Senate floor session, January 27, 2026 (legislative day 7)

Transcript

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1. 0:12:57

   Good afternoon. The time for convening has arrived. The Senate will come to order. At this time, we'll ask all unauthorized personnel to exit the chamber. I recognize the senator from the 6th, from the great town of

2. 0:18:11

   Newnan, Georgia.

3. 0:18:15

   Good afternoon, Mr. President. Sorry we missed you yesterday. But thank you for keeping us on time, keeping us running. Mr. President, I got a great group of pages here today. Out of Braselton, we have Elisa Bodine. Out of Dacula, we have Addie Grace Card.

4. 0:18:46

   Out of Milledgeville, Alexander McMillan. And out of Perry, we have Knighton Walker, who is our very own President Pro Tem's nephew. I hope the Pro Tem knew his nephew was here. Paging Pro Tem.

5. 0:19:06

   Mr. President, the journal has been read and found to be correct. I move we dispense with the reading of the journal.

6. 0:19:33

   Is there objection to dispensing of the reading of the journal? No objection. The reading of the journal is confirmed.

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   Dispense.

8. 0:19:56

   Is there objection to the confirmation of the journal of legislative day five and six? Chair hears none, and the journal is confirmed.

9. 0:20:21

   First reading references. Secretary.

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    Senate Bill 411 by Senator Still of the 48th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to-

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    Health and Human Services

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    ... Senators, Senate Bill 412 by Senators Hickman of the 4th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Part Four of Article 17 of Chapter Two of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.

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    Education of Youth.

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    Senate Bill 41- 413 by Senators Jackson of the 41st and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article-

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    Judiciary.

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    Senate Bill 414 by Senators Jackson of the 41st and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Part Two of Article 15 of Chapter One of Title-

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    Judiciary.

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    Senate Bill 415 by Senators Dickerson of the 21st and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article Four of Chapter Two of Title 26 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to-

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    Agriculture.

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    Senate Bill 416 by Senators Halpern of the 39th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Part Two of Article 15 of Chapter One of Title 20-

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    Economic Development.

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    Senate Bill 417 by Senators Merritt of the 9th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 19 of-

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    State and Local Government.

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    Senate Bill 418 by Senators Burns, Burns of the 23rd and others, a bill-

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    State and Local Government, General.

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    Senate Bill 419 by Senators James of the 28th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter Eight of Title 35. 418. We read 418. Oh. We stopped here. Oh, did we start with... Oh. Start with 418. Okay. Senate Bill 418 by Senators Burns of the 23rd and others, a bill to be entitled-

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    Judiciary.

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    Senate Bill 419 by Senators James of the 28th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter Eight of-

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    Public Safety.

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    Senate Bill 420 by Senator Echols of the 49th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 27-2-23 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.

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    Economic Development.

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    Senate Bill 421 by Senators Kemp of the 38th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 80 of Title 36 of the Official Code-

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    State and Local Government, General.

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    Senate Resolution 584 by Senators Echols of the 49th and others, a resolution to ratify amendments to a certain comprehensive statewide water management plan.

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    Natural Resources.

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    Senate Resolution 593 by Senators James of the 28th, a resolution honoring his Most Eminence Prophet Dr. Emanuel Adewale.

37. 0:22:34

    Rules.

38. 0:22:36

    Mr. President, I request the order. Back location.

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    Secretary, re-report sustaining committees.

40. 0:22:49

    Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Ethics has a h- Hmm? Hang on. Oh,

41. 0:23:11

    no.

42. 0:23:11

    Secretary, read communications.

43. 0:23:17

    Mr. President, the Senate has received a communication from the governor requesting that the Senate confirm the following appointment to the Judicial Qualifications Commission, the honorable, the honorable Richard Hyde. The communication has been placed on each senator's desk. Thank you, Mr. President. That completes the order.

44. 0:23:40

    Recognize the pro tem.

45. 0:23:44

    Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to suspend Senate Rule 3-3.1A to allow for the assignment of the appointment, uh, to the Judicial Qualifications Commission.

46. 0:24:02

    All right, that, uh, communication has been placed on your desk. Each senator should have that. And, uh, Senator Walker, excuse me, the pro tem has moved. Do you like to, do you wish to speak to the motion, senator? He waives his objection to the motion.

47. 0:24:25

    Senator from Twiggs asks unanimous con- consent to suspend the rules of 331 to allow for the assignment of the appointment to the Judicial, Judicial Qualifications Commission. Is there objection? Hearing none, the rules are suspended and the appointment is referred to the committee on assignments.

48. 0:24:57

    It is now time for the morning roll call.

49. 0:25:05

    Secretary Reedy reports the standing committees first. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Ethics has had under consideration the following legislation, and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Resolution 563, do pass. Respectfully submitted by Senator Watson of the 11th, of the 11th District. Dear Mr. Secretary, pursuant to Senate Rule 2-1.6, I hereby give notice that I will introduce a minority report to be read along with the majority report of Senate Resolution 563, which has pa- which was passed by the Committee on Ethics on January 22nd, 2026.

50. 0:25:39

    Sincerely, Minority Leader Harold V. Jones II of the 22nd. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Operations has had under consideration the following legislation, and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 407, do pass. House Bill 896, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator- Dixon of the 45th ... Dixon of the 45th. Thank you, Mr. President, that completes the order.

51. 0:26:16

    It is now time for the morning roll call. All senators who wish to make a motion to excuse. Senator from the fif- 41st. Thank you, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senators from the 9th, the 43rd, the 34th, the 5th, the 55th, 36th, 7th, and 17th, and 33rd. You know, Senator, I lost count there at the beginning right there. So, uh- I'm here ...

52. 0:26:47

    I wasn't expecting the whole roster to be out today, so let me repeat it back to you. The 41st, which is the 9th, the 43rd, the 34th, the 5th, the 55th, the 36th, the 7th, the 17th, and the 33rd be excused. Is that correct? Mr. President, I'm from the 44- 1st, and I am here. Well, we won't excuse you then. Thank you, Senator. Any other motions to excuse?

53. 0:27:16

    Secretary will call roll. Senators, signify your presence by voting the yeas switch. Secretary, unlock the machine.

54. 0:29:10

    It is now time for the morning devotion, afternoon devotion. All senators, please take your seats and cease all conversation. I would ask that the doorkeeper secure the chamber at this time. I'd like to recognize our rules chairman for the purpose of leading us in our pledge and introducing our chaplain of the day.

55. 0:29:33

    Thank you, Mr. Predes- President. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to our nation's flag. I pledge allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. And now our Georgia flag. I pledge allegiance. To the Georgia flag, to the principles for which it stands, wisdom, justice, moderation, and courage.

56. 0:30:10

    Ladies and gentlemen, I've got a treat for you today. Um, I've got Pastor Chip Gordon with me. Chip lives right around the corner from me, and, and, uh, I get to see him very often, 'cause he's out walking. And I'm not out walking, but I am out driving in my car a lot, as y'all can relate to. Um, but when I do walk, I'm usually not very happy. And when I see Chip, and I see Joelle and his wife, when I see them out walking, they're both very happy.

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    And it just kind of makes me feel happy

58. 0:30:45

    And, uh, but Chip has a very rewarding job. He, um, he works at, at City of Hope, which was formerly known as Cancer Treatment Centers of America, uh, where he is the director of pastoral care. Uh, he was instantly impressed by them and their mission. He knew right away that he wanted to be a part of the team. And since it, it was purchased, he has continued to serve patients, their caregivers, and the staff, and he has done that for the past fifteen y- or thirteen years.

59. 0:31:16

    Uh, he earned a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a bachelor's degree in communications from, mmm, hmm, I don't like to say it, Auburn University. Through-- Excuse me. This is making me cough. Throughout his more than thirty years of ministry experience, he has served as a youth pastor and senior pastor for various churches in North Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia.

60. 0:31:49

    He served as a North American Mission Board church planter, planting a church in Henry County, Georgia, at the time, one of the fastest growing counties in the US. Served on, uh, many local boards in Coweta County. He's born and raised in Newnan, and he met his wife, Jo Ellen, at Auburn University. She is a retired mathematics teacher at Newnan High School, my alma mater. And Chip and Jo Ellen have two daughters, Katie and her husband, Hunter, Abby, and her husband, Andrew, and four incredible grandchildren with one more on the way.

61. 0:32:26

    So y'all give a warm Senate welcome to Reverend Chip Gordon.

62. 0:32:34

    Well, thank you, Senator Brass and Lieutenant Governor Jones. What a joy to be with y'all, uh, this afternoon. As I begin, I would like for you to look around at the people around you. Just the people near you. Look around. They don't look like you. They don't, uh, talk like you. They don't act like you. They don't have your background. We are all different. I love the fact that God knit each one of us together. Uh, we are fearfully and wonderfully and uniquely made.

63. 0:33:11

    Now, we may not always agree with one another, but one thing you can agree on is that you are here to serve this great state and, uh, what is-- to do what is best for the state of Georgia. And today, I would like to talk about unity and peace. We are told in, in Psalm one thirty-three one how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity. Romans fourteen nineteen tells us, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace." When you stop to think about it, you are either a peacemaker or a troublemaker.

64. 0:33:55

    Uh, you might wanna ask yourself, "Am I a spoon in the bowl of discontent? Do I stir others up?" Well, friends, peacemaking is not always popular. Unity is not always popular. Some people prefer to fight for what they believe in. In a battle, the hope is winning, but someone must be the loser.

65. 0:34:26

    Peacemaking and unity actually produces two winners. Peacemaking is God's way. The apostle Peter wasn't known as a peacemaking kind of guy when we first meet him. In fact, when we first meet Peter, he was impulsive and strong-willed, but Peter changed, and he developed some good qualities the hard way. The Holy Spirit changed Peter. Peter was now a man that God could use.

66. 0:34:59

    Listen to what it says in First Peter three, verse eight. "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble." Peter lists five characteristics, things we should strive for in order to maintain peace and unity. We should first be like-minded. Being on the same page, having the same goals. It does please the Lord when we have unity.

67. 0:35:31

    You all agree that you are here to serve the people of Georgia, right? Okay, hopefully so. Um, the second characteristic Peter talks about is sympathetic, being responsive to the needs of others. And then thirdly, love one another. We must look at others and treat them as brothers and sisters. In fact, John thirteen thirty-four tells us, "A new command I give you: Love one another.

68. 0:36:04

    As I have loved you, so you must also love one another." The fourth characteristic that Peter talks about is that of being compassionate. Everybody needs compassion. We all need compassion. At City of Hope Cancer Center, we want to show compassion through how we say what we say to our patients, and sometimes that involves holding their hand, maybe even giving them a hug. We all need compassion, and let me tell you, if you have not had a hug today, you come see me after I'm finished, and I'll give you a hug, okay?

69. 0:36:39

    Showing compassion. And then that last characteristic that Peter talks about is humility, being humble. Colossians three twelve says, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved" Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Friends, ask yourself, "How can I be a peacemaker? How can I help establish unity, not just as a senator in the state of Georgia, but in all areas of my life?" Unity and peace do not come about by us just sitting and not putting forth any effort.

70. 0:37:24

    Too often we think of peacemaking as, as a passive role, simply the absence of conflict. But that is not the case. You and I must work at peace. We must strive to have unity. Peter was quoting David in Psalm 34 when, when he wrote in 1 Peter 3:11, "Seek peace and pursue it." We are all different.

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    Are you going to always agree? No. But when we seek to live out these characteristics that Peter shared in 1 Peter 3:8, it will make a difference, and it will bring about unity. Will you pray with me?

72. 0:38:22

    Lord, I humbly come before you this afternoon and I ask your guidance on this Senate. I pray for each lady and man present that you will guide them in all that they do. Protect them, strengthen them, encourage them as they seek to live lives of peace and unity. I pray they will be like-minded, sympathetic, they will love one another, be compassionate and humble. Bless them today.

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    In Jesus' name. Amen.

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    Amen.

75. 0:38:56

    Thank you.

76. 0:38:57

    Good job. Good

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    job.

78. 0:44:17

    All right. If I could have your attention, I wanna call upon the senator from the 41st to introduce our doctor of the day.

79. 0:44:27

    I'm in your seat.

80. 0:44:29

    Thank you, Mr. President. It's good to see you up here. Uh, it's my honor today to introduce to you all our doctor of the day, or really introduce a few of you all, and, uh, welcome back to so many. He's been here a number of years. But this is Dr. Daniel Lopez. He's a board-certified family medicine physician with the Kaiser Permanente group, and, uh, provides comprehensive care to a diverse group of, of clients, of, of patients, um, ma- focusing really on prevention and management of chronic medical conditions and their complications.

81. 0:45:03

    Uh, Dr. Lopez, he's been here a number of times over the years, so hopefully you've gotten to know him. If you haven't, of course you can go see him or Nurse Julia downstairs. He is the proud father of triplets. They're now 15 years old, so he gets more sleep than I do, and I'm grateful for that for him. He enjoys running, mountain biking, hiking in the North Georgia Mountains, and practicing yoga. Uh, without further ado, I introduce to you all Dr. Lopez.

82. 0:45:35

    Thank you. Uh, good afternoon. And it's always, uh, an honor and a pleasure to come back to the house of the people and serve, uh, while you serving. Uh, as you know, I'm a member, I'm a proud member of the Permanente Medical Group, uh, for more than 13 years. And we are currently celebrating our 40th years in Georgia, serving Georgia communities and Georgia patients. Uh, the Permanente Medical Group is, uh, is, is unique. Uh, you can check our unique model of healthcare delivery system that proudly I can tell you we have the highest quality in patient care in Georgia, the highest patient satisfaction scores, and also as well, um, one of the highest Medicare, uh, ratings.

83. 0:46:18

    Um, we are the largest, uh, medical group in the state that is physician-owned, physician-managed. We work for our patients, not for the insurance company. Uh, but I just want to, to leave you with, with a little gratitude, and I want, I wish you, uh, a healthy and productive legislative sessions. Um, work, uh, work for us, uh, for doctors li- like me that want to just to practice medicine without barriers. Um, and work without worries that you run into the medical problems, you're gonna be in very good hands.

84. 0:46:49

    Thank you.

85. 0:47:45

    Thank you, doctor. All right. We have a very special guest with us in the back. Uh, former Senator Shelley Echols is with us today. So welcome back.

86. 0:48:01

    Uh, we also have, uh, some other special guests today. The secretary will read a resolution.

87. 0:48:10

    Senate Resolution 581 by Senators Hickman IV and others. A resolution recognizing January 27th, 2026 as Reach Out and Read Day at the State Capitol to recognize the power of reading to young children every day and for other purposes. Whereas over 1,000 medical providers and staff have been trained in evidence-based early literacy intervention programs of the Reach Out and Read Georgia program, offering each child an opportunity to be read to and to learn to read. And whereas, over the past 12 months, 388,516 well-child checkups, approximately 194,258 children and families, were conducted across Georgia with pediatricians and providers implementing the Reach Out and Read program.

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    And whereas, Reach Out and Read is the only early literacy intervention endorsed by the American Academic Ac- Academy of Pediatrics and has the most extensive body of research supporting the efficacy of the program model with 26 studies supporting its work.

89. 0:49:09

    And whereas, now therefore, be it resolved by the Senate that the members of this body commend the efforts of Reach Out and Read to give young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into the existing pediatric care infrastructure, encouraging families in Georgia to read aloud together each and every day, and recognize January 27th, 2026 as Reach Out and Read Day at the State Capitol. That completes the order. All right. The secretary has read the resolution. Is there objection to the adoption of the resolution? The chair hears none, and the resolution is adopted.

90. 0:49:44

    I'd like to call upon the senator from the fourth district to introduce our special guest.

91. 0:49:52

    Thank you, Mr. President. Excuse me, Mr. President, colleagues. I'm very honored today to introduce, um, Ms. Amy d- d- Erickson, who is the Executive Director of Re- Reach Out and Read, Ms. Carolina Klinker, Program Director, Mr. Cedric Forbes, over here, is Development Director, Kim Thomas, Program Director, and Leslie Vessel, Program Director. Today is Reach Out and Read Day at the Capitol. The mission mindset and strong business acronym reflect a deep commitment to the belief that we must be bold in how we support Georgia's youngest children.

92. 0:50:29

    I also recognize, uh, her team, which I just did, who are standing before you, for their service to families across the state. The powerful role pediatric care plays in preparing children for success in school and life. The books on each of your desks, and you have two of them, and please take them home, the books on each legislator's desk today are meant to be shared with a child because reading opens the world to possibilities. I'm proud that last year the General Assembly made its first direct investment in Reach Out and Read Georgia, and we hope to build on that.

93. 0:51:06

    We must invest in early interventions that are evidence-based and scalable to support Georgia's youngest children in the earliest days of, and stages of development. Amy, we have for you a resolution signed by the Lieutenant Governor dedicating today as Georgia Reach Out and Read Day. So if you would please have some comments. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Senator Hickman, for your long-standing advocacy and leadership in Georgia.

94. 0:51:37

    Thank you also to every member of the Senate who is here today for your tireless efforts advancing outcomes for all of us in Georgia. This is such an incredible personal moment for me right now. I've been with the organization for 13 years, and for 13 years I've wanted to stand before you and advocate personally for the mission of Reach Out and Read. So thank you so much for that opportunity to do that today. We received our first line item last legislative session, and we know that there's much more room to go.

95. 0:52:12

    We are located in 84 counties across the state, and we need to be in all 159 counties, from the rural parts of the state to the metro Atlanta area. Thank you so much for your investments. Thank you for your time and, uh, dedication. It's truly, truly an honor for me and for my amazing team to be here today. Thank you.

96. 0:53:59

    Are there any unanimous consents?

97. 0:54:05

    Does any senator wish to rise on a point of personal privilege? Chair recognizes the senator from the 32nd for a point of personal privilege.

98. 0:54:49

    Thank you, Mr. Pro Tem. Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in which we remember the six million Jews, along with millions of others who were systematically murdered by the Nazi regime. This occasion reminds us that we're all part of combating hate and bigotry, including antisemitism. Unfortunately, we have recent examples of antisemitic behavior right here in Georgia. I'd like to recognize some special guests that are with us today in the gallery.

99. 0:55:21

    And, uh, the senator of 15th is with me because he and I are the liaisons to the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust on the Senate side. Uh, Sally Levine is up there. She's the executive director. And, um-

100. 0:55:37

     The leader of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust, Fran Putney is with her, Communications Director for the Commission on the Holocaust. Karen Eisenberg Jones, the Executive Director of the Georgia Solidarity Network. Sam Halpern, American Jewish Committee. And Mac Parnell, the Executive Director of the Faith and Freedom Organization that you're all very familiar with. Let's give them a warm thank you and welcome to the Senate.

101. 0:56:14

     The senator from the 15th and I strongly encourage you to visit the exhibit on the first floor that recognizes Holocaust survivors and liberators from right here in Georgia. It's an exhibit that we installed a few years ago, and it's quite well done, and we walk past that area all the time, but please stop and read it if you haven't had the opportunity. This resolution honoring or recognizing the International, um, Holocaust Remembrance Day came in late, and if you'd like to sign it, I will be dropping it later today, so please stop by my desk if you're interested.

102. 0:56:51

     And thank you to our guests for joining us. I yield the floor.

103. 0:56:56

     Thank you, Senator. Chair recognizes the senator from the 56th for a point of personal privilege.

104. 0:57:09

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to offer our sincere gratitude to all of the emergency operations folks throughout our state, all of our public safety professionals, uh, for reacting to our winter storm so well, beginning with our, our governor, our lieutenant governor, our head of GEMA, which is Director Lamb, all our emergency managers, your fire chiefs and their departments, police chiefs, EMS, 911, our linemen, our road crews, Department of Transportation.

105. 0:57:43

     And while some areas of our state felt very little impact, others got some pretty severe damage. And it was because of that planning and that reaction that I'm proud to report that I believe we had probably one of the best responses to a public storm that we've seen in some time. So take a moment today and find someone who was involved in that, shake their hand, send them a note, send them a text, and just say thank you. I yield the floor.

106. 0:58:10

     Thank you, Senator. We do greatly appreciate the men and women in GEMA and all our public safety officials keeping us safe. Uh, chair recognizes the senator from the 40th for a point of personal privilege.

107. 0:58:33

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to tell you the story of a woman who is eight months pregnant. She is afraid. She is young. She is being forced to travel a long distance so close to her delivery. She is experiencing shooting pain through her back and her abdomen. Wise people advocated for her to stay here to receive medical care, but they were not listened to, so we don't know how the mother and baby are doing.

108. 0:59:05

     Sarik Daniella Buitrago Ortiz is a Colombian refugee seeking asylum. She was deported from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in her eighth month of pregnancy while experiencing symptoms that could be life-threatening for her and for the baby. The flight took off in a rush, preempting the court from being able to make a decision regarding Sarik's medical care. I can only surmise that these officials risked two lives to hurry her deportation from the United States, because if the baby was born here, it would strengthen Sarik's asylum case.

109. 0:59:46

     Sarik was forcibly removed from our airport. It was the federal court in Atlanta that ruled that her deportation be halted due to serious risk to her health and safety and that of her unborn child. We passed a law in this chamber that forced a Georgia woman being kept alive, uh, by machines to give birth to a baby because that baby's life was so precious.

110. 1:00:17

     But we willingly risked two lives, mother and child, to force a pregnant Colombian woman seeking asylum to go back to her country. Shame. What's wrong with this picture? Does it bother your soul? Jesus would say that all life is precious, whether it's Samaritan, American, or Colombian. As we await news of a simple birth from a refugee mother in danger, a story so similar to Mary, I pray for Sarik Daniella Buitrago Ortiz and her baby.

111. 1:01:00

     I ask that light be given to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and that we find our way to peace. Amen. Thank you, Mr. President.

112. 1:01:21

     All right. Chair recognizes the senator from the 14th for a point of personal privilege.

113. 1:01:39

     Thank you, Mr. President. I was at dinner last week and I was sitting next to a Democrat, and I was talking about you guys. I was telling her about Senate Republicans, and I told her something she didn't expect, which was, "Do you know most of these guys think that Donald Trump is unfit for office? The vast majority of them think that he's a lunatic or a narcissist or something like that." And she said, "You're blowing my mind." Because, you know, for her, what she sees on TV, what she sees in the news, you guys are some kind of like cartoonish evil villain, right?

114. 1:02:22

     You guys are pro-Trump, MAGA. Of course, that's why you win your primaries, because you communicate that very well, and you come here and you're just all aboard the MAGA train. And what's interesting about that, the crazy thing about that, is that that assumption that you guys are super MAGA, yeah, in your hearts, that you actually like Donald Trump and support him, is not just an easy assumption for her. It's actually an easy and comfortable assumption for you. You are comfortable with the idea that she thinks that you are crazy like Trump, and the reason is because it allows you to draw very clear lines and stay very comfortable and, and safe from the fray.

115. 1:03:04

     You get to say, "Well, those crazy Democrats, they don't know. They don't know, these, these far-left loonies, that, that I actually have a more subtle and complex approach to this. They don't realize how hard this is to manage my relationship with my base. Uh, they think I'm some cartoon villain, and I'm not. I'm a principled conservative, a Reagan conservative, who just wants lower taxes, and I hate all this Trump stuff, and I'm waiting for it to blow over, and if only she knew that, then, then she would realize the truth."

116. 1:03:38

     To be her villain is much easier for you than confronting the fact that you still have a voice. I think this is the hardest part of being you right now, is that for 10 years, while Donald Trump has showed his cards that he was gonna invade cities, kill people in the streets with untrained agents that he's paying $50,000 bonuses to to rev up his numbers really fast, we've always known that he was capable of that, but for 10 years, a series of rationalizations has enabled you to stay quiet.

117. 1:04:10

     Rationalizations like, it could be worse. It's not that bad yet. The bu- the, the water's not boiling around the frog, so, so it could be a lot worse. Number two, I have to win my election, and if I don't win my primary, somebody much worse will replace me. One of my friends from Paulding County in the House once said, "If you don't elect me, it'll be a Nazi, a literal Nazi." So you guys are comfortable in your feeling that you're as good as it gets. You're also comfortable with the rationalization that even if you throw your body on the grenade and you speak up, "Oh, I'm gonna be noble.

118. 1:04:47

     I'm gonna say the truth," well, you get replaced, and it doesn't do anything, and so we're back to square one anyway because your voice doesn't matter. I think this is a tremendously sad thing that you guys are going through and that you have gone through for years. The diminution, the destruction of your own voices, your own public consciences, not your private conscience, but your public conscience, the one where you say out loud what you really think is happening.

119. 1:05:18

     And when people talk about the platitudes of speaking with your grandkids and remembering where you were when this all happened and what you said or what you didn't say, that's what they're talking about, is did I say something, would it matter? Did I say something when a law-abiding gun owner was murdered in the street by a handful of ICE agents all at once when he had no opportunity to comply with their orders before they wrestled him to the ground, took his gun away, and then shot him multiple times in five seconds?

120. 1:05:49

     Now, you're lucky because the people of Minnesota and Democrats and others, independents, are raising their voices instead. So right now you may feel like you don't have to, but I'm only in politics as of 2017, 2018, because I was diagnosed with Trump Derangement Syndrome, because I felt like I did have to say something. But again, as the water continues to boil and the frog spins around, unconscious of its future fate apparently, just remember that somebody's voice has to be raised for this to stop.

121. 1:06:26

     Somebody's has to, and it may not be yours. But I ask you what that does to you, not the country. Today I'm not even talking about the country. I'm worried about the well-being of my colleagues. What does it do to you to spend 10 years, 15 years telling yourself day in and day out that your own voice doesn't matter? And what then will that do to the country? Thank you, Mr. President. I yield.

122. 1:06:58

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 12th for a point of personal privilege.

123. 1:07:20

     Good afternoon, colleagues. I stand before you this afternoon with a very heavy heart to honor the memory of Mrs. Bernadine Spann and her 13-year-old daughter, Jalia Spann, who were killed instantly in a tragic car crash by a drunken driver.

124. 1:07:45

     and also the death of Jaxton Spann, age seven, who succumbed to his injuries several days later. Their lives touched many. Their memories will live forever. Will you please stand and pause for a moment of silence as we pray for the Spann family of Randolph County? Thank you.

125. 1:08:14

     Senator has asked for a moment of silence.

126. 1:08:21

     Thank you, colleagues.

127. 1:08:23

     Thank you, Mr.

128. 1:08:28

     Chair recognizes the senator from the twenty-eighth for a point of personal privilege. She's gonna do it from her desk.

129. 1:08:44

     Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Tomorrow is Saving Lives Day at the Capitol. Many of us, uh, have been working to make sure that we do everything to keep our community safe, and several bills have been, uh, introduced and some passed. Tomorrow, we're gonna highlight the one, uh, is the Autism Alert Act and Eric's ID Law, and both of them are to help, uh, autistic, uh, young people.

130. 1:09:24

     And, um, o- one is personal to me because my grandson is fifteen, almost sixteen. Six two, big guy, look like a gr- a man, and I know that he's on the high end of the spectrum, but sometimes he gets nervous about something. If a police stopped the car he was in, he might start frilling his hands and might end up dying or pulled out of the car and beat up, and that is happening here in the State of Georgia.

131. 1:09:56

     So that is one of the, uh, bills, and the other one is a high-speed chase bill. So I wanna invite everyone to, uh, look at these bills and many others that are here to save lives, uh, like the DUI laws that we passed already, and the senator just talked about, uh, three people dying. And I lost my son to a drunk driver, so of course you know I'm always trying to do things to make the streets safer. So tomorrow, it's on your desks already.

132. 1:10:29

     We'll have a press conference. We will have a room with food in it. Food, food. So please come by and give us your opinion on what this legislation would mean to your community as well as, um, if you have a bill so we can add it to our Save Lives package. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you everyone for listening. I yield the will.

133. 1:10:55

     Thank you, Senator.

134. 1:11:08

     Chair recognizes the senator from the twenty-ninth for a point of personal privilege.

135. 1:11:22

     Thank you, Mr. President. Um, colleagues, I stand up here, um, to remember Coach Tony Dimitri, the head coach at Harris County High School, former head coach at Russell County Alabama High School. Extremely successful baseball coach from Waverly Hall, Georgia in my district. Coached at the high school I graduated from. Was a teacher, an incredible athlete, um, a graduate of, uh, Jordan High School in Columbus, Georgia, and the father of two.

136. 1:11:56

     He was killed this weekend in a side-by-side rollover on private property while out riding with families and friends. Leaves behind a devastated student body at Harris County High School. He was involved in all the lives of the children there. He was looked up to as a mentor, as a father figure to some, but as a coach and friend to all. So Mr. President, I ask if it's the will of the Chamber that we stand for a moment of silence in remembrance of Coach Dimitri.

137. 1:12:28

     Senator asks for a moment of silence.

138. 1:12:37

     Thank you, friends.

139. 1:12:46

     Thank you, Senator.

140. 1:12:52

     Uh, Chair recognizes the senator from the thirty-fifth for a point of personal privilege.

141. 1:13:15

     Um, thank you. Colleagues, I've come be- before you today, uh, I didn't originally plan to speak, but I wanted to share with you that our goals matter, but our methods and our route toward those goals matters just as much.

142. 1:13:36

     We know that we want the rule of law. We know that we both are in pa- uh, parties and we have certain things that we wanna see with immigration, with gun safety, with protecting all of our constitutional rights. But I just want to share with you all ... that our end game, it matters. But the route that we take, the methods that we take matter just as much. So I ask all of you that as we think about what's happening in Minnesota, when we think about what's happening all over this country, we may agree or disagree on the goals, but I bet that we can agree on methods.

143. 1:14:23

     And let us seek out those areas where we do have agreement, and I think that we can agree that human life matters. So let's find those, those routes. Let's hold onto them because outside of these walls we live in a society that's ready to just rip at the seams. Folks are ready. People want fracture. People want division because people are angry and for good reason.

144. 1:14:58

     So all I ask is that we seek out where we have that common ground. And from everything that I've learned from those that I've met over the last few weeks is that we agree that our methods matter just as much as our destination. Thank you so much.

145. 1:15:19

     Thank you, Senator. Chair recognizes the senator from the 38th for a point of personal privilege.

146. 1:15:44

     Thank you, Mr. Pro Tem. Ah, colleagues, I rise today because honestly I am stalling. I'm hoping that one of our colleagues from the other side of the aisle would join us in speaking up for Alex Pretty and what occurred in Minnesota. As my colleague from the 35th just shared, we can have a end goal in mind, but we all can agree that the methods that are being used to get to that end goal are not right and should be used in a way to honor American lives and not take lives in the streets of our cities.

147. 1:16:21

     I also rise to speak out against a sitting congressman who in the face of what is occurring in Minnesota had the tone deaf gall to call for more ICE agents to be released on the streets of Atlanta. This is a congressman who is seeking to represent this whole state in the United States Senate. And so as a state senator, I am hoping that one of my colleagues will join from the other side in joining us in condemning what is happening in the streets of Minnesota and saying we do not want that to occur in the streets across the State of Georgia.

148. 1:17:05

     And so my hope today, colleagues, is that we will honor Alex Pretty's life, a VA nurse, someone who was holding a cellphone in his hand, someone whose gun was taken from him prior to being shot multiple times, someone that was trying to protect a woman in distress. And so my hope is that we can join together and say enough is enough. What is happening from the direction of what is coming out of Washington has to end.

149. 1:17:41

     We should not have cabinet officials lying to our face as we see what is occurring in plain sight from multiple angles on video. Alex was not posing a threat to anyone. He is not a domestic terrorist. He is someone that saved lives, not that was trying to take away lives. And as someone who represents this city, I condemn the idea of a sitting congressman to call for more of that to occur here in our city.

150. 1:18:16

     We do not need more ICE agents on the streets of Atlanta or across the State of Georgia. And with that, Mr. President, I yield.

151. 1:18:30

     Just as a reminder, colleagues, we don't allow applause from the chamber or the gallery, just as a reminder there. Um, Chair recognizes the senator from the 34th for a point of personal privilege.

152. 1:18:57

     Thank you, Mr. President. I stand with you colleagues in solitude with

153. 1:19:07

     Alex from Minnesota. He was a seven, 37-year-old nurse caring for our American veterans at the veterans hospital. And me being a 30-year Army veteran, it hurts my heart. He was a lawful gun, uh, gun owner. Peaceful. He was attending a p- a public protest. He was defending a woman.

154. 1:19:37

     He was shielding her. The Trump administration said he was dangerous. At the end of the day, colleagues, I just want us to remain peaceful regardless in a red state or a blue state.

155. 1:19:58

     We expect the federal government to protect our rights at all times. Thank you.

156. 1:20:10

     Chair recognizes the minority leader for a point of personal privilege.

157. 1:20:27

     Thank you, Mr. President. Quick question will be that everyone will ask, everyone will ask over the years to come will be, where were you at? Where were you during these particular times? For years, those on the right insisted that using, having opportunity to own a firearm was not meant just to protect a person in their home, but it was really meant to have protection against government tyranny. And we heard that for years and years that that's what it was meant for.

158. 1:20:58

     And it was not meant to protect government tyranny when a person was just being silent or when they were protesting meekly. It was meant when a person actually may have had a loud voice, when a person might actually try to protect somebody, because it was felt by those on the right that if you really are insisting that this government is doing you harm, if you really are insisting that the government is doing wrong, your voice may raise, you may protect somebody. It may not be as neat and clean as people may want, but that is what democracy is about.

159. 1:21:29

     And what they were claiming was that their fear was if the voice was raised or if it was not neat and clean and just sitting back real meekly and just, quote-unquote, "protesting in silence," that then the government would use force against them. And of course, most of their vision was that that force would be used by some left-wing administration. But that is exactly, unfortunately, where we're facing today. A government now that is using force, deadly force, to enforce its ideals of what it wants this nation to be.

160. 1:22:04

     And yet, unfortunately, there are those who are conservative, those on the right, those on the opposite side who sit silently and do not say, "This is exactly what we have been saying for years, and that I want to fight against that." Instead, they don't say anything. And in fact, as I said, the principal question that will be answered is where were you? And there will be those who say, "Well, wait a minute. The person maybe said something loud, or the person got a little bit what they think is out of control." But I would then ask you this.

161. 1:22:34

     This weekend, all over this country, at different little locations and clubs, people were getting loud, people were yelling, people were screaming, people were using profanity at deputies, and no one got shot. Because they are there actually to enforce the law, and they are there to just make sure things go smoothly. And they understand what they're really there for. But what we're facing today is not that. What we're facing today is an organization led by this administration that is there to actually clamp down on democratic values.

162. 1:23:04

     And so therefore, when a woman maybe says something they don't like, they push her. And so therefore, when someone then tries to shield her, they're murdered. Because this is not about keeping order. This is now about tyranny. It is now truly about destroying the democratic process. And this process started ten years ago through trying to steal an election. It has continued now through kidnapping American citizens or those who are here legally, and now it has continued to the very death of a United States citizen.

163. 1:23:36

     And so the question that I started off with will be the one that will be asked of you. Where were you? As people ask, where were you during when Kennedy was shot? Where were you when the moon landed? They will ask you, where were you when democratic values were destroyed not by outside force, but by an inside force, by the administration that was duly elected, supposedly, here in the United States. Where were you to stand up? What did you say? What did you do to stop it? That's the question.

164. 1:24:07

     And so today, myself and my colleagues say we are here to stand up. We are speaking out against it. The question becomes, where were you? Thank you, and I yield the will.

165. 1:24:21

     Chair calls on the senator from the 37th for a point of personal privilege.

166. 1:24:43

     Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, I stand before you today joining with millions of Republicans around the country and in Georgia whose hearts go out to those who've lost their lives in civil violence.

167. 1:24:59

     Our heart goes out because in the very, very difficult work that's done across our communities, passions are very high.

168. 1:25:12

     My heart goes out to those who've lost their lives, those who've also losing faith in the democratic process because they believed in stories and narratives and reports of the truth is this way or that way, or it's his truth or my truth. There's, there's confusion. I want to just say that Americans don't want chaos in their streets. None of us do. These are real lives that are lost.

169. 1:25:44

     These are real property that's being damaged in these communities, whether it's lives in Minnesota or whether it's lives that are lost on the southern border or in other communities around the United States. These lives are real, they matter. All life matters. I share this

170. 1:26:06

     Because this is not a partisan issue. People of all political backgrounds care about their families, they care about their streets, and they care about their rights. We've gotten emails from folks over this past weekend, over this past week, pointing specifically to the circumstances in Minnesota, and these are significant circumstances. I will tell you personally, as I've shared with some of my constituents, I do believe that citizens ought to be able to videotape things that are happening in their communities.

171. 1:26:38

     I believe if something's happening on a street and I'm a citizen and I'm in a public place, I ought to be able to hold my phone up and videotape it. That's one of the difficulties that our law enforcement face when they do their jobs. They're always on display. You know, when our grandfathers were fighting in wars overseas, they weren't on camera. But as we know, Gen X and millennials and Gen Z that have been fighting wars around the world over the last 30 years, CNN cameras are over their shoulder while they're fighting and winning our nation's wars.

172. 1:27:10

     That's the lot that our law enforcement officers face as well. I share this because any responsible conversation about this starts with discussion of the loss of life. Full stop. And there's nothing that I could say or anyone else can say that's gonna minimize the importance of that. And I say that

173. 1:27:39

     in context of a country where our laws and our citizenry have also looked the other way or, or th- there, there's a, there's a desire for many of our citizens to look the other way on the enforcement of our most basic laws in our nation. And we've seen a professional demonstration class that goads law enforcement officers, that provokes law enforcement officers, that h- lifts up the rejection of our nation's laws and suggests that law enforcement officers that are doing their best to, with the best decency they can, enforce our laws.

174. 1:28:25

     Is there any member of this state Senate who would like to be a federal law enforcement agent who's called upon to enforce immigration laws? Anyone here wanna do that job? Would anyone step in, subject yourself to being videotaped, your face being posted online for enforcing immigration laws so that you could be t- you and your family could be targeted for detaining people who are in this country leg- illegally, who knowingly and for years have violated our nation's laws and are turning their nose at it?

175. 1:29:00

     Is it okay that we can have tens of millions of people in this country who are not in this country illegally, that we're funding with our tax dollars, and we're providing the, the, this, this thread of protection across our culture with our own resources? We're a nation of immigrants. We welcome people from around the world who follow the rules. The immigrants who I know personally, who went through the process and the years of difficulty to go through the process to get to the States with a green card and apply for citizenship and after a course of six or eight years, in some cases 10 years, become American citizens, they care about the enforcement of our laws more than any natural born person I know.

176. 1:29:45

     So as we recognize the loss of those in our country who've tragically died in law enforcement encounters, I want this Senate and all people of goodwill to also commit themselves to the enforcement of law, that people who violate our borders and stay in, in our country illegally simply can't stay forever. Senator, your time's g- Thank you, Mr. President. I, I, I share this on behalf of a number of my colleagues because the issue is real, but I also call for our colleagues to stand equally by to stop chaos and the provocation of law enforcement who have a very difficult job, and let's redouble our efforts also to the enforcement of our nation's laws as we affirm the value of life, because we can do both.

177. 1:30:36

     Thank you.

178. 1:30:40

     Chair recognizes senator from the 39th.

179. 1:30:57

     Thank you, Mr. President. Over the last several days, many of us watched the tragic killing of Alex Pretty in Minnesota. It's a situation that has raised serious questions nationwide about public safety, constitutional rights, and the narratives we tell the American people. For years, we've been told that good guys with guns make communities safer, and yet when a lawful gun owner is killed and the justification from the White House appears to be the mere presence of a firearm, it should force all of us to pause.

180. 1:31:36

     Regardless of where we fall on gun policy, every American deserves clarity, due process, and truth, not shifting explanations after a life has already been lost. We have introduced SR605, and I look forward to passing that tomorrow so we can all say unequivocally that we protect the gun rights of all Georgians. Thank you.

181. 1:32:13

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 36th for a point of personal privilege.

182. 1:32:44

     Good afternoon, colleagues. Uh, we're facing a grave moment, uh, in this country. Uh, we are being asked by the administration not to believe our eyes when we see, in the case of Minnesota, two people within the span of less than two weeks shot, cold-blooded murder. But we're asked by the administration to believe a tale, a false narrative made up and coming out of the mouths of cabinet members that Alex Peretti was a domestic terrorist.

183. 1:33:29

     Shame, shame, shame. And it i- and it is time, uh, in the spirit, uh, uh, of, of the remarks that, uh, s- several people have made from the well today, it's time to take a stand. It's time to take a stand. How long are you going to continue to posture that this reign of terror coming from this administration is somehow normal and acceptable and within the bounds of appropriate behavior?

184. 1:34:08

     How long are we gonna do that?

185. 1:34:14

     We saw the First Amendment and the Second Amendment torched on the streets of Minneapolis. We saw an intensive care nurse, highly trained to care for veterans in intensive care,

186. 1:34:33

     shot down in cold blood.

187. 1:34:38

     It all happened and he was dead t- you know, twenty-five seconds after the video s- started, uh, running. We're faced right now with a situation that inarguably, uh, tells us and shows us that the administration is putting armed, masked men, and a few women I'm sure, unidentified, without names or without agency identification, and allowing them to run amok.

188. 1:35:14

     What could go wrong? Well, we just saw what could go wrong, and there are many, many more stories that don't rise to the level of, uh, uh, press coverage that we've heard, uh, uh, uh, people being dragged out in the yard, uh, in their underwear. Uh, I mean, ju- just, just, it, it goes on and on and on. You heard the story from my colleague from the 40th of the, the, uh, uh, a, a, a woman within a, a, a month or less of de- delivering a baby, uh, being yanked on a plane and shipped out of state, out of the country, back to Colombia.

189. 1:35:53

     So the, the, we're not imagining this. This is not some fever dream. This is, this, uh, we wish it were. We wish it were going away. I say each of us, it's time to say, stand up and say, "Which side of history are you gonna be on?"

190. 1:36:13

     I watched, uh, and participated as a committee member of the ethics committee, uh, before we went home last week, uh, pass a r- uh, a, a resolution, uh, that, uh, uh, strong, was, uh, an attempt to strong arm our Secretary of State to come testify why he didn't, uh, break the law for Donald Trump when they wanted our, our voter rolls, unredacted, sent up to the Justice Department.

191. 1:36:41

     I watched the majority party vote that way. This morning, ICE opened up operations in College Park in my district. They sent out seventy-five, uh, unmarked, uh, Chevy Tahoe SUVs out there scouting. So it's only a matter of time before you face it right here in our state. And I will say to you, we have Senate Bill 389, Senate Bill 390, and Senate Bill 391 are all bills introduced and pending, uh, have, had gotten no action on them from the, uh, majority party in this chamber to, that would curb these excessive, uh, behaviors that we have seen.

192. 1:37:21

     Uh, we call on you to bring those bills to light, and we call on you to pass SB 605. Uh, at least bring it up for an open debate. Uh, these are grave times. We're all called on. What stand are we gonna take? The guy running for GOP candidate in Mi- in Minnesota just said, "I can't stay in this party any longer. I can't look my daughters in the face and tell them that..." And he withdrew from the, as the GOP candidate for governor.

193. 1:37:52

     Uh, watch closely, think deeply. The time is now. Thank you. I'll yield the well.

194. 1:38:03

     Chair recognizes the senator from the ninth.

195. 1:38:20

     Thank you, Mr. President.

196. 1:38:24

     As we have been witnessing the tragedies that have happened in Minnesota, I'm asking my colleagues, my Republican colleagues, what's the bridge too far?

197. 1:38:41

     What's with the silence?

198. 1:38:46

     We have armed terrorists

199. 1:38:50

     paid for by the Trump administration with our tax dollars and our money. We don't know who these folks are. But I know they're terrorizing our communities. They're terrorizing the communities in Minnesota.

200. 1:39:11

     We've seen these type of lawless terrorists before. They're just wearing different hoods. The ones we knew were, they wore white hoods, dragged people from their house, decided they were gonna take the laws in their own hands.

201. 1:39:37

     And here we are. When is the bridge too far? I keep, I keep looking for it. It wasn't the murder of an unarmed woman. That wasn't too far that we all saw with our eyes and that Republicans in the Trump administration is telling us that we did not see.

202. 1:40:00

     And now we just hit a new bottom. They would just murdered a man, not shot one time, 10 times,

203. 1:40:12

     for trying to give aid to, to someone who was legally protesting. We see this with our own eyes, and yet my colleagues on this side of the aisle are staying silent. We have a US congressman, a Republican, who is defending

204. 1:40:30

     these actions. When is the bridge too far? You guys keep getting up here and, you know, you keep saying, you know, I hear from you all the time, you're the party of law and order. This is not law and order. Locking up five-year-olds is not law and order.

205. 1:40:49

     Murdering

206. 1:40:55

     an innocent man and an innocent woman is not law and order.

207. 1:41:02

     ICE is not even supposed to be going after American citizens. Did y'all know that?

208. 1:41:13

     That is not the, that is not what Homeland is supposed to do. They're supposed to be protecting Americans.

209. 1:41:25

     Yet here we are. We have an administration that is giving free reign to mu- ruthlessly murder an American citizens too, and yet you all stay silent.

210. 1:41:42

     We have several pieces of legi- legislation on how we can protect Georgians here. We dropped at least three.

211. 1:41:52

     I haven't heard any of our chairman assign them to a committee. I mean, they've been assigned a committee, but I have not heard when we're having those hearings.

212. 1:42:02

     You know, bills like just making sure we know who these masked gentlemen, these masked men are. I won't say gentlemen. These masked murderers are. Who are they? You know, I was commenting to my husband the other night, and I said, "You know what? Anybody right now that has an ICE uniform on and say they're ICE can knock on our door and just drag us out, and we have no idea who these people are." Taking people off the street. We have no idea, no accountability.

213. 1:42:36

     We have legislation here where we can protect Georgians, and yet none of my colleagues have supported us.

214. 1:42:45

     We have SR 605. Please, let's pass that resolution. Let's pass it today. Can we even pass it today? But if we could, let's support us in it. Let's show Georgia that we can do real bipartisan work, that we do care about our citizens here, that we do care that we have the possibility of unchecked thugs going around our streets murdering and snatching people.

215. 1:43:24

     And we can do what we can here in the state of Georgia to protect Georgians. Was that, Mr. President?

216. 1:43:32

     Your time is up. Your time has expired.

217. 1:43:37

     I yield the floor.

218. 1:43:40

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

219. 1:44:01

     Thank you, Mr. President. Dear colleagues, for decades, we have sat in this chamber and heard every single Republican defend gun rights as a protection against tyranny. Now, someone lawfully possessing a gun has been killed by the federal government.

220. 1:44:27

     We always hear, "Don't tread on me." We have been tread on. The President defended this murder solely because someone has a gun.

221. 1:44:42

     Tomorrow, we should pass SR 605 on consent calendar to show we all support protecting constitutional rights, including right to bear arms. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

222. 1:45:05

     Chair recognizes the Majority Leader for a point of personal privilege.

223. 1:45:19

     Thank you, Mr. President.

224. 1:45:23

     As my colleague from the 37th said, the last few days hasn't been a tragedy. Alex Pretty lost his life. That is a tragedy.

225. 1:45:37

     But I like to remind my colleagues that life, and all life is important on all days, not some days.

226. 1:45:51

     None of you were there in Minneapolis.

227. 1:45:58

     A review should take place.

228. 1:46:02

     We should understand the facts, and I will say out loud that the government must be transparent, honest, and tell the people what happened.

229. 1:46:18

     But at the same time, sowing chaos is not appropriate.

230. 1:46:27

     Chaos, we've seen in so many times of our history, has created tragic events.

231. 1:46:36

     Teaching our kids to be chaotic

232. 1:46:41

     beyond talking creates chaos even in their lives and their schools.

233. 1:46:49

     So for people to come down to the well

234. 1:46:53

     to share your thoughts about the loss of life, I think is completely appropriate, and we should talk about Alex. But to come down here when you weren't there just because it was on social media, because it was on video, for whatever it is, until there is a review and the facts come out that the public transparently sees with their own eyes to hear the entire story, I think is going a little bit too far.

235. 1:47:28

     And then let's talk about the, the irony, my colleagues that wanna come down here and talk about what is the definition of a lawful weapons carrier and protecting the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment protects our God-given rights,

236. 1:47:49

     and these, and this body confirmed those rights a couple of years ago when we passed bills to protect that, that right as Georgians. And in this state,

237. 1:48:02

     related to the Second Amendment or other things, this state and even Atlanta's leadership in law enforcement have handled emotionally charged situations properly.

238. 1:48:21

     So as we talk about Alex and we talk about loss of life from the minority party, let's also talk, let's not forget about having correct law and order. Let's h- let's talk about enforcing the Constitution. If you're unlawful and breaking the law, you should go to prison, just like the individual who killed Lincoln Riley, that nobody wanted to say her name.

239. 1:48:54

     So as I close,

240. 1:48:59

     the loss of life is very tragic.

241. 1:49:04

     But the politicians who wanna run for president and go to Minneapolis to act like they were there from the minority party, the ones that wanna run for US Senate and ask for an investigation and review of the facts that's gonna happen anyway, is completely irresponsible. Let's show up for Georgia and let Georgia continue to lead the nation. Mr. President, I yield.

242. 1:49:39

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 7th for a point of personal privilege.

243. 1:49:59

     Thank you, Mr. President. I, I rise today to speak about public safety and our broken immigration system. We've been told the same lie for generations: give up your rights, and we'll keep you safe. Trade freedom for security, trade privacy for protection, trade due process for order. That lie has never kept us safe.

244. 1:50:29

     It has only made the government more dangerous.

245. 1:50:33

     I grew up in a family that knows exactly what happens when people in power decide your rights are optional. My parents came here because America was supposed to be different, because here the law is supposed to protect you, not hunt you. The Constitution is not a slogan. It is not a prop. It is not a suggestion. It is a shield, and when the government shatters that shield, people get hurt.

246. 1:51:04

     Public safety does not collapse because people demand their rights. It collapses when the government decides it can ignore them. So let me be very clear: I demand justice for Alex Preddy and Rene Goode. ICE's lawlessness is no longer debatable, deniable, or defensible. What we are watching is state-sponsored cruelty carried out under the dishonest label of enforcement.

247. 1:51:34

     And I'm sorry, if you watch those videos and cannot see that these people were not fighting back, that they were murdered by these federal agents, then you need to get your eyes checked. Over recent weeks and months, federal immigration enforcement has crossed a line. At the insistence of the Trump, Trump administration, we have seen tactics that resemble paramilitary operations in neighborhoods, at protests, and around families.

248. 1:52:05

     Let's stop pret- pretending this is about safety. It isn't. It is about control. And here's the truth they don't want to say out loud. These tactics make us less safe. When people learn that speaking up gets you targeted, they stop speaking. When communities learn that calling for help puts them at risk, they stop calling. When witnesses learn that being present can get you killed, they stop helping. That is not law and order. That is fear as policy.

249. 1:52:41

     We just saw a 37-year-old ICU nurse, Alex Preddy, who cared for American veterans, be murdered by federal agents during protests tied to immigration enforcement. And instead of accountability, this administration called him a terrorist. Then they tried to justify his killing by pointing to the fact that he lawfully possessed a firearm. That argument is obse- obscene. If protesting is enough to get you killed, the First Amendment is dead. And if legally, if legally carrying a firearm is enough to get you killed, the Second Amendment is dead.

250. 1:53:17

     And don't dismiss this as partisan outrage. Even the NRA said plainly that this justification is dangerous and wrong. Think about how far we've fallen when the NRA understands the Constitution better than this administration. That is not public safety. That is instability. This is a government testing how far it can go before we push back. Because once the government proves it can label you a terrorist and kill you for exercising your rights, people retreat, communities fracture, violence escalates, and the country becomes less safe for everyone.

251. 1:53:55

     And in the middle of this crisis, this body demanded that the Secretary of State break the law, not for the Constitution, not for public safety, but because Donald Trump demanded it. So I'll ask this question plainly. What rights are left that you're not willing to sacrifice for him? Real talk. For 10 years, the majority has bent the knee to Trump again and again, and now you're willing to throw the Second Amendment on fire? The same amendment you've spent decades pretending to defend?

252. 1:54:26

     If y'all abandon that, y'all would, will abandon anything. And if the price of obedience to Trump is the destruction of our rights, then the answer is no.

253. 1:54:41

     Let's pass SR 605 on the consent calendar tomorrow, and let's show that Georgia will not be complicit in this assault on the Constitution. Thank you, and I yield the floor.

254. 1:54:56

     All right. Um, you have before you a consent calendar of privileged resolutions. Does any senator wish to remove a resolution from the consent calendar?

255. 1:55:08

     Is there objection to the adoption of the resolutions on the consent calendar? The chair hears none, and the resolutions on the consent calendar are adopted.

256. 1:55:23

     Are there...

257. 1:55:40

     Are there any motions to withdraw and commit?

258. 1:55:51

     Chair recognizes the senator from the ninth. Thank you, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent for SB 166, um, be withdrawn from the Committee on State and Local Government Operations General and be committed to the Committee on Urban Affairs. The senator from the ninth has asked for unanimous consent that SB 166 be withdrawn from the Committee on State and Local Government Operations General and be committed to the Committee on Urban Affairs.

259. 1:56:22

     The clerk will read the caption. Secretary, sorry. We're in the Senate, not the House. Senate Bill 166, a bill to be entitled

260. 1:56:33

     To be entitled An Act to amend chapter one of title thirty-six of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions applicable to counties only, so as to revise provisions relating to ordinances for governing and policing unincorporated areas of counties to amend chapter sixty of title thirty-six of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to provisions applicable to counties and municipal corporations so as to authorize enhanced monetary penalties for repeated violations of certain county and municipal codes or ordinances, to provide for a definition, to provide for li- to provide limitations on such penalties, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

261. 1:57:06

     That completes the order.

262. 1:57:10

     All right. The senator from the ninth has asked that Senate Bill one sixty-six be, be withdrawn from the Committee of State and Local Government Operations General and be committed to the Committee on Urban Affairs. Senator, have the chairman, uh, of both committees agreed to this? Do I see the chairman nodding?

263. 1:57:32

     Is there objection?

264. 1:57:44

     Hearing none, Senate Bill 166 is referred to the Committee on Urban Affairs.

265. 1:57:54

     Does the senator wish to speak? No. No. All right.

266. 1:58:07

     All right. The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. No. Hang on a second, guys.

267. 1:58:17

     All right. You have before you a consent calendar of local bills. Mr. Sec- Secretary, have any objections been filed to any of the bills on the local consent calendar? No objections have been filed. Is there objection to agreeing to the report of the Committee on State and Local Government Operations, which is favorable to the passage of the bills on the local consent calendar? Chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to.

268. 1:58:47

     Chair recognizes the senator from the twenty-second. Mr. President, pursuant to Rule seven-one.oneob, I give notice that on next legislative day, I intend to move that the Senate consider House action on SB one seventy. Mi- Mr. Leader, we're, that, that comes later, I'm being told, so sorry about that. All right. Is there objection to agreeing to the report of the Committee on State and Local Government Operations, which is favorable to the passage of the bills on the local consent calendar?

269. 1:59:21

     The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Question is on the passage of the bills on the local consent calendar. All those in favor will vote yay, opposed nay. The secretary will lock, unlock the machine.

270. 2:00:39

     On the passage of the bills on the local consent calendar, the yays are forty-six and the nays are zero. The bills on the local consent calendar, having received the requisite constitutional majority, are therefore passed.

271. 2:01:14

     I recognize the senator from the fifty-sixth. Mr. President. Mr. President, pursuant to Senate Rule seven-one.oneb, I give notice that on the next legislative day, I intend to move that the Senate consider House action on Senate Bill nine. Secretary, read the caption.

272. 2:01:44

     Senate Bill nine, a bill to be entitled an act to amend part one of Article III of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to general provisions relative to obscenity and related offenses so as to repeal and replace Code Section sixteen-twelve-eighty relating to obscene material distribution and penalty. To amend Article 1 of Chapter 10 of Title 17 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to procedure for sentencing and imposition of punishment so as to provide for sentencing of defendants who utilize artificial intelligence in the commission of certain crimes. To provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

273. 2:02:16

     That completes the order.

274. 2:02:28

     Thank you for the notice, Senator.

275. 2:02:32

     I recognize the senator from the fiftieth. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, pursuant to Senate Rule seven-one.tenb, I also give notice that on the next legislative day, I intend to move the Senate consider House action on Senate Bill one four eight. Senator's given notice. The secretary will read the caption. Senate Bill 148, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 11 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to public school property and facilities so as to provide for an outdoor learning spaces pilot program, to r- provide for a pilot program evaluation and report, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

276. 2:03:13

     That completes the order. Thank you for the notice, Senator. Now, I recognize the minority leader. President, it was so big I couldn't wait earlier, but here we go. Mr. President, pursuant to Senate Rule seven point one point b, I give notice that on the next legislative day, I intend to move that Senate consider House action on SB one seventy. Thank you, Senator. The Secretary will read the caption. SB 170, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 12 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to commissions and other agencies to as, so as to create the Georgia Interagency Council for the Homeless to r- provide for the purpose, membership, and duties of such council to provide for reporting of activities, to provide for compensation, to provide for legislative findings, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

277. 2:04:01

     That completes the order.

278. 2:04:04

     Thank you for the notice. I wanna take a point of personal privilege myself and recognize my nephew who has paged for us today, Knighton Walker. Knighton, raise your hand. Glad to have you with us today.

279. 2:04:23

     And my brother, Russell, his father, is here somewhere, but I don't know if he's on the floor, but glad to have them with us today. All right. I recognize the majority leader for a motion. Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand adjourned until 10:00 AM on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026. The secretary will read the announcements.

280. 2:04:49

     The Rules Committee upon adjournment ha- in 450 CAP is TBD. The Insurance and Labor Committee at 3:00 PM in mez- mezzanine one has been canceled. The Science and Technology Committee in 310 CLOB at 3:00 PM has been canceled. The Higher Education Committee in 307 CLOB at 3:00 PM has been canceled. The Children Families Committee is in 450 CAP at 3:30 PM.

281. 2:05:19

     The Education, Education and Youth Committee at, in 307 CLOB is at 4:30 PM. The Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee is at 450 CAP at 5:30 PM. The Special Committee on Investigations is in 450 CAP at 6:30 PM. That completes the order. Are there any additional announcements? Chair recognizes the senator from the 54th.

282. 2:05:56

     Thank you, Mr. President. You look good up there, by the way. Thank you. You know. Um, Mr. President, I wanna remind everyone that tomorrow are, uh, is district attorneys today for breakfast at 8:30 in room 216. Love to have everybody come and show up and meet with your district attorneys. And also tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM we have our fellowship, um, and it's gonna be in CAP 132 at 7:00 AM. Encourage all of you to come. If you haven't been to our fellowship on Tuesday mornings, it's a special time, both part, bipartisan, where we sit down and we just take a lot, the really important things and are appreciative of each other and the things that really matter in this life.

283. 2:06:37

     So I just encourage you to come take part in our fellowship at 7:00 AM in the morning. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the will. The majority leader has moved that the Senate stand adjourned until Wednesday, January 28th, 2026 at 10:00 AM. All those in favor of the motion will say, "Aye." Those opp- those opposed, "No." All those in favor of the motion will say, "Aye." Aye. Those opposed, "No." No.

284. 2:07:07

     On the motion, the ayes clearly have it, and the Senate is adjourned.