House floor session, January 16, 2026 (legislative day 5) Video: https://vimeo.com/1154750502 (a timestamp t plays at https://vimeo.com/1154750502#t=s) Page: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-16/house-floor 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. [0:00:23] I'm Speaker John Burns, and it's my pleasure to welcome you to the chamber of the Georgia House of Representatives. [0:30:47] Good morning. [0:30:54] Y'all know what I know. It's a great day to be a Georgian. Little chilly outside there, Representative Panitch. [0:31:05] Members will all please come to the chamber and get, come close to your seats 'cause we're getting ready to ring the bell, Mr. Clerk. [0:32:22] Good morning, members. All members come to the floor. We're going to have the morning roll call. All members present will please vote green to signify their presence in this chamber. And Mr. Clerk, will you unlock the machines? [0:33:07] Have all members voted? All members voted? [0:33:18] All members voted? If so, Mr. Clerk, will you lock the machines? Doorkeepers, will you please close the doors? [0:33:37] And keep them closed. [0:33:44] As is our custom, we will begin our day with scripture reading and prayer by our chaplain, after which we will pledge allegiance to the flag of our country. Our chaplain this morning comes to us from down in South Georgia, and he will be, be better introduced by the lady from the 169th House District, Representative Angie O'Steen. Representative O'Steen. [0:34:09] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's my honor to introduce you to my friend, Major Paul Elliott of Douglas, Georgia. Major Elliott earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Georgia Southern University. He is a graduate of the Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, the Ordnance Trainer Basic, Officer Basic Course of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, right? I could go on and on about the degrees that he has. As of recent, he attended New York University in the fall of 2017 through the summer of 2018 in pursuit of a master's degree in European and Mediterranean studies, and graduated with a 4.0. [0:34:53] Most recently, Major Elliott completed the Eurasian Foreign Area Officer Training Program at the George C. Marshall European, European Center for Secur- Security Studies in Garmisch, Germany. He is a highly decorated friend of mine. His military awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters. I could go on and on again about the things that he's done. [0:35:23] But as you can see, he has served our country in various roles all over the world, and he retired after 25 years of faithful service to the United States Army. Most recently, he became pastor of First Methodist Church in Douglas, Georgia, where I met him. He is married to Claire Maley, and he has his niece and nephew here, Sam and Caroline. We're glad to have them here. I met them through Camp 151, which is a service organization that serves the, um, underserved in our community for a week, and he is the leader of that. [0:35:59] He navigated us out of Hurricane Helene. Please make him welcome this morning, Pastor Paul Elliott. [0:36:14] Good morning, everyone. [0:36:17] I'd like to thank you, Mr. Speaker, for this amazing opportunity to share a Christian word of encouragement to an assembly such as this with the leaders of our great state. I'd also like to thank my representative from House District 169, Mrs. Angie O'Steen, for the blessing of being nominated for such an occasion. Um, I'd also like to recognize, uh, James Burchett from 176, who's got the southwestern quadrant of Coffee County, so appreciate your service as well. [0:36:48] And Angie, I thank you for your friendship. I'd also like to thank my lovely and kind and long-suffering bride, Claire Maylee Elliott, uh, who is representing our family today with Sam and Caroline, my niece and nephew. Uh, you already know that I love you all. Uh, lastly, I'm honored truly to be in the presence, uh, of the representative leadership of my state. Um, without your willingness to conduct the necessary labor of legislation and vision casting in real time, nothing would happen in our towns and cities, counties, or roadways, and I salute you all. [0:37:30] Many of you remember Chuck Sims from his time in service in this room as the representative for, uh, District 169 in Coffee County. Uh, he is also a prominent funeral director in, uh, in Douglas, and unfortunately in the last two weeks I have been working with him quite a bit due to some deaths in our church. And we were talking the other day and I was telling him about this wonderful opportunity that I had to be with you all today and, uh, that I was given a five-minute time limit with which to deliver my message. [0:38:05] And Chuck, without even missing a beat, said to not worry about that five-minute time limit too much because in truth, nobody really wants to get started with the order of business of the day anyway. That's his words. [0:38:22] Thanks, Chuck. [0:38:25] Thanks, Chuck. Today's scripture is from the Apostle Paul and his epistle to the church in Philippi. In chapter two we find these words, "If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. [0:39:02] Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." The great and noble General George Washington, after leading the Continental Army to victory over British forces in the American Revolution, elected to resign his commission and return to his comfortable home at Mount Vernon. [0:39:40] Many of his contemporaries felt that because of his widespread popularity as savior of the colonies from King George III, that he could easily seize power unopposed, but he felt that he could best serve his new country by putting aside power, investing it with the people for them to decide. Upon hearing about this about George Washington, King George III in England is quoted as calling George Washington the greatest man in the world for having given up that power. [0:40:14] Soon enough, he would be called forth from the comforts of his farm into public service again, first to pre- preside over the Continental Congress and then to preside over two terms as the United States' first president. Once again, many felt that he could easily retain power by not departing office, but he knew he could best serve his country by stepping aside as his season of service had come to an end. Many of you here today are absent from your homes and from your families, from your places of employment, your businesses, your farms, even your cats and dogs. [0:40:53] Your paths here to this moment that we're all sharing are as diverse as you all are, and each of you has his or her own story. Maybe you were asked to run for the office that you now occupy. Maybe it was expected of you to run for office. Maybe it runs in the family. Maybe you had an ambitious streak and you wanted to defeat your opponent in a fair contest. You can't play football anymore, so why not duke it out on the field of political battle? [0:41:25] Whatever led you here, whatever brought you here is not the point. I often reflect with my church family that the moment, this moment that we're all sharing, has never been lived before. We're all sharing this together for the first time, and anything is possible with each passing moment. With the examples of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as well as our first president, we can see that power is rightly viewed as an instrument which can be used for tremendous good. [0:42:00] The power of your positions, ladies and gentlemen, impact the people of this state in ways that many of them will never know. In fact, you could go as far as to say that they are helpless against whatever decisions that are made and the legislation that flows from them. It's important that we all take it seriously, and I trust you all to do just that. I also recognize that many of you could be enjoying the fruits of your labor at your homes or on a trip somewhere exotic perhaps. [0:42:32] But you're here. You're getting ready to do the work on behalf of 11.2 million Georgians, and the work you do matters, and it matters to me. Like the example of Jesus and of General Washington, you don't see this as a position of superiority, but as a position of service. I encourage you to remember to reflect the glory of God in all that you do, both today in this working session and in the lives the Lord has blessed us with. Now, I'd invite you to please stand as we pray. [0:43:11] Father, we are so grateful for this day, this beautiful day that you've blessed us with. I'm so grateful for each and every individual that is here today and the, and the areas that they represent from our great state. I ask that you pour abundant blessing upon them and those people that they represent, their families, their futures. We're grateful to be here, Lord. We're grateful for the life that you have blessed us with. Help us to not waste one minute of it, and it's in Christ's name we pray, amen. [0:43:41] I invite you now to join me in pledging allegiance to our great flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [0:43:58] Thank you, Brother Paul. [0:43:59] Thank you. [0:44:00] Appreciate that. [0:44:01] Yes, sir. [0:44:04] Doorkeepers, you may, uh, unlock the doors. Members, as you know, you may join Brother Paul and greet he and his family in that south ante room. Brother Paul, thank you for being here with us, and family, thank you all for being here. Um, thank you for your service to our country, and thank you for your service to the good Lord and your community and all of those you minister to. Thank you for being here today. [0:44:28] Amen. [0:44:36] Thank you, sir. [0:46:42] We thank Representative Scott Holcomb for inviting our doctor of the day today. That's Dr. Steven Holbrook. Thanks to Dr. Holbrook for, uh, being here and taking care of all those folks who serve under this golden dome. Thank you, Dr. Holbrook. We appreciate your service. [0:47:05] The chair now recognizes Chairman Hilton, the chair of the Committee on Information and Audit, Audits. Chairman Hilton. [0:47:12] Good morning. [0:47:12] Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Happy Friday. Your Committee on Information and Audits has read the journal of the previous legislative day and found it to be correct. [0:47:22] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Chairman Hilton, the chair of the Committee on Information and Audits, reports that the journal of the previous legislative day has been read and found to be correct. Is there any objection to dispense with the reading of the journal? Hearing none, the journal, reading of the journal is dispensed with. Is there any objection to the confirmation of the journal? Chair hears none. The journal is confirmed. Mr. Clerk, will you read the resolution establishing the order of business for the day? [0:47:51] Representative Efstration of the 104th moves the following be established as the order of business. The first part of the period, unanimous consent. Introduction of bills and resolutions. First reading and reference of House bills and resolutions. Second reading of bills and resolutions. Reports of standing committees. Morning orders. [0:48:13] Is there any objection to the adoption of the resolution establishing the order of business for the day? Hearing none, the resolution is adopted. [0:48:25] First reading of bills and resolutions. Mr. Clerk, will you read? [0:48:32] House Bill 979 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd, Smith of the 18th, Ballard of the 147th, Hong of the 103rd, Holcomb of the 101st. Bill will be titled an act to amend Code Section 52-27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the retrocession of jurisdiction over lands owned by the United States. [0:49:01] Mr. Clerk, I'm gonna assign this bill, and then I wanna pause for just for a second. Uh, judiciary. Members, if any of you found a cellphone in the ladies restroom, it's Representative Bazemore's. It's missing. Be nice to get it back to her. Thank you very much. Mr. Clerk. [0:49:22] House Bill 980 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd, Stevens of the 164th, Petrea of the 166th, Roberts of the 52nd, Tran of the 80th and others. The bill will be titled an act to amend Chapter 12 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to commissions and other agencies. [0:49:38] Economic Development and Tourism. [0:49:41] House Bill 981 by Representative Powell of the 33rd, Ehrhart of the 36th, O'Steen of the 169th, Jackson of the 128th, and Jones of the 47th. Bill be titled an act to amend Chapter 34 Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to physicians, assistants, and others. Public and Community Health. House Bill 982 by Representative Camp of the 135th and Dickey of the 134th. Bill be titled an act to amend an act providing a new charter for the city of Barnesville. [0:50:11] Intragovernmental Coordination. House Bill 983 by Representative Hagan of the 156th, Cannon of the 172nd, Meeks of the 178th, and Burchetta of the 176th. Bill be titled an act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to forest resources. [0:50:36] Natural Resources and Environment. House Bill 984 by Representative Camp of the 135th, Mathiak of the 82nd, Gullett of the 19th, Burchetta of the 176th, Townsend of the 179th, and others. Bill be titled an act to amend Chapter 5 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to crimes against the person. Judiciary Non-Civil. House Bill 985 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd, Hitchens of the 161st, Werkheiser of the 157th, Mathis of the 133rd, Donatucci of the 105th, and others. [0:51:08] Bill be titled an act to amend Part 3 of Article 2, Chapter 4, Title 38 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to Georgia Veterans Cemeteries. Defense and Veterans Affairs. House Bill 986 by Representative Jones of the 25th, Hilton of the 48th, Huddleston of the 72nd, Townsend of the 179th, and Barrett of the 24th. Bill be titled an act to amend Part 2A of Article 13 of Chapter 6 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to electric personal assistive mobility devices. [0:51:40] Technology and Infrastructure Innovation. House Bill 987 by Representative Jones of the 25th, Thomas of the 21st, Anderson of the 10th, Cameron of the 1st, Barrett of the 24th. Bill be titled an act to amend Art- Chapter 8 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to employment security. Industry and Labor. House Bill 988 by Representative Camp of the 135th, Jones of the 47th, Hagan of the 156th, Ballard of the 147th, New of the 40th, and others. Bill be titled an act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 18 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to state employees' health insurance plan. [0:52:19] Health. House Bill 989 by Representative Wilkerson of the 38th, McQueen of the 61st, Adesanya of the 43rd, Williams of the 37th, Ridley of the 22nd, and others. Bill be titled an act to amend Article 3, Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to local boards of education. Education. House Bill 990 by Representative Sainz of the 180th, Hitchens of the 161st, Crowe of the 118th, Hong of the 103rd, Donatucci of the 105th, and others. Bill be titled an act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions relative to the Department of Public Safety. [0:53:01] Public Safety and Homeland Security. House Bill 991 by Representative Jones of the 25th, Davis of the 87th, Anderson of the 10th, Townsend of the 179th, and Barrett of the 24th. Bill be titled an act to amend Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to labor and industrial relations. Industry and Labor. House Bill 992 by Representative Wilkerson of the 38th, Buckner of the 137th, Holcomb of the 101st, Adesanya of the 43rd, Williams of the 168th, and others. Bill be titled an act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 3 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions regarding parks, historic areas. [0:53:39] Game, Fish, and Parks. House Bill 993 by Representative Barnes of the 86th, McQueen of the 61st, Drenner of the 85th, Taylor of the 92nd, Lupton of the 83rd, and others. Bill be titled an act to amend Part 15 of Article 6, Chapter 2 of Title- of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to miscellaneous provisions under the Quality Basic Education Act. Education. House Bill 994 by Representative Cheokas of the 151st, Dunahoo of the 31st, Cannon of the 172nd, McDonald of the 26th, Lumsden of the 12th, and others. [0:54:12] Bill be titled an act to amend Code Section 16-11-30 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to riot. Judiciary Non-Civil. House Bill 995 by Representative Barnes of the 86th, Crawford of the 89th, Berry of the 56th, McQueen of the 61st, Holly of the 116th, and others. Bill be titled an act to amend Part 3 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to student health in elementary and secondary education. Education. House Bill 996 by Representative Berry of the 56th, Dawson of the 65th, Barnes of the 86th, Schofield of the 63rd, O'Steen of the 169th. [0:54:50] Bill be titled an act to amend Chapter 2 of Title 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture and Consumer Affairs. House Bill 997 by Representative Leverett of the 123rd, Burchetta of the 176th, Crowe of the 118th, Mathis of the 133rd, O'Steen of the 169th, and others. Bill be titled an act to amend Title 42 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to penal institutions. Judiciary Non-Civil. House Bill 998 by Representative Leverett of the 123rd, Camp of the 135th, Powell of the 33rd, Jasperse of the 11th, Williams of the 168th, and others. [0:55:28] Bill be titled an act to amend Article 4, Chapter 5 of Title 36- 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to telecommunications and competition development. Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications. House Bill 999 by Representative Leverett of the 123rd, Olive- Of the 84th, Evans of the 57th, Gunter of the 8th, New of the 40th, and others. A bill be titled an act to amend arc five of chapter 10 and title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to fees and costs of magistrate courts. [0:56:02] Judiciary. House Resolution 1023 by Representative Jones of the 25th, Ridley the 6th, Dubnik of the 29th, Bonner of the 73rd, and O'Steen of the hu- 169th. A bill, a resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide that every parent has a fundamental right. Judiciary. That completes first re- [0:56:35] Members, I'm going to remind you again, check your cell phones. Make sure you don't have an extra one by accident. If you do, it's, it's Representative Bazemore's, so please check, members. Second readies, reading of bills and resolutions, the clerk will read. [0:56:54] House Bill 960 by Representative Clark of the 108th, Efthimiou of the 104th, Reeves of the 99th, Park of the 107th, Adeyina of the 110th, and others. A bill relating to s- number of superior court judges of superior courts. House Bill 961, Represent- by Representative Powell of the 33rd, Evans of the 57th, Jasperse of the 11th, Oliver of the 84th, Cooper of the 45th, and others. A bill to amend the Surprise Billing Consumer Protection Act. House Bill 962 by Representative Martin of the 49th, Barrett of the 24th, Jones of the 47th, Williamson of the 112th, Blackmon of the 146th, and others. A bill relating to savings trust accounts, availability, terms, and provisions relative to the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan. [0:57:30] House Bill 963 by Representative Martin of the 49th, Anderson of the 10th, Fleming of the 114th, Carson of the... Blackmon of the for- 146th. A bill relating to government transparency and campaign finance. House Bill 964 by Representative Cannon of the 172nd, Chastain of the 7th, McDonald of the 6th, Williams of the 168th, Lumsden of the 12th, and others. A bill relating to revenue and taxation. House Bill 965 by Representative Kahan of the 81st, Byrd of the 20th, Gaines of the 120th, Fincher of the 23rd, and Cox of the 28th. A bill relating to health records. House Bill 966 by Representative Westbrook of the 163rd, Jackson of the 165th, Gilliard of the 162nd, Stevens of the 164th. [0:58:06] A bill to amend the act creating the charter for the Garden... House Bill 967 by Representative Ridley of the 22nd, Ridley of the 6th, Horner of the 3rd, Fleming of the 114th, Chastain of the 7th, and others. A bill relating to the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. House Bill 968 by Representative Townsend of the 179th, Stevens of the 164th, Williams of the 148th, Smith of the 18th, Corbett of the 174th, and others. A bill relating to controlled substances. House Bill 969 by Representative Townsend of the 179th, Hawkins of the 27th, Greene of the 154th, Panitch of the 51st, Herring of the 145th, and others. [0:58:38] A bill relating to the Georgia State Employees Post-Employment Health Benefit Fund. House Bill 970 by Representative Townsend of the 179th, Washburn of the 144th, O'Steen of the 169th, Rice of the 139th, Hagan of the 156th, and others. A bill relating to other educational programs relative to the Quality Basic Education Act. House Bill 971 by Representative Townsend of the 179th, Jones of the 25th, DeLoach of the 167th, Smith of the 70th, Horner of the 3rd, and others. A bill relating to other education programs under the Quality Basic Education Act. House Bill 972 by Representative Berry of the 56th, Olaleye of the 59th, Rice of the 139th, Herring of the 145th, Hagan of the 156th, and others. [0:59:15] A bill relating to educational programs under the Quality Basic Education Act. House Bill 973 by Representative Burns of the 159th, Jones of the 47th, Efthimiou of the 104th, Hatchett of the 155th. A bill to amend an act making and providing appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025, ending June 30th, 2026. House Bill 974 by Representative Burns of the 159th, Jones of the 47th, Efthimiou of the 104th, Hatchett of the 155th. A bill to make and provide appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026, and ending June 30th, 2027. [0:59:46] House Bill 975 by Representative Burns of the 159th, Jones of the 47th, Efthimiou of the 104th, and Hatchett of the 155th. A bill to amend an act making and providing appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025, and ending June 30th, 2026. House Bill 976 by Representative Burns of the 159th, Jones of the 47th, Efthimiou of the 104th, Hatchett of the 155th. A bill to amend an act making and providing appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025, and ending June 30th, 2026. House Bill 977 by Representative Burns of the 159th, Jones of the 47th, Efthimiou of the 104th, Hatchett of the 155th. [1:00:20] A bill to make and provide appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026, and ending June 30th, 2027. House Bill 978 by Representative Burns of the 159th, Jones of the 47th, Efthimiou of the 104th, and Hatchett of the 155th. A bill to make and provide appropriations for the state fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026, and ending June 30th, 2027. Through second readers. [1:02:26] Mr. Clerk, I think we have a report of a standing committee. Mr. Clerk, will you read? Representative Lynn Smith, the 70th District, chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, submitted the following report. "Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Natural Resources and Environment had under its consideration the following resolution of the House, which was instructed me to bring back to the House the following recommendation. House Resolution 1008, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Representative Lynn Smith, the 70th District, chairman." That completes the reading of the reports of standing committees. [1:03:07] Members, we do have an invite resolution this morning, but we're going on to morning orders first. So if members will take your seats. [1:03:20] Members, please take your seats. Come to order. We have two special morning orders, so watch- [1:03:50] Doorkeepers, I want you to keep these doors closed for a few moments. You don't have to lock them, but keep, manage them very well. We don't need any noise from any rooms for these morning orders, especially this first one. [1:04:09] Members will please take their seats and give the member in the well your attention, please. [1:04:25] I want to ask y'all all to join me and stand as I recognize my friend, Representative Spencer Frye. [1:04:43] And if, yes. Representative, Chair Lady Mathiak's going to join you. Representative Frye. [1:04:51] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Y'all know I've never given a morning order before. 14 years, this is my first one. I'm not gonna keep you long. [1:05:05] I wanna talk about, I appreciate, thank you Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to get in the well and to read these names into the record. And I want to tell y'all a little bit. [1:05:18] In 2017, I had the men, the patriarchs of my family pass away. [1:05:28] My uncle, Benjamin Lewis, who taught me to fish. My grandfather, Herschel Price, who taught me to raise cattle. [1:05:42] My father, who taught me the Beatitudes. [1:05:49] Just recently, a couple months ago, my mother, who taught me to be tough, passed away. [1:06:03] I remember what my grandfather said at his mom's funeral, [1:06:08] that when his dad passed, he thought he was a man. [1:06:14] Then when his grandson was killed at five years old, he thought he was a man. But then when his mom passed, he knew that he had become a man. [1:06:33] My mother taught me music, which you can find on any platform if you want to listen to it. [1:06:43] Art, she was a renowned calligrapher, and as a conservative evangelical, I can only imagine the interesting conflict of emotions when she was commissioned to calligraphize a piece in gold leaf for President Carter, which hangs in his office at the Carter Center. [1:07:16] When she taught me to be tough, I mean, she taught me to be tough. I think, uh, she only lo- loaned me about 500 bucks when I was in my early 20s, and she made me pay it back. That was it. [1:07:31] But y'all, the way I was raised was hearing this every day. Y'all remember those little bitty microcassette, uh, answer machines we had in the '80s, right? And if you call my house, it says, "If you think you can or if you think you can't, either way you're right. Leave a message." [1:07:55] Now, that is em- emblazoned in my brain because not only did her and my father, when they switched over to cell phones, that was their, both of theirs messages on their cell phones. So I heard that for over 40-something years. [1:08:13] And you know, in 2014, I, I quit drinking. I'm now sober. I just am quit. I quit drinking because of this job. It's too important for us to get in trouble, and I felt like sometimes you might make a bad decision if you're out having a cocktail or two. [1:08:38] But when I buried my mama, I had to take a shot of her favorite alcohol, and it was Fireball. [1:08:52] And, um, I buried her with my dad in the Veterans Cemetery in Griffin, Georgia. I tossed a chocolate chip cookie in there on her ashes 'cause she was famous for her chocolate chip cookies. But I did write her a song, and I'm gonna tell you the first verse and the chorus. [1:09:14] Drinking Mama's Fireball and smoking her cigarettes. Thinking about the time she said, "Now, Son, don't forget, if you think you can or if you think you can't, either way you're right. Always do what Jesus said, but never run from a fight. You better count your blessings every day. You better say your prayers before you go to bed." Never let your love dissipate. [1:09:49] And just keep keeping on. And I'll see you at the pearly gate. Thank you, my friends, for listening to that. Her name was Cheryl P. Frye. [1:10:02] May God bless her, and I'm gonna see her at the pearly gates. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I yield the will. [1:10:16] Amen. [1:10:16] Representative Frye, you know what I know. We only have one mama, and they're special. [1:10:26] I think I'm glad you did that this morning. Special lady. I know you're missing her, and a lot of people do. Thanks to her influence on your life. You're a good man. [1:10:39] Thank you, members. [1:10:43] Representative Bazemore has a group that she's going to recognize. Y'all give the lady your attention, please, and some friends. [1:10:51] Can I have them come? [1:10:53] Yes. [1:10:54] Come, come, come. [1:10:57] Yep. This is our group. [1:10:59] Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I'm gonna say it like this. My family, we have built such a relationship that I call them my family, and I thank you for being here today in your house. So who we have in the gallery, they are from the Turkish community. They brought some college students and leaders of the Atlantic Institute and Spring Educational Services here to their house. [1:11:36] The Atlantic Institute is a Georgia-based nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of understanding, dialogue, and peace. The Atlantic Institute also organizes intra-intergo- co- I'm sorry, intercultural dialogue trips to Greece and many others, and that's what we were on last year. We thank you so much, and we were educated. I ask that you stand up, and this august body recognize you here in your house. [1:12:19] They will also be taking a tour, so when you see them in, in the hallway, please greet them and say hello. [1:12:27] Thank you, Representative Bazemore. Welcome. We're glad to have you here. Hope you enjoy your time at the Capitol, and thanks for what y'all are doing in representing the community and being a part of, uh, the people's house here today under this gold dome. Thank you so very much. We're, you're very welcome. We look forward to hopefully meeting you out in the hall. Thank you. [1:12:50] That com- that completes our morning orders. Members, if you will, um, give ... We have a, we have an invite resolution now that is, um, very special to me, and I'm sure it is to all of you as we honor one of our own family here, and that's Mr. Abbott Massey. I'm gonna ask his family to come up and join me. [1:13:33] I'm gonna ask Mr. Clerk if you will not only read the caption, but if you will read this resolution, House Resolution [1:13:45] honoring the life of Mr. Abbott Massey. Mr. Clerk. [1:13:50] House Resolution 1013 by Representative Burns of the 159th, Dickey of the 134th, Hawkins of the 27th, Dubnik of the 29th, Meeks of the 178th, and others. A resolution honoring the life and memory of Abbott Massey and for other purposes. Whereas Abbott Massey lived a life of distinction defined by exemplary service to his state, devotion to his community, and steadfast commitment to education, agriculture, and civic leadership. [1:14:23] And whereas starting from his earliest visits to the Georgia State Capitol in the 1940s, he developed a lifelong connection to Georgia's public life that led him to serve as executive secretary to Attorney General Gene Cook, and to be appointed by Governor-elect Ernest Vandiver as director of the Department of Commerce, during which time he created the state's first tourist division, as well as the state's first welcome station in Screven County, the oldest station still operational in the United States. [1:14:55] And whereas his career began most closely tied to Georgia's agriculture through his leadership of the Georgia Poultry Federation, where he guided the industry's growth with vision and dedication, and he continued to serve full-time as president emeritus thereafter. And whereas his passion for education in the University of Georgia was evident in his service as president of the UGA Alumni Association and as trustee of the UGA Foundation, and as a leader in preserving the historic Four Towers and establishing the Veterinary Medicine Experiment Station. [1:15:31] And whereas his many hou- his many honors include the UGA Distinguished Alumni Merit Award, the Blue Key Service Award, the Inaugural Medallion of Honor from the College of Agriculture and, and, and Environmental Sciences. the College of Family and Consumer Sciences Appreciation Award, the s- the Distinguished Service Award from the College of Veterinary Medicine, and induction into the Georgia Agriculture Hall of Fame. And whereas he was further honored through the creation of the annual Abbott Massey Lecture by the Georgia Society of Association Executives, and he received the organization's President's Award for his work to protect nonprofit volunteers under Georgia law. [1:16:16] And whereas as additional testimony to his influence and service, Abbott Massey met seven presidents of the United States, counted the late President Jimmy Carter among his friends, and championed Georgia Women of Achievement as the first man to serve on its board of trustees, the only man to serve as president, and the first person chosen as trustee for life. And whereas he was united in love and marriage to his wife Kay Ann, and together they built a life in Gainesville, Georgia, raising two children, Lewis and Camille, and later enjoying the blessings of four grandchildren, Chandler, Mary Cameron, Christian, and Lucia, and of family members Amy and Gilly. [1:17:05] And whereas a compassionate and generous man, Abbott Massey will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community, and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him. Now therefore be it be resolved by the House of Representatives that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Abbott Massey, and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. [1:17:38] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Thank you, members. Mike Giles, you're a member of the family. Come on up here. [1:17:49] Your partnership in working with Mr. Abbott over the years certainly will be recognized. Uh, members, any of us could do what I'm doing right now, that had the honor and the pleasure of knowing Mr. Abbott and working with him over the years. And I'm gonna make some more remarks about Mr. Abbott, but I wanna invite his son, Lewis, who all of you know as well, to, um, introduce the family. [1:18:19] Lewis, if you will, and, um, allow me to present you with this resolution. Members of this House, we're also proud to be a part of and present to you and the family as we honor a dear, dear Georgian, Mr. Abbott Massey. Lewis? [1:18:46] Come on, y'all. Get in there. We'll get another one in a minute, but we'll do this one now. [1:18:53] We want Dale on one too. [1:18:59] Thank you. Lewis? [1:19:02] Tom, can I have them be seated? [1:19:05] Yeah. Let 'em. Give 'em an order. [1:19:08] Please. [1:19:08] Y'all may be seated. [1:19:09] Please be seated. [1:19:11] They don't listen to me very well. [1:19:16] Ooh. Thank you, Speaker John Burns. Thank you, Dale Burns, the real star of the Burns family. Thanks to each of you for your service to the state and for the time that you worked with my dad over the years. Greatly appreciated. I wanna thank the speaker's staff, Chris, and Jacob, and others, who helped make this resolution possible, and thank many friends in the gallery who worked with Dad over the years here at the State Capitol. [1:19:50] Wanna just say a couple of brief things. Number one is, he loved the State Capitol, and he loved this state. He told me that in the early 1940s, he got in the car with one of his older brothers, and they drove to the State Capitol, and he met John P. Wilson, who was the 20th Secretary of State of Georgia. And then in 1947, when he was a student at UGA, he got in a car with three other students, and they drove here to observe firsthand the chaos around the three governors controversy that so many of you have read about. [1:20:27] 1947. And as mentioned by the clerk in the resolution, Dad had offices here at the State Capitol. In the '50s, he worked for the attorney general. He worked in what was the predecessor to the Legislative Council's office, drafting bills. He said there were only two people in the office at the time. A lot less bills then, I guess. He also worked for a judge on the Court of Appeals, and many of you know that Room 341 was actually the courtroom for the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court in the, in the '50s. [1:21:04] And then in the late '50s, he got to be the commissioner of the Department of Commerce, which is now the Department of Economic Development. And in that job, he had one major victory. He met Miss Georgia in 1959, who became his wife and our beloved mother and grandmother. [1:21:26] His dad once said that if Abbott ever fell in a lake, one thing for sure, he would come out of there with a fish in his pocket. Dad did live a wonderful, fortunate, lucky life, and we are here today to thank you for this recognition. Uh, my wife Amy is here. Our son Christian, our son Chandler and his fiancée, Steph Bennett. And the speaker, uh, recognized Mike Giles earlier, who, uh, worked with Dad for many years at the Georgia Poultry Federation as they lobbied on behalf of the poultry industry. [1:22:02] Let me finish with this. If you read Dad's bio, it says he has an undergraduate degree from UGA and a law degree from Emory. But I think his most important degree was a PhD in joy. Every single day he was at this Capitol, he was joyful. And his legacy will live on thanks to you and others at the State Capitol. Thank you for letting us be here today and share in recognizing and honoring the life of, of Abbott Massey. [1:22:35] Thank you very much. [1:22:43] No, stay up here. [1:22:54] I know many, many of you ... Y'all may be seated. Many, many of you, these members and great Georgians in your own right, would like to come and express your sentiment about Mr. Abbott Massey. And thank you f- to his friends in the gallery, too. We appreciate y'all being here to honor Mr. Abbott, as we will. Because we all know that Mr. Abbott was, um, a trusted friend, mentor, advisor in so many different ways to so many people over the years that served in the ... [1:23:27] With the honor that we ha- we serve with as members of the General Assembly, especially members of the House. And I thought of it this way, as Dale and I have, have talked, um, I think, I believe that the good, excuse me, the good Lord has a plan. His plan for Mr. Abbott was long life, good health, because he impacted so many of us with his attitude and just that enthusiasm that he, uh, I think he embodied it all. [1:23:58] Everyone he met came away with, "Boy, I feel better after talking to that guy." Uh, and I think, too, we all try to m- he was a true Southern gentleman. If you look it up in the book, the dictionary, it probably has Abbott Massey's name there. [1:24:19] Personal story about Mr. Abbott and his longevity. Uh, I was looking through some old newspapers at home from the Springfield Herald. In 1956 or '57, on the front page was this group establishing the Jaycees. You young people Google it. The Georgia Jaycees. The Jaycees, and who was, uh, inducting and, and, uh, establishing that new chapter down in Effingham County? [1:24:51] Mr. Abbott Massey, al. And guess what? One thing ... He may have looked a little bit older, but one thing was the same. That hair was perfect then, and it was perfect now. So, and he's passing that gift along. And I'll go ahead and tell y'all, I'm gonna get a haircut this week, but I've got this hair in honor of Mr. Abbott this week. Um, trying to emulate Mr. Abbott in every sense of the word. So that was, uh, something that was special to me. And Mr. Abbott just had that big grin when I s- when I gave him that, gave him that newspaper. [1:25:23] Uh, that first trip, the history of our state that, uh, he would talk to you about and he would bring to life for you as he told you about our state and our successes and everything he'd been a part of and what he witnessed. Uh, and Lewis just spoke to that. Um, a fixture. A fixture. That guy has been a fixture in this Capitol for a couple of years, um, and he's made a difference in here. Uh, Ms. Kayanne, what a beautiful, beautiful Miss Georgia she was, and what a beautiful, beautiful lady she was during her entire life. [1:25:55] And, uh, a graduate of Agnes Scott. Did y'all know that? I just realized that. Um, y'all know where they went on their first date? Trivia. Niagara Falls. Yes, they did. Um, with her mother sitting in the backseat of the car, of course. What a romantic Mr. Abbott was. Uh, you know, another special thing for me as we've, um, down in Screven County on US 301, the longest, um, established, uh, welcome center in our country is in Screven County in our state. [1:26:28] And Mr. Abbott was always, um, a, an advocate for keeping that, um, beautiful building, historic building in place. And also as that welcome center still serves visitors coming from South Carolina going south on 301 and headed back home in our state. For those University of Georgia friends here, and I think we all are, um, he did bleed red and black. There's no doubt about that. I don't think anything happened in Athens that Mr. [1:27:00] Abbott was not a part of. Would that be fair to say? In so many different ways. Uh, I think about that longevity and that health that the good Lord blessed Mr. Abbott with. He called me a few years ago and said, "Hey, are you coming to the ballgame?" It was one spring morning. I said, "What ballgame, Mr. Abbott?" He said, "Effingham County. They're playing Gainesville right now in baseball." He was always there in every sense of the word for, for what we do here, but what his community was all about. [1:27:31] And I did wear an elephant today b- for the, for the, um, Gainesville folks up there that he cared so much about. Uh, his, um ... I thought this was interesting. Y'all probably heard this. Your mother had told him and said, Abbott, when he was going to work for the Georgia Poultry Federation in 1960, said, "Abbott" You don't know the difference between a duck and a chicken. How can you do that? He learned pretty fast, didn't he? He did a great job of being responsible for the great success of that industry that's so crucial to our state and the wellbeing of so many families around all over our state, not just in, in Northeast Georgia. [1:28:11] One of the things that I try to emulate, and I know you all do too, is, you know, I like to know people's names. Mr. Abbott knew your name. He could call your name when you met him. That's one of the things that was always so special about him, and he wanted to know about you. He wanted to know about your family, where you came from, what you did. But it wasn't forgotten, because the next time you spoke to him, he remembered, and he talked to you about things that were important to you. [1:28:42] We should all try to emulate that as we make people feel special, because he did that. Now, he had a special friendship. He had a special friend sitting right over here to my right, um, Dale Burns. And Mr. ... You know, Mr. Abbott was constantly upgrading his ability to be in touch with every day. Drove a Tesla, a red Tesla. He had an Apple Watch. So I can hear him right now. The phone would ring or I'd say, "Who are you talking to?" "I'm calling Mr. [1:29:12] Abbott." They were comparing steps. Who got the most steps in that day. And so he beat her most of the time, I can tell you that. But she really thought she was one of his special girlfriends. She got to looking and listening. Mr. Abbott had a lot of special girlfriends. He, she was special to him, but she realized how special all of us were to Mr. Abbott. He calls ... You know what he did? He cared about people. He cared about his neighbor. He kept up with the times. [1:29:43] He did that. He was always relevant, always relevant. To the family, thank you for sharing your dad, a man spe- special in your life as, um, as you c- joined the family. Grandchildren, he was so very, very proud of you all. Y'all know that. And, uh, you all have that great hair that Mr. Abbott passed on. That, that gene is still alive. I think Mr. Ab- Mr. Abbott's life and legacy, and that's important. [1:30:16] We've talked a little bit, little bit, little bit about legacy over the last few days. There's a legacy of kindness to every Georgian he came in contact with, to the point they remember him well. The care he had for our state, for our wellbeing from an economic perspective, but from a personal perspective, will never be lost on me. And his devotion, his devotion to this state, but to his family and just fellow man. [1:30:49] I'll just say this. Thank God for the life of that fine, fine man right there, Mr. Abbott Massey. Thank you, family. We love you. [1:30:58] Thank you. [1:30:59] We, uh, again, thank the Lord for Mr. Abbott Massey. Thank you for being here with us today and letting us honor this family. Thank you, members. [1:32:02] Uh, Ms. Dale. [1:32:59] Members, I'll just let you know, Mr. Abbott's, uh, Lewis is, um, obviously his son. Camille is his daughter. They were traveling. They tried to get here, but that's as we honored their dad. But we'll certainly make sure. They can watch this, Lord. And I think they'll be v- Thank you. Thank y'all. Thanks again. Members, if you would ... Would y'all mind going to the an- [1:33:27] Members, if you would like to speak to the family, you may join them in the South Annie Room and have a photo and, and tell them of your high regard of Mr. Abbott Massey. Thank you. [1:34:03] Members, we have a little bit of business I need to attend to before we, um, move on to afternoon orders. [1:35:11] We have a motion to withdraw a bill from one committee and recommit to another. [1:35:20] For what purpose does Representative Ford rise? [1:35:24] Mr. S- Mr. Speaker, that we move- [1:35:28] You wanna make a motion? [1:35:29] Yes, sir. [1:35:30] The lady's recognized for a motion. [1:35:32] That we move House Bill 590 from the Committee on Regulated Industries to the Committee on Motor Vehicles, and both chairmen are in agreement. [1:35:41] Thank you. Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption? [1:35:44] House Bill 590 by Representative Ford of the 170th and others to be entitled an act to amend Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to professions and businesses so as to provide for the regulation of trailer manufacturers. [1:35:58] On the lady's motion that HB 590 be withdrawn from the Regulated Industries Committee and recommitted to Motor Vehicles Committee. Is there objection? Hearing none, it is so ordered. [1:36:19] We have some afternoon orders. We wanna call on Chairman Bonner, then Representative Panitch and Martinez, Representative Bazemore, and Chairman McDonald. We'll start with Chairman Bonner. Uh, you don't have a time limit, but we'll let your conscience be your guide. How about that? [1:36:36] I'd rather you be my guide, Mr. Speaker. Hey, uh, good morning, co- [1:36:41] Gentleman will suspend. [1:36:48] This is a good one. It's been pending for a few days. We're glad it's finally accomplished. Mr. Chairman. [1:36:53] Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to, uh, honor and celebrate a great Georgian and a true American hero. Uh, earlier this week, General Tom Carden, our former adjutant general, was nominated to be the vice chief of the National Guard Bureau. Uh, this is the culmination of, of an incredible career that s- that saw General Carden go from enlisting as a private in the Georgia National Guard in high school to now pinning on a fourth star, reaching the highest level in the United States military. [1:37:29] So, uh, General Carden, as I said, served as our adjutant general. Throughout his career here in Georgia, he was a friend to many of us. He, uh, led troops into harm's way. He led our state through numerous natural disasters. And throughout the, and throughout the COVID pandemic, his actions saved countless lives here in Georgia. So we are so honored and, and excited to have General Carden, uh, become the, only the second serving four-star general in the National Guard. [1:38:03] He'll be up at the National Guard Bureau in, in the, in Washington. He'll be an advocate for not only for Georgia, but for all of us, uh, in the military, and I think it's fitting that we celebrate him today and look forward to his continued service. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [1:38:19] Thank you, Representative Bonner. Yeah, absolutely. [1:38:26] Members, if you'll reflect back with me on those days, on those, um, Governor Kemp's press conferences on COVID and bringing information to Georgians, boy, he was really good and did a great job of making sure that he did his job protecting and working to serve Georgians. So congratulations to the General. He's a good man, and I'm really glad he's on our team. Representative Panitch and Represent- Representative Martinez, recognized for an afternoon order. [1:38:57] Mr. Speaker, members of the House, we rise today to send a message to Coral Gables, Florida, because we are the 305 Caucus. On Monday night, the Miami Hurricanes will take the field in Atlanta, I mean, I'm sorry, Miami, for the College Football National Championship, and I, we could not let this moment pass without wishing my alma mater all the best. I'm a proud Double Cane, undergrad and law school, and while I've called Georgia home for 20 years, that orange and green s- stays with me. [1:39:33] This season, Coach Cristobal, Cristobal and his team have shown us what it means to fight, to believe, and to never give up. The Miami Hurricanes have earned their place on that national championship stage. Now, I know we're surrounded by Bulldogs, Yellow Jackets, Eagles, Owls, and I respect every one of you, but Monday night, we are throwing up the U. [1:40:05] To Carson Beck, the entire team, I knew I'd get there. And to Hurricane Nation everywhere, go 'Canes, bring that trophy home. It's all about the U. [1:40:22] Good luck. Y'all gonna need it. [1:40:46] A little, a little equipment malfunction. [1:40:52] That's gonna be a great game. When is it? [1:40:56] Monday. [1:40:56] Monday. Yeah, good luck to the folks down in, um, University of Miami, a great school, as well as the, uh, University of, um, Indiana. Gonna be a great game. Representative Bazemore. [1:41:12] Did you also wanna do an afternoon order? Representative Bazemore. We'll move on to Chairman McDonald. Mr. Chairman, recognized for, uh- [1:41:25] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Colleagues, it's that time of the year the firefighters are coming to town February 3rd. I have the resolution welcoming them to the Capitol, so if anybody would like to sign the Firefighters' Day resolution, they'll b- have it over here on my desk on the right. Thank you. Enjoy your weekend. [1:41:43] Be sure and sign up. Those are great folks. Do a lot for us. Thanks for bringing that up. [1:41:52] I don't see her, so. [1:41:53] I don't see her. [1:41:58] Mr. Clerk. [1:42:02] You got the privileged? You do. Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to a group of privileged resolutions? [1:42:10] Honoring the life and memory of Elizabeth Lloyd Smith. Honoring the life of Reba Highsmith Crews. [1:42:23] Recognizing HealthMPowers for 25 years service and leadership in advanced youth health. Congratulating the Lovejoy High School Varsity Game Day Cheerleaders for winning the 2025 GHSA 5A Game Day State Cheerleading Championship. Honoring Echo Park Speedway. Recognizing and commending Rick Roberts on his outstanding public service as the Mayor of Ball Ground. Recognizing and commending Langston Funeral Home of Buena Vista, Georgia on the occasion of more than 60 years of dedicated service to the community. [1:42:55] Recognizing February 5th, 2026 as Dental Hygienist Appreciation Day. Congratulating Carolyn Wright upon her induction into the Chattahoochee Valley Sports Hall of Fame. Recognizing and commending Teresa Labarum Mitchell. And honoring the life and legacy of Keith B. Winslow. And for purposes, that completes the reading of the privileged resolu- [1:43:33] Is there any objection to adopting the privileged resolutions? Hearing none, the resolutions are adopted. [1:43:42] Think we're ready for some announcements now. Representative Carter, recognized for an announcement. Represent- Representative Doreen Carter. [1:43:54] Then we'll have Vice Chair Carpenter, Chairman Jaspers, and Chairman Hilton. Representative Carter's recognized. [1:44:03] Good morning. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Happy New Year, everyone. So you already know why I'm here. [1:44:11] It's our annual Go Red for Women. So I wanna tell you something that we're doing a little different this year, because someone decided that we would be in session the first Friday in February. So the American Heart Association is having their advocacy day on Thursday, February the 5th, and they are asking us to wear red. And because the official Go Red for Women is Friday, February the 6th, we'll host our annual luncheon, and we'll ask you to wear red. [1:44:47] So you all have an opportunity to go shopping, get you two red outfits. And what I'm really excited this year, if you all are here on that Friday and want to stay for lunch, uh, we would need to know that you're staying, but we have an amazing speaker, Dr. Fakhreddine out of Cleveland, Mississippi, who is a national re- renowned interventional cardiologist, will be our guest speaker. So on February the 5th, wear red, and on February the 6th, wear red. Thank you. You're welcome. [1:45:21] Keep it in mind. [1:45:25] Chairman Carpenter- [1:45:26] Thank you [1:45:27] ... recognized for an announcement. [1:45:28] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Tuesday, Appropriations, 10:00 AM, room 341. Bring your books with you. You will be working off your books. The schedule will be on the website, but hopefully see everybody next week so we can get this thing rolling. Thank you. [1:45:43] Thank you. Chairman Jaspers, recognized for an announcement. [1:45:49] Thank you, members. After you go to your Appropriations meeting on Tuesday, Tuesday afternoon, the grocers and everyone involved in the food industry will be in the blue room. They'd love to see you, have refreshments, all that good stuff, but that's Kathy Cassava and Kevin Perry, who are friends to all of us. Hope to see you there. [1:46:18] Chairman Hilton recognized for an announcement. [1:46:23] Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for this body for the work that we've done on education, specifically around getting cell phones out of our schools. Wanna let you guys know we have legislation to expand that to high school, so we're getting ready to introduce that if anyone would like to sign that. I don't recommend it if you have a child in high school right now, uh, but in all seriousness, this is a great legislation. Would love to have you all sign on board. Thank you. [1:46:49] That completes our announcements. Other than a piece of information members would like to know about, our Representative Miriam Parish is in the hospital, uh, over at, uh, Piedmont. So, uh, put her on your list and say a prayer for her that she'll join us back soon. [1:47:10] We have a whole slew of birthdays, y'all, that are gonna occur this weekend and next week, so let's talk about them, and we'll wish these folks that are having a birthday, they have a great birthday. So we'll start with the gentleman we see up front. Scotty Long. [1:47:28] Scotty. [1:47:29] Scotty, how old are you, man? Come on. [1:47:32] Yeah. [1:47:35] Uh, Dean Gerald Greene. Yeah, he's got another birthday. Chairman John LaHood. Those are... Well, let me ask. Sunday is, is Scotty's birthday. Tuesday is Gerald's, Dean Greene's birthday. Thursday is Chairman LaHood's birthday. Friday, Representative Robert Flournoy. Robert, happy birthday. Uh, Chairman Noel Williams. Happy birthday to Noel. On Satur- Saturday, the 24th, is Representative Anne Allen Westbrook. [1:48:09] She was here a moment ago. Happy birthday to her. And Sunday, boy, the clerk's office is getting up there. Our own Carrie Vick has a birthday on the 25th. Carrie, happy, happy birthday. You've got a heart of gold with the people you work with, I can tell you that. No doubt about that. I think that completes our announcements, our birthdays. So y'all, we'll, uh, encourage you all to be here next week and participate where you're required to be participating as we go through our budget hearings. [1:48:46] Um, are you gonna mention anything about that, Mr. Leader? I think that was enough. I think everyone's got that. We're good. We're good on that. The majority leader of this House, Representative Efstration, is recognized for a motion. [1:49:01] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that this House stand adjourned until Monday, January 26th, 2026 at 10:00 AM. [1:49:12] Hope everyone, uh, participates and has a good weekend as we celebrate the Martin Luther King holiday, Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. So I hope you all will participate in your communities, if you haven't already, in that holiday and those, uh, celebrations of, um, of, uh, his life. On the motion of the majority leader, this House stand adjourned until 10:00 AM, Monday, January the 26th, 2026. Time's flying. [1:49:43] All those in favor will say, "Aye." [1:49:50] Aye. [1:49:50] All those that are opposed will say, "No." [1:49:55] No. [1:49:55] Couple of us are leaving. We're gonna be adjourning. The rest of y'all can stay here. This House will stand adjourned until January the 26th. Thank y'all.