill 8 as amended by amendment one.

117. 2:42:49

     Secretary, read the caption. Senate Bill 8 by Senators Kirkpatrick of the 32nd and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to courts so as to provide for arrest warrants requirements when juvenile courts are acting as courts of an inquiry. To amend Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to criminal procedures so as to make conforming changes to provide related matters to rebuild conflicting laws and for other purposes. Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 8. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 6 of Title 15 and Article 1 of Chapter 17 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to clerks of superior courts and general provisions regarding notaries public respectively so as to provide for remote online notaries public and remote online notarizations.

118. 2:43:29

     To revise and provide for definitions to revise the powers of the Georgia Superior Court's Clerk Cooperative Authority to provide for requirements for remote online notaries public and remote online notarization to provide that the Georgia Superior C- Court Clerk's Cooperative Authority may adopt certain standards for remote online notarization and for other purposes. Mr. President, Senator Strickland of the 42nd District offers the following amendment to amend Senate Bill 8, amendment one by adding D, transferring any interest in real property between any and with on line 450.

119. 2:43:59

     Mr. President, Senator Cowsert of the 46th District and others offers the following amendment to amend Senate Bill 8, amendment 1A, by inserting on line five, strike 2027 on line 189 and replace with 2028. Strike line 595 and replace with on January 1st, 2028. Mr. President, Senator Cowsert of the 46th District and others offers the following amendment to amend Senate Bill 8, amendment 1B, by inserting at the end of amendment one, strike 2027 on line 189 and replace with 2028 and striking upon on line 554 and 595 in its entirety and replacing with on January 1st, 2028.

120. 2:44:42

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

121. 2:44:48

     Recognize the senator from the 50th.

122. 2:44:59

     Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, Senate Bill 8 deals with remote online notary. Thanks to our friend from the 19th, it's a topic that we're all familiar with. Uh, what it does, it just allows Georgia to use remote online notary like a majority of the states. I think Georgia's one of four states right now that doesn't allow it. This would allow us to use it. However, I'm asking that we support amendment one. Amendment one would remove real estate. You remember the doll, this is the senator from the 19th, Ron, uh, would remove real estate transactions.

123. 2:45:30

     So you would still be able to use remote online notary for most things. However, when you're dealing with real estate transactions

124. 2:45:39

     Closing on a home or transferring deeds, uh, you would not be able to use remote online notary for that. But this would allow us to come in line with other states, uh, but like I said, would not apply to real estate transactions. I'm happy to answer any questions.

125. 2:46:01

     Thank you. I yield the floor.

126. 2:46:09

     I recognize the senator from the 42nd to speak to his amendment. You waive. Senator from the 46th, would you like to speak to your amendment?

127. 2:46:24

     You waive, too.

128. 2:46:34

     So senator from the 46th, the question is on 1A.

129. 2:46:57

     Recognize the senator from the 46th. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, as many years as I've been here, I always say I learn something new every day, and I have made a typographical error there on 1A. I will withdraw it at this time. I've replaced it with Amendment 1B. All right, Senator. That objection is withdrawn 1A. So now we in the posture of adopting s- uh, amendment number one, authored... Excuse me, amendment number 1B, authored by the senator from the 46th.

130. 2:47:30

     Is there objection? Without objection, 1B is adopted.

131. 2:47:37

     Now on to amendment number one.

132. 2:47:44

     Move that the Senate, the senator from the 50th has moved that the Senate agree to the House substitute on SB 8 as amended by one, amendment one, number one. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

133. 2:49:16

     On the motion to agree on SB 8, the yays are 26 and the nays are 26 and this motion has failed.

134. 2:49:29

     Recognize the senator from the 6th.

135. 2:49:34

     Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate substitute to HB 445. Secretary, read the caption. House Bill 445 by Representative Martin of the 49th. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter five of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to ad valorem taxation of property so as to revive the language required to be included in the notices of current assessment to add hearing officer review for tax assessment of certain business personal property to provide for related matters to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

136. 2:50:07

     Mr. President, the Senate offers the following substitute to House Bill 445. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating revenue and taxation so as to add hearing officer review for tax reassessment of certain business personal property to revise the definition to provide for related matters to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes. Mr. President, the House offers the following amendment. Amend HB 445 by replacing lines 15 and 16 with the following, "Property is less than $5,000. All gas, electric light, electric power, private water systems and sewage systems with at least 10,000 connections for services, hydroelectric power, steam, heat, refrigerated air, dockage." Mr.

137. 2:50:43

     President, that completes the order.

138. 2:50:54

     Recognize the rules chairman.

139. 2:51:04

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman, or Mr. President, whoever you are. Colleagues, HB 445, quick reminder, uh, this simply adds a third option for the appeals process of our taxable personal property. We amended it and added public water and sewage systems to the definition of public utility and, uh, Department of Revenue came in and asked for some cleanup language, which the House was more than happy to oblige on and so they've cleaned that up.

140. 2:51:35

     You've got that amendment on your desk and it simply just adds language that says private water systems and sewage systems with at least 10,000 connections for service. I will yield for questions.

141. 2:51:51

     You have no questions? I urge your favorable consideration for HB 445. Masterful job, Senator. Masterful job.

142. 2:52:06

     Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Hearing none. The senator has moved that the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate substitute on HB 445. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

143. 2:53:25

     On the, the motion to agree, the yays are 52, the nays are zero and this motion has prevailed.

144. 2:53:39

     Recognize the senator from the 48th. Mr. President, I move the Senate agree to the House substitute to SB 469. Secretary, read the caption.

145. 2:53:57

     Senate Bill 469 by Senator Still of the 48th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend an act creating a board of commissioners of Forsyth County approved June 30th, 1964 as amended so as to approve and provide term limits for members of the board of commissioners to provide for related matters, to provide effective dates, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes. Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 469. A bill to be entitled an act to amend an act creating a board of commissioners of Forsyth County approved June, June 30th, 1964 as amended so as to provide for term limits, to provide for referendum, effective dates, automatic repeal, mandatory execution of election and judicial remedies regarding failure to comply, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

146. 2:54:34

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

147. 2:54:41

     Recognize the senator from the 48th.

148. 2:54:55

     Thank you, Mr. President, colleagues. This is a very simple bill. This is a, uh, an agree for term limits for the board of commissioners in Forsyth County. For the folks back home, this has not been an easy journey. The senator from the 27th and I submitted verbatim this request, this resolution from the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners on February the 5th. We passed out of this chamber on the 24th of February.

149. 2:55:25

     The House delegation waited a full month before taking action on it, passed it out on legislative day 37 with a completely different version than what this body passed.

150. 2:55:43

     It's not that it's a bad bill. It's not that it's a, a bad substitute. It makes it a ballot measure. But when a board of commissioners says, "This is what we want," and this body passes what they want, it's important that we recognize that that is fulfilling the wishes of our local elected officials. But sometimes delegations split. And for those of you that have delegations where the House and the Senate members meet together, I applaud you and you are blessed because the senator from the 27th and I have had to operate in a world where the delegations don't meet and we are kept separate from the decisions made by the House.

151. 2:56:29

     There are a couple of members in the House delegation that do work with us, but sadly they are no longer in charge of the daily events that happen over there. So I ask your favorable consideration and f- for the folks back home, we got it done finally on day 40, but with only three legislative days to go, uh, from the time we got it and it was only through the work of our amazing lieutenant governor that we're here right now. So thank you, Mr. President, and ask your favorable consideration.

152. 2:57:03

     Any other senator who wish to speak for or against the measure? Hearing none, senator has moved that the Senate agree to the House substitute on SB 469. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

153. 2:58:19

     On the motion to agree, the ayes are 52 and the nays are zero and this motion has prevailed.

154. 2:58:28

     Recognize the senator from the 56th.

155. 2:58:34

     Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Senate agree to the House substitute for Senate Bill 111. Secretary, read the caption.

156. 2:58:46

     Senate Bill 111 by Senator Albers of the 56th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to commerce and trade so as to enact the Georgia Consumer Privacy Protection Act to protect the privacy of consumer personal data in this state, to provide for definitions, to provide for applicability, to provide for exemptions, to provide for responsibilities of processors and controllers, to provide for notice and disclosure, to provide for security practices to protect consumer personal data, to allow a controller to offer different goods or services under certain conditions, to provide for limitations and for other purposes. Mr. President, Senator-

157. 2:59:19

     No. Mr. President, Senator Albers of the 56th District. Oh.

158. 2:59:31

     Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 111. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 31-8-9.1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to tax credits for contributions to certain rural hospital organizations and hospital eligibility and requirements so as to revise the definition of a rural hospital organization to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes. Mr. Pres- Mr. President, Senator Albers. No. Recognize the senator from the 56th.

159. 3:00:03

     Thank you, Mr. President. This is not the original bill. This is to help out an important rural hospital, uh, down in Irwin County that didn't exactly meet the criteria needed for them to participate in the rural, uh, hospital tax credit. This is important for their area. They need it. I ask you to vote green. Thank you. I yield the floor. Senator has moved that they agree to Senate Bill 111.

160. 3:00:36

     All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed...

161. 3:00:43

     Come on, Senator.

162. 3:00:47

     S- Recognize the senator from the 14th

163. 3:01:01

     All those in favor of a good rule Georgia healthcare bill will vote yay. All opposed nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

164. 3:02:32

     On the agree to the House substitute, the yays are 48 and the nays are zero. And SB 111, the motion to agree has prevailed. We're gonna take a little bit of five-minute break because, uh, secretary needs to catch up with a few things, and he's got incredible staff, but even sometimes we're way too demanding for him sometimes. So we're gonna take about a five-minute break.

165. 3:19:25

     Recognize the senator from the 19th.

166. 3:19:32

     Are you sure you wanna come back right now, Mr. President? Are you-

167. 3:20:24

     Senator from the...

168. 3:21:24

     Senator from the 34th, we're gonna go ahead and put you on standby. We're gonna go ahead and recognize you for Senate Bill 623.

169. 3:21:37

     Mr. President, I move that Senate b- Senate agrees to the House Substitute SB 623.

170. 3:21:48

     Secretary, read the caption.

171. 3:21:58

     Senate Bill 623 by Senator Wicks of the 34th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend an act creating the State Court of Clayton County approved January 28th, 1964 as amended, particularly by an act approved April 18th, 2022, so as to revise provisions related to the compensation of the solicitor general of the state court to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws for other purposes. Mr. President, the House offers the following amendment to Senate Bill 623, a bill to be entitled in an act to amend an act creating the State Court of Clayton County approved January 28th, 1964 as amended, particularly by an act approved April 18th, 2022, so as to revise provisions related to the compensation of the solicitor general of the state court to provide for related matters, to provide effective date, to repeal conflicting laws for other purposes.

172. 3:22:38

     Mr. President, may I complete your order?

173. 3:23:50

     Recognize the senator from the 34th. Speak to the bill.

174. 3:24:07

     Oh, God Jesus up here.

175. 3:24:10

     Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, this is just a local bill for Clayton County after, for the solicitor general's pay after the judge, after the judge bill. Thank you.

176. 3:24:56

     Masterful job, Senator. All those in favor of the motion to agree to the House substitute, all those in favor will vote yay. Opposed, nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

177. 3:27:23

     On the motion to agree to the House substitute, the yays are 50, the nays are zero, and that motion has prevailed.

178. 3:29:47

     Recognize the senator from the 17th.

179. 3:29:58

     Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to House Substitute SB 613. Secretary, read the caption Senate Bill 613 by Senators Davenport of the 17th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend an act placing the sheriff and clerk of the Superior Court of Clayton County on an annual salary. Approved February 25th, 1949 as amended, particularly by an act approved May 3rd, 2018, so as to change the compensation of the sheriff to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

180. 3:30:28

     Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 613. A bill to be entitled an act to amend an act placing the sheriff and clerk of the Superior Court of Clayton County on an annual salary. Approved February 25th, 1949 as amended, particularly by an act approved May 3rd, 2018, so as to change the compensation of the sheriff to provide for related matters, to provide effective date, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

181. 3:30:53

     Recognize the senator from the 17th.

182. 3:31:16

     Thank you very much, Mr. President. SB 613, the substitute is a local bill concerning the sheriff of Clayton County. It's revising the compensation for the, uh, sheriff's position. I ask for your favorable consideration and support of this bill. Thank you very much, Mr. President. I will yield the way.

183. 3:31:52

     Is there any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure?

184. 3:31:58

     Chair hears none. Senator's move that the Senate agree to the House substitute on SB 613. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine. Senator from the 36th.

185. 3:33:11

     On the motion to agree to the House substitute on SB 613, the ayes are 52 and the nays are zero, and this motion has prevailed. Recognize the senator from the 45th.

186. 3:33:26

     Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to the House substitute to Senate Bill 76 by m- amended, uh, by amendment number one. Secretary, read the caption. Senate Bill 76 by Senator Echols of the 49th District 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 with proceeds dispersed at the general fund of the agency, fund, or nonprofit corporation so as to establish a specialty license plate benefiting the Georgia Veterans Service Foundation to provide for related matters, provide for compliance with constitutional requirements, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

187. 3:34:04

     Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 76. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 9 of Title 12, Title 40, and Code Section 48-5C-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to motor vehicle emission inspection and maintenance, motor vehicles and traffic, and alternative ad valorem taxation of motor vehicles and title ad valorem tax free respectively, so as to provide for an optional five-year motor vehicle registration for certain motor vehicles to provide for the submission and for other purposes. Mr. President, Senator Dixon of the 45th District offers the following amendment, amendment one.

188. 3:34:36

     Amend the House substitute to Senate Bill 76 by replacing lines one through the end with the following. To amend Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to motor vehicles so as to provide for additional military medal awards eligible for special veterans license plates, to provide for a specialty license plate for United States Navy submarine service members, to authorize the operation of multipurpose off-highway vehicles on certain highways, to provide for related matters, to provide effective date, and to repeal conflicted laws and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order. Recognize the senator from the 45th.

189. 3:35:15

     Thank you, Mr. President. Senate colleagues, I bring Senate Bill 76 before you. Uh, we did make an amendment to the, the House. Uh, we did remove one part dealing with ad valorem tags. Sheriff's Association was, was adamantly against that. Uh, what remains in the bill, uh, it has, uh, veteran recognition tags. Uh, there would be five of them, I believe. Um, it would be for the Navy Corps in, uh, the Navy Corps Medal, the Marine Corps Medal, uh, the Coast Guard Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge would be added.

190. 3:35:50

     Uh, and those, uh, veterans that receive those medals could get a specialty license plate, it is what this bill has. And then the other side, or the second part to the bill has to do with side-by-side vehicles. Um, it would allow, uh, those vehicles, uh, to travel on state routes, uh, up to 60 miles an hour.

191. 3:36:11

     Um, it maintains safe, uh, s- safe and strict requirements. Uh, they must be tagged, carry insurance, and they must have headlights and tail lights. Uh, with that, Mr. President, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

192. 3:36:33

     You have no questions, Senator? Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the will.

193. 3:36:42

     Any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. All those in favor of SB76 agreeing to SB76 t- to the House substitute as amended. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

194. 3:38:02

     On the motion to agree, the yays are 53 and the nays are zero, and this motion has prevailed. Senator from the 19th, you're on deck.

195. 3:38:14

     Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the-

196. 3:38:16

     Oh, we have on.

197. 3:38:19

     You ready? Um, move that the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate substitute to House Bill 463.

198. 3:38:27

     Secretary, read the caption.

199. 3:38:33

     House Bill 463 by Representatives Blackmon of the 146 and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Part 1 of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to tax exemptions so as to provide for a statewide homestead exemption from ad valorem taxes for certain senior citizens who volunteer with local governments in an amount to be determined by such local governments. To provide for definitions. To specify the terms and conditions of the exemption and the procedures relating thereto. To provide for applicability. To provide for approval and identification of additional terms and conditions by local governing authorities. To provide for related matters. To provide for compliance with constitutional requirements.

200. 3:39:04

     To provide for a referendum, effective dates, and automatic repeal. To provide for the contingent repeal. To repeal conflicting laws for other purposes. Mr. President, the Senate offers the following substitute to House Bill 463, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the imposition, rate, computation, exemptions, and credits relative to income taxes so as to reduce the personal income tax rate. To revise provisions relative to annual reductions of the income tax. To reduce the rates of taxation on corporate and partnership income. To increase the amount of the standard deduction from state taxable income for individuals. To provide for related matters.

201. 3:39:35

     To provide for an effective date and applicability. To repeal conflicting laws for other purposes.

202. 3:39:39

     463. Read it quickly.

203. 3:39:41

     Mr. President, the House offers the following amendment. Amend the Senate substitute to House Bill 463 by deleting lines one through the end and inserting in lieu thereof the following. To amend Title 33 and Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to insurance and revenue and taxation respectively so as to reduce the personal income tax rate. To revise provisions relative to annual reduction of the income tax. To reduce the rates of taxation can- on corporate and partnership income. To increase the amounts of the standard and dependent deductions from state taxable income for de- individuals. To provide for an increase in the amount of retirement income that may be excluded from state taxable income for individuals 65 or older.

204. 3:40:13

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

205. 3:40:23

     Recognize senator from the 19th.

206. 3:40:37

     Members of the Senate, this is a bill I'm very excited about. As you know, our chamber tackled income tax reform earlier this year, and we sent across to the House a bill that would eliminate the state income tax on two-thirds of Georgians, raise the standard deduction so that families would not have to pay state income tax on the first $100,000 that they earned. That means if you made over $100,000, you would see a $5,190 savings. If you made less than $100,000 as a family, you would have no state income tax at all.

207. 3:41:13

     We paid for that by eliminating 29 special interest corporate welfare credits, credits that we talked about at length here. We talked about some things that related to data centers and them not paying sales tax on the computer equipment they bought. We also talked about the yacht credit. In other words, if you bought parts for a yacht, all the yachts you guys are floating down your creeks, rivers, and streams in your hometowns. Exactly. That, uh, those weren't, that you didn't have to pay sales tax on those. But the fact that those folks were getting an exemption on sales tax to the tune of t- of almost $30 billion if you added them all together, put us in a position where we could not eliminate the $16.2 billion on state income tax that we brought in from everyday hardworking Georgians.

208. 3:41:59

     Our chamber worked to change that, and we sent two bills, four in total actually, two House bills, two Senate, um, over across to the House for them to deliberate on, and I'm here to tell you today that they have sent one back. It is not exactly what we wanted, but it moves this ball forward. Friends, we are not to stand here and allow perfect to be the enemy of good. We are here to move the ball forward for Georgians to give them income tax relief during this time of high inflation.

209. 3:42:31

     When the time when gas, groceries, and childcare are costing them the most, you have House Bill 463 before you that can provide them real relief. Let me walk through what it does. You will see that it l- sets up for a drop of the state income tax down to 3.99%. That means from a high of six, we will have dropped it one-third over the past five years, eliminating 33% of the income tax since most of you have been elected.

210. 3:43:01

     We also take in section two and raise the standard deduction. Many of you heard me talk about us eating the Subway sandwich of Georgia's income tax from both sides. We've been walking down the top end rate for a while. If we came from the bottom side and re- and raised the standard deduction, we could actually provide more relief to those who had lesser income quicker, and this bill does that too. It slowly and gradually raises the standard deduction for an individual, and it also raise from 20... Well, let's see here. Back up. For an individual, it raises that up to where it te- tags out at 18,000 from the current of 12,000, and then it also takes for a family and raises the standard deduction from 24,000 to $36,000.

211. 3:43:45

     For dependents, this bill provides a 20% increase in the d- or 25% increase rather immediately to the tax credit one would receive for dependents, and then it raises it another $1,000 for a total of $6,000 per dependent by January 1st of 2027. This bill puts in triggers. Many of the things that the minority party asked for and some folks in the House asked for were triggers on revenue. The f- the deductions in the state income tax are not immediate.

212. 3:44:18

     They would require that the s- that the next year's fiscal m- revenue be more than 3% over the revenue from the year before. It would also require that net collections be higher than they were for the three previous years, and it sets a sum that the deduction of the income tax cannot be such so as to put the state into a negative number based on revenue. Those triggers are healthy. They're something that the House insists on. And while they were not originally in the Senate's bill, if that's what we have to do to provide real relief for Georgians, then that's a deal I'm willing to make.

213. 3:44:51

     In section 2.4, you'll see that the Senate also is able to convince the House to come along with us on eliminating the tax on overtime. Revenue, or wages up to $1,750 of overtime wages will now be tax exempt if you were to vote favorably to House Bill 463. $1,750 of cash on tips would also now be tax-free if you vote favorably on House Bill 463. So not only are we eliminating the income, are bringing down the income tax, raising the standard deduction, we're eliminating the income tax on those who you know work in our service sectors and have, are usually paid in tips.

214. 3:45:31

     We eliminate the first $1,750 on tax, ta- on in- tax on the income for them. Part three sets up a taxpayer relief fund. We have revenues that are over our reserves. This part three sets up a procedure and a process for that excess revenue to be placed in a taxpayer relief fund to continue the reduction of income tax. And the bottom part of section 3.2 raises the revenue shortfall from 15% to 20%, another fiscal move to make sure that our state stays fiscally healthy, as you heard the governor present when he talked just a few minutes ago.

215. 3:46:08

     How do we pay for that? Well, again, we've got triggers in place to make sure revenue is sufficient to cover these costs to begin with at first, but then section four is one that I am the most proud of. We have convinced our colleagues across the hall to eliminate 10 special interest corporate welfare sales and income tax res- exemptions and to apply that money instead to reducing the state income tax for all 11 million hardworking Georgians.

216. 3:46:44

     Friends, I'm excited about this. It's not everything we wanted, but it definitely moves the f- the ball forward. Appreciate Speaker Burns, our friends in the House for working with us on this, and I'm happy to take any questions you'd have before you favorably support this income tax reduction on hardworking Georgians, on folks that are paid in tips, folks that are paid in overtime, and eliminate the special interest corporate welfare exemptions on 10, uh, special interests that we see and currently award in Georgia. Happy to take any questions. You do have one question, Senator.

217. 3:47:15

     Recognize senator from the 38th. Thank you, Mr. President. Does the gentleman yield? Yes, sir. You are the appropriations chair, so I have a question in terms of the cuts in section four. Do they fully cover what is being cut in section two, the reduction in taxes in section two? They do not. They don't. They do not. What would be the gap between- The, the gap, I can't give you the exact dollar because they just came across the hall with a deal.

218. 3:47:49

     But I can tell you that I'm not worried about the fiscal impact because of the triggers that you saw that the House also placed in lines 103 through 109.

219. 3:48:03

     Okay. Thank you. Yes, sir. You have no further questions? Thank you, friends. Thank you for your hard work on this. For the special, uh, Lieutenant Governor Jones, I want to pro- praise you. If we had not had the study committee that you set up over the fall, we would not have been able to move this bill forward. So if this bill's able to pass today, not only is it a benefit to the 11 million Georgians who will receive the tax savings that this body creates, it's a tribute to your work and your leadership for putting us in this position. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

220. 3:48:33

     All right. Thank you, Senator. Recognize senator from the 14th.

221. 3:48:46

     Thank you, Mr. President. Here we are in the final hours of session, and the reality chickens have come home to roost, and sadly, the reality chickens have nowhere to lay their beaks. And the reason is this. What you just heard is full of falsehoods. I don't think the senator from the 19th means to do that on purpose, but we need to be very clear about the numbers. We are talking about $6.5 billion per year in income taxes that will be cut by the time that the eight years has elapsed. So remember, we're bringing the rate down to 399 with this bill. It'll take eight years to do it.

222. 3:49:18

     By the time that that eight years has lapsed, $6.5 billion per year will be gone.

223. 3:49:25

     There is a claim from the well, I actually admire the candor of the senator from the 19th, that we don't know if the credits, uh, just based on the discussion tonight, would cover that amount. Uh, but I can tell you that based on independent budget analysis, those credits absolutely would not cover the full 6.5 billion, and here's how we know. Because the original, uh, bill that we passed out of this chamber was SB476. That bill, on its best day, with the, I think it was 20-something credits that that bill proposed to eliminate, only totaled $1.8 billion per year.

224. 3:50:00

     Again, that's by 2031, and that's on the best day if all of those credits from that previous version of the legislation were eliminated. This bill doesn't even have all of the credits from the previous Senate version and, on top of that, I don't know if y'all are following this, there's a live litigation issue in the House concerning whether the House members were provided with the correct version of this bill. To be very clear, there are plenty of House members who are alleging tonight that page 10 of the bill, which includes a number of the credits that the chairman is relying on, was not included in the copy of the amendment that was put on the desks of House members, which means that the House might have transmitted a version to the secretary's office that does have page 10, could create a constitutional issue relating to whether both houses have passed the same version of the bill, but more specifically, it means that the House may not have even passed the 1.8...

225. 3:50:53

     Or not even 1.8, the subset of 1.8 that the chairman is now claiming that the credits will, will cover. So we're talking about a $6.5 billion hole that's not even gonna be covered in part. I mean, maybe 20% at most of that $6.5 billion per year deficit will be covered by credits, so it's a completely fiscally irresponsible bill, and I challenge anybody in this chamber to come up with more specific numbers than this, or to explain, as the chairman admitted we can't at this late hour, how this hole in the budget could possibly be filled.

226. 3:51:26

     But let's zoom out to the big picture, because we don't have much time. Again, the rainwater of affordability conversation fell on the mountain, and it went one of two ways, and the House and the Senate had different ideas about how to promise affordable quality of life for Georgians. The Senate said we're gonna cut income tax. The House said we're gonna cut property tax. This chamber promised to do a h- a, a complete exemption for taxpayers up to a certain amount, and we were browbeat in the debate. I remember private and public conversations where Republican senators said to me, "How can you possibly vote against eliminating income tax for a huge chunk of the public?

227. 3:52:04

     How can you possibly vote against our awesome income tax relief?" Well, for one thing, it was never possible. It was always a lie. There was never a way that this state was going to be able to do income tax reform, reform to that extent. Same thing with the House. They said, "We're gonna eliminate all homestead taxes on your first home," and blow a 25% hole in the Atlanta Public Schools' budget and countless local governments throughout the state. That was never possible. And so why is it that at 10:00 PM on sine die we are doing this final gotta go, quick slick maneuver?

228. 3:52:39

     It's because the l- the lies that were told by both the House and Senate on the types of tax cuts they were going to do, it was never possible. So here we are now, cleaning up after the mess. We're gonna do our politics. We're gonna act like we did a lot of tax relief, but no tax on tips for $1,750? You're talking about a handful of peanuts that we're throwing back to the Georgian, uh, people of Georgia, and we're gonna act like that was the meaningful tax relief that was promised in January. I am mad about this because Democrats have to bear the burden of voting no on a bunch of legislation while there's a lot of clapping and, "Aren't we so great?

229. 3:53:18

     We did it." We have to deal with the disconnect between the narrative that happens in this room and reality, and it's 10:00 on sine die, and now we have reality. And boy, I wish that the reality chickens had somewhere to lay their head, but under the Republicans' tax plan this year, they do not. Mr. President, respectfully, I ask everyone to vote no, and I yield the well.

230. 3:53:44

     Recognize the senator from the 22nd.

231. 3:53:59

     Thank you, Mr. President. I'll be brief. Obviously, these plans sometimes sound good, but it's not good. Not even close. Cynical attempt, quite frankly, electoral politics, and the people of Georgia should not be fooled. The major beneficiaries of this legislation would be the top echelon of your income bracket. This is not something that's gonna help middle class folks, and the result is marginal gain in their pocketbooks, but lots of pain when they lose essential services, such as education, housing, healthcare, and infrastructure, will all fall to the wayside.

232. 3:54:33

     This creates, as we said, at least, at least a $6 billion gap in the budget without any true mechanisms to replace that income. We have to understand that basically 70% of the budget is nothing more than healthcare and education. That is what the budget's made of. And once you add into there public safety, you almost pretty much have your entire budget. The idea that we have all of this fat in our budgets and wasted money is just not accurate. All the ideological talk about cutting fat from the government, this will not cut fat from the government.

233. 3:55:06

     This is gonna cut people to their bones. And as we discovered, and the House admitted even in 1116, what is going to have to happen to make up this revenue is an increase in sales tax. So once again, we're starting to talk about eliminating tax credits, and the idea that we don't want corporate headquarters to locate in Georgia anymore is completely ridiculous. And to say that a headquarters that creates jobs, creates jobs, is something that we should want to go away is not a serious proposal.

234. 3:55:37

     As stated before, uh- We in this state have relied upon tax credits to create jobs. And quite frankly, it is becoming sickening to continue to talk about things that create jobs and people who receive these jobs out of these tax credits as welfare recipients. It is not welfare, it is job, actually job tax credits that create jobs and put people into the middle class. This is a sign that you guys have lost all concept of any ideas to actually help people, any ideas to actually help people with healthcare, any ideas to actually help people rise themselves out of poverty, any ideas to actually improve education, to where you're now at the point of actually saying that programs that you have went to Rotary Clubs, that you have went to Kiwanis Clubs, and you have touted and said that these tax credits have actually put people to work in your communities, that you are now regulated to saying that these same programs are creating welfare recipients.

235. 3:56:35

     It's utterly ridiculous and it's total nonsense. But it does show that you're out of ideas. It does show that now the battle of ideas in just a few short hours will finally start up into 2026, and that is gonna be the key. Whether persons are gonna go for these smoke and mirror type solutions or actually go to real solutions that are gonna help them get healthcare, real solutions that are gonna improve their education, real solutions that are gonna provide public safety. Those are the solutions that we ought to be seeking, not these type of solutions that denigrate people for the same type of tax credits that we have touted for over 20 some years to make Georgia the number one state to do business.

236. 3:57:14

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

237. 3:57:19

     Senator from the 19th, would you like to close?

238. 3:57:24

     Recognize the senator from the 19th.

239. 3:57:34

     I appreciate the commentary from my friends in the minority party, but my question is this. We've been talking about affordability since January. Some of us have been talking about it since last July. And when the Republicans get up here and offer a solution, a plan to put money back in the pockets of hardworking Georgians, what do we get? Well, what you're gonna do is cause trouble. Do something different. Where is your solution? Where is your plan?

240. 3:58:06

     I've heard this said from both of the people who commented that what we're doing of eliminating the income tax is never possible. What solution did they bring? There's opportunity while I'm speaking right now to file an amendment. There was no rush just now to go. There is not a plan. The plan is to oppose what the Republicans are proposing, and that is it. And that's where frustration has arisen. Does this bill only put $1,750 worth of tips out from under income tax in Georgia?

241. 3:58:40

     Yes. Did the Senate propose a version that exempted the tax on tips completely? Yes. But that's not gonna make it back tonight. Does this bill only eliminate the tax on $1,750 worth of overtime? Yes. Did the Senate pass a bill that did something much more substantial? Yes. That bill's not coming back tonight either, friends. Did the Senate propose a plan that eliminated the income tax on two-thirds of Georgians and give a $5,190 savings to the others?

242. 3:59:14

     Yes. Is that bill coming back tonight? No. But I am tired of watching my neighbors, watching my colleagues, watching people who I don't know but I pass in a grocery store having a hard time make ends meet and not being willing to do something. This bill does something. It drops the income tax 33% since the time most of you got here. The largest portion of people's wealth that the state of Georgia takes, this takes one-third less.

243. 3:59:51

     It raises the standard deduction, which helps those at the bottom end the most.

244. 3:59:58

     And it takes a stand against corporate welfare and puts people over corporations. Someone said that all this bill did is make folks who get jobs tax credits seem like they were accepting welfare. Well, explain to me why we have to incentivize jobs in Georgia at $6,250 per job for five years, put bonuses on top of that if they're located in certain geographical areas that are some of the fastest growing in the state, put another bonus on top of that if the director of the Department of Economic Development says it's one of these high credit areas,

245. 4:00:47

     essentially getting to the point that we're paying one-third of the wage. How do you describe that as anything but corporate welfare? 'Cause I can promise you, the guy driving the big rig tonight, the lady working behind the counter at the fast food grill, she ain't getting that credit. That ain't infecting her wallet.

246. 4:01:14

     We've been the number one state to do business for 13 years in a row, and by God, it's time we take that out for a roll for everyday hardworking Georgians. I ask for your favorable consideration of House Bill 453, 463, and let's let Georgians have a little bit of this income that we have earned. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the will.

247. 4:01:46

     Senator from the 14th. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, isn't it true that that bill was engrossed, is engrossed, meaning that Democrats can't propose an amendment that would replace the lost healthcare subsidies from DC, the Democrats can't put childcare amendments on this, that we can't put all of the ways that the state government through the state budget could help make people's lives more affordable. In fact, we can't put it on the bill because Republicans set the agenda. Is that not true, Mr. President?

248. 4:02:18

     You know, Senator, I just don't remember an option coming from you or anybody else in your party when it came to income tax structure. I'll bring the bills that I filed to you later, Mr. President. Good. Recognize the senator from the 29th. Parliamentary inquiry- Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, is it not true that this bill was not engrossed last June when the gentleman from the 19th started working on it? Senator knows what he speaks. Senator from the 22nd.

249. 4:02:48

     Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Is it not true that the Senate Democrats actually filed SB 502, which gave a sales tax exemption? We also filed SB 520, which gave 95% of Georgians an income tax cut. We also filed SB 273, which increased the minimum wage, and we also filed Medicaid expansion, and we also filed the SB 501, which would increase housing, and that this party, the majority party, refused to give any of those issues a hearing?

250. 4:03:21

     Well,

251. 4:03:24

     the senator is passionate about what he speaks. Recognize the senator from the 19th. President, parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, while it, I, uh, think that the comments from the minority party are laudable of offering a tax break to 95% of Georgians, is it not true that House Bill 463 will offer a tax break to 100% of Georgians, which if I'm still doing my math correctly, is more than 95%? All right.

252. 4:03:54

     Okay, we, we can banter back and forth. It's like a pickleball game right now, so. So, all right, senator from the 37th, you've had your light on for quite some time. State your inquiry. Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry. This, this, to, to, with all this discussion, isn't it true what this bill does, it gives working families tax relief? It takes special tax cuts off yacht owners, off, off big corporations and gives it to working families and people making hourly wages across Georgia, and this is an opportunity before our minority caucus and majority caucus to do something for regular working folks.

253. 4:04:33

     That's what this does. The senator is passionate about what he speaks.

254. 4:04:43

     Senator from the 44th, state your inquiry. Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Is it not true, Mr. President, that the Senate Democrats want to give a tax break to 95% of Georgians and not 100% of Georgians because the 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, and 100th percentile of incomes are the very folks I was talking about earlier, where much has been given to them and much should be expected of them, and they have made that money living in this economy with this government that's built its roads and provided for its schools, and they owe back to the community as well?

255. 4:05:27

     All right.

256. 4:05:34

     Senator from the 2nd, I'm gonna give you the last word. Oh. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, is it not true that we've gotta cut taxes because we're about to raise sales tax, so you're gonna give them the money so you can raise it again on the back end so the money you give them, they're gonna spend it on the sales tax? Is that not true? On- only in the, only in the fantasy world you're living in, Senator. All right. All right, all those...

257. 4:06:06

     Moving on to the senator from the 19th. Bill HB 463 has moved that the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate substitute. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

258. 4:06:28

     Recognize the senator from the 41st. What purpose do you rise? Thank you, Mr. President. Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Is it not true that there is a Jackson who proposed a plan that did not eliminate the s- the income tax? Is that not true that there's a Jackson who introduced a bill with a real plan? The senator is passionate about what she speaks.

259. 4:07:32

     On the motion to agree to the House Amendment to the Senate substitute, the yays are 33 and the nays are 20, and this motion has prevailed.

260. 4:07:45

     Well done, Senator.

261. 4:07:50

     Recognize Senator from the forty-eight.

262. 4:08:17

     Senator from the forty-eight, you're on.

263. 4:08:25

     I apologize, Mr. President. I move the House, the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate Substitute to House Bill three twenty-eight.

264. 4:08:39

     Secretary, read the caption. House Bill three twenty-eight by Representative Carpenter of the fourth and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article two of Chapter seven of Title forty-eight of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to income tax, imposition rate, computation, exemptions, and credits so as to increase the annual aggregate limit for tax credits available for certain contributions to student scholarship organizations, to increase the time allowed after being pre-approved to make the contributions, to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date and applicability, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, the Senate offers the following substitute to House Bill three twenty-eight, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter two A of Title twenty and Chapter seven of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to student scholarship organizations and income taxes respectively so as to revise provisions for student eligibility and maximum scholarship amounts, to revise provisions for student eligibility, to provide for military students and students with individualized education programs, Section five oh four plans or other designated disabilities to provide for such designation, to provide for members of the General Assembly and their spouses from receiving income from student scholarship organizations that receive certain contributions and for other purposes.

265. 4:09:41

     Mr. President, the House offers the following amendment. Amend the Senate substitute to Hou-House Bill three twenty-eight by replacing lines one through the end with the following, to amend Titles twenty and forty-eight of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to education and revenue and taxation respectively so as to revise provisions for student eligibility and maximum scholarship amounts, to provide for military students and students with individualized education programs, Section five oh four plans or other designated disabilities to provide for such designation, to prohibit members of the General Assembly and their spouses from receiving income, income from student scholarship organizations and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

266. 4:11:11

     Senator from the 41st, what purpose do you rise? Thank you, Mr., uh, President. Are we still on the motion to table, I mean, motion to raise off the table? No, this is special action, Senator. So it's- Gotcha ... it's in the queue right now. Um, thank you, sir. Um, yes, I would like to, um, ask for your ruling on the germane of this, uh, we have this, we're doing a deja vu moment. I know. All right, hold on one second.

267. 4:11:46

     Senator, I'm gonna let him present the bill, and then we will answer the question before we make any actions on it. All right? Senator from the 48th.

268. 4:12:09

     Thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 328 is a blend of a few different things. As the senator from the 41st asked the question about germaneness, that is for others to decide. What I am gonna do is walk you through the bill, let you know what it does and does not do. Section 1 of the bill is carryover from House Bill 1220. This is a bill, um, widely supported, and really just talks about, uh, 504 plans and kids with dyslexia, autism spectrum, space- speech-language delay, hearing loss, and other disabilities.

269. 4:12:52

     It's a good, feel-good bill. Gives everyone a reason to want to vote for it.

270. 4:12:57

     Section 2 of the bill

271. 4:13:01

     continues on with that. Section 3 of the bill gets into SSOs, student scholarship organizations. When you think of an SSO, you think about the ability for children to have access to scholarship programs like Georgia GOAL. Section 4 of the bill talks about how deposits will be made with regards to private school accounts. Section 5

272. 4:13:34

     gets into a heavily debated bill that we had in the Education Committee. This is one, uh, that, uh, covered a lot of things, uh, you know, regarding CCRPI, regarding funding, regarding different types of school programs that work in a virtual basis.

273. 4:14:02

     Section 6 of the bill, pertin- pertinent to everyone in the chamber,

274. 4:14:10

     talks about the aggregate on these programs. So initially, we were at 110, then this chamber passed out 225. This re- reduces it down to 150. This makes it a much easier budget item to look at.

275. 4:14:32

     7 and 8, I think you can see where that goes. 8 talks about free or reduced fares for public transit. This is a good bill, helps those in a low income perspective. And Section 9 talks about a bill that we've already passed out of this chamber with bipartisan support, talks about length of time. I know the hour is late. I know we have discussed over the last couple of days every aspect of this bill, and in the sake of time, I will yield the well.

276. 4:15:20

     Recognize the senator, senator from the 27th. Do you want to speak on this? Recognize the senator from the 27th.

277. 4:15:35

     Mr. President, my voice is struggling, um, and frankly, I'm struggling.

278. 4:15:41

     This on its face is a good bill, and I'm gonna have to vote for this bill because the good in this bill outweighs the bad.

279. 4:15:50

     But it's tragic that hidden in this bill

280. 4:15:56

     is a measure that would shut down a school system, or I should say a school program that about 1,500 students are availing themselves of. Those families came to the Capitol and were not able to speak, uh, in our committee meeting because we were short on time. Uh, but when I expressed concern about this move that we were making, uh, they reached out and were thankful at least that somebody was acknowledging them. Uh, but to see this come back in a way like this, this just isn't a way to run government.

281. 4:16:30

     And there's a lot that we do down here that I think is good, but the fact that we would, in the wee hours of the night, put a MARTA bill, an SSO bill, a GOAL bill, I don't know what else is in this thing, and, um, the Senate sponsor is my dear friend. This is not his doing. This happened across the hall, so in no way am I disparaging-

282. 4:16:46

     The senator from the 48th. What we tried to do in the education committee was at least give these families a year. But what we're gonna do is we're gonna tell these 1,500 families that they've got about three months to go find a new school. And I'm gonna very reluctantly press the green button. I've got four kids, and you sometimes run through the, the machinations of what you would do if your house was on fire, and how would you get to all of them and all of that. And this is kind of one of those scenarios. You hope you can save them all. But the, the scholarship portion of this bill is very good public policy, um, but the, the, the sacrificial lamb that we're having to lay on the altar is, is tragic.

283. 4:17:25

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

284. 4:17:30

     Recognize the senator from the 13th.

285. 4:17:45

     Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I totally oppose this bill. I think it's ridiculous that we have stuck so much stuff in a bill that, number one, you can't figure out what's in there, and number two, you don't know what's germane, what's not germane. This bill, in my opinion, is not a good bill. Now, we had a good bill, and we fixed it. We were trying to run one. We've run out of time to make this thing work to strip some of it out and push some of it over there. And the only thing worth saving in this bill, in my opinion, is the gold money.

286. 4:18:16

     You know, that's what we need to be working on, is the gold money. But let me tell you what we're doing. Let's go a little deeper here. Let's go a little deeper. 4,000 parents, roughly, chose to send their kids to this virtual school over in this county called Jenkins. And now we're gonna tell these people, "We are gonna cut you off. You gotta find another school. And guess what? We don't care if your kids have autism. We don't care if your kids have been bullied. We don't care about your kids.

287. 4:18:47

     We care about the money that's gonna come back in the regular school." Now, folks, I may have missed something yesterday, but we stood right here in this well. I saw them praise the senator from the fourth, and I saw the senator from the 19th get up and talk about how great we were with literacy. Did anybody hear that yesterday? We were all here. But now we're saying, "Oh, no. We're not for literacy. We're gonna let literacy, we're gonna throw literacy away." Let me tell you something. When you got 1,400 and plus kids that you're telling in about three or four months, "Hey, find you somewhere else to go," that is wrong.

288. 4:19:27

     That is wrong. I don't care who's pushing the grade book, who's playing the games and the numbers, whatever you want to call it. That is wrong. And that's what we're doing. We're cutting these kids out, and we're telling them, "We don't care what happens to you. We're just gonna pass this bill because we got so much in here." What do you call this kind of stuff? I've heard y'all use terms like omnibus bill. I've heard Christmas tree bill. I call this a cluster bus bill.

289. 4:19:56

     That's what this is. This is a cluster bus bill, okay? I mean, it, it's just that, it's just that bad. And, and you got so much in here, and I'll be willing to bet you if it's challenged, it'll lose. And guess what? They'll throw it right back in our laps, and we'll be dealing with this thing next year. They'll put it right back on us. I'm not even sure the governor can sign this because I'm not exactly sure how it works for the germane issue. Since it came out of the House, they would have to claim that. I know we tried it a while ago to see if it was, and we don't know if it is. I guess it was ruled okay.

290. 4:20:28

     But I think there's many parts of this bill that are not germane to what we're dealing with. It's got too much in the bill. It's just too much there, too much that we have to deal with across the board. And I just tell you right now, folks, I mean, I just believe that, that we're voting for something that we shouldn't be voting for. But yet we're putting to a position where if we don't vote for this, guess what? The money runs out for the other folks. The other folks lose their money.

291. 4:20:59

     Now, I don't know how you feel about school choice. I don't really have a dog in the hunt anymore. Thank God my children are grown. My grandchildren are coming along, though, and I want them to have what they want to have as far as school. If they want to go to virtual school, so be it. If they want to be home schooled, so be it. If they want to go to h- regular school, so be it. If they want to go to private school, so be it. I want the choices. But I don't want somebody coming along and shutting these schools down because they can with the stroke of a pen and the push of a button, and that's what we're doing, folks.

292. 4:21:31

     That's what we're doing. However you like it, however you don't like it, that's what we're doing. So here's where I'm trying to get to you is that this school was given less than a year, basically, to get up to par. They got about 1,400 kids. We give all other schools f- five years to see if they're gonna make it. We haven't even given them a chance, and yet they got 1,400, and they're growing. The deal we had worked out was we'd give them 10%, and we'd go to 2030. I'm not stopping. I'm sorry, sir. I'm talking.

293. 4:22:03

     I'm gonna tell you how it is. I don't like this. I'm gonna let you know here how this thing's working. We're telling these folks right now that that's the way we got to have it because we only want the gold portion of it. We should have never engrossed this bill the way this bill is engrossed. I'm gonna say it again. We should have never engrossed this bill the way this bill is engrossed. Amen?

294. 4:22:34

     Now, I'm sure I'll take heat over this, and I'm sure whatever. And I'm sure like the senator just got up here and told y'all, it's almost apprehensive that we don't go press that green button because we're, we're not trying to kill something. But it's wrong to vote green on this bill the way this bill is written, and everybody in here probably knows that

295. 4:22:57

     Mr. President, I appreciate this. You've been very good trying to help m- work this out. I want you to know that. I want you to know you've worked on this. You helped with 1259. You've, your people have been spectacular. Thank you for this.

296. 4:23:07

     Trying to make it work.

297. 4:23:08

     You have tried to make it work. You've done the right thing. He's tried to make things work. I give him 100% of the credit. He has worked on this thing for the last five or six hours, but guess what? They call this the bewitchin' hour now. I got a na- another name for it, and it ain't bewitchin'. This is where we are right now. This is the most dangerous time in the history of Georgia on day 40 after 7:00 at night. This is when things happen that we don't need to happen.

298. 4:23:34

     It's, it's almost as dangerous as that jacket you got on right there.

299. 4:23:41

     I'm just trying to get your attention with the jacket. What can I tell you? I love all of you.

300. 4:23:46

     But, uh, I love it, I love it.

301. 4:23:46

     Conscience, I appreciate y'all. I yield the wheel, Mr. President.

302. 4:24:07

     All right. All right. I don't know who wants to follow that one.

303. 4:24:13

     Recognize the senator from the 38th.

304. 4:24:26

     Recognize the senator from the 8th. What purpose do you rise?

305. 4:24:28

     Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President.

306. 4:24:29

     State your inquiry.

307. 4:24:30

     Is it not true, Mr. President, that it's 10:43 and we haven't passed the budget yet? Just a reminder to the chamber.

308. 4:24:35

     The, the, the, you know, they no- they don't call you Old Dirt Roads for nothing. You, uh, you're a wise man.

309. 4:24:44

     Thank you, Mr. Senator.

310. 4:24:45

     All right.

311. 4:24:45

     Thank you, Mr. President. I, I see the majority leader making his way over here. I know he's gonna call out a question, so I'm gonna be brief. And it's tough to follow my, uh, colleague from the 13th. Uh, but I just want to share my concerns about this bill and the fact that I really want to vote for this bill. But because it is a MARTA bill, a education bill, a tax credit scholarship bill, I cannot support this bill. But the portion on this virtual school, I want to share some more insight.

312. 4:25:19

     This is a school, an operator, that applied to be a charter school four times in this state. Two times they were denied, and the other two times they withdrew because they were gonna be denied. This operator has found a way to circumvent Georgia law, and they are now running a school where only a handful of the kids that attend this virtual school, 1,500 kids, only a handful are from Jenkins County.

313. 4:25:50

     The rest of the students, two of the students are from Jenkins County. The rest of the students are coming from all over this state. And I had to sit in an education hearing where those eyes of those students and their parents were looking at me. But the reality is this school is failing the students that are attending. Their CCRPI score is 34. 34 out of 100. Their high school CCRPI score is 28.

314. 4:26:25

     28 out of 100. They have been the lowest performing virtual school in this state for two years. So I understand that it's tough to close a school, but I would argue it's even tougher to keep school students in a failing school. My God, I wish this bill remained separate so I could vote for this bill. We should not be failing students, whether it's a charter school, a virtual school, a traditional school, or a private school.

315. 4:27:02

     So my hope is that we no longer do bills like this so that those of us who have to make tough decisions can stand firm on those decisions knowing that we're doing the right thing. And so I just want to say once again, there's a right way and a wrong way of doing things. This is not the right way to do it, but I do believe that we will do the right thing for 1,500 kids and more students across this state who may have chose this as an option by making sure that no other child is sent to this school.

316. 4:27:38

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

317. 4:27:40

     All right. The senator's yielded. Senator from the 41st, do you still have the question on the table about the germaine-ness?

318. 4:27:49

     Yes, Mr. President. I believe that the senator in the fancy jacket made our argument for us.

319. 4:27:55

     He did. He did. He made a good argument. Very passionate argument. But I believe I'm gonna have to call it, rule it germane as the chair.

320. 4:28:08

     Senator from the 33rd, for what purpose do you rise? I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 6th for business inside the capitol. Senator from the 6th?

321. 4:28:21

     Yes.

322. 4:28:21

     Senator, now senator, she's, without objection, the senator from the 6th is excused.

323. 4:28:26

     Yes.

324. 4:28:26

     Mr. President, I challenge, respectfully challenge the ruling of the chair.

325. 4:28:30

     I knew that was coming, Senator, and I respect that. So that is, uh, that is the right of the senator, uh, from the 41st. The senator has challenged the ruling of the chair. All those in favor of challenging the chair will vote yea. Those not in favor in challenging the chair will vote no.

326. 4:28:57

     Yea.

327. 4:28:57

     Excuse me, excuse me. Opposite, opposite. My dyslexia kicked in, see?

328. 4:29:05

     Greens for me, reds for you, Senator.

329. 4:29:14

     Secretary, unlock the machine. Senator from the 41st, you have

330. 4:29:23

     your light on. On challenging the chair, the yays are 30 and the nays are 22. So the chair- The ruling of the chair is sustained

331. 4:29:27

     ... ruling of the chair is sustained. But I'm kind of

332. 4:30:33

     like the rest of y'all. I don't, I don't take a lot of pride in this one, so, but...

333. 4:30:39

     All right, so now we're voting on the underlying bill. The senator has moved that we agree to the House amendment to the Senate substitute on, on House Bill 328. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

334. 4:31:57

     On the passage of the bill, the yays are 30 and the nays are 22, and this bill, or this motion has prevailed. S- recognize senator from the 52nd.

335. 4:32:12

     Mr. President, I move that the H- Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate substitute to House Bill 1116.

336. 4:32:21

     Secretary, read the caption.

337. 4:32:30

     House Bill 1116 by Representative Blackmon of the 146th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend chapters five and eight of title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to ad valorem taxation of property and sales and use taxes respectively, so as to provide for the acceptance of tax digests in the event of a publication error made by a newspaper. To amend part four of article six of chapter two of title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to financing under the Quality Basic Education Act so as to exclude amounts attributable to certain exemptions from ad valorem taxation from the equalized adjusted school property tax digest for the purpose of calculating the local five mil share in equalization grants.

338. 4:33:02

     To amend article one of chapter 81 of title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to local government budgets and audits and for other purposes. Mr. President, the Senate offers the following substitute to House Bill 1116, a bill to be entitled an act to amend titles 20, 21, 36, and 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to education, elections, local government re- revenue, and taxation respectively so as to provide for property tax reform, to establish a local homestead option sales tax, and for other purposes.

339. 4:33:29

     To the amendments.

340. 4:33:30

     Mr. President, the House offers the following amendment. Amend the set- the substitute to House Bill 1116 by deleting lines one through the end and inserting in lieu thereof the following. To amend titles 20, 20, 21, 36, and 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to educations, elections, local government, and revenue, and taxation respectively so as to provide for property tax reform, to provide for distribution and use of special district option sales and use tax proceeds, to establish a local homestead option sales tax, to provide for imposition, collection, and distribution of proceeds, to provide for definitions, and for other purposes. Mr. President, I request you order.

341. 4:34:10

     Recognize the senator from the 52nd.

342. 4:34:23

     Thank you, Mr. President. This, uh, House Bill 1116, we looked at it a couple of days ago. It's, it's essentially the same as what we did. We have the 3% cap or the CPI for, uh, the reduct- for all cities mandated in, cities, counties, and schools. This starts July 1st, 2027. The date got moved back a little bit on it. As we said before, the local option sales tax stays exactly the same.

343. 4:34:54

     No change in distribution. Nobody gets any less money. Since everyone's mandated in, everybody's eligible for the floating local option sales tax, uh, subject to their agreement that they set up. Um, the revenue from this we'd seen before would, um, eliminate the property tax in two-thirds of our cities, reduce others by over 50%. And then the alternative that we put in there is still the same as, uh, the one presented before.

344. 4:35:30

     Instead of the floating homeowner tax, they could put in, or they could put in instead the floating homeowner tax, but it can't be done this year. It'll need, uh, local legislation to do. So what would this do? The conversion to Homeowner First would eliminate all county homeowner taxes for cities and counties in 101 counties. In all but three of the rest, it would eliminate more than 50%, and in those three it would be cut by a third.

345. 4:36:02

     So everyone would see a r- a reduction And let me make it real clear, there's two pennies that were available last year, there's two pennies available this year, there's two pennies available next year. There's no changing that. And you know, I know we got some people last time, "Well, this sales tax, you know, that's a, a regressive tax." You know, I didn't hear anybody say that when it was for the most, the, the, the water system for MARTA. Nobody says anything about it, and suddenly when it's for the homeowner, then there's a problem with it.

346. 4:36:35

     And there's not a problem with it. We need to take care of our homeowners. These caps would start also on revenue in July 1st, 2027. Before they had been the greater of 3% or the CPI. We've actually modified this, uh, with what South Carolina does. It says for a three-year period you'd have 9%, or you would also have the greater of the CPI. So it's the CPI or 3% each year for, for 9%, so there is a lot of flexibility in that.

347. 4:37:09

     Every tax foundation says the revenue caps are the most important part. They don't affect SPLOST in any way. We don't affect any voter-approved bonds. Texas has to go to a voter referendum to override it. Arkansas, South Carolina, New York, many others. Ohio requires a voter referendum. Massachusetts in 1980 put in Proposition 2.5. It does not even allow for inflation as ours does. Ours has a lot more flexibility. It also requires a voter referendum.

348. 4:37:41

     In 1990, Governor Dukakis evaluated it, and his experts declared it was working very well. I would add it hasn't crippled the schools as they have the highest test scores in the nation. Besides the rolling cap of 9%, any TADs, bonds, adjustments for inflations, any emergency sit- situation. And it also allows a method other than a ballot referendum. You as legislatures can enable them with your local legislation to approve the increase as well.

349. 4:38:12

     This legislation's proven to work in many states. It'll have a significant long-term benefit to our citizens of Georgia while limiting homeowner property taxes in a super majority of our cities and counties. I know we've debated this pretty hard, and so that's the bill before you, and I will yield the well.

350. 4:38:33

     Senator's yielded.

351. 4:38:38

     Dean, I know you had your light on, but he's yielded.

352. 4:38:46

     Recognize the senator from the 14th.

353. 4:39:01

     Chickens, the reality chickens have come home to roost, and unfortunately they don't even have anywhere to lay their beaks. Now we have the other side of the water coming down the mountain. We've handled income tax with a, a very, uh, sad putter. Those promises have gone by the wayside, and now we're at the property tax end of the equation, trying to make any sense of the insane property tax promises that were made at the beginning of this session. I can only speak to Fulton County, so I'll be very brief, and I'll tell you that the county that I represent, the schools have said several times in this process that just the state mandates alone for the types of programming or teacher pay raises that they would do are going to put them over the 3% cap year over year.

354. 4:39:49

     And so the result of being over that 3% cap is that they will have to submit their own budget to a vote, a referendum. And by the way, if you're a county school system trying to get a capital bond so that you can pay for capital improvements, so you go to the bond market and get one, you are incredibly toxic to that market if your ability to pay the bonds is subject to a vote of the taxpayers. So they can't predictably raise money via bonds to do improvements on the schools.

355. 4:40:21

     We again have a bill that comes not from reasoned financial administration, but instead comes from a campaign promise that was made in January, and the House and the Senate recognize they cannot follow through on the promises that were made. So Mr. President, whether it's income tax or property tax, I think we have now seen at basically 11:00 PM at night that there's not much in the way of tax cuts that Georgia Republicans can offer to try to address the affordability crisis.

356. 4:40:52

     And if anything, we're doing what? We're raising sales taxes after the income tax is gone, and we're raising sales taxes, not hypothetically, not next year, not the year after, we're raising sales taxes in this bill. This bill creates the weirdest new sales tax on the planet in order to pay homeowners for property tax cuts that local school systems cannot afford. Thank you, Mr. President.

357. 4:41:19

     Recognize the senator from the 8th. You had your light on, Senator.

358. 4:41:27

     You just turned it off. Recognize the senator from the 2nd.

359. 4:41:46

     Thank you, Mr. President, colleagues. I just wanna highlight that small businesses prepay sales tax every year, and this bill would require them to prepay anticipated sales tax revenues under the local, um, local home op- the floating local option sales tax. So just know every business that collects the sales tax has to prepay for the next fiscal year. And so this bill will disadvantage many small businesses who collect sales tax. They are required to prepay that sales tax based on anticipation of what they may collect in revenues the next year.

360. 4:42:21

     This is not a bill that is good for small businesses. This bill needs a lot of work, and I urge your colleagues to vote no.

361. 4:42:30

     Senator from the 56th, would you like to close or you waive?

362. 4:42:43

     You know, there's nothing that requires them to, to prepay taxes. And actually, um, while people guess on their budget on lost right now, only the first six months go into the budget. But, you know, um, we put in the marketplace facilitator in 2020. We passed it out, um, during, not knowing COVID was there. It made a big difference. We've done, um, a lot of work over the last six years working with, uh, Chairman Blackmon on income taxes, standard deductions, flat taxes, exceptional work.

363. 4:43:19

     But I believe the work on property taxes, if it becomes law, will far greater exceed the impact on everyday Georgians than the income tax rate reductions have. And I appreciate everybody's work on this. Um, I appreciate former Chairman Brett Howell, Ways and Means, that has helped on this as well. Mr. President, I yield the well and urge your vote on this important legislation that will be the most significant property tax legislation in Georgia's history. I urge you to be on the right side of history on this vote.

364. 4:43:52

     All right, senator's yielded. The senator has moved that the Senate agree to House amendment to the Senate substitute on HB 1116. All those in favor will vote aye. All those opposed, no. Secretary, unlock the machine.

365. 4:45:13

     On the motion to agree to the House amendment to the Senate substitute on HB 1116, the ayes are 24, the nays are 28, and the motion has failed.

366. 4:45:28

     Recognize the senator from the 19th. Thank you, Mr. President. I senate, ask that the Senate adopt the conference committee to report to House Bill 974, the state's FY27 budget. Secretary, read the caption.

367. 4:45:47

     Mr. President, the Committee of Conference on eight, House Bill 974 recommends that both the House of Representatives and the Senate recede from their positions and that the attached Committee of Conference substitute to Hou- House Bill 974 be adopted. Respectfully submitted, the Senator Hatchett- 108, 104. The Honor, Representative Hatchett, Representative Jones of the 47th District, Representative Estration of the 104th District. For the Senate, Senator Tillery of the 19th District, Senator Walker III of the 20th District, and Senator Anavitarte of the 31st District.

368. 4:46:24

     Mr. President, to make- Mr. President, to make and provide appropriations for the state fiscal year be- beginning July 1st, 2026. Mr. President. Mr. President, that completes the order.

369. 4:46:40

     Recognize the senator from the 19th.

370. 4:46:55

     For the last time, Mr. President, I present the Conference Committee Report to House Bill 974, the F- FY27 budget. It has been an honor to chair the Appropriations Committee for you for the past seven years. Thank you so much for the trust you put in me, for the trust you put in our Senate Budget Office, for the trust you put in your subcommittee chairs, for your participation in this process.

371. 4:47:30

     I have learned more about government through running the Appropriations Committee than I ever could have imagined, and that is a position that I never could have believed I would have been in. So thank you, Mr. President, thank you, Committee on Assignments, and thank you, members of this body, for allowing me to have done that. There are folks who served with me. You know the subcommittee chairs, you know our staff, and the senator from the 29th's gonna help me out really fast with a few things.

372. 4:48:02

     Angela Toohey was the Senate Appropriations Ap- um, come, walk this way just a little bit, Angela. You, we're gonna hit it at the corner, if you don't mind. When, she was the administrative assistant for Chairman George Hooks. Senator Harbison or the 15th remembers this, for Chairman Jack Hill. When I was an intern in 2003, uh, Governor Perdue's first year, uh, she was the, uh, the committee person then. And Angela has been very coy about what she plans to do next.

373. 4:48:37

     So the Senate would like to recognize you, Miss Angela, for your over 20 years of service, I think we're pushing 30, to this state. Thank you so much for what you've done to keep everything straight on what I know is the hardest committee in this body.

374. 4:49:19

     Our analysts are hired away each year. It's because they're darn good at what they do. They do not see politics, and they do not even see local politics. In fact, one of my favorite stories of our analysts is while I was just the f- the, the vice chair

375. 4:49:38

     Our analysts were asked, we knew we were leading into an s- recession in 2019. The revenue lines were starting to cross. I'm sure the House people are laughing at that. They love it when I talk about the revenue lines crossing. And the Senate budget staff bro- brought proposals for how we may have to reduce spending if that was necessary. And one of them brought closing certain state parks that were not having as much attendance as others. And one of them they recommended to close was a s- little park in Tatnall County, Georgia, named Gordonia Amatoma Hall State Park.

376. 4:50:16

     Chairman Jack Hill looked at the report and he smiled at the analyst. He looked at me. I knew where it was at, and I smiled, too. And Jack looked at that young analyst and said, "We're gonna bake. We're gonna let this decision bake for a second," laid it back on his desk. For those of you who may be listening, you'll understand that the reason that that decision had to bake for a few minutes is because that state park is now named Jack Hill State Park. The analysts are so deaf to politics, and I think that's a good thing, that they had recommended the closing of the state park that literally sat in the chairman's backyard.

377. 4:50:54

     That's how apolitical they are. That's how much you can trust their analysis and their decision. And we're losing one of those analysts this year. Jennifer Boger came to us from, after retiring from the state of Virginia. She is leaving to go back to care for family. Jennifer, you have been awesome. Thank you for... What's that?

378. 4:51:13

     Pennsylvania.

379. 4:51:14

     P- uh, what'd I say? Virginia? Oh, Pennsylvania. I'm so sorry. I knew it was Pennsylvania. I was thinking Pennsylvania, but said Virginia. I apologize. Going back to the state of Pennsylvania, uh, Jennifer, thank you. And the, the Senate earlier today passed a resolution honoring you, too.

380. 4:51:45

     Would you like to Jeff Mullis?

381. 4:51:48

     Uh, Austin Trott is the deputy director of Senate Budget. He started out as an intern in this body. Was it for Senator Mullis?

382. 4:51:58

     No, Hunter Hill.

383. 4:51:59

     Senator Hunter Hill, uh, before Hunter Hill left and, and then was at GEFA for a while. Today, Austin's celebrating his tenth anniversary with our office. Austin, thank you for your help. We're sorry we did not get to this point in the budget to present it while your young child was still awake. Uh, but there's a resolution that the Senate passed earlier honoring you for your ten years of service, too. Thank you for everything that you've done for our, our state.

384. 4:52:31

     Yes, sir.

385. 4:52:40

     Zell Miller said that a turtle doesn't get on top of a fence post by himself. I know this, Chairman, that I've not got on top of that fence post by myself. It was by them lifting us up. And I think we can say as an entire Senate that the rest of the people you see standing around the walls, they have put us in a position to be able to better this state. They are the ones who put us on top of that fence post, and I thank every single one of you that I've been able to serve with. Let's talk about HB 974. When it came over here, you know we talked about two big priorities in this year's budget that the Senate was going to champion.

386. 4:53:14

     While every single line mattered, there were a few things we put our, our chips on and we pushed all in on. One of them was waivers. We had twelve hundred and thirteen, I believe, twelve hundred and seventeen waivers when the Sen- when it left. We did get some updated information. The updated information showed that from a provider rate, we thought that there were only two hundred waivers potentially available. The Senate's position would not allow us to cave to that number. What we've insisted instead is that the Senate add two hundred and fifty percent to that, providing five hundred waivers. With attrition, that will be over nine hundred waivers this year to move forward on the wait list.

387. 4:53:48

     Uh, and we do believe that that will continue to move forward the Senate's priority of increasing provider capacity on now comp waivers. The Senate's other priority in this year's budget was state retirees. The Senate's position held. I'm glad to report this year's budget will include one hundred million dollars to increase the ERS fund so that state retirees may receive more consistent and dependable cost of living increases moving forward.

388. 4:54:22

     We moved the funds slightly, allowed for a spread across all areas of the budget. So it's sixty-five percent, roughly, state general funds, thirty-five percent federal funds as we push that out through, uh, other, um, statewide spreads. But the Senate's position as it relates to state retirees did hold.

389. 4:54:47

     On literacy, the Senate's position of funding one coach in every single K-three school in our state held. The Senate put seventy million dollars into this formula when it, when the Senate budget came out originally. We moved that seventy million into QBE. It does some things to free up some other monies elsewhere. Uh, what that does in the end is make sure that every single K-three school in our state will receive a literacy coach, and that literacy will be a priority for our schools, and that priority will be baked in our QBE formula.

390. 4:55:24

     One reduction, it was still an increase, but reduction that was talked about in the media had to do with the university system. As you know, the Senate's budget included a one hundred and twenty-three million dollar reduction to the increase that was around three hundred million dollars to the state teaching formula. Again, take the one twenty-three out, it still ended up being a hundred and sixty million dollar increase. Only in government can a r- more money next year than this year be called a cut, but somehow it was framed that way.

391. 4:55:57

     However, through working through the programs with our friends across the hall, we were able to bring that cut down or that reduction of an increase down rather to $34 million. The USG teaching formula will see a $34 million ret- reduction as we ask the folks at Regents and the central office to examine the online class ratios, uh, payments toward, as it compares to in-person classes. Remember, we still, I, I'm still having a very hard time believing that online classes cost more than in-person classes.

392. 4:56:32

     I don't understand why our state taxpayer dollars should be paid the same. I see the senator from the 38th shaking his head too. As a former school administrator, that's just really hard for me to accept. The second part of that is that the House would like for us to add in the language, they heard our comments as it related to out-of-state students. Many of you have had to get phone calls from people in your, uh, constituents in your area saying, "Hey, my kid didn't get into this school," or, "They didn't get into that school." And then they find out later on that a child from Texas or California or, or New York made it in.

393. 4:57:04

     And that just sticks hard in the craw of those individuals, especially when the state is funding a large portion of the credit hours at these schools. The House wants to dive into that formula too, and we included language to the same and reduced the increase reduction to $34 million in Regents.

394. 4:57:29

     The bond projects from the Senate, almost all of, every single one of them have held. They are there. The projects that you've asked for, whether it be in outdoor recreation or it be in other areas in DCA have held. We're able to restore some of the reductions agencies saw, in- including DNR. We were able to put back together certain programs at the Department of St- uh, Public Safety, mainly related to the state patrol, and we were able to continue the Senate's desire to eliminate the feral hog program that we see plaguing agriculture across our state. We continue to the increases in ag and ag research as they relate to a, the pepper weevil, as they relate to peanut research, as they relate to other things at Georgia Tech Institute of Technology, um, G- and GT- GTRI.

395. 4:58:12

     The Senate's budget overall will look almost, will look very much the same, and again, it's been a pleasure to negotiate this one out for you.

396. 4:58:25

     In closing,

397. 4:58:28

     I guess this is where I get to give my goodbye.

398. 4:58:33

     When I look across this room, there's a story that I can relate to each one of you. Sometimes because of the way my mind thinks, the story becomes about a budget project, something that you wanted. I know the senator from the 17th is always gonna care about food banks. I know that the senator from the 41st is always gonna ask where side-by-side injury, injury money is. I know that the si- senator from the 22nd's always gonna be looking after his solicitors and judges. The senator from the 53rd, when he was here, was always gonna vote no.

399. 4:59:10

     Each one of you have taught me so much about the state through my being able to learn from you. It has been an honor, it has been a pleasure, and as I close out this night, the most exciting thing to me is not leaving you. That's not exciting. You've become friends and colleagues. The most exciting thing to me tonight is the fact that my wife, who c- we celebrate our 10-year anniversary today-

400. 4:59:51

     ... has been here, is able to be here today. Because while I have endured some of the arrows 'cause budgets were cut or things like that, this is big boy politics. I'm used to that, and that comes with the job. I'm supposed to take the arrows for you. But she's taken the arrows for me. And back home with our two boys and with our foster son, Jeremiah, John and William, she's there every night. And not only has she been there every night, she's managed over this time, if I've done the math correct, baby, you've also somehow managed to deliver over 2,000 babies over the time I've been in this Senate.

401. 5:00:54

     And if there is anything that has come good from our family, it has come from her, not from me. Members of this body, thank you so much for allowing me to serve you, serve with you the past 10 years and serve as chair the past seven. Keep your eyes on the budget. Remember that nu- every single bill you pass, regardless of what they tell you in the hall, has a financial impact. I'm talking to you, senator of the 48th.

402. 5:01:23

     And that while you're here in this building, the people you're charged with representing do not reside in the hallway, they reside back home. And it's okay.

403. 5:01:51

     And it is always okay to say no. Thank you, Mr. President, I yield the will.

404. 5:02:01

     Good job, Senator.

405. 5:02:19

     Good job, Senator. Really good job, and, uh, you've done a wonderful job in the many years that you've chaired that committee, and, uh, we appreciate all your hard work and, and I know this body will miss you along with many others in this room. A lot of institutional knowledge leaving this bu- leaving this room after tonight, so we've got a lot of guys who are leaving. All right. Does any of the senators wish to speak for or against the measure? It doesn't matter, 'cause you're not going to.

406. 5:02:50

     Chair hears none. Senator, question is on the adoption of the conference committee report on House Bill 974. All those in favor of adopting the conference committee report will vote yay, opposed nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

407. 5:04:06

     On the motion, on the motion, the yays are 53 and the nays are zero. The motion has prevailed and the Senate has adopted the conference committee report on House Bill 974. Well done, Senator. Well done.

408. 5:04:27

     We can technically go home now.

409. 5:04:31

     We're not gonna do that. We're not gonna do that. Recognize, uh, majority leader for a motion. Mr. President, I move that we remove House Bill 141 from the table. Secretary, secretary read the caption. House Bill 141 by Representative Momtahan of the 17th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 48-13-14 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to levy on b- business or practitioner with location or office in more than one jurisdiction, allocating gross receipts and limits on levies using criteria for taxation so as to allow businesses and practitioners to provide affidavits of certified public accountants in lieu of tax returns to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

410. 5:05:16

     Without objection. Secretary finish caption. Mr. President, the Committee on Finance recommends that this bill do pass respectfully submitted Senator Hufstetler of the 52nd District. Chairman, Mr. President, that completes the order. Senate, floor is yours. All right. Thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 141 basically provides, uh, allows a practitioner or business to provide affidavits in lieu of tax returns or other financial information for local governments f- facilitate their determination for occupation tax to be levied. Mr. President, yield the will.

411. 5:05:50

     Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous question be in order? Chair hears none. Previous question is ordered. Is there objection to agree until the board of committee which is favorable to the pass of the bill? Chair hears none. The board of committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question be in order? Chair hears none. Main question is ordered. Question is on the pass of the bill. All those in favor of the bill will vote yay, opposed nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

412. 5:07:18

     On the passage of the bill, the yays are 51, the nays are zero. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed. Rec- recognize, uh, senator from the 42nd. Mr. President, I move that House Bill 350 be removed from the table. Secretary, read the caption. House Bill 350 by Representative 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 provide provisions relating to safe places for newborns, to authorize ambulance services to accept physical custody of a newborn, to authorize the placement of newborn safety devices, to provide for definitions, to provide for limited liability, to provide for transport of newborns to the nearest medical facility, to provide for specifications for newborn safety devices, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

413. 5:08:06

     Is there objection? Without objection, I recognize senator... Finish the, the- Mr. President, the Committee of the Senate on Health and Human Services recommends that this bill do pass by substitute respectfully submitted Senator F- Watson of the 1st District. Chairman, Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services offers the following substitute to the House Bill 350, 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 provide provisions relating to safe places for newborns, to authorize ambulance services to accept physical custody of a newborn, to authorize the placement of newborn safety devices, to provide for definitions, to provide for limited liability, to provide for transport of newborns to the m- nearest medical facility, to provide for specifications for newborn safety devices, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

414. 5:08:43

     Mr. President, that completes the order. Floor is yours, Senator. Members of the Senate, House Bill 350 is now known as the Liza Jane Warner Act. And w- when we pa- we put this bill together in committee, in the health committee, we heard from a mother, a grandmother actually, of Liza Jane Warner, a child she never got to meet, a child that was found in a cooler in Troup County in late December 2018.

415. 5:09:14

     It passed away late December of 2018. Was found in January 2019. And we named the bill after this child because this bill expands places that a hopeless mother can go to leave a child. And so the bill originally comes from a code section called the Safe Place for Newborns Act of 2002, and we are proud to rename this entire act off Liza Jane Warner, knowing that hopefully when we pass this bill, fewer children will end up like she did.

416. 5:09:46

     And while her life on earth was very short, with this act passed today, her legacy will live forever with having more options for mothers in our state to leave children, to make sure these children can have a mom and dad who will care for them. Happy to take any questions. There are no questions, Senator. I'll yield the floor. Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous question being ordered? Chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Question is on the adoption of the committee substitute. Is there objection to the adoption of the committee substitute?

417. 5:10:19

     Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there objection to agreeing to the report of committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The report of committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? Chair hears none. The main question is ordered. The question is on the passage of the bill by substitute. All those in favor of the bill, vote yay. Opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

418. 5:10:55

     On

419. 5:11:38

     the passage of the bill, the yays are 49, the nays are one, and this bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed by substitute.

420. 5:11:48

     Recognize the senator from the 42nd. Mr. President, I move that House Bill 1470 be removed from the table. Secretary, read the caption. House Bill 1470 by Representative Kelly of the 16th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 7 of Title 51 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and abusive litigation so as to create a cause of action for abusive litigation based on alleged website access violations under federal and state law, to provide factors for evaluating a claim of abusive a- website access litigation, to provide for a rebuttable presumption when corrective action is taken after receiving notice of an alleged website access violation, to provide for damages, to authorize the attorney general to intervene and seek certain relief and to make investigative demands for evidence in certain circumstances, to provide for definitions, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws for other purposes.

421. 5:12:35

     Is there objection? Finished. Mr. President, the Committee of the Senate on Judiciary recommends that this bill do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Strickland of the 42nd District. Chairman, Mr. President, I complete the order. The floor is yours, Senator. Members of the Senate, House Bill 1470 is going after people that are preying on business owners in our state. I've seen this firsthand myself with a business owner in Henry County that gets a letter saying, "I'm gonna sue you because your website does not comply with Americans with Disabilities Act.

422. 5:13:10

     But you can pay me and I'll go away." Well, this lawyer pro bono fired back a letter at this attorney and said, "Come and get us," and the lawyer went away. And what this bill does is it says if you are gonna come in and prey on business owners, and of all things, you're gonna use the Americans with Disabilities Act to try to go f- file frivolous lawsuits because someone's website you're saying is not in compliance, well, if that case, if you lose that case or that case gets dismissed, you may have to go pay actual damages to that business owner, attorney's fees to that business owner, and treble damages as well.

423. 5:13:49

     This is tort reform. This is smart tort reform. We need to make sure that individuals who wanna prey on our citizens will have to go to a different state besides Georgia once this bill passes. Happy to take any questions. You can have one question. Recognize the senator from the 14th. Thank you, Mr. President. Senator yield? Yes, sir. Senator, can you just clarify for the chamber that this is, it appears to be a situation where these lawyers have made a cottage industry out of sending abusive letters. It's not even clear whether the ADA covers the allegations- Yes ... they're making about the website.

424. 5:14:19

     And so really what's happening is we're preventing a particular type of scam from being perpetrated on websites in Georgia. Is that basically right? Yes, sir, and I appreciate you clarifying that. For the thousands, may actually be thousands- Millions ... we're talking hundred- millions, millions watching us here in this final hour or the final three hours or so, we support the American- Americans with Disabilities Act. We don't want to see people violating that. These are people that are going and trying to profit off the threat of these frivolous cases. And so you're exactly right. This is a cottage industry, and they'll go somewhere else.

425. 5:14:51

     They'll go to a different state that hasn't passed this yet. Thank you, Senator.

426. 5:14:56

     Yield the floor. No further questions. Does any other, does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous question being ordered? Chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there objection to agreeing to the report of committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The report of committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? Chair hears none. The main question is ordered. The question is on the passage of the bill. All those in favor of the bill will vote yay. Opposed, nay. Secretary will unlock the machines.

427. 5:16:24

     On the passage of the bill, the yays are 50 and the nays are zero. And this bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed. Recognize the senator from the 6th. Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to the House substitute to Senate Bill 33 as amended by amendment three. Secretary, read the caption. Senate Bill 33 by Senators Kirkpatrick of the 32nd and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 23 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the Georgia Hemp Farming Act, so as to provide limits on the total THC concentration of consumable hemp products, to revise provisions concerning the certificate of analysis applicable to consumable hemp products, to revise and provide for definitions, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws for other purposes.

428. 5:17:08

     Mr. Pro- Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 33, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 23 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, the Georgia Hemp Farming Act, so as to provide for impounding of hemp and hemp products and cannabis or synthetic cannabinoid products under circumstances to revise provisions concerning the certificate of analysis applicable to consumable hemp products and for other purposes. Mr. President, Senator Bra- Senator Brass of the 6th offers the following amendment, amendment three. Amend the substitute to Senate Bill 33 by deleting lines one through the end and inserting in lieu thereof the following, to amend titles 20, 21, 36, and 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to education, elections, local government, and revenue and taxation respectively, so as to provide for property tax reform, to provide for distribution and use of special district option sales and use tax proceeds, to establish a local homestead option sales tax, to provide for imposition, collection, and distribution of proceeds, to provide for definitions, to exclude amounts attributable to certain exemptions from ad valorem taxation from the equalized adjustment school property tax digest for the purpose of calculating the local five mil share and equalization grants, to increase the cap on reserve funds for local school systems for, and for other purposes.

429. 5:18:13

     Mr. President, that completes the order. Recognize the senator from the 6th.

430. 5:18:24

     Mr. President, I bring you SB33 and amendment three. It's no coincidences that it is on this bill. We've taken out all the hemp language and it is now the tax bill, the one we just voted on, 1116. Here's the changes. We took out the levy caps, which limits the increase in budget that w- kicks in that requirement for a referendum. We took out the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. What we left in were the valuation caps.

431. 5:18:54

     So the original language from 581, that is now mandatory for, that, that language stayed in. The LHOST, which is just another tool in the tool chest for our, for our locals to reduce taxes, we left that in. The FLOSS language has stayed in. That allows the first six months of your first year to be applied towards property taxes. That second six months would roll to the next year. And then the five mil lang- language we left to help our schools out.

432. 5:19:25

     I'll yield for questions. I'll yield the well. Excellent. Robertson.

433. 5:19:32

     Robertson. S- recognize the senator from the 29th. Mr. President, I move the question. Move the question. Senator's moved the question.

434. 5:20:02

     So the senator from the 29th has moved the question, so we'll vote on, there's objection obviously, and so we'll m- move, we'll vote on the question at hand from the senator from the 29th. So all those in favor of the senator from the 29th's motion will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

435. 5:20:37

     Senator from the 14th, for what purpose do you rise? Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, I think everybody in the gallery and everybody here just watched this bill or a different version of it fail. Eight Republicans voted no. Is it not true, and is it not true- That now we're cutting off debate at 11:40 PM on a slightly altered version that still raises sales taxes to pay for homestead exemptions? Is that not true, Mr. President? Senator's passionate about what he speaks. He sure is.

436. 5:21:06

     Senator from the 31st, what purpose do you rise? Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Isn't it true that the minority party continue- continues to obstruct the taxpayers on every single property tax bill we bring here? They don't care about affordability. On the motion, the yays are 32, the nays are 21, and the motion has prevailed. Now the, we move to the question. Senator from the 41st, what purpose do you rise?

437. 5:21:36

     Point of order. State your order. Um, yes, Mr. President, there were, this bill can only be amended one time because it's an agree. There's an amendment number one on our desk and amendment number two on our desk. Neither of them were considered. This is out of order. We should have done number one first. You have the power of recognition, but- We did not recognize those, so we'll be voting on this bill for the motion here for the 6th. All those in favor of the senator from the 6th's motion will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

438. 5:22:23

     Senator from the 20th, what purpose do you rise?

439. 5:22:38

     Senator from the 20th, what purpose do you rise? Oh, sorry. I was-

440. 5:22:53

     Senator from the 35th, what purpose do you rise? Uh, parliament- parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Um, is it not true that this bill just failed like 10 minutes ago, and now it's back? Sales tax- Pretty sure it's- ... increase. Pretty sure it's a different bill, Senator. Slightly.

441. 5:23:21

     On the passage of the motion, the yeas are 32, the nays are 21, and this motion has prevailed.

442. 5:23:41

     Re- recognize the senator from the 11th. You gotta call the bill up, though. Senator, you gotta, you gotta tell me which bill you want first, Senator. I know. Read, Secretary reads House Bill 1310.

443. 5:24:05

     House Bill 1310 by Representatives Ford of the 170th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 3 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to other state symbols so as to designate cotton as the official state fabric, to provide legislative findings, to provide le- re- related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

444. 5:24:24

     Recognize the senator from the 11th. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, this is, uh, HB 1310. A. It is making cotton as the official fabric of the State of Georgia. So, that's what the bill does. Thank you, appreciate your support. I yield the wheel.

445. 5:24:42

     Is there objection? Hearing none, all those in favor vote yay, all those opposed nay. Secretary, align the machine.

446. 5:25:53

     Looks like the House went to recess, guys and ladies.

447. 5:26:03

     Oh. The recess, I know, right?

448. 5:26:39

     Senator from the 51st, you wanna take a moment and- 47 ... say your goodbyes? We're gonna, we're gonna kind of call you sometime in just a minute.

449. 5:26:47

     Go for it.

450. 5:26:48

     In a, in a minute. I'm, I'm working on it. Senator from the 27th, you wanna say your goodbyes? Can't tell.

451. 5:27:01

     On the passage of House Bill 1310, the yeas are 50 and the nays are one, and this bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

452. 5:27:27

     Senator from the 46th.

453. 5:27:34

     Longest serving member

454. 5:27:38

     besides the senator from the, the 15th.

455. 5:27:54

     The floor is yours.

456. 5:27:55

     Thank you, Mr. President. I don't really wanna say goodbye, but I guess the time has come to say goodbye. I got here 20 years ago, and I'm stealing a line, I didn't make it up, but this is how I felt when I got here and looked around the room. It was something to the effect of, "How in the world did I get here? How am I so lucky to be able to be in one of these 56 chairs representing the entire State of Georgia?" Who would've thought that a kid from Macon, Georgia, would be able to get elected to come serve in this body?

457. 5:28:37

     I had heard when I was a senior in high school, the senator from the 26th was a 24-year-old House member, if I'm not mistaken. Looked like Super Fly when he came to our classroom, spoke about the legislature, and I remember being impressed with him and other people that I knew that served here, and I just remember that feeling of awe when I was, was here and, and thinking, "Man, this is incredible."

458. 5:29:08

     Yeah. Right.

459. 5:29:09

     And then the story goes within a year or two, you look around out, out there and you're like, "How did all these other clowns get here?" It is, it is such a, a wide variety of people that get elected to serve. In this body and, and it's, it's crazy. It's a, it's a really interesting system, but I still get excited when I come into the Capitol sometimes. Just driving down the interstate and seeing that gold dome. This Wednesday morning came into our legislative prayer fellowship that meets at 7:00 AM, uh, in the House Judiciary Room downstairs, and being not on Atlantic Standard Time yet, uh, we-- it's still dark at 7:00, and this place is lit up with those spotlights, and it's just a majestic building, and it is so really just neat that it's a, it's still a thrill to me to be able to come in here.

460. 5:30:11

     I will say that there are several things that are just so enriching to your life to be here, and everybody mentions the relationships. Senator from the 15th standing here, I've just loved all the time we spent together. I, you know, I could go name and name and name and name people that I served with, but it's the same relationships that you develop, your alliances, your friendships. You have your inside jokes. You have each other's back. Uh, you, you cover people, and you don't let anybody talk bad about them, and then it's kind of like, you know, you don't mess with, with your little brother on the playground.

461. 5:30:52

     You can beat the crap out of him when you're at home alone, but when you hear folks talking about him out in the schoolyard, you put an end to it, and we feel that way even about the other party. You know, if you're messing with a Democrat that's a member of the Senate, you're messing with part of my family, and I think the feeling probably goes both ways. Ed, you know, everybody says this is like some grand fraternity because there's little groups in it that, you know, you got the social chairman, and you got the sergeant at arms, and the treasurer, and the different people that have their roles, but, you know, you're all there with a common goal and a common interest.

462. 5:31:31

     The other thing I've heard so many people say over the years is that you get to where you really appreciate the institution itself, and the longer I serve, the more I sit back, and I tell people in your little Rotary Club speech or, you know, Chamber of Commerce speech that this system that we have of government, this, you know, representative democracy really, it works because every one of us want to be here.

463. 5:32:03

     This, uh, is something that stimulates us. It gives meaning to our lives to do this. We feel like we're contributing back to society. A lot of us were little political science nerds anyway, loved current events, and here you're in the, the, the laboratory where it's all happening is neat. But if you want to be here, you have to keep your constituents happy or they're not going to bring you back.

464. 5:32:33

     So we all recognize that, that we represent different groups of people, different geographic areas, different, uh, ethnic groups, diff-different interests in different parts of the state, and we have to do what's in their best interest or we don't come back. And so all of us know that about each other, that you're doing what's best for your people, and it works. And we don't always get it right on this side, but thank goodness there's another side to the hall over there because there's a lot more times than I want the public to realize that I've called friends in my local delegation in the House and said, "We just missed something.

465. 5:33:18

     We have an unintended consequence that nobody pointed out to us. Will you help fix this?" Except we say, "Perfect it." And they do the same to us. And if you get through that bus all over there in their committees, they're not quite as chummy as we are to each other. Your bill's been vetted, and usually if it doesn't get killed, it comes out stronger and better. And then of course, if we all mess up, you got the governor that has the power to put an end to it and take the heat. And it, but one way or another, I just can't imagine a system that can work better than this.

466. 5:33:56

     I have, um, boy, I've just relished it. I've, I've loved every second and every-- I, you know, I, I tell people, and I honestly mean it, I still learn something every day. And it was something just the other day I learned that was totally new in the rules that I think I, I know the rules and I'm like, "Man, that, that's something I wish I had sort of caught on to before." And I love watching. Uh, senator from the 41st is, is leaning on the cowsert column back there.

467. 5:34:28

     Y'all have seen me in that position many, many times and, and I'm watching just seeing what's going on, seeing what's happening on the podium, who's talking, is somebody from the House over here, somebody here working on amendments. And, you know, you can just see a lot of activity. And I have so enjoyed being back there where I can kind of not be bustled around and all, and, and people can come in and see me from the back, and I can talk. And I kind of hope that maybe someday y'all will be down here, and you'll kind of take a glance up or do something.

468. 5:35:01

     You might just sort of think you see me back there, uh, get a little glimpse and, or have some memory that I was here and maybe something I did kind for you, if I ever did anything kind to anybody, if I, you know, taught you something or if I had a, something I cared about because, uh, I love the institution. I want to continue, and I want it to keep getting better, and I think it will. So many of us are leaving this year, and I-- you just put the hook on me when you need me to quit filibustering here, Mr.

469. 5:35:32

     President. I'm, I think I'm filling some time, but, uh, I'm, I'm happy to step down anytime. I, um, I've had a, a, a lot of different thoughts here as I, I get towards the end of the thing, and, and a lot of people, especially in the hall, are saying, "Oh, boy, what's the Senate gonna do without y'all?" Losing a lot of institutional knowledge, losing a lot of experience there, a lot, a lot of wisdom going away, and how are they gonna survive?

470. 5:36:03

     And there for a little while, I sort of wondered about that, and I'm friends with everybody running for lieutenant governor. I've told several of them, "You're gonna have your hands full. You're gonna have to find the right people to do this work that, that, you know, can do it." But I'm gonna tell you, as this year has gone on, I got no worries about y'all. You're gonna be fine. I have watched a lot of my colleagues grow up during this legislative session and, and before over the years, and here's what I think about the people that are here.

471. 5:36:35

     I don't think you could find a better group of folks. I mean, all of y'all are my friends. I honestly love y'all, even if, if we've had disagreements. You know, I know I've had some sharp elbows in the bar basketball games before, and, you know, it was always about the policy. Trust me on that. But this is the biggest group of Type A personalities in one room that I've ever seen. You've got to be to have the courage to run and put your name on a ballot, and you gotta be thick-skinned, and all of y'all are tough.

472. 5:37:09

     You can take a, a punch and, and throw one back or keep going and, and, and realize you're still working to make things better. I think this is an extreme amount of intellect and intelligence in this room, and whoever created the system of a citizen legislature was brilliant because we got people coming from all different areas of life. We've got a very few lawyers left. We've got insurance people. We got bankers. We got farmers.

473. 5:37:40

     We've got entrepreneurs, and I mean, the list goes on and on. We got preachers in here. We, we've got people that come from all walks of life and experience and bring that experience to the table and share it with us and help us shape policy doing that. We've got more passion in this room than you can shake a stick at. I love it. I don't know where the senator from the second is right now. When he gets up here and starts preaching with that sing-song and just from the heart, I'm like, "Bring it on." I want to sit back there and say amen.

474. 5:38:16

     Uh, y- you know, and, and, and a lot of us get, you know, I think you just heard the appropriations chairman a couple times today just let it out what he felt like. We had a little Elvis Junior down here, uh, uh, preaching to us a while ago, and it's people that care about this policy, and they have passion, and they got personality. You know, they've, they've got an ability to make people like them, and that's how they got elected probably. But, uh, I can tell you in my twenty years, I have never, ever heard of one single person in the Senate that did anything unethical, ever took a bribe or have, had their vote paid for or bought in any way.

475. 5:39:01

     Think how many people you, you've told out there in the hall, "I'm sorry, couldn't be with you on this one," you know, and then they may be taking you to dinner some night later. I've just never seen it happen where anybody in this body or that, or the House either for that matter ever sold their vote or was influenced by any kind of gift or dinner or football game tickets or whatever, and that's the way it should be. But I think we have a higher ethical standard than a whole lot of other professions.

476. 5:39:34

     I think that, um, there's a whole lot of heart in this room. There's a lot of sympathy, empathy for people. I think there's a lot of compassion, and I think that's what we ought to be doing. It's almost like we all have the job of taking care of eleven million people and doing what we feel is best for them, and we might not all agree how to get there, but I do think we all are trying to do what is best for people.

477. 5:40:04

     So in my parting words, I, I'm, I'm happy so far I hadn't teared up. It may happen before I stop. But I want to thank Amy and my family for putting up with it for this long. Somebody, you know, says this is a forty-day job. That's, is that true? You know. Ah. No, no, no. It's, it is a full-time job if you let it be. But at whatever amount you're allowed to spend, you're taking away from your loved ones, and they're supporting you.

478. 5:40:36

     I want to thank my business partners, my law partners that have allowed me to do this. Y'all, as y'all well know from all the different lawyer fights in here, I'm typically on the defense side. We're plowing the field, m- hourly rates and driving, you know, beat-up cars instead of Maseratis. And, and when you're gone for three months and you're not billing hours, you're, you're hurting your law partners income-wise, and mine have always said, "This is our public service covering for you, allowing you to go serve," and I appreciate that from everybody that has done that.

479. 5:41:16

     I want to thank all the voters that let me come. Wh- when I say in a, a speech that it is a privilege to serve here, it really truly is a privilege to be allowed to be one of these fifty-six Special people that get to sit in that seat representing those voters that sent you here, and even the ones that didn't vote for you because you're, you're interested in them as well and making sure their lives get better.

480. 5:41:46

     And I wanna thank all you. You know, all my colleagues, both sides of the aisle, the ones that I had disagreements with, the one that I, I never had a different of, of, of agreement with. I sat back there in this seat, uh, almost every year that same seat, and have had a wonderful group of people that sit, have sat beside me over the years and have remained friends with all of them. One of my best friends ever was, uh, Dr. Greg Goggins that was from, from down in Coffee County.

481. 5:42:16

     He's an orthodontist. And one time he made me vote for a bill that was, uh, it was nicknamed Shoot Bambi in a Pen. You gotta be a real good friend to vote for that bill, let me tell you. It was a, really, the pen was about a mile in circumference that they had some exotic game down in South Georgia, and they were letting people pay to come hunt them. By the time PETA got ahold of it and, uh, and the other groups that care about animals, and I hope the first lady's not listening, there weren't any dogs shot at.

482. 5:42:47

     But they, they called it just Shoot Bambi in a Pen. And I said, "Do you really need this vote, brother? 'Cause I'm with you if you need me, but it, it, you gotta have me." And he said, "I got to have you." So it crashed and burned. I think there was either three or five of us that voted in favor of it by the end of it. And I'm, I'm glad it didn't pass. But it shows you your relationships when you will go to war, uh, with your, with your friends. But I, I, I love you all. I love the, the collegiality we have. We tell people over and over, we're not like DC, where all the, uh, you know, the partisan battling.

483. 5:43:23

     This year we saw some pretty cool things where we worked together. Uh, me and the, the minority caucus chair just passed an amendment that I promised her last year I would help her work on this year if we could. We had several really good bills that we all came together. And I'm gonna also thank God, uh, for giving me, just blessing me with this ability. And I am going to yield the will for one last time and look forward to staying in touch with you all forever.

484. 5:43:53

     Thank you.

485. 5:43:54

     All

486. 5:44:18

     right. Well done, Senator. Well done. 22 y- good years. 22 good years you've been a public servant, and we thank you for that. Recognize the senator from the 29th.

487. 5:44:34

     Mr. President, I move the Senate agree to the House-

488. 5:44:36

     Begin the hearing process.

489. 5:44:44

     The, uh-

490. 5:44:45

     Pro tem

491. 5:44:46

     ... secretary. Oh, the pro tem. Pro tem wants a... He's kicking me off the roster. Hold on. Pro tem wants something.

492. 5:44:51

     Go for it.

493. 5:44:55

     Thank you, Mr. President.

494. 5:44:59

     I've had the pleasure of serving with Georgia's 13th Lieutenant Governor Jones since 2015 when I was first elected. He was a state senator then. He was first elected in 2012 for the 25th District, and I've found him to be a man of integrity and courage. He will stand firm for what he believes in, even if he stands alone or if he's in the minority.

495. 5:45:30

     He's a man of his word. If you wanna know where he stands on a issue, all you have to do is ask him. He'll tell you. I mean, there's no guile about him. He doesn't play games, and his word is his bond.

496. 5:45:47

     Just look at what he ran on when he ran for lieutenant governor and what he's accomplished as the leader of this august body since 2023. He's done what he said he was gonna do. He's lowered taxes. He's cut red tape. He's protected life and girls' sports. He's supported law enforcement. He's advanced educational opportunities for all Georgians, no matter their zip code, and he's pr- improved our foster care system.

497. 5:46:20

     Those are big issues that he's tackled and he's gotten accomplished. What I think I admire most about him is he's committed to his faith. He's committed to his family. His high school sweetheart and wonderful wife, Jan, is here with us. He's got two fine children, Stella and Banks, and they, they are so important to him, as evidenced by what he sacrifices to get to ball games or events or be at family things, uh, staying on the road a lot.

498. 5:46:59

     But he's also clearly, clearly dedicated to the people of Georgia. I'm honored to call him my colleague and friend, and I appreciate so much his 14 years of service to the Senate and to the great state of Georgia, and it is my privilege to be able to, uh, give him h- the gavel and block as a token of our appreciation and for him to remember his time with us here in the Senate.

499. 5:47:31

     So-

500. 5:47:54

     Thank you. I appreciate that, uh, Pro Tem. That's very kind of you, and, um, I appreciate the opportunity. I, you know, I'm apologizing because, uh, so many of you are leaving and, you know, of course, we don't have to adjourn yet. I know everybody says we adjourn at 12, but when's the last time we adjourned at 12, you know? But, um, but I, I-- it is, uh, you know, I was listening to, uh, Bill Cows- Senator Cowsert back there giving his farewell speech and, and you do, when you, when you spend a lot of time in this, uh, in this body, you know, you, you, uh, you garner a lot of friends.

501. 5:48:33

     You, uh, you know, get to see people, uh, the good, the bad, and the ugly of folks, you know? And, uh, but what I've always enjoyed about this, this group or this body in particular is it was a small enough group that you really, if you wanted to, you could get to know people on a personal level. And always, that's always been the ki- type of person I've been, whether in business, whether in sports, or whether in politics.

502. 5:49:05

     Uh, I like to know about the individual themselves, know what makes them tick, know what they enjoy doing, and find out what they're all about as a person. And I bet you, uh, you don't get the-- when you get to serve in this body, you get to, there's a lot of idle time, as y'all well know, in the 40 days and 80 nights that we're here, uh, at the, at the Senate. But I could probably tell you something about every individual in here that I've served in the Senate, something that you don't know.

503. 5:49:39

     And, and, and to me, that's, that's how you build relationships. That's how you build friendships. And, and it's, uh, and really, at the end of the day, what makes this whole world go around is relationships. And, and I think it's important how you treat people, um, how you treat people on a day-to-day basis. That's why I've always, I've always taken the attitude, and I hope, hope particularly the people that w- I don't, that don't always agree with me on issues, I hope they always, uh, will say that, you know, "He was always fair.

504. 5:50:15

     He was always straightforward, and he, um, you know, he always did what he said what he was gonna do, but, um, didn't always agree with him," and that's fine. Uh, but what's also great about this body is we, it's a serious job that we have, uh, serving the people of Georgia, but I think it's important not to ever take yourself too serious. Because these titles, they come and go, and, and there n- then there's nothing permanent about what we do, and I think you should always remember that.

505. 5:50:47

     A lot of people get up here, and I've seen so many people get up here, they get these titles of senator or chairman or house member or whatever it might be, and it changes their personality. It changes how they go about things. And I always tell people who, who come to, is always remember where you came from. Always remember who are the people who got you here, uh, because at some point in time, all this will go away, and nothing lasts forever.

506. 5:51:21

     Uh, and the one thing, you know, we do have a lot of institutional knowledge that is leaving here, but this is not the first time you've had institutional knowledge leaving here. There will be somebody to move right into the place here where I stand as well as into the seats that are being vacated after this, and this thing continues on, and you're, you're just a blip on the screen. And I think it's important that we understand that because, uh, like I said, if you take yourself too serious, sometimes you can neglect the things that are important, like, uh, my s- high school sweetheart back here.

507. 5:52:05

     Uh, you know, she and I will, uh, will have been married 19 years, uh, April 14th, and we've got two, two, um, beautiful teenagers. We were good parents until we had teenagers. But, but, uh, but I will tell you that the one thing I've always, uh, tried to do, uh, and I, and have done, quite frankly, is, you know, I never, I never did many dinners.

508. 5:52:35

     I didn't do many of the social functions, and it wasn't because I, you know, didn't wanna hang out with, you know, uh, colleagues or anything like that. Uh, it was just 'cause, you know, I needed to be a husband and dad first, and I needed to always know what your priorities are. And, uh, and I think if there's anything that I would leave with, uh, the next person that, that fills this role is, uh, is to say just that. You know? The, the first thing is, is your God, your family, and, uh, and then, and then your responsibility as a public servant, and it should be, should be in that order.

509. 5:53:18

     And, uh, at any rate, it's been a fun ride. I've enjoyed it very much. Uh, never, I never would've thought I was binded when, when Governor Kemp, uh, was here. I was m- the first time I came to the, the Senate body was in 2002. Now, excuse me, 2003 and Governor Kemp had, was, uh, was a senator at the time and he was doing a resolution honoring the University of Georgia SEC Championship team of 2002.

510. 5:53:52

     And I never will forget, uh, there was a bunch of us here and, you know, we were in awe of everything. And in fact, there's a, a, I still have a picture of, uh, Governor Kemp and at the time Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor and, and myself all kind of standing together. And, and, uh, you know, the governor, I, I sent him the picture of it. I said, "Man, 20 years ago, but we look like we got about 30 years of mileage on us right now," you know? But, uh, that was a, that was the first time I remember really coming into this building and, and seeing it what it was.

511. 5:54:28

     Uh, but, uh, look, I've enjoyed my time, uh, serving th- this state. Come on up here, Jan. Uh, enjoyed my time serving this state. Uh, I'm grateful that I had a, a, a lady that would, uh, support me 'cause you can't do this without a, without a supporting cast. I've, I've watched plenty of people come down here and, uh, let the, let all this stuff that, all the accolades that you get. You know, you ever notice, Senator, you can appreciate this.

512. 5:54:59

     You ever notice when you get down here for the first time, and any of y'all can appreciate this, all of a sudden you're so much smarter- ... and funnier and just, you know, the, the, the amount of wisdom that you have is boundless, right? And, and, uh, but if you were to take that tag off your, your jacket, uh, you'd just be another person. And, uh, and I think this always, it's always something you should remember. Always, um, go home, hug your, hug your wife, hug your spouse, kiss your, kiss your babies and realize that you're down here to serve the people of Georgia, and that's a big honor and, uh, and you should really see it that way.

513. 5:55:40

     But, uh, but don't ever let it change your perspective. So thank y'all very much, uh, for y'all's, um, friendship and thank y'all for allowing me to lead this body. And, uh, you know, who knows what the future holds? Uh, I might be back here again do- giving a speech like Governor Kemp was tonight, or I might be back here again begging one of y'all to pass a bill that might mean something to my hometown. But either, either way, uh, I appreciate it.

514. 5:56:13

     Uh, it's an honor, and, uh, God bless each and every one of you. Thank y'all.

515. 5:56:48

     One last thing. I'm glad, I'm glad you're here, Jan, to remind me 'cause let me tell you something, you can't do any of this without good people around you, and I've been very fortunate and very blessed to have a great, great group of people around me. Number one, uh, James Tripp, you and your team. Uh, I was a little concerned last year.

516. 5:57:28

     David Cook, who y'all all remember David Cook and what a wonderful job he did. I never will forget when I first got elected lieutenant governor, David said, "You know, I'm kinda ready to retire, Burt." And I said, "Yeah, well, you kinda can't." You know? And, uh, anyways, um, so he agreed to, uh, serve my first two years. And then when he f- retired, uh, I had watched, uh, James grow up under David and, and even though there were some people that wanted to put together a, you know, a, you know, some sort of search committee, I said, "No, no, no, no.

517. 5:57:58

     We got the perfect guy. We just need to promote from within." And, uh, it kept the whole team together, and they do a wonderful job-

518. 5:58:05

     Thank you

519. 5:58:05

     ... and I greatly appreciate them.

520. 5:58:11

     Thank you. And obvious- obviously, the doorkeepers, a wonderful, wonderful group of people who have, uh, who are just absolutely selfless. They, uh, they come down here every day and, uh, they open, they open and close and, and, uh, they escort people in and kick people out and, and they do it with a smile. And, uh, and, and you just, y- they, uh, do a wonderful job and I appreciate all the work that they do.

521. 5:58:43

     Those ladies out there that work the w- that have the pages, too, they do a fantastic job. I've seen that, that program grow.

522. 5:58:59

     Senate press and senate budget, y'all do a wonderful, wonderful job. We appreciate that. Where is Denise Sampson? I keep looking for Denise. Denise, she works in our office, but Denise has been with me from the beginning. Denise has been with me for 14 years. I think she started with you, Ed Harbison, many years ago. Denise looks, Denise looks like, Denise looks like she's about 40 years old, but she's, she's, she is, she just looks really good for her age, you know?

523. 5:59:30

     And, uh, and, uh, she looks good for her age, and I know she's, uh, I want, if she's around, I know hopefully she'll walk up here. But, uh, then, then my, my, my main folks here, uh, Brad Vaughn, Loriann Paradise, Enis Owens, I don't think anybody can debate, uh, what a wonderful job. Tiffany Hull, uh, also, and then I've got some of my young interns back there, Cam Jeffries and, and H- Holly, and, and I don't think there's anybody, everybody I've ever dealt with or has ever dealt- With the senior staff, they always say, "Well, you got a good team." And, uh, and that feels really good when you hear that time and time again.

524. 6:00:15

     Uh, you don't ever hear about somebody not calling them back or not responding to a request. Uh, it's always, "Well, you have a really good team. I don't know where you found, found those folks, but they're really, really good." And they, obviously, when you surround yourself with good people, they make you look good. And so, y'all just please give them all a round of applause.

525. 6:00:48

     And, uh, you know, I wanna... Uh, Denise, she'll be up here in a second, I know. But when D- when D- There she is. There, where's Denise? There she is. Woo. There she is.

526. 6:01:07

     I'll tell this quick story, and I'll be done, but when I first, uh, came to the Senate, uh, Jason Carter was serving in the state Senate, and he and I had, uh, shared an office together, and Denise was the best at what she did. So Jason was the golden boy, so that was the reason why he had Denise, you know? And, uh, and so Jason and I, uh, uh, had a shared office together. You know, we got along great. He's a g- he's a good guy, still a friend today. And, uh, and Denise always thought that that was gonna be her ticket to the governor's office, was Jason.

527. 6:01:46

     And I just, I'm here to tell you today, Denise, I'm your ticket, and we're gonna be there next year.

528. 6:02:03

     And and on that n- and on that note, I recognize the whip for whatever bill we just called. We're gonna keep going here. And, uh, thank y'all very, very much, and y'all are the best. I appreciate it. Senator from the 29th. Oh, no.

529. 6:02:19

     Mr. Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to the House amendment to the Senate substitute to HB 1161.

530. 6:02:27

     Secretary, read the caption.

531. 6:02:29

     House Bill 1161 by Representatives Layman of the 98th and others, a bill to be entitled an Act to Amend Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to motor vehicles and traffic. So as to provide for proper operation of a motor vehicle upon approach by an authorized emergency vehicle or by a law enforcement vehicle for purposes of a traffic stop; to provide for related matters; to be applicable to the laws; and for other purposes.

532. 6:02:45

     Public safety.

533. 6:02:46

     Mr. President, the Senate substitute, i- uh, the Senate substitute to House Bill 1161, a bill to be entitled an Act to Amend Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to motor vehicles and traffic. So as to provide for proper operation of a motor vehicle upon approach by an authorized emergency vehicle or by a law enforcement vehicle for purposes of a traffic stop; to provide for penalties based on the distance a person fled or otherwise attempted to elude a pursuing vehicle or law enforcement officer performing duties on behalf of the Department of Public Safety; and for other purposes. Mr. President, the House offers the following amendment to amend House Bill 1161 by replacing lines one through the end with the following: To amend Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to motor vehicles and traffic.

534. 6:03:20

     So as to provide for proper operation of a motor vehicle upon approach by an authorized emergency vehicle or by a law enforcement vehicle; and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

535. 6:03:29

     Recognize the senator from the 29th.

536. 6:03:35

     Mr. President, colleagues, we sent a speed camera bill over to the House yesterday, and they perfected it.

537. 6:03:45

     They perfected it.

538. 6:03:47

     What they did is they require that if the camera is on a four-lane highway, there must be a crosswalk for it to be used, and they also added flashing lights and signs that show the speed of the vehicle as it travels into the zone. It's a good bill. Please vote green. I yield the well.

539. 6:04:13

     Any senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. All those in favor of the bill will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary will alarm the machine.

540. 6:04:45

     Senator from the 41st.

541. 6:05:11

     For what purpose you rise? Preliminary inquiry. State your inquiry. Isn't it true this is a school camera bill that does not allow for a referendum? Is that not true? Senator, no.

542. 6:05:39

     On the motion to agree, the yays are 33, the nays are 19, and this motion has prevailed.

543. 6:05:48

     Recognize the senator from the 50th.

544. 6:05:54

     Thank you, Mr. President. I move that the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate substitute to House Bill 1247.

545. 6:06:05

     Recognize the senator from the 50th. Oh, Secretary, read. House Bill 1247 by Representatives Reeves of the 9- 99th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter One of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions so as to prohibit courts and administrative officers from deferring to agency interpretations of laws and regulations, to provide for a short title, to provide related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, the Senate substituted House Bill 1247, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Titles 15, 31, 48, and 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to courts, health, revenue and taxation, and state government respectively so as to prohibit courts and administrative officers from deferring to agency interpretations of laws and regulations, to provide for construction, to provide for conforming changes, to revise procedures concerning the adoption of administrative rules, to revise procedures within General Assembly concerning object- objections to proposed administrative rules, to provide for periodic review and automatic sunset of agency rules, to provide for notice to agencies subject to review, and for other purposes.

546. 6:06:54

     Mr. President, the House offers the following, um, offers the following amendment: Amend the Senate substitute to House Bill 1247 by replacing lines one and two with the following: To amend Titles 15, 28, 31, and 48 and 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to courts, the General Assembly, health, revenue and taxation, and state government respectively, and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

547. 6:07:17

     Senator from the 50th.

548. 6:07:28

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to bring the House Amendment to House Bill 1247. If you'll remember, this is the agents, or the bill that deals with whether or not we should give deference to agency rule. Um, most, that was kept the same. What they did put on the amendment after we sent it over there 10, 11 times is the Epstein Amendment, uh, that failed to pass in Washington. The Senate has passed it 10, 11 times.

549. 6:07:58

     The House finally sent it back to us, so now taxpayers have the right to know if a member of this body or the House settles an inappropriate claim using taxpayer dollars. Common sense, and I would respectfully ask for your support. Let's get this done. With that, Mr. President, I yield the will. Any other senator who wish to speak for or against the measure?

550. 6:08:28

     Senator from the 41st.

551. 6:08:47

     Thank you, Mr. President. The hour, the hour is late, but I think it's important for us to know what we're voting on. Uh, so I will remind you all that this, um, bill still has provisions in it that makes law enforcement have to give tickets to pastors who are handing out sandwiches to people who are experiencing homelessness. That is in this bill. And so if we want a busy APD, instead of us actually protecting people who are actually committing crimes, instead we're gonna deputize them to go out and hand out non-criminal tickets to pastors who are simply trying to serve the Lord.

552. 6:09:25

     That's what's in this bill. I encourage you to vote no.

553. 6:09:30

     Any other senator? Hearing none, all those in favor of the senator from the 50th's motion to agree to the House Amendment on Senate substitute on HB 1247, all those in favor vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

554. 6:10:49

     On the motion to agree, the yays are 34, the nays are 18, and this motion prevails. Recognize the majority leader. Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate substitute to House Bill 297.

555. 6:11:12

     Secretary, read the caption.

556. 6:11:18

     House Bill 297 by Representatives Anderson of the 10th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 40-1-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to def- definitions relative to motor vehicles and traffic so as to revise the definition of multipurpose off-highway vehicle, to amend Article 10 of Chapter Five of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to ad valorem taxation of motor vehicles and motor homes so as to define multipurpose off-highway vehicle and subclassify such vehicles for ad valorem taxation purposes, to provide that such vehicles shall not be returned or taxed for ad valorem taxation purposes, to provide for related matters, provide for an effective date and applicability, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

557. 6:11:52

     Mr. President, the Senate, the, the Senate offers the following substitute to House Bill 297 to- a bill to be entitled an act to amend titles, uh, to amend titles 12, 32, 36, 40, 45, 48, and 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to conservation, natural resources, highways, bridges and ferries, local government, motor vehicles and traffic, public officers and employees, revenue and taxation, state government, respectively, so as to abolish the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority; to change the name, jurisdiction, governance, and powers of the Atlanta Region Transit Link, ATL, Authority; to transfer all a- assets, obligations, liabilities, and employees of such authorities to the Georgia Transport Efficiency Authority; and for other purposes.

558. 6:12:26

     Mr. President, the House offers the following amendment. Amend the substitute to House Bill 297 by replacing line 13 with the following: for parts to extend the sunset for authority of local governing bodies to collect a retail sales and use for tax purposes of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority to revise provisions relative to the multi-county transportation special, special purpose local by inserting between lines 766 and 767 the following, "Said title is further amended by adding a new code section to read as follows: 32-9-13.1 notwithstanding any provision of Section 25 of the MARTA Act to the contrary and for other purposes." Mr.

559. 6:12:56

     President, that completes the order.

560. 6:13:00

     Recognize the majority leader.

561. 6:13:07

     Thank you, Mr. President. House Bill 297. You all have already taken up this bill. The underlying bill has not changed. This is a dissolvement of GRTA and the ATL. The only change is extending, not new, but extending the MARTA penny for 10 years. Mr. President, I yield the will.

562. 6:13:27

     Senator from the 41st, for what purpose do you rise? I rise to make a motion. Mr. President, we mo- move that we print, a motion to print the bill. We do not have the underlying bill, we only have the amendment. Motion to print.

563. 6:13:48

     We're not disputing that, Senator.

564. 6:14:12

     Okay. S- hey, Senator, senator from the 41st, your motion is, is in order. It's not debatable, but we can put it on the board for a vote. So all those in favor of the senator from the 41st's motion to print the bill, to print the bill will vote yay. All those opposed to printing it, no. Secretary, allow the machines.

565. 6:14:55

     Recognize the senator for the second. For what purpose do you rise? Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, is it not true that you should read it before you vote on it? 'Cause if you don't, you don't know what's in it. That's what the committee process is for. Recognize the senator from the 19th. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Is it not true that anything that would actually become law is already printed and laying on our desk? This is very true, Senator. This is very true.

566. 6:15:28

     Recognize the senator from the 14th. What purpose do you rise? Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Is it not true that a red vote is a vote against having access to the bill that we're voting on? Is that not true, Mr. President? I believe it's in your book, Senator.

567. 6:15:47

     On the motion to print, the yays are 21 and the nays are 32, but at least the rules chairman voted with you.

568. 6:16:06

     Okay, now we're back to the underlying motion. The majority leader- Pages, pages. Yeah ... majority leader has moved that we agree to Senate substitute.

569. 6:16:23

     Oh, senator from the 14th.

570. 6:16:35

     Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, I'm gonna shock everybody. I'm voting yes on this, and here's why, because two reasons. One, the MARTA tax is really important to the longevity of transit, most critically to the maintenance of federal funding that is already available. So this is a technical explanation. If you talk to MARTA, they can explain it to you that to have access to the federal funding that's already in the pipeline, they need to have access to the sales tax. That's reason number one. Reason number two is if y'all wanna give so much authority to lieutenant governor and the governor, I guess we'll just have to flip those seats and Democrats will appoint those roles.

571. 6:17:07

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

572. 6:17:13

     Well, Senator, I know the majority leader appreciates your support on that. So senator from the 29th, what purpose do you rise? Mr. S- Mr. Pr- President, I rise to move the question.

573. 6:17:29

     I think we're about, I think we're, I think we're about to vote on it actually, but Senator from the 41st, did you wanna speak on it? Hold that. Hold it. You'll speak on it? Come on, Senator.

574. 6:17:42

     Come on, Senator.

575. 6:17:47

     You-

576. 6:17:56

     Thank you, Mr. President, and good morning, everyone.

577. 6:18:08

     I understand that we want to go home and throw up some paper, however, this is a really important moment. It is very clear to us that our transit system is the thing that brings FIFA, the Super Bowl. Can we name any other thing it brings to our state? Our transit system is sacred, and it is something that we should take time to think about before we drastically overhaul it.

578. 6:18:40

     And so I rise in strong opposition to this bill, and I ask that my colleagues, all of you, that you pause for just one moment. And before we do a major overhaul of one of the most important systems that helps bring so many dollars to our state, that we would pause and not do this this year. So I urge you to vote no on this bill. It is not a good bill. And ultimately, while I trust deeply in the senator from 14th's ability to rule and w- and to stand in that podium, I do not wanna take the risk of handing over my ability to vote for ATL.

579. 6:19:18

     I don't wanna pass that on to something that is ultimately extraordinarily partisan. So with that, I yield the will. Senator from the 51st, would you wave?

580. 6:19:32

     He'll answer your question.

581. 6:19:33

     Okay. All right. So the motion is on the...

582. 6:19:39

     Motion on... Oh, we got the previous question. I think we're there. Nobody else has signed up, so. Senator from the 29th, I think we're, I think we're at that moment for the previous question here, so.

583. 6:19:51

     Yes, Mr. President, I move to call the question.

584. 6:19:53

     All right. We're there. The senator from the 31st has moved that the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate substitute on HB 297. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

585. 6:20:24

     Senator from the fir- 51st, for what purpose do you rise?

586. 6:20:27

     Parliamentary inquiry.

587. 6:20:28

     State your inquiry.

588. 6:20:29

     Mr. President, isn't it true that it appears that the Democrats that represent the city of Atlanta are about to vote against their own transit system while the Republicans from the rural areas of the state are gonna help carry the water for the city of Atlanta once again?

589. 6:20:44

     The senator from the 51st, passionate about what he speaks, knows a lot about transportation.

590. 6:20:55

     Senator from the 36th, for what purpose do you rise?

591. 6:20:57

     Parli- parliamentary inquiry.

592. 6:20:59

     State your inquiry.

593. 6:21:00

     Isn't it true that this transit system has been put up and built and funded by the core counties of this state, and we're the only major city in the, in the, in the country that is, does not have state funding, does not have state funding. And when we, when everybody comes to town to come and enjoy Atlanta and enjoy the beautiful state we live in, they ride MARTA from the airport. We're, we are saying we have a say in this, a high stake in this.

594. 6:21:31

     Isn't it true? And this bill should have been held back.

595. 6:21:35

     Senator is passionate. On the motion to agree to the amendment of substitution, the yays are 38, the nays are 14, and this motion has prevailed.

596. 6:22:04

     Recognize the senator from the 27th.

597. 6:22:06

     Mr. President, I move the Senate agree to the House substitute to SR 624.

598. 6:22:27

     Secretary, secretary, read the caption.

599. 6:22:30

     Senate Resolution 624 by Senator Setzler of the 37th and others. A resolution honoring the life of Officer Drew Haynes Brown, and dedicating an intersection in his memory and for other purposes. Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Resolution 624, a resolution dedicating certain portions of the state highway system and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

600. 6:22:50

     Recognize the senator from the 27th. Speak to the bill.

601. 6:22:54

     Thank you, Mr. President. This is a road naming bill. Colleagues, for those of you that are not coming back, I would point you to lines 124 to 142. It would point you to the great work that you're doing to end your legislative career, uh, by naming a road after the great United States Treasurer, Brandon L. Beach. I yield the will.

602. 6:23:24

     Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the m- measure? Hearing none, all those who agree to the House substitute on SR 624 will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

603. 6:24:07

     On the agree, the yeas are 51, the nays are zero, and this motion has prevailed. Recognize senator from the 29th.

604. 6:24:17

     Mr. President, I move the Senate agree to the House substitute, SB 430.

605. 6:24:21

     Sorry, Senator, that wasn't for you. Senator from the 45th. Recognize you.

606. 6:24:25

     Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to House Bill 295.

607. 6:25:38

     Secretary, read the cap.

608. 6:25:42

     House Bill 295 by Representative Gaines of the 120th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 60 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions applicable to counties and municipal corporations, so as to provide procedures for real property owners to make claims for compensation from local governments for loss of property value or expenses incurred due to the local government's failure to comply with or non-enforcement of certain laws, ordinances, and resolutions, or due to local government maintaining a public nuisance and for other purposes. Mr. President, the Senate offers the following amendment. Amendment 1 to House Bill 295. Amend House Bill 295 by inserting after sovereign immunity on line nine the following: To amend Chapter 80 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions applicable to counties, municipal corporations, and other governmental entities, so as to waive sovereign and governmental, uh, governmental immunities for local governments and their officials and for other purposes.

609. 6:26:28

     Mr. President, the House offers the following amendment. Amend the, uh, amendment to House Bill 295 by replacing lines five through nine with the following: Entities who has to authorize mandamus action regarding local governments and their officials and employees for a violation of the prohibition on immigration sanctuary policies. To amend Code Section 42-1-11.5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to compliance with immigration detainer notices so as to authorize and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

610. 6:26:57

     Recognize the senator from the 45th.

611. 6:27:09

     Senate colleagues, I bring House Bill 295 back before you. We debated this bill very heavily earlier tonight. Uh, the House changed, uh, the stick in the bill to a right of mandamus from, uh, a loss of sovereign immunity. Uh, Mr. President, I'll yield the will.

612. 6:27:28

     Any other senator who wish to speak for or against the measure? Hearing none, all those in favor will vote yay, all those opposed nay. Secretary, allot the machine.

613. 6:28:38

     On the motion to agree, the yeas are 34, the nays are 19, and this motion has prevailed. Recognize the senator from the 29th.

614. 6:28:47

     Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to the House substitute to SB 430.

615. 6:28:53

     Secretary, read the caption.

616. 6:28:57

     Senate Bill 43- 430 by Senators Robertson of the 29th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 13 of the, of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to excise tax on rooms, lodgings, and accommodations, so as to provide that certain military museums qualify as destination marketing organizations and private sector nonprofit organizations, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 430, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 13 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to excise tax on rooms, lodgings, and accommodations, so as to revise the definition of tourism product development, so as to specifically include military museums and related institutions, to remove the local government tax revenue threshold as it relates to the applicability of procedures for changing the designation of a private sector nonprofit organization engaged to promote tourism conventions and for other purposes.

617. 6:29:42

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

618. 6:29:48

     Recognize the senator from the 29th.

619. 6:29:57

     Friends, we talked about this bill the other day. There's a military museum in the district that our good friend, the senator from the 15th, represents.

620. 6:30:13

     As I said, our good friend from the 15th, who is leaving us, represents in his district the infantry museum there. And the bill you heard before allows that museum to apply for hotel/motel tax. What the House did, we voted it out unanimously. And what the House did is they added a piece in there where the hotel/motel tax performance review board must quarterly, um, if there's an appeal, have a hearing within 90 days.

621. 6:30:49

     That's the only change they made. And my voice is about gone, so God has answered your prayers.

622. 6:30:57

     I would greatly appreciate your support on this bill. And to my friend from the 15th, I love you. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the will.

623. 6:31:05

     All right. Any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none.

624. 6:31:13

     All those in favor of the agree to the House substitute on Senate Bill 430 will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

625. 6:32:24

     On the motion to agree, the yays are 53 and the nays are zero. This motion has prevailed. I love it. So much love.

626. 6:32:35

     We're almost there. We need to get those, those, let, allow the pages to come in so we can recognize them here. Recognize the senator from the 45th.

627. 6:32:48

     Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to the House substitute to Senate Bill 447. Secretary, read the caption. Senator, come on down here to the well. Senate Bill 447 by Senators Dixon of the 45th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 7 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to control of soil erosion and sedimentation so as to revise provisions regarding denial or non-acceptance of permits to amend Chapter 60 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to pro- provisions applicable to counties and municipal corporations so as to provide general provisions for counties and municipalities regarding the acceptance, denial, or non-acceptance of certain permits to require local issuing authorities to provide rejected permit applicants with, with a written list of reason- reasons for denial within specif- specified timeframes to provide definitions, provide related matters, repeal conflicting laws for other purposes.

628. 6:33:35

     Mr. President- Senator. Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 447, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to state building, plumbing, and electrical codes so as to revise provisions relating to inspections submitted by private professional providers to amend Chapter 7 of Title 12 and for other purposes. Mr. President, I will please you order. Senator from the 45th.

629. 6:33:59

     Thank you, Mr. President. Happy Friday, Senate colleagues. Uh, you remember, you remember Senate, uh, Bill 447 well. It had to do with the land disturbance permit, dealing with land development when you're, you're, uh, starting a development for a new home community. Um, the House took out the third party, uh, as far as the private providers, uh, but this was a Senate priority, and we've worked all session on this, uh, so I ask for your favorable consideration. I yield the well. Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure?

630. 6:34:29

     Hearing none, all those in agreement to the House substitute on SB 447 will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

631. 6:35:40

     On the passes of the substitute, the yays are 51, the nays are two, and SB 447 has prevailed. I just wanna let the pa- all the pages that are still here, this is a telephone. This is how we used to communicate. This is how we used to communicate on a regular basis right here. There was no screens to look at or anything. You just dial the number, and your friend might or might not pick up. So my friend has not picked up yet, so.

632. 6:36:11

     But thank y'all, thank y'all, pages. Let's give them a big round of applause.

633. 6:36:42

     All right. We got a senator from the 51st. We gotta give you an opportunity to say a few words. You've served in this body a long time, and, uh, you, uh, let's give the senator a big round of applause before we do this.

634. 6:37:01

     As long as, as long as I stand here, we can't sine die. Is that right? Being a former majority leader, I know a little bit about that word. Uh, colleagues, I'm not gonna be up here as long as many of you guys have for the last 16 years, to be honest with you. Some of you, maybe most of you, just talk way too long. So, uh, take it from a guy that's been here a while, you don't have to talk as long to be effective. Um, I've been in politics for a long time. I believe politics and public service is a calling.

635. 6:37:34

     It gets in your blood. It gets in your heart because you wanna do good things for your home districts. You wanna do good things for your state. And I've been blessed for 25 years to serve a community and a district up in North Georgia. And I'm like, uh, the senator from Athens, when I first came to this building from a farm in North Georgia, I pinched myself several times thinking, "How in the world did a little old country boy from North Georgia get elected to the State Senate?" Came on, I came up from a six-generation farm, put myself through college, and worked my way into local government.

636. 6:38:16

     I became the sole county commissioner at the early age of 32. I was the first Republican ever elected in my home county, served in local office for eight years. I was on the technical college board for a short time, and I was on the DOT board for about a year and a half before I got elected to the State Senate. And the last 16 years has been the greatest time and the biggest honor of my life in public service. I've met so many good people here, but that first few weeks I was here, I asked myself that same question, senator from, from Athens.

637. 6:38:48

     I said, "How in the world did I get here?" And then I met a lot of you guys and ladies, and I asked myself, "How the hell did y'all get here?" And, and, but I've learned to love each and every one of you. We have had some fierce battles. We've disagreed on so many cultural and, and value issues and just things that we thought we were, you know, doing the right thing because that's the way we were raised. And I believe every one of y'all have the same amount of passion that the, your partners next to you have.

638. 6:39:18

     And I want you to keep that passion. I want you to keep your love for what you're fighting for, because I think when we argue about things respectfully, we do better. We make better policy. And I see the House is about to sine die.

639. 6:39:32

     I think a lot of us in here have experienced the Peter Principle. If you don't know what the Peter Principle is, go home and Google it, because I think most of us have ex- exceeded the Peter Principle. Keep your heart where it is. Keep your passion strong. And I look forward to working with you guys again. I'll be back in January. God bless y'all, and let's go sine die right away. Good night. All right, good job, Senator. Good job, good job. All right, we're gonna do this.

640. 6:40:02

     I'm gonna allow the senator from the 42nd, 'cause he's got a local bill that he and the senator from the 10th want to see get done. Since both of them are leaving, we're gonna let that happen. And then the senator from the 43rd wants to do a little something for the dean.

641. 6:40:20

     Right.

642. 6:40:21

     And we're gonna sine die after we, uh, gi- give the dean a good send-off here. So senator from the 42nd, hurry up.

643. 6:40:29

     Mr. President, I move that the Senate agree to the House substitute to Senate Bill 359.

644. 6:40:34

     All right. Se- secretary, read the caption.

645. 6:40:37

     Senate Bill 359 by Senator Jones of the 10th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend an act to provide for a new board of commissioners of Henry County. Approved March 28th, 1974 as amended, so as to revise and restate provisions regarding the code of ethics, to revise provisions relating to the chairperson of the board of commissioners and county manager, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws for other purposes. Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 359. A bill to be entitled an act to amend an act to provide for a new board of commissioners of Henry County. Approved March 28th, 1974 as amended, so as to revise and restate provisions regarding the code of ethics, to revise provisions relating to the chairperson of the board of commissioners and county manager, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

646. 6:41:13

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

647. 6:41:16

     Recognize the senator from the 42nd.

648. 6:41:18

     Thank you, Mr. President, members of the Senate. This is a local bill that just deals with the Henry County Board of Ethics, but it's something we all need locally that the delegation agrees on. Happy to take any questions.

649. 6:41:29

     There are no questions.

650. 6:41:30

     With that, for the last time, I'll yield the will.

651. 6:41:34

     All right. All those in favor of the House or the senator agreeing to the, uh, House substitute on Senate Bill 359 all vote yay, all opposed nay. Secretary, unlock the machine. All right, senator, senator from the 43rd, come on down here.

652. 6:42:00

     Did we miss anybody who is... Did we miss anybody who is not coming back next year that wanted to speak?

653. 6:42:08

     No.

654. 6:42:09

     Did we miss anybody?

655. 6:42:13

     Okay. I wa- I wasn't ignoring anybody.

656. 6:42:30

     Hey, come on, come on now. Come on now.

657. 6:42:34

     Come on now. Come on now. Come on now. Come on. All the way to the vote end, right?

658. 6:42:47

     We get to stand on the side

659. 6:42:48

     ... on the vote to agree to the House substitute, the yays are 44, the nays are six-

660. 6:42:53

     Yeah

661. 6:42:53

     ... and this motion has prevailed. All right. Please give, uh, senator from the 43rd, you're gonna be the last one here to-

662. 6:43:00

     Oh

663. 6:43:00

     ... we're the last one to hear from.

664. 6:43:02

     Thank you, Mr. President. I have to say that when I thought about doing this resolution, the first thing I thought of was the fact that this man is a Marine, went to Vietnam, came back sane, stepped in this chamber with integrity, and everyone I asked said, "I'm honored that you asked me." It was almost like I could not... It was not enough room on the paper for all the signatures in this room. But I have to say that, um, you have been the dean.

665. 6:43:34

     You will still be the dean forever, uh, for your, your integrity, for your character, for your love for serving, and for the fact that you love the state of Georgia, and I know you love, uh, Columbus, Georgia. We know you love Columbus, Georgia. Isn't that right, senator from the 19th? But we want to say thank you, thank you, thank you for who you are, all that you've done, and the fact that you have been a statesman in this chamber, a leader, an example, a role model. We love you, Dean. I would tell you to take a lap around the, um, room, but no, no, no, ain't no r- ain't enough room in here.

666. 6:44:07

     Ain't enough room here. But please, everyone please give the dean some love and show our appreciation.

667. 6:44:18

     All for you.

668. 6:44:34

     All right. Good job. Good job. All right. Good job, Dean. Gonna miss you, buddy. Recognize the majority leader.

669. 6:44:52

     Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand adjourned sine die.

670. 6:45:03

     The majority leader has moved. All those in favor, signify by saying aye.

671. 6:45:09

     Aye.

672. 6:45:09

     All those opposed, no.

673. 6:45:12

     No.

674. 6:45:12

     The ayes clearly have it. Sine die.