--- title: Senate floor session, January 15, 2026 (legislative day 4) collection: meetings id: 2026-01-15/senate-floor cite_as: Senate floor session, January 15, 2026 (legislative day 4), video https://vimeo.com/1154371672 (machine transcript by Georgia Commons) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15/senate-floor md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15/senate-floor.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15/senate-floor/text source_url: https://vimeo.com/1154371672 date: 2026-01-15 status: machine transcript corpus_version: meetings-2026-10-23-8c15ead0f18d license: Machine transcript and summaries by Georgia Commons from the General Assembly's public video; the video stays on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15/house-natural-resources-and-environment.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15/house-floor.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/index.md chamber: Senate body: Senate floor body_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/senate-floor.md meeting_kind: floor legislative_day: 4 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session start_time: 2026-01-15T10:00:00-05:00 location: Senate Chamber duration_seconds: 9766.0 video_id: 1154371672 video_title: Legislative Day 4 | 2026 Legislative Session | 01/15/2026 bills_discussed: - SB 379 - SR 573 - HR 997 bills_read_aloud: 3 summaries_model: gpt-6.1-sol transcript_turns: 293 transcript_chars: 84843 parts: - https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15/senate-floor.md?start=0 - https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15/senate-floor.md?start=59989 --- # Senate floor session, January 15, 2026 (legislative day 4) Senate floor; January 15, 2026; legislative day 4; 2025-2026 Regular Session. Video, on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/1154371672. > This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays. ## Summary written by Georgia Commons Written by gpt-6.1-sol from the transcript below. It is not part of the record. Quote the transcript or the video, not the summary. The Senate heard first readings and committee assignments for three measures, adopted [SR 573](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr573) recognizing Flat Creek Baptist Church’s 200th anniversary, and heard a co-sponsor urge support for [SB 379](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb379) to help cover health insurance premiums. The Senate approved a motion under [HR 997](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr997) to attend a joint session for the governor’s State of the State address and adjourn afterward until the next morning. In the address, the governor proposed tax rebates, an income tax rate reduction, a state employee pay supplement, need-based college scholarships and enhanced retirement contributions for state law enforcement officers. No votes on those proposals were shown. The joint session was dissolved after the address. ## Bills discussed (3) Each account was written by gpt-6.1-sol from the stretch of the transcript it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda. ### SB 379. "Georgia Health Insurance Affordability and Consumer Protection Act"; enact [SB 379](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb379) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:56:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3383s), turns 108 to 112. A co-sponsor said [SB 379](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb379) would use state subsidies to cover increased insurance costs caused by expiring federal Affordable Care Act premium subsidies. The co-sponsor cited early December figures showing Georgia Access enrollment down by more than 190,000 compared with the previous year, reported average premium increases of 200%, and analysts’ warnings that nearly half a million exchange customers could lose affordable coverage. The co-sponsor argued that losing insurance would lead people to delay care, increase unpaid hospital bills and put more pressure on rural providers. The co-sponsor said Georgia’s surplus could help keep coverage affordable and urged legislative action. No questions or vote followed. ### SR 573. Flat Creek Baptist Church; recognize [SR 573](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr573) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:59:44](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3584s), turns 120 to 121. Confirmed by the bill's status history on the General Assembly's website (Senate Read and Adopted, 2026-01-15): https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72207. The clerk read [SR 573](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr573), recognizing and commending Flat Creek Baptist Church on its 200th anniversary. The Senate adopted the resolution without objection. ### HR 997. Joint session; message from the Governor [HR 997](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr997) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [1:00:38](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3638s), turns 123 to 291. The Senate approved a voice-vote motion under [HR 997](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr997) to recess for a joint session to hear the governor and adjourn afterward until 9 a.m. Friday, January 16. The resolution was later read in the joint session. In the State of the State address, the governor proposed a $1 billion tax rebate, providing $250 for an average filer and up to $500 for a married couple, and reducing personal and corporate income tax rates to 4.99%. The governor said reserves would remain above $10 billion and argued for preserving funds for future downturns. The governor also proposed a one-time $2,000 supplement for state employees, including educators and state public safety officers, and a $325 million endowment for need-based Dream Scholarships. Other proposals included $40.7 million for healthcare education facilities and medical workforce training, $2.1 million for additional medical residency positions, and higher retirement contributions for eligible state law enforcement officers, reaching a 15% maximum match by year 10. The governor reviewed economic development, education and public safety efforts and announced forthcoming legislation addressing silence imposed on child abuse victims. No votes on these proposals were shown. The joint session was dissolved after the address. ## Bills read aloud (3) Read aloud only (a first or second reading, a committee's report), with no discussion. - [SB 399](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb399) (2025-2026 Regular Session), "Mason Sells AED Coordination Act"; enact: [0:22:46](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1366s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) - [SB 400](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb400) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Education; unaccredited institutions from offering degrees; prohibit: [0:22:56](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1376s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) - [SR 574](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr574) (2025-2026 Regular Session), The Susan Jolley Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium, and Cancer Pathways; recognize: [0:23:11](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1391s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) > The transcript runs 84,843 characters. A reader that cannot take it at once can read it in 2 parts: part 1 https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15/senate-floor.md?start=0; part 2 https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-15/senate-floor.md?start=59989. ## Transcript (293 turns) [0:20:02](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1202s) No light yet. [0:20:06](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1206s) Good morning. Good morning. The Senate will come to order. Senate, the... [0:20:27](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1227s) All right. Let me try that again. The time for convening has arrived. The Senate will come to order. At this time, I will ask all unauthorized personnel to exit the chamber. [0:20:38](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1238s) We've got, uh, we've got new technology up here I'm trying to get used to. Recognize Senator 6. [0:20:45](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1245s) Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. I gotta go to work. [0:20:48](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1248s) Sure. [0:20:51](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1251s) Good morning, Mr. President. [0:20:54](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1254s) Good morning. [0:20:54](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1254s) Today is a great day in the state of Georgia. [0:20:58](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1258s) Well, yeah. [0:20:58](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1258s) Little bit of a sad day. Got the governor giving his last State of the State. [0:21:03](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1263s) Found out. [0:21:05](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1265s) But it'll be a proud day to be a Georgian. Mr. President, uh, there are no pages. Again, colleagues- [0:21:13](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1273s) We gotta get some pages [0:21:14](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1274s) ... promote the page program. Let's get them in here so we can do our business. The journal has been read and found to be correct. So move we dispense with the reading of the journal. [0:21:28](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1288s) I thought you were in charge of the page program there, Senator. [0:21:38](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1298s) We do, we do have a, a very few pages compared to last year. We had an abundance of pages last year, so need to find out what's going on there. The secretary says they're coming, so. Is there objection to dispensing of the reading of the journal? Chair hears none. The reading of the journal is dispensed with. [0:22:06](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1326s) Um, [0:22:25](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1345s) is there objection to the dispensing of the journal? Chair hears none. The journal is dispensed with. Is there objection to the confirmation of the journal? Chair hears none, and the journal is confirmed. All senators who have bills and resolutions introduced, please bring them to secretary's desk. At this time, first reading of references of Senate bills and resolutions. [0:22:46](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1366s) Senate Bill 399 by Senators Harbin of the 16th and others, a bill to be entitled, An Act to Amend Article 3 of Chapter 11 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated- [0:22:55](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1375s) Public safety [0:22:56](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1376s) ... Senate Bill 400 by Senators Burns of the 23rd and others, a bill to be entitled, An Act to Amend Part 1A of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to non-public post-secondary educational institutions. [0:23:09](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1389s) Higher education. [0:23:11](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1391s) Senate Resolution 574 by Senator Rhett of the 33rd, a resolution recognizing and commending the Susan Jolly Foundation, the Georgia Cancer Control Consortium, a program of the Georgia- [0:23:20](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1400s) HHS [0:23:21](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1401s) Mr. President, that completes the order. [0:23:27](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1407s) Secretary will read reports of standing committee. [0:23:30](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1410s) Mr. President, the Senate committee on assignments has had under consideration the following appointments to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, the Honorable Allison T. Burleson, appointed by the Supreme Court, Mr. Andrew J. Welsh III, appointed by the President of the Senate, the Honorable Brian M. Rickman, appointed by the Supreme Court, and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation, that the appointments be confirmed as submitted. Respectfully submitted, Senator Burt- S- Honorable Burt Jones, Chairman. Mr. President, that completes the order. [0:23:57](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1437s) It is now time for the morning roll call. Are there any motions to excuse? [0:24:05](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1445s) Secretary will call the roll. Senators, senators- [0:24:08](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1448s) 50. [0:24:09](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1449s) 30. [0:24:10](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1450s) Albers. [0:24:11](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1451s) Recognize the senator from the 41st. [0:24:14](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1454s) Pres- Thank you, Mr. President. Ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 35th and the 10th. [0:24:22](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1462s) Senator- [0:24:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1463s) 32nd [0:24:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1463s) ... without objection, senators from the- [0:24:25](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1465s) I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Excuse me, from the 33rd. [0:24:31](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1471s) Without objection, senators from the 33rd and the 10th are excused. [0:24:37](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1477s) Oh. [0:24:37](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1477s) Recognize the senator from the 15th. [0:24:39](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1479s) President, ask unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 33rd. [0:24:44](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1484s) She did, Senator. [0:24:45](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1485s) She did? [0:24:45](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1485s) Thank you. [0:24:46](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1486s) Ah. I thought she said third. Okay. Thank you. [0:24:48](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1488s) Thank you, Senator. Any other motions to excuse? Secretary will call the roll. Senators, signify your presence by voting the yeas. Secretary will mark the machines. [0:26:41](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1601s) It is now time for our morning devotion. All senators, please take your seats and cease all conversation. I would ask that the doorkeepers secure the chamber at this time. I'll recognize the, our leader from the 22nd to lead us in our pledge and introduce our chaplain of the day. Senator? [0:27:06](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1626s) Thank you. Please stand for the pledge to the United States. I pledge allegiance [0:27:10](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1630s) To the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [0:27:22](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1642s) Now to the Georgia flag. I pledge allegiance [0:27:24](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1644s) To the Georgia flag, and to the principles for which it stands, wisdom, justice, moderation, and courage. [0:27:35](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1655s) Thank you. Good morning. [0:27:36](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1656s) Good morning. [0:27:37](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1657s) It is m- my honor today to introduce Pastor Anthony Booker. [0:27:43](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1663s) A gifted preacher and pastor and teacher who has had his calling since childhood, as there are stories about him preaching to his childhood neighbors and friends and baptizing them in a friend's pool. He finally took that childhood passion to the pulpit, giving his first sermon in 1992 and becoming ordained in 1994. His first church was New Hope Baptist Church in Harlem, Georgia, where he preached from 1997 to 2020. In 2020, he became the pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia. [0:28:16](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1696s) Pastor Booker has numerous accolades, including the state coordinator for the State Baptist Youth Convention Executive Board. He's also a member-- he's also presiding, uh, president of the Augusta Baptist Ministers Conference. His most recent success, or his greatest success, is that he also is a family man, having married Yvonne Booker in 1998, and he also is the parent of two children. It is my pleasure today to introduce a good friend and a great preacher, Pastor Anthony Booker. [0:28:51](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1731s) To Governor Jones, to Leader Jones, teaching you my father's children, it's a blessing to be here this morning. I just want to share with you, uh, late one evening, a young intern stayed behind in his office building long after everyone else had gone home. The lights were dim, the halls were quiet, and the work on his desk, uh, felt invisible. He paused and looked around and whispered, "Does any of this even matter?" Just then, an older gentleman passing, um, pushing a cart, passed by and said, "Son, every light that stays on after hours in this building is because somebody believes tomorrow is worth preparing for, because you're working for someone and something greater." The intern never forgot that moment. [0:29:41](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1781s) Uh, what he thought was small, someone understood that it was just shaping the future. He came in the next morning different. No new titles, no new pay, but a new sense of purpose. He realized that he wasn't just filling space, he was serving something greater than himself. And that's the question for each one of us this morning. Not simply what do we do, but who are we really doing it for? The Apostle Paul in his writing in, in Colossians chapter three, verse twenty-three and twenty-four says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. [0:30:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1823s) It's the Lord Christ you are serving." Paul speaks to believers living under pressure and limitations. He reminds them that dignity is not derived from titles, but from purpose. Howard Thurman once said, "The work of the Spirit is to make life whole." These verses call us to, to, to, to, to come together to bring our faith, our character, our conduct, our ability, and our giftings together. Paul suggests to us that every role becomes sacred when Christ is at the center of which you and I serve. [0:30:55](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1855s) This text is tailored to teach us this morning three truths. Number one, the measure of our work is the heart behind the work. Paul says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart." Beloved, God is not impressed with visibility. He is moved by our sincerity. In fact, the Scripture says, "The Lord looks at our heart." Divided hearts produce shallow impact, but whole hearts create trustworthy leaders. The second thing this text shows us is the true audience of our work is higher than human approval. [0:31:29](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1889s) Paul says, "It's working for the Lord, not for human masters." When God becomes our audience, we are freed from the addiction applause. Uh, the Proverb writer say, warns us, um, on, that the fear of the people becomes a snare. If approval becomes our aim, moral and spiritual compromise becomes our habit. Beloved, when God is our audience, conscience becomes non-negotiable. Why? Because eternal perspective is guarded by our moral cour-courage. [0:32:02](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1922s) The Apostle Paul says that you and I must obey God rather than man. So the first thing this text shows us is the measure of our work is, uh, uh, literally the, uh, how our heart is fixated on what you and I do. The second thing is the true audience, uh, of our work is under, i-is higher than human approval. Then thirdly and finally, we notice in this thing, this text shows us that the labor of our work is seeded with eternal meaning. The Apostle Paul says, "You will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward." God honors faithfulness beyond visible re- visible results. [0:32:40](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1960s) Um, beloved, do not w- the text says, "Do not work, be, be rear in where, well-doing, um, but in due season you will reap what you have sown." Paul says, "It is the Lord Christ that each of us are serving." So you, you and I serve beyond titles. Uh, you and I serve beyond just this season. That which you and I do will last a lifetime, and God will reward us not just simply by what we do, but in the heart and the spirit that you and I do it in. May we bow, may we pray. [0:33:14](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=1994s) Our God, our Father, the giver of every good and perfect gift, we come before you with hearts full of gratitude for the opportunity to serve the people of this great state. God, we thank you for, uh, these diverse voices, gifts, and abilities gathered, uh, here today, and God, for the privilege of leading with integrity and wisdom. Father, grant each, uh, each senator clarity of mind, strength of conviction, and humility of heart. God, that deliberations guide them each and every day. [0:33:45](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2025s) Father, remind us that true leadership is marked by service, and may their work honor, uh, the trust placed within them by those who selected them. Lord, in the moments of disagreement Grant patience and understanding. In moments of challenge, grant courage and perseverance. Bless their families, protect their health, and let their peace, and let your peace and your grace reign within this chamber. God, we ask you now in Jesus' name that you and your glory may rest upon this place. [0:34:17](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2057s) And Father, all that they do this day and beyond may bring your name glory and edify the people of the state of Georgia. Bless them now in a special way. In Jesus' name, amen. [0:34:27](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2067s) Amen. [0:39:31](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2371s) We've got some very special guests today. We got some, we got some very special four-legged guests today here. We've got, uh, Children's Healthcare with us and some of their physicians and staff, and service animals are with us. And, uh, to introduce our doctor of the day, I recognize the good senator from the 39th to introduce our doctor of the day. Senator. [0:39:55](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2395s) Good morning. Thank you, Mr. President. I have the pleasure of introducing Dr. Srikanth Iyer today. He is the chief medical and quality officer for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and a professor at the Emory University School of Medicine. He's also a member of the quality committee of the board at CHOA, as well as a trustee on the Children's Care Network board. Prior to these roles, Dr. Iyer was responsible for leading a portfolio of work related to Cincinnati Children's efforts to improve community and population health. [0:40:28](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2428s) He has had so many roles and extensive leadership in the industry. He has led several large successful improvement efforts at varying levels of the system, and on a national level, he served as the improvement advisor for the National Pediatric Cardiology Q- Quality Improvement Collaborative, which was sponsored by the Joint Commission on Congenital Heart Disease. Additionally, he's been an innovation advisor to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. [0:41:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2460s) He served as a mentor for faculty interested in a path of improvement leadership and has been a teaching faculty in several improvement courses. Hopefully none of us in this room will need him today, but welcome, Dr. Iyer. [0:41:15](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2475s) All right. [0:41:16](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2476s) Thank you. Thank you so much for that introduction. I'm Srikanth Iyer. As she said, I'm the chief medical and quality officer from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and in that role, I'm responsible for the quality and the safety for all the children that we serve. I am thrilled to be joined by, uh, a group of folks from Children's, our facility dogs and their handlers. So I hope you get a chance to meet them. If you ever wonder what the therapeutic, therapeutic effect is, just meet them. Uh, it's really, really a special thing. This is Reggie up here, and the handler is Kara. [0:41:49](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2509s) The, we have Reggie, Dumpling, and Aston. So hope you all get a chance to meet them. Uh, we are a freestanding children's hospital in the state of Georgia, and as such, we serve children from all 159 counties. In fact, we've served children from every House and Senate district. Uh, like you, we are committed to making children better today, healthier tomorrow, and most importantly, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for the hard work that you do. Thank you for your attention to healthcare issues. [0:42:19](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2539s) Thank you for recognizing that children are simply not little adults. And lastly, I'm happy to serve in this capacity. I feel honored. My only wish is that you don't need any of my services today. Thank you. [0:42:31](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2551s) All right. Good job. Good job. Good job. [0:44:02](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2642s) All right. Are there any unanimous consents? Does... I'm sorry. Senator from the 9th, what purpose do you rise? [0:44:14](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2654s) Thank you, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 2nd for business outside the Capitol. [0:44:20](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2660s) Without objection, senator from the 2nd is excused. [0:44:27](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2667s) It is now time for the points of personal privilege. Any senator wish to share whatever wisdom they have today? Recognize the senator from the 30th. [0:44:49](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2689s) Thank you, Mr. President. Um, if I could have y'all's attention real quick, I've got some news I just wanna share with you. Uh, several of us in this body may have served with, uh, State Representative Bill Hembree back in the day when he was in the State House. Uh, Bill has been sick for a little while now, and I just got a text a little while ago from his wife. Bill passed a little bit earlier this morning. And for those of you that didn't know Bill, I'll say a few words about him because I got the chance to know him in Douglasville when he was elected official and I was a police officer. [0:45:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2723s) And we got to become good friends. And then when I got elected, I had part of Douglas County and Bill had part of Douglas County, so we got to, to, to become even better friends. And if you didn't know him, there wasn't a better person than Bill Hembree. He would do anything in the world for you. He would help you, didn't matter what side of the aisle, but he was just a genuine person. So, uh, I just wanted to let everyone know that. And if we would, if you'd join me in a moment of silence, I'd appreciate it. [0:45:53](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2753s) Please stand as senator requests a, a moment of silence. [0:46:04](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2764s) Thank y'all. May God bless his family and him. Thank you. [0:46:07](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2767s) Thank you, Senator. Bill was a good, good man. He will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Recognize the senator from the 39th. [0:46:28](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2788s) Good morning again, colleagues. I just wanna take a quick moment to acknowledge something that's really special happening here at the Capitol today as part of Keeping Georgia Wild Day. For the second year, Representative Marvin Lim and I partnered with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to launch the 2026 Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites Art Contest. This initiative invites high school students from across our state to capture the natural beauty, rich history, and wonder of Georgia state parks and historic sites through visual arts, paintings that reflect how young people see and experience the outdoors. [0:47:07](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2827s) This year, we received 238 submissions, double last year's total. And today, our top three winners, along with those who placed in the top 10, are here with their families as we prepare to showcase their work in the south atrium beginning at 1:00. These young artists are incredible. It was very, very difficult to do the judging to fi- to determine our winners, but they stood out not only for their talent, but for their ability to remind us why Georgia's parks and historic sites matter. [0:47:41](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2861s) And I really, I encourage you, please, to take a moment this afternoon to walk through the south a- atrium. You will want to see these paintings. Again, these w- works remind us why Georgia's parks and historic sites are worth preserving and why investing in young people is always the right choice. To all the students who participated, thank you for sharing your gifts, and to the winners, congratulations. And to our partners at the Department of Natural Resources, thank you for celebrating the powerful intersection of art and nature. [0:48:14](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2894s) Thank you. [0:48:17](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2897s) Thank you, Senator. So I wanna remind everyone that, you know, ev- obviously, today is the State of the State, and we'll be lining up at 10:45, uh, gathering up back there in the back to, to go over to the, uh, the House chambers. Uh, but I would like to remind the, um, the senators who are part of the governor's, uh, escort cer- or escort, uh, into the chamber is, um, uh, you do in the governor's office at 10:30. So probably head on down there if you get a chance. [0:48:51](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2931s) But before I go into any more points of personal privilege, I wanna thank the senator from the 8th. The senator from the 8th, I wanna thank the Valdosta State University for sending us a helmet that was signed by everybody. Very kind of the, the group right there. Tell those young men and tell your coach down there I really do appreciate it. You know, actually, Senator, actually, based on the reception we got last year in the House, you might want this helmet for today. I don't know. But, uh, but we appreciate that. [0:49:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2963s) Recognize the senator from the 43rd. [0:49:48](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2988s) Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, colleagues. Do you know what today is? [0:49:54](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2994s) Yes. [0:49:54](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2994s) Do you know what today is? [0:49:58](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2998s) No. [0:49:58](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=2998s) Well, it's our Founders Day, and I rise to acknowledge and joyfully celebrate the 118 years of magnificent service by our beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. We first graced the world as we were founded on the campus of Howard University, January 15th, 1908, through the brilliance, courage, and unwavering vision of our extraordinary founders, establishing a legacy of service and empowerment to Black women, evolving from a social club to an international organization intentionally focused on educational empowerment, health, and community betterment. [0:50:52](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3052s) Their legacy of sisterhood, scholarship, and supreme service to all mankind illuminates our path as we honor the vision and foundation laid on January 15th, 1908. The extraordinary impact of our beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated continues to make communities near and far a resou- send message of a resounding yes that our 118th anniversary stands as a soaring summit to our timeless charge to be supreme in service to all mankind. [0:51:29](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3089s) Again, happy Founders Day to the first and finest forever phenomenal women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Thank you. [0:51:41](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3101s) All right. Thank you, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 55th for a point of personal privilege [0:52:21](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3141s) Speak of none other than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And I want to pause simply to say that he has done a service to this nation, to this state, and to this world because I dare say I would not be standing here but for his sacrifice, but for him giving of his life, and we would not have a better nation but for what he has stood and done. [0:52:58](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3178s) And finally, I want to just share a couple of his quotes that stand on the north side of the Capitol, north, on the north part of the... If you go to Washington, D.C., there are several of his quotes that stand on the wall, and I guess I won't be saying that today, but I would just say that let freedom ring not only, and it has so much, uh, meaning to me, but when you say, "Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia," it has so much meaning because I was told by my great aunt that people that looked like me lived up on the mountain with Indians, and that we were displaced from on top of Stone Mountain, and we were displaced from Stone Mountain and told that we should never be caught after dark in Stone Mountain. [0:53:58](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3238s) And if you're from Georgia, as I am, then you know that there was a rumor that if you were caught in that place after dark, and if you looked like me, you would disappear. And they moved my families and some other families to a place called, uh, Ellen. They, they named it after Aunt Ellen, an older Black female, and they called that place Ellenwood. And, uh, I'm so honored that letting freedom ring from Stone Mountain, Georgia, means so much because as a kid growing up in Griffin, Georgia, I was told not to be caught in the dark in Stone Mountain. [0:54:41](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3281s) I now live in Stone Mountain, and I represent Stone Mountain, and there is no fear of me being in Stone Mountain anymore. So when you hear Dr. King saying, "Let freedom ring even from Stone Mountain, Georgia," it has special meaning because there were people that looked like me that were told never to be caught in Stone Mountain. So I'm so honored to be serving with you and letting you know, let freedom ring all over this nation, even from Stone Mountain, Georgia. I love you. God bless you. [0:55:18](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3318s) Thank you, Senator. Recognize Senator from the seventh. [0:55:27](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3327s) Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to talk about Georgia's healthcare crisis. By midnight tonight, the last Georgian who can enroll in the marketplace will have made their choice. But let us tell the truth about what that choice really is. For hundreds of thousands of Georgians, it is not which plan do you like best. It is not, do you prefer this deductible or that deductible. It is one brutal question. Do you go with h- do you go with health insurance or do you go without it? And the answer is being forced on families by sticker shock. [0:55:59](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3359s) Early numbers from December show enrollment in Georgia Access is down more than 190,000 people compared to last year. We're hearing premiums in Georgia rising at an average of 200%. And analysts are warning that almost half a million Georgians who are on the exchange won't be able to afford healthcare. That is a statewide emergency, which is why I, with my colleagues, have co-sponsored Senate Bill 379, the Georgia Health Insurance Affordability and Consumer Protection Act. [0:56:29](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3389s) This bill uses state subsidies to cover the increased costs caused by expiring ACA premium subsidies, keeping premiums affordable for Georgians. Some politicians will shrug and treat this like a problem that will fix itself, but they are insulated from the consequences. They are not the ones staring at a premium they cannot pay, skipping checkups, rationing prescriptions, or praying nothing goes wrong th- this month. But what happens outside this chamber is real. This does not just affect one household budget. [0:57:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3420s) It hits our whole system. It means more people delaying care until it becomes an emergency. It means more uncompensated care. It means more pressure on hospitals, clinics, and local health departments. It means rural communities getting squeezed even harder. And it means the rest of us pay, too, because when the uninsured rate rises, the cost does not disappear. It gets shifted. Premiums rise. Hospitals stretch scarce resources. And Georgia is sitting on a massive surplus, and there are leaders who will pretend we cannot afford to help Georgians keep their health insurance. [0:57:33](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3453s) That is not fiscal responsibility. It is a dereliction of our duty to look after Georgians. And tonight, when families are doing the math at their kitchen table, politics is still getting in the way of basic common sense. And here is a part we cannot dodge. If we do nothing, people will get sicker. Preventable problems will become emergencies. Some families will bury people who should still be here. By midnight tonight, Georgians will be locked out of, of affordable coverage, unless they had the luck to have money sitting around or the luck to have a job that covers it or the luck to never get sick. [0:58:07](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3487s) But luck is not health policy, and indifference is not leadership. We are not helpless. Our hands are not tied behind our backs. We can act, we can lead, and we can do what is right. Thank you, and I yield the floor. [0:58:20](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3500s) Recognize the senator from the 35th. [0:58:24](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3504s) Senator from thirty-fifth. Senator from thirty-fifth. Somebody's played a joke on our new senator. [0:58:33](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3513s) Recognize senator from the nineteenth. [0:58:46](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3526s) Thank you, Mr. President. Senator from thirty-fifth, good to have you here with us. Light was on. No one was home. As you know, next week's budget week. Uh, just a reminder, we'll start our budget hearings on Tuesday. You're all welcome to attend, even if you're not on the Appropriations Committee. We'll start at ten AM, and of course, you know the governor will be one of the first ones to speak. Typically, we've been a little bit shorter on Thursdays. I would anticipate that Thursday's meeting will run a little bit longer this year. So for planning purposes, if you're gonna hang with us the whole time, you might not want to plan to make lunch plans on Thursday yet. [0:59:19](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3559s) If there's any questions, feel free to, uh, grab me later on, and thank you again for your participation in what's the only constitutionally obligation, uh, constitutional obligation that we do have to fulfill. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor. [0:59:34](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3574s) Is there any other senator who wish to rise on a point of personal privilege? [0:59:40](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3580s) Secretary, read the resolution. [0:59:44](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3584s) Senate Resolution Number 573 by Senator Harbin of the sixteenth and others. A resolution recognizing and commending Flat Creek Baptist Church on the occasion of its 200th anniversary, and for other purposes. [1:00:05](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3605s) Is there objection to the resolution? Is there objection to the adoption of the resolution? Chair hears none. Adoption of the resolution is passed. [1:00:17](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3617s) All right, so we'll, uh, stand at ease for a little bit and, um, wait on our majority leader here to give us... He's in... Recognize senator from the first for a motion. [1:00:34](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3634s) Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand in recess pursuant to House Resolution 997 for the purpose of convening a joint session to hear an address from the governor, and that upon dissolution of the joint session, the Senate stand adjourned until nine AM, Friday, January sixteenth. [1:00:53](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3653s) Senator has moved. [1:01:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3660s) All those in, in favor of the motion, signify by saying aye. [1:01:04](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3664s) Aye. [1:01:04](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3664s) All those opposed, no. [1:01:07](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3667s) No. [1:01:07](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3667s) The ayes clearly have it. I tried to slow this down as much as I can. We're still running ahead of schedule, so. [1:01:16](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3676s) So what we do when the, what posture we're in right now is we will gather there in the back. Uh, and obviously it's, it's ten forty-five, and then we'll start making our way over there when it gets closer to eleven o'clock. But everybody just kinda stay close, uh, and, uh, and then we'll walk over there together and walk over there together and, and hear the State of the State. Senator from the nineteenth, for what purpose do you rise? [1:01:43](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3703s) Make an announcement, Mr. President. [1:01:44](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3704s) Feel free. [1:01:45](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3705s) Uh, senators, just remember also after the governor's speech, your budget book will be available at the, uh, Senate Budget Office, which is over in LOB, if you want to get ahead for, uh, next week's study period. [1:01:58](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=3718s) All right. Thank you, Senator. All right, everybody stay close, and we'll, uh, we'll walk over about eleven AM to the House chambers. Thank you all for your, thank you for your cooperation. [1:16:59](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4619s) Hey, how you doing? [1:17:16](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4636s) Well, it's good to have the Senate in over the People's House. We're glad to have y'all here. So I have the okay from the Lieutenant Governor, the President of the Senate, to ask y'all to all, all come in and take seats. [1:18:16](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4696s) Okay, members. [1:18:36](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4716s) Okay, members, if I could get your attention, please. [1:18:43](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4723s) Everybody's in their proper position, but I need your attention up this way just for a minute. [1:19:14](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4754s) Thank you, members. We're going to, uh, just pause for just a moment as we welcome our guests into the gallery. [1:19:26](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4766s) How do y'all look, like the House chamber? You senators, if you haven't seen it, doesn't it look great? This chamber looks wonderful, just as y'all's does. Great job in here. [1:19:42](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4782s) If y'all can beat one of the House members to, to their chair, y'all can sit in one of these new chairs as well. And they're pretty comfortable, pretty comfortable. [1:19:57](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4797s) We have a few more folks coming in, but I'm going to go ahead and go do something now [1:20:04](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4804s) that I've been looking forward to doing. [1:20:29](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4829s) Well, we wanted to welcome all of us here and get us quiet now just for a moment and before we get started again with some more conversation. But I want to take this opportunity to welcome the members of the Senate. We look forward to working with you this session to have a meaningful impact for the people of Georgia. And I have a great partner in ensuring we do just that. That's my friend, the President of the Senate, Lieutenant Governor of this state, our friend and a great Georgian, Burt Jones. [1:21:03](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4863s) Let's welcome Burt Jones. [1:21:25](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4885s) Mr. Doorkeeper. [1:21:29](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4889s) Mr. Speaker, the Honorable Niles S. D. Peterson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable Sarah Hawkins Warren, Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable Trenton Brown, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, and the justices and judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals respectfully await entrance to the House chamber. [1:21:52](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=4912s) Thank you, Mr. Doorkeeper. Mr. Doorkeeper, will you please allow the Honorable Niles S. D. Peterson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable Sarah Hawkins Warren, Presiding Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable Trenton Brown, Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, and the justices and judges of the Supreme Court and our Court of Appeals respectively to enter the House chamber. And will the messenger please escort them to their seats, please. Mr. Doorkeeper. [1:26:55](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5215s) Hey, how you doing today? Good. How's everything going? What you working on this year? [1:27:01](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5221s) Oh, yeah. [1:27:05](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5225s) I'm seeing you. [1:27:06](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5226s) Okay. Members of the court. Looks like, the downtown connector right here. A little traffic jam here. We're about well, ready to welcome the governor in. So if members, of the House and Senate will give us a little space here. [1:27:25](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5245s) Mr. Doorkeeper. [1:27:27](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5247s) Mr. Speaker, Brian P. Governor of Georgia, his committee of escorts and distinguished guests await entrance to the House chamber. [1:27:38](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5258s) Mr. Doorkeeper, please allow the Governor and his committee of escort and distinguished guests access to the House chamber. [1:32:11](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5531s) Members of the House and Senate, this joint session of this General Assembly will now come to order. [1:32:22](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5542s) Members, please take your seats. Our guests are all seated. [1:32:37](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5557s) Mr. Clerk, will you read a resolution? [1:32:43](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5563s) House Resolution 997 by Representative Estration, the 104th. A resolution calling a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate for the pur- [1:32:55](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5575s) Not you. [1:32:59](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5579s) The very best First Lady of any state in this country. My dear friend, a champion for so many great causes in our state, our First Lady, First Lady Marty Kemp. Let's make her welcome. [1:33:37](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5617s) I'm so proud and blessed to know that First Lady. She's great. Thank you. Now, we have some other ladies that are important to the State of Georgia here, and let me see if I can get these right. Amy Porter Kemp. I got it. Lucy Kemp. Jared, Jared, uh, Fletcher, and, um, her husband. He has, he has a, she has a husband up there, Brooks Fletcher. So let's make them welcome, too. Y'all stand, let's make y'all welcome. [1:34:22](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5662s) You all know what I know. This first family has been supportive of their mother and father, but more importantly, supportive of the people of Georgia. Thank you, ladies, for what you've done in some tough times, out supporting our neighbors across the state, your neighbors. So, thank you. We're in, we're indebted to you. Thank you so much. Governor's mother's here. Um, Ms. Kabnick, welcome. It's great to have you, and you did a great job, uh, raising this young man, and we appreciate you being here and supporting. Thank you so much. [1:35:08](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5708s) It's a family affair today. We also have the brother, the, the Governor's m- uh, sister and her husband, uh, Julie Reef and, and, uh, Rocky Reef. Will y'all stand and let us recognize you? Please stand. [1:35:37](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5737s) Thank you all for being here on this special day. Now, I'd like to recognize somebody who's pretty important to me, too, Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and that's my wife, Dale Burns. Dale, would you stand? Who cares so much about literacy. [1:36:05](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5765s) Appreciate the difference you're making in people's lives. Thank you. 'Cause you made a huge difference in my life. Thank you. I'd also like to welcome the First Lady of the Senate, Mrs. Jan Jones. Thank you for being here, and thank you for supporting this gentleman to my left and your family. Thank you for everything you do. Please stand up as we welcome you. [1:36:41](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5801s) Some other special folks here with our Lieutenant Governor, Lieutenant Governor Jones, his former state representative. He's doing a great job, and they did a great job. Uh, his father, Bill Jones, his Ned- his sister, Natalie Tiller, and his brother-in-law, Chris. Would y'all all stand and let us recognize you all? [1:37:11](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5831s) Thank you for your service in the House, Mr. Bill. [1:37:16](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5836s) May I ask my honor also to recognize someone very important to the workings of this chamber and to the workings of our state. A long and s- a distinguished career, and it's not over. And that's Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones. Pro Tem. [1:37:50](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5870s) A gentleman's name has a long tenure of service in our state, and he's continuing that tenure of service to the people of Georgia. And that name is Larry Walker. This is Larry Walker III, the new Pro Tem in the Georgia Senate. Thank you for your service to Georgia and your family. [1:38:26](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5906s) Now I want to recognize some folks that are a very important part of our lives in Georgia, and those are folks that are, serve as our judges. I want to recognize first Chief Justice Nels S.D. Peterson for your service. Please stand and let us recognize you, Mr. Chief Justice. [1:38:56](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5936s) Very important part of that whole process, Presiding Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren. Thank you for being here and letting us, being part of this day. Now, the, also we have the Chief Judge of, of the Georgia Court of Appeal, Appeals, Chief Judge Trenton Brown. Thank you for being here. [1:39:26](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=5966s) Thank you to our j- judiciary. It's, um, certainly a, a very, very important part of our process as we all care about our neighbors. So, thank you for your wisdom and your justice for the people of Georgia. We have a couple of constitutional officers, I think, if my eyes aren't fooling me, that are here today. And I want to start with one, it's the Attorney General of our state of Georgia, Attorney General Chris Carr, and his beautiful wife, Joan. Let's make them welcome. [1:40:04](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6004s) Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, former House member. [1:40:19](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6019s) Our insurance commissioner, Commissioner John King. Welcome back to the House, Commissioner. [1:40:35](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6035s) Our number one industry in the state, our Agriculture Com- Commissioner, Tyler Harper. [1:40:53](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6053s) And a lady that's doing an outstanding job. Thank you, Governor. You did a nice job here. Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes. Commissioner Holmes, thank you for your service. [1:41:12](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6072s) State School Superintendent Richard Woods. [1:41:16](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6076s) All right. [1:41:16](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6076s) Thank you, Mr. Superintendent. [1:41:26](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6086s) I wanted to make sure the mayor could find his way from down the street. Mayor Andre Dickens, a dear friend. Doing a great job leading the city of Atlanta. Mayor Dickens. [1:41:46](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6106s) A gentleman who's, gentleman who's had long and distinguished service to our country and our state, Chancellor Sonny Perdue. [1:42:07](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6127s) We're looking to build some relationships this morning, so I'm going to introduce these next two gentlemen together. From the University of Georgia, don't clap or, or applaud yet, the, uh, President of the University of Georgia, President Jere Morehead. Hold it. And also, from the Georgia Institute of Technology, President Angel Cabrera. Thank you. I hope y'all are together. There they are right there. [1:42:49](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6169s) We have our Public Service Commission here, and they're led by former House member Chairman Jason Shaw and members of the Public Service Commission, if you'll stand. [1:43:14](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6194s) The Consular Corps. I know we have a lot of good folks here. If you'll stand so we can make you welcome here to the Georgia- ... to the Georgia House. [1:43:31](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6211s) Y'all may be seated. [1:43:35](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6215s) Guess what? [1:43:40](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6220s) I've never said anything that, that received such approval. [1:43:46](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6226s) Thank y'all for welcoming all our guests and recognizing some very, very important people in the lives of Georgians. Now, I'm very honored, [1:43:59](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6239s) and some misgivings as well, to introduce Governor Kemp today because this may be the last time he'll be delivering this address to the people of our great state. But I can assure you that the legacy, Governor Kemp, you, your family, has built will last far beyond the eight years that you will have spent serving as governor of this state. [1:44:27](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6267s) I often say this, and it's true, a story seldom told is soon forgotten, and the success story you've helped this General Assembly write for Georgia will certainly not be forgotten anytime soon. You've led with integrity, determination, and resilience through some of the most difficult times we've faced as Georgians and as a nation. When COVID struck, you put the people of Georgia first and reopened our state for business to ensure our economy remained strong, and it worked. [1:45:08](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6308s) When Hurricane Michael and Hurricane Elaine, Helene swept across south Georgia, leaving behind generational damage and devastation to countless communities, farmers, families, you and your family made sure each of those Georgians do- knew they were not alone. Thank you. Thank you to your family. I can't thank you enough for the impact you, Marty, and the girls have had on our communities as they face some of their darkest hours. [1:45:40](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6340s) I was there, and I saw it. It made a difference. But you've also led our state during its heights of achievement. You've invited opportunity for job, opportunities for job creators and w- and employees to put down their roots here in our state, leading our state, Georgia, to historic economic success and growth. You've enabled us to work alongside you, deliver over $9 billion in tax relief for hardworking Georgians. [1:46:10](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6370s) I wanna applaud you for that. [1:46:31](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6391s) Now, whether that relief came as rate reductions, tax returns, or your suspension of the gas tax at appropriate times, you've increased access to educational opportunities, employment, and healthcare all over this state. You've invested in public safety, keeping our communities and our citizens safe and secure. Most of all, you've done what's best for the great state of Georgia every step of the way, and I know this session will be no different. [1:47:06](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6426s) It is my distinct honor and privilege to welcome the very best governor in the union, the 83rd governor of this great state, Brian P. Kemp. [1:47:39](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6459s) Thank y'all so much. [1:47:44](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6464s) Thank you very much. [1:47:52](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6472s) Thank y'all so much. Thank you, Speaker Burns. Thank you for those kind words. I'll tell you all what I just told Speaker Burns and Lieutenant Governor Jones, it's been an honor serving with you. Lieutenant Governor Jones, Speaker Burns, President Pro Tem Walker, Speaker Pro Tem Jones, members of the General Assembly, my fellow constitutional officers, Mayor Dickens, members of the judiciary, members of the Consular Corps, and my fellow Georgians, as we begin a new year, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of our state and its people. [1:48:37](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6517s) State taxes on hardworking Georgians are low and going lower. Our rainy day fund is at a record high. Our schools are fully funded. Our infrastructure is receiving historic investments, and our state law enforcement and educators are paid more today than they were seven years ago. [1:49:06](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6546s) Our communities are safer. Unemployment is low. More new private sector jobs are being created every day, and businesses around the country and the world know Georgia is the place to be. Our ports are busy and growing. Our kids have some of the finest technical colleges and universities in the country to choose from, and our economy is diverse and built to last. Innovation, opportunity, hard work, and a fair shot at the American Dream have a home in the great state of Georgia. [1:49:42](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6582s) There's no question the state of our state is stronger, more prosperous, and safer today than it was in January of 2019. [1:50:10](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6610s) Thank you all. [1:50:14](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6614s) But also, I wanna be clear, this success, this good news isn't guaranteed. It doesn't happen by default or accident. There's more work to be done and more wood to chop to make Geo- make sure Georgia continues to be the best place to live, work, and raise a family for generations to come. I believe that starts with continuing to address hardworking Georgians' concerns over the persistently high cost of living and everyday necessities. [1:50:47](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6647s) Since 2021, working together with this general assembly, we have provided one-time tax relief to the tune of over $3.2 billion, property tax relief, nearly 1 billion, over 2.2 billion in motor fuel tax suspensions, and a permanent income tax savings of nearly $3.4 billion. That's almost $9.7 billion that have helped hardworking Georgians fight through the record high inflation forced upon all of us by the previous administration in DC and a Congress that couldn't put down the nation's credit card. [1:51:27](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6687s) These are historic investments in families, recent college graduates looking to start a career, our seniors on fixed income, and single parents just trying to make ends meet. But these investments were possible because we rejected the idea that just because government takes in more money, it shouldn't turn right around and spend it on more government. California might think that way, New York might think that way, but in Georgia, we do things differently. [1:52:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6720s) We keep your tax burden low, we budget conservatively and responsibly, and we ensure that state government is efficient with the dollars that you trust us with. [1:52:22](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6742s) And at the end of the day, if we have more than we need, we give it back to the people who actually earned it. As Marty, the girls, and I travel all across our state, we hear from Georgians in all walks of life, hardworking people trying to put food on the table for themselves and their families. And the reality is that too many of our citizens are still struggling to make ends meet each and every day because costs are still too high. Groceries, rent, insurance, clothes for the kids, it all adds up to more than it used to. [1:52:59](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6779s) That's why my budget proposal will include a fourth one-time $1 billion tax rebate this year that will return or save the average filer $250 and a married couple up to 500. [1:53:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6803s) With this rebate, my administration and this general assembly will have returned over $7.5 billion in surplus revenue to the taxpayers of our state over the last four years. We also know that one-time relief is a short-term solution that recognizes the state has collected more of your tax dollars than it needs to fund our priorities and save for whatever the future may bring. We must continue doing everything in our power to allow the hardworking men of our state to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pocket in the years to come because as I've said before, that's your money, not the government's. [1:54:06](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6846s) That's why my administration will also be proposing a further 20 basis point reduction in our state's personal and corporate income tax rate, bringing it down to just 4.99%. [1:54:28](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6868s) This will fulfill a promise to the people of the state that I made during my re-election campaign to lower our state income tax rate to under 5%. And with the general assembly's passage and my signature, it will come a full three years ahead of schedule. This tax cut doesn't promise to pay for itself years down the road or create future budget holes with today's one-time money. Our plan fulfills my promise to the voters of this state in a responsible way. [1:55:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6900s) And most importantly, this plan puts all the hardworking people of our state first. The reason that we've been able to do this and do it three years ahead of schedule is because of our fiscal discipline. It's also worth noting a few other important accomplishments that the last few years may not have made headlines or please some of those that constantly advoc- advocate for bigger government. Even with the rebate and tax cuts that my office will propose this legislative session, our state's rainy day fund and strategic reserves will still stand at over $10 billion. [1:55:40](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6940s) These reserves are four time higher than any administration will leave behind in our history, and enough to run state government for three full months. But also I wanna provide a word of caution for the future. It's not a question if, if hard times will hit our state again, it is simply a question of when. When Governors Perdue and Deal were fighting alongside s- members of the general assembly to pull our state through the Great Recession, billions more in state reserves would have been a critical lifeline as Georgia families, our state, and our country were experiencing incredible economic hardship. [1:56:19](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=6979s) But as good leaders do, both governors made tough choices in tough times to make sure our state weathered the storm. And they both, along with the members of this legislature who served with them, deserve our thanks and gratitude for their leadership. Fast-forward to today, and Georgia stands in a historic position to confidently face whatever the future may bring. Showing fiscal restake- restraint and continuing to build on these reserves as- instead of spending it all b- all in the future may not be popular or easy, but the Georgia of today that has been built over the last 25 years does not stand on sticks made of easy or politically convenient. [1:57:06](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7026s) The Georgia of today stands on a firm foundation, a foundation built on the character of our people, the resolve of leaders both past and present, and by the grace of our Creator. So when the storms of tomorrow come, it is my hope that we will share in a commitment to keeping the state we all love on that firm foundation. Our state reserves are just one area that we have made historic strides in to set Georgia up for future success and prosperity. [1:57:40](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7060s) From the 2024 budget through the proposed amended '26 budget, $4.1 billion in capital projects have been funded through cash instead of debt. [1:58:01](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7081s) This strategic investment will save Georgia taxpayers and future state appropriators $3.3 billion in interest payments over the next 20 years. The cash funding of capital projects we began in fiscal year 2024 has allowed us to reduce outstanding debt by over 20% in just three years, and the ratio of our state's debt service to revenues is just 3%, the lowest since the state began issuing debt bonds in the 1970s. [1:58:36](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7116s) These- [1:58:44](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7124s) These savings were all made while implementing historic tax cuts, return- returning billions to taxpayers, and investing in, investing over $6 billion in water, sewer, and transportation projects across the state. Refusing to grow government, budgeting conservatively, and paying off debt aren't flashy. They don't get you on the cable news, make you famous on social media, or fit on a bumper sticker. [1:59:15](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7155s) And that might be, that might be the reason Washington has been so allergic to them. [1:59:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7163s) But I learned a long time ago building houses that it's better to be a workhorse than a show horse, because workhorses deliver results ahead of schedule, under budget, and do right by the customer, and that's exactly what we have been doing together for the people of our state. [1:59:50](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7190s) Another key investment this general assembly and my administration has made is in our state's workforce. During my administration, we have reduced our state employee turnover rate by over 25%, all while keeping the size of our full-time state workforce at 2019 levels. We've invested in a vital workforce, saved taxpayer dollars in training and equipping new employees, and utilized innovative and technol- innovation and technology to better deliver state services. [2:00:24](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7224s) Our state employees have done an incredible job in unprecedented times and are one of the driving forces behind Georgia's success. That is why today I'm proposing a one-time $2,000 pay supplement for all state employees, including our educators and state public safety officers. [2:01:04](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7264s) This is just another reminder, on top of the pay raises and supplements we have provided in years past, that their hard work does not go unnoticed and that we are truly thankful. Thank you all for recognizing that with your applause. These important investments, tax cuts, rebates, and record state reserves would not be possible without the drive and hard work of millions of Georgians who get up every day and do the best they can to provide for theirse- themselves and their families. [2:01:38](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7298s) They go to work chasing the American dream, hoping to earn a honest living and leave their kids and their grandkids better than they had it. That's the American spirit. That's the spirit of what it means to be a Georgian. When I launched my campaign for governor, it was about promising those hardworking Georgians that I would fight for them every day, whether they voted for me or not, regardless of their neighborhood or their ZIP Code, Republican or Democrat, or something in between. [2:02:09](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7329s) My goal was to make a positive difference in their lives. As a small business owner and a construction guy, I believe so much good can come from an honest day's work at a job that pays a good wage, and I believe in what that job can do not only for that employee but also for their family and that community. And that's why my administration from day one has prioritized economic development, job creation, and bringing investment to all four corners of our state. [2:02:42](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7362s) Over the last seven years, Georgia has seen over 219, uh, 219,700 new jobs and more than $118 billion in investment from projects worked by the state economic development team. 64% of those jobs and 75% of those investment dollars are going to communities outside the metro Atlanta region. Since 2019, we've welcomed the three largest economic development projects in state history and continued Georgia's streak as the number one state for business for an unprecedented 12 years in a row. [2:03:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7403s) But here in the best state for business, we don't just welcome big companies. We also champion small businesses that have a big impact on local communities. A great example of that is La Regina, an Italian food production company with a facility in Alma, Georgia, that employs 110 hardworking men and women. This facility also happens to be a former bakery that went out of business years ago. To that community of less than 4,000 people, the loss of an employer like that can be devastating. [2:04:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7440s) But because we prioritize economic development in rural Georgia, La Regina came in and revitalized that facility and created 110 jobs that are making a real and lasting difference, with more on the way. The impact of this small business extends far beyond Alma's borders. In addition to moving plenty of goods through the ports of Savannah, La Regina also purchases local produce from over 100 Georgia farmers, including more than 40,000 pounds of onions per week. [2:04:37](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7477s) With touchpoints throughout that region of our state, that one small employer produced a record 25 million jars of pasta sauce last year alone. When Marty and I went to Southern Italy in 2024, we visited the headquarters of this family-owned and operated business. We talked to the men and wom- women who have preserved their family's recipes for over 100 years, and we saw how similar their values were to the very family-owned farms and businesses here in Georgia that La Regina supports. [2:05:12](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7512s) That company, a full ocean away from our state, has the same values that we do: family, community, and a strong belief in a hard day's work. Today, we're joined by two La Regina company leaders who represent how small-town Georgia and international markets truly connect, all to the benefit of our workers. In the gallery is Emidio Rinaldi, Chief Operating Officer of La Regina, who has moved his entire family to our great state. [2:05:46](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7546s) He is joined by Jerry Lady, the plant manager and employee one for La Regina at Georgia's facility. You'll be glad to know that Jerry was the former bakery manager for the company that closed down. Will both of you please stand and let us thank you for your investment in our state? [2:06:28](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7588s) Whether the size of the Hyundai Meta Plant or La Regina food processing center, each project, each facility, job, or investment represents a general- generational opportunity for a Georgia family and their community. And one of the biggest reasons these job creators of all sizes choose Georgia is our highly skilled and reliable workforce. Over the last seven years, we've put more money toward education and workforce training programs than ever before in the history of our state. [2:07:02](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7622s) In fact, as of this current fiscal year, we have not only fully funded QBE seven times but added $368 million to programs and initiatives that directly prepare workers for good jobs. We've also set new precedents when it comes to school safety. Starting with the first year of my administration, we began with three campus security grants totaling $184.5 million and then added $109 million into the base budget so every school system can plan for how to best keep our classrooms and all of the children in them safe. [2:07:43](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7663s) We will again fulfill that commitment in this year's budget, bringing the total amount that we have allocated to school safety during my time in office to over $511 million. [2:08:01](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7681s) Appreciate that. [2:08:09](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7689s) Thank y'all. [2:08:13](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7693s) Thank y'all. I also wanna take a moment to also congratulate and thank the members of this body, both past and present, who joined my administration in achieving something that not many people thought was possible when I was sworn in as governor seven years ago. In fact, when I pledged in 2018 to raise teacher pay by $5,000, I remember a former opponent of mine claiming I was making false promises to our educators across the state. [2:08:43](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7723s) Well, in a way, the media and the doubters were right. We didn't raise teacher pay by $5,000, we raised it by $9,500. [2:09:13](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7753s) This historic investment in our educators increased the starting salary for a Dor- Georgia teacher by almost 28%. And you don't have to get a A in math to know that that's an impressive jump. [2:09:29](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7769s) Let's again take a moment to thank all of the hardworking Georgians who lead our classrooms, pour into our students, and help keep and make our state a better place. Thank you all. [2:10:02](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7802s) In addition to K through 12, we've also made historic investments in our post-secondary education institutions and programs while reducing costs for students and families. Over the last several years, we have worked together to return the Hope Scholarship to 100% of its promise, all while the Board of Regents has held tuition cost in check across the system so greater opportunity in Georgia can remain affordable. Contrast that with other states that have again and again raised cost of higher education, all while inflation reached 40-year highs under the prior administration. [2:10:42](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7842s) The University of California, for instance, raised tuition by roughly 19% between 2019 and the current academic year. But here in Georgia, tuition has increased by just 5% in that same period, and your partnership in eliminating the special institution fee helped us lessen the impact on those increases on hardworking families and students. In fact, data from the National Center for Educational Statistics shows that Georgia is one of the top states in the country for four-year public university affordability. [2:11:29](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7889s) All while we've kept the cost of higher education in check and college within the reach of Georgia families, we've also invested more in post-secondary education than ever before. We're now putting $2 billion additional toward higher education in Georgia than when I first took office. That includes $40.7 million in this year's budget proposal alone for healthcare education facilities and medical workforce training programs. [2:12:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7920s) And since I first took office, we spent over $26 million for medical residency slots in our state, adding 897 positions for a grand total of 2,523 residency slots as of this fiscal year. This year, my budget proposal adds another $2.1 million to further this upward trend in such a critical workforce need. Along with these unprecedented investments, Georgia is truly the national leader in merit-based aid for higher education between the Hope Scholarship and grant programs. [2:12:39](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7959s) But in this era of high prices and new challenges for those graduating from high school, we also recognize the advantage that need-based financial assistance can give to those who would not otherwise be able to access higher education. Like their peers who have the means to attend college, these students have great dreams for rewarding careers and impactful lives, but they don't always have hope that those dreams can become a reality. [2:13:10](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=7990s) Dreams without the benefit of hope remain dreams deferred, perhaps for entire generations. How much richer would the lives of those and their families be if they could attain the type of education that leads to a high-paying job with great benefits? And how much would communities across our state benefit from these young people getting a degree that opens their door or starts a rewarding career? I believe we owe it to every child to ensure they start out on a level playing field, no matter their zip code. [2:13:45](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8025s) Therefore, my amended budget proposal invests $325 million in the University System of Georgia's Dream Scholarship program, the first need-based scholarship of its kind in Georgia history. [2:14:19](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8059s) In future years, this one-time endowment will create opportunities for generational economic advancement for thousands of students. And down the road, it will allow them to complete college and begin meaningful careers without the burden of crippling debt. The Dream Scholarship will build on the incredible, unmatched legacy of the Hope Scholarship and leave no stone unturned when it comes to student achievement in our state. From now on throughout the country, Americans will know that hopes and dreams are alive right here in the great state of Georgia. [2:15:15](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8115s) This unprecedented initiative... Sorry. This unprecedented initiative will also complement the Georgia Match program we launched in 2023. In just the first two years of Match, we've seen a 5.9% rise in USG enrollment and a 7.1% increase in TCSG enrollment. Meanwhile, other states around the country have seen decreases in public university enrollment, and 17 states are still well below pre-pandemic levels. [2:15:49](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8149s) Not only is Georgia's work- not only is Georgia's workforce strong and growing, we continue to outpace our competitors for at least another generation in this regard. When you consider all of these measures together, it's clear to see that our commitment to those just beginning their careers in Georgia is unwavering. But so, too, is our commitment to those preparing to finish their careers of valued service to the people of our state. I'm talking about the men and women who face danger on a regular basis to protect our communities. [2:16:25](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8185s) Marty, the girls, and I feel the weight and value of their service and sacrifices on a very real and personal level. We have seen firsthand the uncommon bravery they embody, and we have mourned with their families when their service has come to a tragic end. We have been reminded of countless times of just how exceptional they are for answering the call to serve when law enforcement are under siege more than ever before. That is why today I'm proposing an enhanced retirement plan for state law enforcement officers. [2:17:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8220s) Under this- [2:17:23](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8243s) Under this new model, the state would provide a higher match to the 401savings accounts of eligible public safety officers through a steeper contribution schedule. Not only will the state's match increase at a higher rate, but we'll also raise the maximum percentage cap from 9% under the current plan to 15. By year 10 of an officer's service to the state, three full years before they would reach the contribution cap under the current plan, they will already have obtained the new maximum match of 15%. [2:18:01](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8281s) When you contrast that to the current system, we're effectively doubling the state's contribution for state law enforcement. I believe this is well-deserved given the dangers that they face in today's world. But this new model will also help us better recruit and retain brave and capable public safety officers, and will put Georgia's law enforcement retirement plan well ahead of other states. [2:18:37](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8317s) Those who are POST certified, who run toward danger, who help shield even the people who try to vilify them deserve a safe and assured retirement, and we are gonna give it to them. Our- [2:18:58](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8338s) Our commitment to law enforcement in Georgia is only matched by our unrelent- unrelenting determination to go after those who operate in the evil industry of human trafficking. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the best First Lady in the country and members of the Grace Commission who are champions in this fight, you have overwhelmingly passed 10 pieces of legislation that make Georgia a safe haven for victims and a hostile place for traffickers. [2:19:47](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8387s) Those measures include the launch of the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit within the Attorney General Chris Carr's office. Since its creation in 2019, that unit has secured more than 70 convictions and rescued and assisted over 200 children. [2:20:25](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8425s) With your help in the legislature, we have also expanded this unit with two new regional offices through the funding in the amended '25 and 2026 budgets. I know that our First Lady would want me to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support in this fight over the years, whether through legislation or budgetary actions. While me have w- while we have made incredible strides in this area, and while Georgia is now the undisputed rat- national leader in anti-human trafficking policy, we all know this fight is not over. [2:21:01](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8461s) That's why my team will introduce an 11th bill in the coming days that will further protect our children, expose abusers, and save lives by preventing the silence imposed on far too many victims. Modeled after Trey's Law passed in other states, it will be just the latest reminder that no child should be a victim of such an evil act. As a mother of three beautiful daughters, and as someone who spent time as an assistant pre-K teacher and a middle school substitute teacher, as an unwavering supporter of those in our state's foster care system, and as a First Lady who never fails to have a smile and a hug for the children she meets throughout Georgia, Marty has truly been the perfect person to lead this cause to make sure Georgia's sons and daughters are safe. [2:21:53](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8513s) Her grace under fire, along with the work of those who have been in the trenches on this issue for decades, created a turning point in this state when it comes to identifying and stopping this crime that affects every county, yet hides in plain sight. Through our work here, though, I'm sorry, though our work here is now in its final year, the impact of her human trafficking efforts, and that of so many others in this room and beyond, will be felt for whole generations. [2:22:25](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8545s) Will you join me in thanking her and all of us, all of them that's been in that fight? [2:22:55](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8575s) Y'all didn't let me get out the part about thanking those that have been in the trenches on this issue for so long, but both Marty and I are so appreciative of all those people that are out there every single day that we never get to see fighting this good fight. So thank you for recognizing them all. [2:23:17](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8597s) Just as we have made historic progress in fighting human trafficking, we've also made monumental strides in going after violent gangs. If you'll recall just a few short years ago, members of the Atlanta media didn't think our state faced a gang problem. They weren't listening to the sheriffs and the prosecutors who w- who were witnessing firsthand the rise of gang-related violent crime in their local communities. But the members of this body in my administration were. In 2019, my office worked with many of you to stand up and fund the Anti-Gang Task Force within the GBI, and then later the Gang Prosecution Unit within the Attorney General's office. [2:24:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8640s) Since then, the GBI has investigated over 1,800 gang-related cases and arrested close to 2,500 offenders with gang affiliation. They've also seized over $95 million in drugs and illegal items associated with those crimes. That's $95 million worth of illegal substances and dangerous weapons that are not in our schools, on our streets, or threatening our neighborhoods. [2:24:39](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8679s) Complementing the GBI's good work, the Attorney General's Gang Prosecution Unit has also investigated and prosecuted cases in 19 counties, securing over 120 convictions across the state. We're also taking the fight to gang members and other dangerous criminals on the very streets where they operate through the Crime Suppressing Unit, now in its fifth year. With the combined resources and personnel of multiple state public safety agencies partnering with local law enforcement, the CSU has found and arrested 1,340 wanted persons, helped take dangerous drugs off our streets by arresting 557 traffickers and carriers, recovered 1,179 stolen vehicles, and apprehended 49 murder suspects. [2:25:31](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8731s) Here is a newsflash to those who try to demonize our law enforcement. This is what happens when you simply let them do their job. [2:26:16](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8776s) I see Chief Schehrbaum up in the gallery with the mayor. He has been a great partner in this effort. Thank you, Chief. [2:26:40](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8800s) I again wanna thank the men and, men and women working in these units for their dedication to keeping our families and our community safe. As you all know, this is my final time speaking to you in the State of the State address as your governor. Some of you may be more happy about that than others. [2:27:01](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8821s) But I hope you know that it has been an incredible honor for Marty, the girls, and me to serve as your first family. We have done this together every step of the way, and I'd like to take a moment and ask if you'd join me again in recognizing Marty and the girls for their service over the last seven years. I love y'all. [2:27:45](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8865s) Thankfully, the girls look like their mother. [2:27:50](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8870s) I'd also like to thank my mom, my sister Julie, and her family, who are also here with us today. I know Speaker Burns recognized you earlier, but love you all. Thank you for your support. [2:28:21](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8901s) Today, I've talked a lot about past accomplishments and some very important issues that I believe we must address in our final legislative session serving together. Don't be fooled, there's more work to be done over the next 37 legislative days. And for those of you who may think I'm a lamed duck, just remember I have a big red pen. [2:28:52](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8932s) But in all seriousness- [2:28:58](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8938s) I was just thinking about what to say to my last captive legislative audience, and I was reminded of an old hymn written in 1924 called Little Much, Little is Much When God is in It. The first and second verse say the following: "In the harvest field now ripened, there's a work for all to do. Hark the Master's voice is calling, to harvest calling you. Does the place you're called to labor seem so small and little known? [2:29:31](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8971s) Well, it is great if God is in it, and he will not forsake his own." [2:29:35](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=8975s) Yeah. Woo! [2:30:04](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9004s) In God's Word, we have so many examples of little acts of faith reaping more than one could imagine. Often done by people of lesser means or lower standing in society, but filled with God's power and guided by his design. My family's service to this state will be a small footnote in the history books. Your service under the Gold Dome will likely be the same. When compared to the heroes of our faith or everyday actions of so many heroes across our state, our service pales in comparison. [2:30:41](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9041s) Our goal as, as elected leaders was to do the best we could for the people who sent us here to serve in this building. We work together to make our community safer, their dreams more achievable, their lives more prosperous, and their future a little brighter. When I put my hand on the Bible that Marty was holding in January of 2019, I didn't know what choices we would face. I didn't know what challenges would come. [2:31:13](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9073s) And while the last seven years have seemed so big in our lives, the many decisions and the outcomes, the truth is that the budgets, the new laws, pandemics, elections, legislative debates, political arguments, at the end of the day, they're small. They're small when compared to the plan of the master builder, our creator. But my hope, my prayer, is that God would be in those small things for our service together because I believe he can take whatever we have done and help build on it for the people of our state and make it great. [2:31:53](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9113s) The last verse and chorus of that hymn I mentioned says this: "And when the conflict here has ended and our race on Earth is run, he will say, 'If you've been faithful, welcome home, my child. Well done.' Little is much when God is in it. Labor not for wealth or fame. There's a crown and you can win it if you go in Jesus' name." Let's go finish the race. Like Nehemiah said, let's finish the great work we started. [2:32:25](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9145s) Thank you all, it has been an honor. May God bless you- And God continue to bless the great state of Georgia. [2:33:22](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9202s) Governor, you nailed it. [2:33:29](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9209s) I think I can speak for every individual in this gathering. You don't know how much we appreciate your friendship, your leadership. For the people of Georgia, you've made their futures brighter and fulfilling in so many different ways, along with a marvelous first lady. We appreciate you, and we look forward to continuing this year on a strong note. And certainly, [2:34:00](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9240s) you said you may not be remembered in history. I think you will, and we're gonna help tell that story. [2:34:32](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9272s) Thank you all. It is a great day to be a Georgian, isn't it? No doubt about that. Will the committee of escort please escort the Honorable Brian P. Kemp, governor of the great state of Georgia, and his distinguished guests from this house chamber. Thank you, Governor. [2:36:26](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9386s) The mar- majority leader of this house, Majority Leader Al Stracheen is recognized for a motion. [2:36:32](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9392s) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that this joint session of the House and Senate be dissolved. [2:36:38](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9398s) The leader has moved this joint session of the Georgia Assembly be dissolved, and it is hereby dissolved. Thank you all. [2:36:47](https://vimeo.com/1154371672#t=9407s) All right.