--- title: Senate floor session, January 29, 2026 (legislative day 9) collection: meetings id: 2026-01-29/senate-floor cite_as: Senate floor session, January 29, 2026 (legislative day 9), video https://vimeo.com/1159307570 (machine transcript by Georgia Commons) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29/senate-floor md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29/senate-floor.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29/senate-floor/text source_url: https://vimeo.com/1159307570 date: 2026-01-29 status: machine transcript corpus_version: meetings-2026-10-23-8c15ead0f18d license: Machine transcript and summaries by Georgia Commons from the General Assembly's public video; the video stays on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29/house-floor.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29/house-economic-development-and-tourism.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/index.md chamber: Senate body: Senate floor body_url: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/senate-floor.md meeting_kind: floor legislative_day: 9 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session start_time: 2026-01-29T10:00:00-05:00 location: Senate Chamber duration_seconds: 8790.0 video_id: 1159307570 video_title: Legislative Day 9 | 2026 Legislative Session | 01/29/2026 bills_discussed: - SB 395 - SB 116 - SR 591 - SB 404 - SR 645 - HR 998 bills_read_aloud: 16 summaries_model: gpt-6.1-sol transcript_turns: 260 transcript_chars: 78400 parts: - https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29/senate-floor.md?start=0 - https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29/senate-floor.md?start=59355 --- # Senate floor session, January 29, 2026 (legislative day 9) Senate floor; January 29, 2026; legislative day 9; 2025-2026 Regular Session. Video, on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/1159307570. > This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays. ## Summary written by Georgia Commons Written by gpt-6.1-sol from the transcript below. It is not part of the record. Quote the transcript or the video, not the summary. The Senate read new bills, received committee recommendations and gave several bills second readings. Notices were submitted announcing minority reports on [SB 395](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb395) and [SB 116](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb116). The Senate adopted [SR 591](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr591), recognizing Spelman Day, and heard from college representatives. During personal remarks, senators debated the federal search of Fulton County election records, discussed law enforcement and advocated for shared parenting under [SB 404](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb404). No vote was taken on that custody proposal. The Senate also adopted an unnamed consent calendar of recognition resolutions and approved [SR 645](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr645) after correcting a reference to a legislative officer. The chamber voted by voice to adjourn until 10 a.m. Monday, February 2. ## Bills discussed (6) Each account was written by gpt-6.1-sol from the stretch of the transcript it names. The bill's number is said in that stretch, unless it was the only bill on a committee's agenda. ### SB 395. Department of Public Health; eligible for the Low THC Oil Patient Registry; require a physician to submit certain information to the Georgia Composite Medical Board [SB 395](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb395) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:43:49](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2629s), turns 29 to 31. Confirmed by the bill's status history on the General Assembly's website (Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute, 2026-01-29): https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72198. The clerk read the Health and Human Services Committee's recommendation to pass [SB 395](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb395) by substitute. The clerk then read a senator's notice of intent to submit a minority report alongside the majority report. No explanation of the competing positions or floor vote followed. ### SB 116. DNA Sampling; the collection of DNA samples from any individual in a detention facility charged with a misdemeanor or felony who is subject to an immigration detainer notice; require [SB 116](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb116) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [0:45:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2712s), turns 34 to 35. Confirmed by the bill's status history on the General Assembly's website (Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute, 2026-01-29): https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70013. The clerk read the Public Safety Committee's recommendation to pass [SB 116](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb116) by substitute. The clerk also read a senator's notice of intent to submit a minority report alongside the majority report. The chamber did not debate the proposal or vote on passage. ### SR 591. Spelman Day; recognize [SR 591](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr591) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [1:17:38](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4658s), turns 101 to 126. The clerk read [SR 591](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr591), recognizing Spelman Day and commending the college's academic work, leadership development and service. The Senate adopted the resolution without objection. The sponsor described Spelman as the oldest historically Black college for women in the United States and said it enrolls approximately 2,500 students from 43 states and 10 foreign countries. Spelman's interim president said graduates contribute to Georgia's workforce in health care, education, technology, public service and entrepreneurship. The interim president cited the college's national rankings, thanked lawmakers for HOPE and other financial aid, and described philanthropic gifts supporting student completion, academics and campus improvements. ### SB 404. Child Custody Proceedings; joint legal and physical custody as the default child custody arrangement; provide [SB 404](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb404) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [2:13:27](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8007s), turns 226 to 233. During personal remarks, a senator advocated for [SB 404](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb404), saying it would make equal parenting time the default in custody cases while allowing judges to order a different arrangement based on the child's best interests and the evidence. The senator argued that Georgia law gives judges insufficient direction on shared parenting and that limited contact with a parent contributes to problems for children. The senator said Georgia ranks among the bottom five states for time children spend with a noncustodial parent, that 46% of children born in Georgia the previous year were born outside marriage, and that the divorce rate approaches 50%. Citing results elsewhere, the senator said Kentucky's divorce rate fell 18% after its shared-parenting law and cited 20% reductions in domestic violence in places adopting shared parenting. The senator said the proposal would not give a bad parent undue influence. No questions, amendments or vote followed. ### SR 645. Joint Session; message from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court [SR 645](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr645) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [2:21:03](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8463s), turns 243 to 248. Confirmed by the bill's status history on the General Assembly's website (Senate Read and Adopted, 2026-01-29): https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72579. The clerk read [SR 645](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr645), calling a joint House and Senate session to hear a message from the Supreme Court's chief justice and inviting the other Supreme Court justices and Court of Appeals judges. The Senate president pro tempore described it as the customary annual resolution and offered an amendment replacing a reference to the Clerk of the House with the Secretary of the Senate. The Senate adopted both the correction and the amended resolution without objection. ### HR 998. Adjournment; relative to [HR 998](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr998) (2025-2026 Regular Session). From [2:23:26](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8606s), turns 250 to 259. The majority leader moved to adjourn under [HR 998](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr998) until 10 a.m. Monday, February 2. After committee announcements, the chair put the motion to a voice vote and declared that the ayes prevailed. ## Bills read aloud (16) Read aloud only (a first or second reading, a committee's report), with no discussion. - [SB 430](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb430) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Taxes; certain military museums qualify as destination marketing organizations and private sector nonprofit organizations; provide: [0:41:55](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2515s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) - [SB 431](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb431) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Education; enrollment of foster care students within two school days of a request for enrollment by such student's parent or legal custodian; require: [0:42:07](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2527s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) - [SB 432](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb432) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Education; nonlapsing revenue of institutions of the University System of Georgia and units of the Technical College System of Georgia; extend automatic repeals: [0:42:19](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2539s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) - [SB 433](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb433) (2025-2026 Regular Session), "Rio's Law": [0:42:33](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2553s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) - [SB 434](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb434) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection; establishment: [0:42:54](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2574s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) - [SB 435](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb435) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Georgia Development Authority; rename as the Georgia Agricultural Development Authority: [0:43:00](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2580s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) - [SB 436](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb436) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Counties, Municipal Corporations; local governments and political subdivisions from entering into nondisclosure agreements regarding electricity usage or water usage of any entity; prohibit: [0:43:08](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2588s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read and Referred) - [SB 43](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb43) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Bona Fide Conservation Use Property; the maximum acreage to qualify for assessment and taxation; increase: [0:43:15](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2595s) - [HB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb420) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Insurance; require certain health benefit policies to cover genetic testing for an inherited mutation and cancer imaging under certain conditions: [0:44:36](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2676s) - [HB 455](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb455) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Bingo; properties used for games; limit number of sessions; provisions: [0:44:34](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2674s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Committee Favorably Reported) - [SB 420](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb420) (2025-2026 Regular Session), License, Permit, Tag, and Stamp Fees; fees for reef and migratory fish endorsement; provide: [0:44:37](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2677s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Committee Favorably Reported) - [SB 382](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb382) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Ad Valorem Taxation; make the state-wide base year homestead exemption mandatory for all political subdivisions: [0:44:55](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2695s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute) - [HB 571](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb571) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Professions and businesses; licensing of radiologist assistants; provide: [0:46:26](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2786s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read Second Time) - [SB 383](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb383) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Child Abuse; local child fatality review committees; modify the review: [0:45:57](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2757s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read Second Time) - [SB 402](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb402) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Children and Youth; pilot program provision for screenings, clinical evaluations, training for autism spectrum disorder to children in foster care; establish: [0:46:04](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2764s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read Second Time) - [SB 412](https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb412) (2025-2026 Regular Session), Education; accumulated sick leave days teachers and other school personnel may take each school year for personal or professional reasons; increase: [0:46:15](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2775s); confirmed by its status history (Senate Read Second Time) > The transcript runs 78,400 characters. A reader that cannot take it at once can read it in 2 parts: part 1 https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29/senate-floor.md?start=0; part 2 https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-01-29/senate-floor.md?start=59355. ## Transcript (260 turns) [0:09:19](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=559s) Good [0:39:25](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2365s) morning. Good morning. The time for convening has arrived. The Senate will come to order. At this time, I will ask all unauthorized personnel to exit the chamber. I recognize the senator from the 6th reading of the journal. [0:39:41](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2381s) Good morning, Mr. President, and welcome back. Just wanna say w- how much we missed you. [0:39:48](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2388s) Missed my man. [0:39:49](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2389s) Missed your smiling face. Mr. President, we got a great group of pages here from all over the state. Out of Atlanta, we have John Coleman. From Locust Grove, we have Makayla Davidson. From Marietta, we have Tyler Frank. From Dunwoody, Max Goldberg. From Jonesboro, Christopher Simon. From Buford, Jose Tabares. [0:40:22](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2422s) And from Tucker, we have Matias Tejada. Y'all give these pages a big round of applause. We appreciate your service- ... to the great state of Georgia, and of course, the Georgia Senate. Mr. President, the journal has been read and found to be correct, so I move we dispense with the reading of the journal. [0:40:47](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2447s) Thank you, Senator. I appreciate that, and thank you to our young pages back there putting in the hard work. I remind everybody in the gallery that if you have children or grandchildren like to page, they can come see you, can't they, their chairman? We got a good-looking group of people in the gallery up here. We got the ladies of Spelman College here today. How about that? [0:41:15](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2475s) Spelman is well-represented in this room, I can assure you, and you'll see very soon when all the points of personal privilege, but we're glad to have each and every one of y'all. Thank y'all for being here today. All right. Is there objection to dispensing of the reading of the journal? Chair hears none. The reading of the journal is dispensed with. Is there objection to confirmation of the journal? Chair hears none, and the journal is confirmed. [0:41:43](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2503s) All senators who have bills and resolutions to introduce, please bring them to the secretary. Mr. Secretary. Reading of first references. [0:41:55](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2515s) Senate Bill 430 by Senators Robertson of the 29th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 13 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to excise tax on rooms, lodgings, and accommodations so as to- [0:42:06](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2526s) Finance. [0:42:07](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2527s) Senate Bill 431 by Senators Kirkpatrick of the 32nd and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 20-2-670 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to in- to disclosures and informa- [0:42:17](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2537s) Children and Family. [0:42:19](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2539s) Senate Bill 432 by Senators Walker, mm, by Senators Walker III of the 20th, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to education so as to extend automatic renewals- [0:42:33](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2553s) Finance. [0:42:33](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2553s) Senate Bill 433 by Senator Strickland of the 42nd and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to prestige license plates and special plates for certain persons and vehicles so as to provide for special license plates for persons with autism spectrum disorder or a developmental disability and for- [0:42:50](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2570s) Children and Family. [0:42:52](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2572s) Public Safety. [0:42:52](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2572s) Excuse me, Public Safety. [0:42:54](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2574s) Senate Bill 434 by Senators Jackson of the thir- 41st, 40- 41st and others, a bill to be entitled- [0:42:59](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2579s) Children and Family [0:42:59](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2579s) ... an act to am... Senate Bill 435 by Senators Goodman of the 8th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend the Official Code of Georgia- [0:43:06](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2586s) Agriculture. [0:43:08](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2588s) Senate Bill 436 by Senators Howard of the 35th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 80- [0:43:14](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2594s) Finance [0:43:14](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2594s) ... of Title 30... Senate Bill 43, Senators, mm, by Senators Dixon of the 45th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Part 2 of Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 8- [0:43:23](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2603s) State Government General. [0:43:24](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2604s) Mr. President, that completes the order. [0:43:30](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2610s) Secretary read reports of standing committees. [0:43:39](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2619s) Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendaty, recommendation. Senate Bill 395, due pass by substitute, respectfully submitted by Senator Watson of the 1st. [0:43:56](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2636s) Secretary read bills and resolutions. [0:44:02](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2642s) 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 Bill 395, which passed out of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on January 28th, 2026. Sincerely, Nikki Merritt of the 9th. [0:44:23](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2663s) Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. House Bill 455, due pass. House Bill 420, due pass. Senate Bill 420. Senate Bill 420, due pass. Respectfully submitted by Senator Echols of the 49th. [0:44:46](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2686s) Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Finance has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 382, due pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted by Senator Hufstetler of the 52nd. [0:45:03](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2703s) Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Public Safety has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 116, due pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted by Senator Albers of the 52nd, 56th. Mr. President, that completes the order. Minority report. Mm, minority report. Never mind. [0:45:24](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2724s) Mr. Secretary, pursuant to 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 Bill 116, which passed out of the Senate Committee on Public Safety on January 28th, 2026. Sincerely, Kimberly S. Patrick Jackson, Senator from the 41st. Mr. President, that completes the order. [0:45:45](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2745s) Secretary will read bills and resolutions for the second time. [0:45:53](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2753s) This one. [0:45:57](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2757s) Senate Bill 383 by Senator Kirk Patrick of the 32nd and others, child abuse. Local child fatality review committees modify the review. Senate Bill 402 by Senator Tillery of the 19th and others, children and youth. Pilot program provision for screenings, clinical evaluations, training for autism spectrum disorder to children in foster care, establish. Senate Bill 412 by Senator Hickman of the fourth and others, education. Accumulated sick leave days, teachers and other school personnel may take each school year for personnel or professional reasons, increase. House Bill 571 by Representative Hawkins of the 27th and others, professions and businesses. [0:46:32](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2792s) Licensing of radiologist assistants provide. Mr. President, that completes the order. [0:46:44](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2804s) It is now time for the morning roll call. All senators who'd like to make a motion? Recognize the senator from the second, Savannah, Georgia, the pride of Savannah, Georgia. [0:46:57](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2817s) Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the fifth for business inside the Capitol. [0:47:05](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2825s) Without objection, senator from the fifth is excused. Recognize the senator from the 33rd. [0:47:11](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2831s) Thank you, Mr. President, and good morning y'all. Ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senators from the seventh and the tenth for business inside the Capitol. [0:47:24](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2844s) Without objection, senators from the seventh and the tenth are excused. Recognize the senator from the 25th. [0:47:32](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2852s) Thank you, Mr. President. Ask that, uh, the senator from the 24th be excused. [0:47:38](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2858s) Without objection- [0:47:39](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2859s) Business outside the Capitol. [0:47:41](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2861s) Without objection, senator from the 24th is excused. Recognize the senator from the 15th. [0:47:49](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2869s) I must consent to excuse the senator from the tenth. [0:47:52](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2872s) He- We've, we've got him already, Senator. Thank you, though. I recognize the senator from the 54th. [0:47:59](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2879s) Yes. Good mor- mor- good morning, Mr. President. Uh, ask to excuse senator from the 47th. [0:48:04](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2884s) Without objection, senator from the- [0:48:06](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2886s) Oh, never mind. He, he's come back in. [0:48:09](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2889s) The senator from the 47th is here. [0:48:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2892s) Yeah. [0:48:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2892s) No need to excuse him. [0:48:18](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2898s) Secretary will call the roll. Senators, signify your presence by voting the yay switch. Secretary will unlock the machine. [0:49:36](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=2976s) It is now time for our morning devotion. All senators, please take your seats and cease all conversation. I would ask that the doorkeepers secure the chamber at this time. [0:50:02](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3002s) Now recognize the senator from the 17th who will lead us in our pledge and introduce our chaplain of the day. Senator? [0:50:10](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3010s) Thank you, Mr. President. Please join me in our pledge of allegiance to our flag. [0:50:17](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3017s) 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. [0:50:30](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3030s) Now the Georgia flag. [0:50:33](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3033s) I pledge allegiance to the Georgia flag, and to the principles for which it stands, wisdom, justice, moderation, and courage. [0:50:45](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3045s) Thank you and good morning. [0:50:47](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3047s) Good morning. [0:50:50](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3050s) I am pleased to have Reverend Dr. Nichelle Girdy as our chaplain of the day. Dr. Girdy currently serves as the Dean of the Chapel and the Director of the Wisdom Center at Spelman College. A womanist homiletician, she is the author of Creating a- Curating a World: Ser- Sermonic Words from a Young Woman Who Preaches. She is a graduate of Clark Atlanta University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and a Master of Divinity, uh, degree from Yale Divinity School, where she was the 2010 recipient of the Volkhardt Prize for clear and effective public and pulpit speaking. [0:51:36](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3096s) And in 2019, recipient of the William Sloane Coffin Alumni Award for Peace and Justice. She received her Doctor of Philosophy from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Her dissertation was entitled, Toward a Womanist Homiletic Theology by Subverting Rape Culture. She currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Forum for Theological Exploration. [0:52:10](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3130s) She holds membership in the Society for the Study of Black Religion, the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, uh, Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College, and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. Dr. Guidry is passionate about serving Black women and creating innovative vehicles for our stories. As a certified co-coach and the host of a Wide Open Space podcast, she loves to walk with Black women of faith as they cultivate deeper spiritual wellness and vocational clarity. [0:52:46](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3166s) For her service and dedication, she has been recognized by media outlets such as Time, Ebony, The New York Times, Vice, and more. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and their son. Please welcome the Dean of the Chapel, Reverend Dr. Nichelle Guidry. [0:53:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3192s) Good morning. Greetings to President Burt Jones, to all present senators, especially to Senator Davenport for sponsoring Spelman Day today. I am Reverend Dr. Nichelle Guidry, where, and I bring you greetings from Spelman College, where I serve as the Dean of the Chapel. And I'm so grateful to bring today's devot- devotion, which reads as follows. On a Judean mountainside, the one who was the living word momentarily paused his ministry of healing to teach a swarming crowd who were desperate to understand the kingdom he came proclaiming, the kingdom he embodied, and the kingdom he lived and practiced even in that moment. [0:53:57](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3237s) For in sitting with the people that day rather than sending them away, in teaching them rather than leaving them in their spiritual darkness, and in healing them rather than, than leaving them to languish in their sickness, the one whose name was Jesus signified the coming of a new community that was inclusive, compassionate, and that sought to make the wounded whole. This was his Sermon on the Mount, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters five through seven. [0:54:28](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3268s) And some of Jesus' most compelling, timeless, and also some of his least popular teachings can be found here. In this gathering that preceded his church as we know it, it, that was simply too good to be confound by walls and c- antiquated norms of who belonged and didn't, these were hungry and tired people. And in seeing their inherent value, Jesus taught them not to just follow him, but how to be like him. "Blessed are the merciful," he taught them, "for they will receive mercy. [0:55:02](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3302s) Blessed are the pure in heart," he taught them, "for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers," he taught them, "for they will be called God's children. And when you give charity," he taught them, "and when you pray, don't be hypocritical and do it for attention and acclaim. Do it in secret, and God, who sees in secret, will reward you openly." He begs of us today, even from that very mountainside, please do not be people who are more concerned with your walls than you are with extending welcome, who are more committed to your categories than extending care, and who are more concerned with exclusivity rather than access. [0:55:45](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3345s) Please don't be so committed to your own convenience that you can't stop to pour a little bit of what you have into someone who is in dire need. "And when you pray," he taught them, "don't throw up empty words to God. You don't need to be loud. You don't need to be loquacious, for God already knows what you need before you even ask." And then Jesus prayed for those people the very prayer that I pray for you today. [0:56:16](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3376s) Let us pray. [0:56:21](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3381s) Dear God in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. [0:56:55](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3415s) Amen. [0:56:57](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3417s) Amen. [0:56:58](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3418s) Thank you. [0:56:58](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3418s) Good job. [1:04:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3852s) Good job. [1:04:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3852s) If I could have everyone's attention. Uh, it's always nice to have our elected officials, our congressional leaders from around the state. And, uh, if I can get everybody's attention. [1:04:29](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3869s) Everybody's attention. We'd like to give all our congressmen and women the opportunity to address this body, and something we always take a lot of pride in. And very happy and proud to have, uh, Congressman Rich McCormick here today. He is, uh, in his second term as, uh, our congressman. Hails from Alpharetta, Roswell area. And, uh, he, uh, represents a, a good, uh, portion of, uh, this, this fine state. He's done an outstanding job while serving in Congress. [1:05:01](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3901s) He, he is a, a medical doctor by trade, proud graduate of Morehouse School of Medicine, and, uh, former military, um, military, uh, NA- SEAL, right? Navy SEAL? [1:05:16](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3916s) Marine pilot. [1:05:16](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3916s) Marine, Marine. I'm sorry. I'm gonna get hit now. I'm sorry. All right. Uh, a former Marine, just like the dean of, uh, of our fine chamber here. But, uh, Congressman McCormick has, is, like I said, has done a great job. He represents our state very well. We're happy to have him here today, and y'all please give him a warm Senate welcome. Thank you. [1:05:42](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3942s) It is an honor to be here with you today. Thanks for, uh, participating. Uh, one of the few things that I have hope in right now, and, and I guess there's a lot of things I could have hope in, and there are still commonalities amongst us. Sometimes it's the Marine Corps, and that transcends politics, I promise you. You just want to know somebody's on your side, which is the bigger part of politics, in my opinion. We have plenty that divides us right now, but if you look at a guy like myself, and you may judge me just by what I look like, and I get that. We do that to each other all the time. [1:06:15](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=3975s) But you probably didn't know I was an associate professor at Morehouse, Spelman, Clark Atlanta, and Morris Brown at one time. Went to Morehouse School of Medicine, and after four years was elected student body president by my peers. And my peers were about 60% female, 80% Black, and about 95% liberal. So how does a white male conservative get elected at that kind of school? Because of our commonalities. When I give the, uh, commencement keynote speech this year, you won't hear a political thing that comes out of my mouth, because politics doesn't really solve problems. [1:06:58](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4018s) Now, we, the people, can solve a lot of problems, but when you make any item political, it becomes unsolvable. What do I mean by that? Tell me how politicians have been the great solution to racism. [1:07:15](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4035s) You can't, because we're not going to solve that. We're also not going to solve education. We cannot replace communities, churches, parents, families, and relationships. You can't break down the barriers by making a law. You break down barriers by having meals together, by praying together, by getting to know each other, because usually when you vilify somebody, it's because you don't know them very well. And quite frankly, the things that divide you, whether it's inside your party or collectively between two parties, those things will never be passed into law. [1:07:50](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4070s) Only those things that we agree on will be passed. And that's the magic of our government, that limited government that we're supposed to have. Sometimes it's best when you don't pass laws because some of the worst things we have that have affected our communities have been the laws we passed with the unintended consequences. I think the best thing we can do is get the government out of the way of progress. Depoliticize our problems so we can actually deal with them, because it's not us against them. [1:08:23](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4103s) It's us against evil, against prejudice, against the common foes that have been set before us by the great foe. And so I hope when you guys legislate and you debate, realize that you can grandstand, you can get a lot of publicity, you can raise a lot of money, but only the things that unite us are going to get passed. Now, you can really try to change people's mind, and there's some people that are swayable. A lot of people are on the extremes. [1:08:55](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4135s) But can I give a piece of advice to anybody who maybe hasn't made up their mind in life, who's still swayable or young enough that they haven't made up their mind on what they believe is true? If you want to have influence, instead of trying to win an argument, win a friend. Anybody who gets on, on the internet knows that you don't see minds change because of somebody's great and eloquent argument on the internet. It doesn't happen. The more I try to convince you you're wrong, the less you'll believe me. [1:09:26](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4166s) But if I can convince you that I love you, which isn't a one-time investment, it's a multiple endeavor. If I can convince you that I love you, you might just believe what I have to say next, and that's real influence. And with that, that's not just advice, that's just my experience. I love you. I want you guys to keep on representing us the way you do because this is where the real politics is, the most representative government that we have. And anything I can do to push power down to you guys is going to be better off for our state and for our great nation. [1:10:01](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4201s) God bless you, and semper fidelis. All right. [1:12:36](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4356s) It is always nice to have, uh, the, our physicians that come down here and volunteer their time and, uh, to the Capitol and all the people here. And I, uh, am glad to have, uh, the orthopedic, orth- orthopedist- Yep ... we're here today. Uh, and to introduce our wonderful guest, I will call on the senator from the 38th to introduce our guest. Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, colleagues. I am honored to welcome back to the chamber Dr. [1:13:08](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4388s) John Gleason, who is an orthopedic surgeon with Resurgens Orthopaedics, and he told me to keep this short and sweet, so I'm just going to share that he has 30 years of experience, and 25 of those 30 years he served with the gentlelady from the 32nd. Uh, so I think we should all hold that against him, uh, rather than, uh, outside of anything. So I'm very honored to welcome Dr. John Gleason back to the chamber. All right. There you go. Hey. All right. [1:13:39](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4419s) Thank y'all. It's good to look out there and see a lot of friends, uh, and no adversaries, so it's, it's fun to be here. Uh, thank y'all for the work you do for the citizens of Georgia and for their health, and good luck. You have 31 more days to do it. All right. Good job. Good job. [1:17:03](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4623s) All right, if we could have everyone's attention. We have some very special guests here today. Every year we always very proud and honored to have the ladies of Spelman College come and, and be recognized for all the wonderful work that they do that, that histor- that they do at that historical institution. And, uh, we once again have a good group here behind us. Young lady getting ready to graduate from theater. I'm, I'm... I got a good feeling we're probably gonna hear from her, uh, i- in a second here. [1:17:33](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4653s) But, uh, Secretary, read the resolution, and then we'll ask the senator from the 17th to introduce. [1:17:38](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4658s) Senate Resolution 591 by Senator Davenport of the 17th. A resolution recognizing Spelman Day at the Georgia State Capitol, and for other purposes. Whereas Spelman College, founded in 1881 in Atlanta, Georgia, is a nationally acclaimed private liberal arts college for women and the oldest historically Black college for women in the United States. And whereas Spelman College enrolls approximately 2,500 students, offers 34 academic majors and 39 minors, and reports that 86% of full-time faculty hold doctoral degrees or the terminal degree in their field. [1:18:10](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4690s) And whereas Spelman College reports a 76% six-year graduation rate, significantly exceeding the national average. Whereas Spelman College has produced a global network of more than 20,000 alumnae worldwide. Now therefore, be it resolved by the Senate that the members of this body recognize Spelman Day at the Georgia State Capitol and commend Spelman College for its enduring legacy of academic out- excellence, leadership development, and service to the State of Georgia, the nation, and the world. Mr. President, that completes the order. [1:18:41](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4721s) I recognize the senator from... Oh, I'm sorry. That's right. Would... Is there objection to the adoption of resolution? Chair hears none, and the resolution is adopted. Recognize the senator from the 17th. [1:19:01](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4741s) Thank you, Mr. President, colleagues, and guests. I am honored to recognize my alma mater, Spelman College. It's Spelman Day at the Capitol. [1:19:18](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4758s) S- Spelman College was founded in 1881, and since that time has become a global leader in the education of women of African descent, and is the oldest historically Black college for women in the United States. Spelman is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and School Commissions on Colleges, and we are proud members of the Atlanta University Center Consortium. Today, Spelman enrolls approximately 2,500 students from 43 states and 10 foreign countries. [1:19:51](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4791s) Spelman empowers women to engage the many cultures of the world and inspires a commitment to positive social change through service. We are dedicated to academic excellence in liberal arts and sciences. Spelman serves today, and today we have on the rostrum here the interim president of Spelman College, Mrs. Rosalind Brewer. Please raise your hands. President of the Atlanta Chapter of the Alumnae Association of Spelman College, Dr. [1:20:23](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4823s) Bethane Tinsley. The advocacy and social justice chair of the Atlanta Chapter, uh, uh, former commissioner, uh, Mr. Demetris Clemons. [1:20:38](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4838s) And you just heard from our chaplain of the day, Dr., uh, Nichelle Goodrie. [1:20:46](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4846s) All right. [1:20:46](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4846s) And of course, our student, Miss Taylor Mills. Miss Spelman, graduating this spring, the class of 2026. [1:20:59](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4859s) We have other alumnae, staff, faculty, and students in the gallery. Would you please stand, Spelmanites? [1:21:14](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4874s) I have joining with me today the senator from the 36th, the senator from the 26th, the senator from the 43rd. Give them a big hand. [1:21:28](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4888s) And accepting the resolution, accepting the resolution is our interim president, Mrs. Rosalind Brewer. One, from chemist and now one of the most, America's most powerful businesswomen. Former CEO of Global Health Care division of Kimberly-Clark, CEO of Sam's Club, a subsidiary of Walmart, and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Now leading the number one HBCU, Spelman College, please welcome Mrs. [1:22:02](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4922s) Rosalind Brewer. [1:22:10](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4930s) Good morning, and thank you, Senator Davenport, for that wonderful introduction. To L- Lieutenant Governor Jones, President Pro Temp Walker, and distinguished members of the Georgia State Senate, thank you for the opportunity to be here with you today. We are grateful for your leadership and for the Senate's continued support of higher education across the State of Georgia. I am delighted to share Spelman Day at the Capitol with members of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College Incorporated, the Georgia chapters, along with our students, our faculty, and our staff. [1:22:48](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=4968s) Thank you for recognizing Spelman College today. Spelman College plays a critical role in Georgia's economic vitality, workforce development, and leadership pipeline. Our graduates live, work, and lead across the state, particularly in metro Atlanta, contributing to key sectors including healthcare, education, public service, technology, and entrepreneurship. Spelman's mission is especially relevant today in its rapidly changing economy. [1:23:21](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5001s) We prepare students to think critically, work across disciplines, adapt to change, and lead with purpose and those qualities that serve Georgia's employers, communities, and public institutions so well. We are proud of Spelman's continued academic excellence. Spelman is ranked number one HBCU for 19 consecutive years. [1:23:51](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5031s) Ranked number two nationally for social mobility, number seven for learning communities, and number 37 among all national liberal arts colleges by US News & World Report. But most recently, Newsweek named Spelman the number one best college for women in the nation. [1:24:17](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5057s) These outcomes are made possible in part through Georgia's commitment to student access and affordability. We are deeply grateful for Hope and other state financial aid programs, including those that support students attending private colleges. This support is critical for Spelman students and their families, and helps ensure talented Georgians can pursue higher education here at home. We are also grateful for recent philanthropic investments, including a $16.5 million gift from the Arthur Blank Family Foundation here in Atlanta, and a 38 million unrestricted gift from the Mackenzie Scott family, which directly supports student completion, academic excellence, and campus modernization, advancing Spelman's strategic priorities and strengthening our long-term impact. [1:25:10](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5110s) Our students continue to excel, earning nationally competitive scholarships, engaging in meaningful civil service, expanding literacy through programs like Spel Reads, and strengthening local economies through initiatives such as the Center for Black Entrepreneurship. I am proud to lead Spelman during this important moment for higher education. The world is changing, but the need for well-prepared, thoughtful, and capable leaders has never been greater. Thank you for celebrating Spelman College Day at the Capitol, and thank you for your continued partnership and support for Spelman College and the students we so humbly serve. [1:25:50](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5150s) Thank you. [1:25:55](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5155s) Lovely. Good job. Good job. So nice to have the leadership here with s- at Spelman and all the fine ladies there in the, in the gallery. Uh, we do have one of our local celebrities with the AJC is a proud graduate of, uh, of Spelman College, Maya Rabiu. K- give her a r- round of applause here. [1:26:19](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5179s) Now, I did that for myself, 'cause she never w- she never writes anything good about me, so I'm hoping maybe she'll give me a pass this time. But, uh, I'm kidding. Maya knows I love her. And one correction here, the senator from the 26th is not a graduate of Spelman College, right? He would like to have been. He would like to have been. But, uh- [1:26:36](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5196s) He's like me. [1:26:37](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5197s) I would've got kicked out before he made it. [1:26:38](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5198s) But he, he, he assured me he went to, he's a proud graduate of Tuskegee, and he assured me he made plenty of trips from South Alabama up here, so. All right. Thank you, ladies. W- ladies of Spelman, let's give them a round of applause again. [1:29:03](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5343s) We're gonna move on to points of personal privilege just 'cause we, we got started a little late and things are running a little late, so we're gonna go ahead and go right to it. I recognize the senator from the 47th for a point of personal privilege. [1:29:34](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5374s) Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like for my, ah, friends from, from Jackson County, I've got a great group of, ah, Jackson County Youth Leadership Group to all stand up for me. We wanna honor your visit to the Capitol. So they, they, uh, Jackson County's a little unique in that there are thr- three school districts, but we quickly added the fourth one last year, so there are actually four school districts in Jackson County. Three of them are represented here with the Jackson County youth leaders. My colleague from the 50th and, and I wanna welcome you to the Senate, and we'd like to give you a big round of applause. [1:30:08](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5408s) So great to have y'all here this morning. [1:30:21](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5421s) Recognize the senator from the 4th. [1:30:40](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5440s) Thank you, Mr. President. M- many of y'all know the term rolling thunder, right? Oh, yeah, we all know that term, but today at the Capitol it's called strolling thumer, th- thunder, excuse me, strolling thunder. So let me tell you a little bit about that. Um, you may have noticed a buzz of activity around the Capitol today, or the Gold Dome today. Our friends at the Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students, commonly referred to as GEEARS, are having their annual event, Strolling Thunder, where young children birth to five and their families join us at the Capitol. [1:31:17](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5477s) I've already seen many children out there already this morning. Early childhood is an incredible window of opportunity where brains are developing more rapidly than at any other point. [1:31:28](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5488s) Our youngest children are our future and we know that. Please say hello to any ti- um, any of our tiny constituents if you see them in the halls and join gears and their families across the street later on today at The Freight Depot for lunch. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the will. [1:31:51](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5511s) Recognize the senator from the 41st. [1:32:00](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5520s) Good morning, colleagues. This is really for my son who has gone back to the office to watch on TV because this place was a little more hectic than a five-year-old could handle. But I wanna wish Reese a happy fifth birthday. So honored. Uh, th- thank you all for, to this body. You all have welcomed him with such graciousness, but I'm deeply honored to be able to be his mom. So many of you all know he came into our lives when he was just two years old, um, in a really sudden moment, and we have gotten to love him and care for him with so much passion. [1:32:34](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5554s) So, um, happy birthday, Reese. We love you and I'll see you soon. [1:32:46](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5566s) Thank you, Senator, and wish your son a very happy birthday. It's hard to believe he's already five. All right. Recognize the senator from the 33rd. [1:33:13](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5593s) Thank you, Mr. President. My fellow senators, colleagues, friends and y'all, uh, I am pleased to share with you that the senator from the 48th and I will be serving as the bipartisan co-chairs of the newly created Senate India Caucus. The Senate India Caucus is a bipartisan coalition that promotes a relationship between India and the State of Georgia based on mutual trust and respect to increase close collaboration across a broad spectrum of strategic interests such as promoting democracy, economic development and cultural partnership along with friendship. [1:33:56](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5636s) You will today receive an email inviting you to join our caucus. We hope you will reciprocate by answering yes. Thank you very much and Mr. President, I yield the will. Thank you, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 3rd. [1:34:26](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5666s) Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, um, you'll notice on your desk you have an invitation from the Brunswick Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce for their State Leadership Appreciation Dinner. It's on February the 17th, about three weeks away. The reason I'm giving you this as early as I am is to give you a chance to RSVP so that we can figure out how much shrimp we need to bring. And I will remind you of this a little closer to the date, but put it on your calendars, February 17th at The Depot, 5:00, uh, tons of wild Georgia shrimp. [1:35:04](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5704s) Thank you. [1:35:07](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5707s) All right, Senator. We'll have to mark our calendars. Always a good day. Recognize the senator from the 28th. Senator, you wanna speak from there? [1:35:21](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5721s) The floor is yours. [1:37:15](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5835s) You got that? I think so. Thank you. [1:37:24](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5844s) Okay. [1:37:28](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5848s) Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you very much. [1:37:33](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5853s) Yesterday I was driving home from here and heard on the radio about what was happening in my neighborhood just a few blocks from my house. We witnessed another instance of Donald Trump's egregious attempts to control the narrative on that 2020 election by sending the FBI to God's country to forcibly take evidence from the Fulton County Election Office. [1:38:15](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5895s) He once again proved that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants, no matter how shocking, no matter how dangerous, no matter how unlawful. Everybody knows this is nonsense. We are four years past the 2020 election. That election was counted, recounted, audited, reviewed by the courts and the list goes on. [1:38:49](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5929s) There was no rigging, there were no fake votes, there was no secret stash hiding in a, the county office. Is there even one person in the Capitol today who still believes that the 2020 election was rigged? So let's not be, let's be honest about what's going on and what we're watching and what we're hearing on the radio. [1:39:19](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5959s) When state officials follow the law and refuse to hand over protected voter data, suddenly we see the federal government intervening. When they don't get what they want, they come and they take it. That should worry everybody in this building. The FBI exists to keep people safe, to stop violent crime, to stop terrorism, to protect the public. [1:39:52](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=5992s) It is not supposed to be the president's personal plaything. Using federal law enforcement to chase political grievances of 2020, this is wrong. It tells voters that the rules only matter when they're convenient. If the federal government wants something, there's a process. They should think they're entitled to it, the real process, and not what they come up with. [1:40:26](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6026s) There's a court. What there should be, should not be is intimidation dressed up as enforcement. Actions like this undermine trust, intimidate election workers, and pull Georgia backwards. We should be governing in 2026, not replaying 2020 like it never ended. This body should reject chaos, reject political theater, and reject using our law enforcement as a personal tool, as a weapon. [1:41:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6072s) Georgia has been a national model for election integrity. We do not need federal raids to protect our democracy. We need leaders with the moral clarity to defend it. History teaches us that democracy does not vanish overnight. It is not dismantled slowly, legally, and often with ap- applause from the, those who believe that it will benefit them. [1:41:52](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6112s) Uh, s- ladies and gentlemen, we must not become that casualty. It is too late to reverse democracy. It's time to move forward. So Georgia, let's move forward and not backwards. Thank you. I yield. [1:42:16](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6136s) Bringing down senator from 38 for a point of personal privilege. [1:42:25](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6145s) The man in the brand-new three-piece suit. Senator, that is, that suit didn't come off the rack, now. I know that. You had to get measured for that, huh? [1:42:38](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6158s) Thank you, Mr. President. We're gonna get you one. Uh, colleagues, uh, yesterday, Senate District 38, my district, became ground zero for the latest assault on American democracy, an assault that did not begin yesterday, but one that began to unfold in 2020. Colleagues, no matter what you saw on the news, I want to share something with you. I was there, and here's what I know to be true. The federal government seized 2020 Fulton County election ballots, not 2024, because that was an election that Donald Trump already won in Georgia. [1:43:19](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6199s) They weren't securing an election. They were revisiting the past to control the future. We still don't know where these ballots were taken, and even more disturbing, we don't know how this information will be used. What we do know, without dispute, is that this action was taken without the consent or knowledge of Georgia election officials. Secrecy is not law enforcement. Secrecy is intimidation. [1:43:50](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6230s) I have deep respect for the debates in this chamber, but yesterday we were reminded to remember that we are Georgia state senators, and I must share that this is exactly why we speak about what happens across this nation. This is why this chamber and our voices matter, because yesterday is what happens when power goes unchecked and silence becomes permission. This is not abstract. This is not theoretical. This happened in my district, seven minutes from my home, in your backyard in the state of Georgia. [1:44:26](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6266s) These are my constituents. These are Georgia voters, and they are the ones that are being targeted. Yesterday, I heard claims that the minority caucus does not respect due process. Well, there is nothing more disrespectful to due process than seizing ballots in the dark. Let me be clear. Yesterday was not about a sore loser. This isn't about 2020. It's about controlling 2026. This is about a president who knows that his grip on power is slipping and who is willing to weaponize the federal government to hold onto it. [1:45:02](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6302s) We have watched this unfold across the country, and now it is here in the state of Georgia. [1:45:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6312s) Boo. [1:45:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6312s) This should concern every Georgian, not just those here in Metro Atlanta, white, Black, Democrat, Republican, independent, urban, and rural alike. I am sounding the alarm because democracy does not collapse all at once. It erodes when good people are told to look away. If ballots can be seized without transparency, if election workers can be sidelined without consent, if fear replaces trust, then the question is no longer who wins elections, but whether elections still belong to the people. [1:45:50](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6350s) This chamber must choose. Our state must choose. This country must choose silence or the Constitution, fear or freedom, power or principle. History is watching what we do next. I, for one, refuse to be silent while democracy is dragged away from the people it belongs to. And with that, Mr. President, I yield the will. [1:46:23](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6383s) Recognize the senator from the fifth for a point of personal privilege. [1:46:43](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6403s) Yesterday, the FBI raided the Fulton County Election Board. They were once again searching for materials related to 2020 presidential election, an election that has been audited, litigated, reviewed, reaffirmed, and yet, years later, fairytales and conspiracy theories refuse to loosen their grips. These fantasies have already done real damage. [1:47:17](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6437s) They have poisoned trust, fractured communities, and now they threaten something even bigger, confidence in 2026 election and in our ability to govern ourself. Our people deserve more, and they de- and they deserve better. This year mark the 250th anniversary of American founding. [1:47:49](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6469s) I wasn't born into it like so many here, and choosing America mean choosing the ideas it was built on. A government of the people, by the people, providing that free citizen can govern themselves. We do not need a king who treat law enforcement like personal errand boys chasing imaginary nightmares dreamed up to cling to power. [1:48:19](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6499s) Today, we must condemn this. We must stand up clearly and courageously for the values America was founded upon. Thank you. I yield the will. [1:48:43](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6523s) Recognize the senator from the seventh. [1:49:00](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6540s) Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to talk about what happened yesterday. Federal agents executed a search warrant at Fulton County's election facility and took records and ballots from the 2020 election. And I want to begin with what should be obvious, but apparently still needs to be said out loud in 2026. This is not about 2020. This is about 2026. This is about who controls what comes next. [1:49:32](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6572s) Because nearly six years after Georgia voters made their choice, some people are still trying to keep the state trapped in a permanent argument about the last election, so they can justify rewriting the rules for the next one. This is not random. This is not isolated. This is not just one more headline. It is part of a larger scheme, an intentional campaign to manufacture doubt, flood the zone, and then claim that the only solution is takeover. [1:50:02](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6602s) They want Georgians exhausted, they want voters confused, and they want the public so overwhelmed that people stop asking the most important question of all. Who benefits from keeping Georgia in chaos? Because when you can't win an election fair and square, you try to control who runs it. When you can't persuade voters, you try to control the process. And when you can't accept the truth, you try to bury it under noise, and that noise has a purpose. It's the same play every time. Step one, call it emergency. [1:50:32](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6632s) Step two, say the locals can't be trusted. Step three, replace local c- control with political control. And if that sounds familiar, it's because we've watched versions of it unfold across this country where the goal isn't security, the goal is power. The goal is power. Now let's talk about something that should alarm every Georgian, no matter what party you belong to. The US Department of Justice has been suing for access to Georgia's unredacted statewide voter registration data, data that includes sensitive personal information, including your driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. [1:51:10](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6670s) This is not a small request. This is not routine, it is not normal, and it is not harmless. That is a demand for an enormous amount of personal data, information that could expose Georgians to risk if misused or mishandled, and information Georgia law is designed to protect. So pair that with what happened in Fulton County and the picture becomes clear. This is about information. It is about leverage. It's about control. Because once you convince people the system can't be trusted, you can justimi- justify almost every- anything. [1:51:42](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6702s) Taking authority away from local communities, centralizing control, changing rules in the name of confidence, and setting the stage to interfere with elections that haven't even happened yet. And let me say this part in plain English. Georgia is a swing state. Georgia is ground zero, and Georgia will be targeted. We're not guessing anymore. We're watching it happen in real time. And the question is [1:52:04](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6724s) Whether we are going to pretend it's normal or w- whether we are going to name it for what it is. This is the politics of pretext, the politics of manufactured doubt. The politics will accept elections only when we win them. And while they are trying to keep Georgia locked in a never-ending fight about 2020, real people are living in 2026. Families are paying more and getting less. Hospitals are closing. Rent is rising. Insurance premiums are rising. Wages are not. And that contrast matters because it tells you what this is really about. [1:52:36](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6756s) When leaders have nothing to offer on affordability, nothing to offer on healthcare, nothing to offer on stability, they reach for the oldest trick in politics: keep people afraid, keep people angry, and keep the spotlight on anything except the bills piling up on the kitchen table. So here's my message today: we will not let the future of Georgia elections be decided by people who are still trying to relitigate the last one. We will not let Fulton County be turned into a permanent scapegoat so as, so someone else can justify a takeover. We will not let confidence become a code word for control, and we will say it clearly over and over until nobody can pretend they do not understand this is not about 2020, this is about 2026. [1:53:18](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6798s) Thank you. [1:53:22](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6802s) Recognize the senator from the 29th. [1:53:36](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6816s) Thank you, Mr. President. Um, after our conversations yesterday, I went back and, and looked at some of the comments that were made, and the one that struck me the most was, was made by my fellow police academy grad who said that rhetoric and the misidentification of the men and women that wear the badge is dangerous because they become targets. And I guess a recent example would be 9:30 this morning when a Warner Robins police officer responded to a 911 call of domestic violence, and as he was exiting his vehicle, he was shot five times. [1:54:24](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6864s) Other officers responded. The bleeding was stopped. Some of the rounds went under his vest, nicked some vital organs. Got him stabilized. He's been transferred to Macon for, for greater, uh, attention and care. The suspect barricaded himself in his house. Once other law enforcement resources were brought to bear, he surrendered. [1:54:56](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6896s) He'll be taken to the Warner Robins Police Department. He will be Mirandized. [1:55:06](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6906s) And if you don't know what that means, he'll be read his rights under the Miranda decision to make sure he doesn't incriminate himself. He'll be made aware of all of his constitutional rights. If he's hungry, he'll be fed. If he's thirsty, he'll be given something to drink. He'll be provided with legal counsel, and the wheels of due process will start. Now, that officer had no due process this morning. He responded to help somebody, and somebody saw him as a threat, as a threat to what they wanted to do. [1:55:45](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6945s) And this is why the words we speak in this chamber are important. And this is why the late great comedian George Carlin said, "When your ideology becomes your identity, then you no longer matter." [1:56:05](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6965s) This officer mattered. What we say in this chamber matters. And Mr. President, I would ask for a moment of silent, uh, silence as we think about this officer, his family, his loved ones, and his fellow officers as he's, as he fights for his life today. The senator has requested a moment of silence. Let's please stand and give him that moment, and all our prayers go out to that family there in Houston County. [1:56:35](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=6995s) Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the well. Thank you, Senator. Recognizing the senator from the 44th for a point of personal privilege. [1:57:05](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7025s) Thank you, Mr. President. Today, Georgians woke up to a stunning and disturbing headline, the FBI raiding a Fulton County elections facility seeking ballots from the 2020 election, an election that was decided, audited, recounted, litigated, and certified more than five years ago. This is not normal. This is a man and a political party trapped in a fever dream. This is a political party terrified of telling one man the truth. [1:57:39](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7059s) I really should not have to repeat this truth, but for the sake of history, Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Donald Trump lost. Here in Georgia, we counted the ballots three times. We conducted a full hand recount. Courts at every level here and around the country rejected claims of fraud. Republican elected officials, including our Governor Kemp and Secretary Raffensperger, certified the results, and that should have been the end of it. [1:58:10](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7090s) But here we are again. [1:58:12](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7092s) With new chapters to this tired, old, desperate story. It disturbs me that Republicans in this chamber could not summon the courage to stand up to Donald Trump after the murder of Alex Preddy. But now [1:58:36](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7116s) can we not bring ourselves to say aloud what every American already knows, that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election? But of course, it's more than that. He may have lost his mind. This endless indulgence of Trump's fantasy is tearing our country apart and our democracy apart. It foments violence against election workers and politicians with all too real consequences. I know I was not the only elected official in Georgia who had to have security after Rudy Giuliani's traveling circus was given a hearing by this body as Donald Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election. [1:59:19](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7159s) Ruby Freeman, Shaye Moss, Governor Kemp, Secretary Raffensperger, former Lieutenant Governor Duncan, they all had it far worse. And I am astonished that we are reliving that sorry episode, that stain on this body, on this state senate, that that was permitted here in this Capitol. The message that we're sending voters is that truth is optional, facts are partisan, and elections are only legitimate when Republicans win. [1:59:56](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7196s) The people of Georgia were ready to move on from 2020 in January of 2021. They want better schools, affordable healthcare and housing, safe communities, and economic opportunity. Instead, they're watching as their state government is dragged backwards into conspiracy theories and grievance politics. The number of swing voters in Georgia that care about Fulton County ballots from 2020 is zero. [2:00:28](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7228s) What they care about is whether their leaders can govern responsibly in 2026 and 2027. And I'm sorry to repeat what many people are thinking, but the answer from today's Republican Party to that question increasingly appears to be no, because a party that cannot front reality cannot govern. [2:00:56](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7256s) Republicans should really be ashamed that Georgia has become ground zero for this national spectacle of denial. Once upon a time, not so long ago, in fact, when I was first elected in 2010, the parties differed over taxes, the, and the size and scope of government. Abortion, maybe. And those were serious, consequential debates among people who loved their country. [2:01:27](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7287s) But what we're witnessing right now, this is not the country or the government that I grew up with. Today, federal law enforcement resources are being consumed to chase down conspiracies that were debunked years ago. The Secretary of State is being pressured to violate the law. [2:01:51](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7311s) Republicans should be ashamed, and I am sure that many are, that our democracy is being treated like a toy to soothe one man's wounded pride. [2:02:05](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7325s) Colleagues, we make progress for Georgians and this great state when we work together on things that actually affect their lives. Let's quit the repetitive nonsense on 2020 and get to work. [2:02:22](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7342s) Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the wealth. [2:02:30](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7350s) Recognize the senator from the ninth. [2:02:47](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7367s) Okay, first, uh, thank you, Mr. President. First, I wanna recognize, before I get off on another topic, uh, they were just in the chamber. It was Building Babies Gwinnett. They are here to visit us today. And Gwinnett Building Babies is a community that, uh, collaborates the focus on ensuring that our children enter kindergarten ready to learn and thrive. They're a group of businesses, volunteers, and community nonprofits, um, and they are asking for our support and asking for our support in the legislature so they can continue their program. So I'm gonna pivot from there, um, because I did wanna recognize them 'cause they were guests here. [2:03:23](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7403s) And first of all, I wanna say that I am truly sorry, senator from the 29th, about the officer that lost his life. I mourn the death of any of our highly trained local law enforcement. And I want you all to know that Democrats stand behind our highly trained, highly vetted local law enforcement not wearing masks, and that's who we're talking about. [2:03:56](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7436s) So I, I came up here so we can make that distinction because I'm unhappy with that narrative, and we've been very clear about who we're talking about. We're talking about mass poorly trained, because they were trained to cut co- corners so they could get through the process and get a, uh, get a badge to be ICE [2:04:22](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7462s) They're the ones terrorizing our communities. That's what we're talking about. Our local law enforcement, and they are servants, and we understand fully that they are working to protect us and make our communities feel safe. ICE is not making our communities feel safe. So please, if you're gonna quote us, I'm making sure today on the record you quote us properly. We're talking about Trump administration ICE running around with badges and names and masks, and we don't even know who they are, and they're not being held accountable for murder. [2:04:58](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7498s) That is not what our local law enforcement does. I know personally our Gwinnett County Police go through rigorous months of training about how to dis- deescalate situations. Situations that if they have to be in front of a car, how to deescalate that. [2:05:24](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7524s) None of you have made the distinction that maybe we've cut corners on how ICE is being trained, and maybe some proper procedures have not been fulfilled. So I'm gonna say it again. I and my party, I fully respect and thank our trained law enforcement that give their lives every day to protect our community. [2:05:57](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7557s) And with that, Mr. President, I yield the floor. Senator's yielded. Recognize the senator from the 27th. [2:06:15](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7575s) Thank you, Mr. President. Wanna remind everyone what happened yesterday as it relates to the actual fact pattern of law. And a warrant was issued by a magistrate judge based on probable cause after evidence was submitted. Not a Trump appointed judge, a magistrate judge. That is the way that the law enforcement process works in America. But we have heard repeatedly that everything was perfect with 2020. [2:06:49](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7609s) In fact, I think we probably at this point could trademark the most secure election in American history. What qualifications we use to measure that, I have no idea. But let's go back to what actually happened in 2020 if we're gonna have the conversation. Drop boxes invented out of thin air, nowhere in Georgia law. Mobile voting units moving through Fulton County to 80% Democrat precincts, 81% Democrat precincts to be precise. [2:07:21](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7641s) Nowhere envisioned in Georgia law. 6.8 million absentee ballot request forms with a first class stamp sent to every registered voter in the state of Georgia. Nowhere envisioned in Georgia law. If you count the same ballots three times, in theory, you should get numbers that match. But that didn't happen either. Let's talk about the recount that happened. [2:07:53](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7673s) 3,930 double scanned ballots in Fulton County alone. Thousands of those have been confirmed by the State Election Board. Governor Kemp actually raised the concerns of the Moncal- Moncalieri report, and we now know that there were double scanned ballots. But even after the ballots were double scanned in Fulton County, did the numbers match on the second recount? Nope. They were still off by 850 ballots. Not one person here can answer the question of how that happened, and that is a legitimate question. [2:08:28](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7708s) We know that ballot images were deleted. We know that test ballots were included in the recount process, and we have that confirmed. But I wanna take just a minute and talk about what the Democrats did in response to legitimate questions over the 2020 election. A former constituent of mine, Derek Somerville, former FBI agent, ran data analysis along with another gentleman named Mark Davis. And remember the 6.8 million absentee ballot request forms that were sent out? [2:08:59](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7739s) They had a first class stamp. So that means if you filed the national change of address form, that was automatically forwarded to your new address. And they identified reasonable cause to question the validity of 39,141 of those, uh, ballots that were cast. They knew that 160 people had been registered to vote from a single UPS store, 2,138 people had been registered to vote from one church in Fulton County, 1,391 had been registered to vote from a shuttered 1,000 square foot building in Fulton County. [2:09:36](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7776s) And lest you, lest you think Fulton County has cleaned up their voter rolls, today, thousands of people are registered to vote in Fulton County at UPS stores, storage units, pack mails, homeless shelters that haven't been open for over five years. The Fulton County voter rolls have been and continue to be a mess. But when Derek Somerville and Mark Davis followed the law and filed objections to those voters, what did the Democrats do? [2:10:06](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7806s) Well, Stacey Abrams sued them in federal court, and they won. Not Stacey Abrams, but Somerville and Davis won. Judge Jones, not a Republican judge, ruled in their favor. What have we learned since then about those 39,000 voters? 12,000 of them have been removed from the voter rolls because Somerville and Davis were correct that they no longer, were no longer eligible to vote. 9,500 have updated their address to a new address outside of Fulton County, proving once again that Somerville and Davis were correct and those people were ineligible to vote. [2:10:42](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7842s) Ultimately, eighty-four percent of the votes that, of the eligibility that Somerville and Davis challenged were proven to have been invalid voters in the twenty twenty election. So let's stop this charade of the most perfect, most secure election in history. But more importantly, and I would agree with my colleagues on this, let's look forward to the future elections, and it's darn near past time for Fulton County to clean up their voter rolls. [2:11:14](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7874s) Senator's yielded. Recognize the senator from the thirty-fifth. Do you wish to speak of the well? Yes. You gotta go around, Senator. [2:11:29](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7889s) I would pick at you, but you got a serious look on your face, so you might be, you might have a serious conversation right now. [2:11:38](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7898s) All right. [2:11:42](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7902s) Thank you, Mr. President. [2:11:50](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7910s) Trust in our government is at an all-time low. [2:11:57](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7917s) Trust in our institutions at an all-time low. The cost of everything is at an all-time high. King Jesus is still on the throne. Release the Epstein files. I yield the well. [2:12:16](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7936s) Recognize the senator from the thirty-seventh. [2:12:44](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7964s) Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, the Senate, I rise today in a spirit of somber hopefulness. I'm somber today for a different topic than has been talked about, but one that has been plaguing us for decades and ones that we can no longer ignore. [2:13:05](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=7985s) The epidemic I'm talking about is the epidemic of fatherlessness in our culture. The condition in which either fathers or in many cases mothers are not in the lives of their kids because our current laws in Georgia give no direction to the judiciary for shared parenting. I bring this before you today, colleagues, because Senate Bill four zero four, which is not before you today as a proposition, but it will be before the Senate, uh, shortly, raises this question of the powerful data we've seen from other states and we've seen from other nations of the power of shared parenting. [2:13:47](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8027s) There's a recognition that in Georgia last year, forty-six percent of all children born across all socioeconomic categories, forty-six percent were born out of wedlock. And with a divorce rate that approaches fifty percent, I suggest to you friends, the most important decision in the lives of many of our Georgia's children is the decision of who gets custody and how much custody does mom have and dad have, how much time is mom and dad gonna spend in the lives of their children? [2:14:26](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8066s) I say this because the stakes are high. On your desk, senators, is a, is a chart that I brought for you today that shows the amount of time that children spend with their non-custodial parent. In fact, Georgia as a state among our fifty states is in the bottom five of the amount of time children spend with their non-custodial parents. The bottom five. This affects moms as non-custodial parents and dads as non-custodial parents. But when you look at the statistics here, you see states that have gotten this right, that share as the default condition fifty-fifty between mom and dad include Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, [2:15:11](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8111s) M- Missouri, Arkansas, and others. In fact, what we've seen in those states is, is in passing shared parenting, where the default condition in our courts is that there's a fifty-fifty sharing between mom and dad in a custody hearing, and if judges in the best interest of the child decide by a pr- simple preponderance of the evidence that it ought to be something other than that, they can certainly order that, and they will. This is not gonna create a circumstance where a bad parent is gonna have an undue influence in a child's life. [2:15:42](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8142s) But what shared parenting Senate Bill four oh four does is it says for good parents, the default will be a fifty-fifty share. The data is clear, friends. You look at the research on this, thirty percent involvement in a child's life for a non-custodial father is defined as fatherlessness. It, so that means if thirty percent of the time a kid spends with a parent is with dad, if it's, if it's thirty percent or less, that's considered a fatherless child for academic research. We recognize when that's the case, the, the, the circumstances of crime and, and all kinds of problems spike in the lives of kids. [2:16:21](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8181s) Our prison system is filled with fatherless men and women, people who weren't raised with dad in their home. And again, equal parenting, though it supports non-custodial moms and dads, we recognize the impact of this, and I will tell you, we are the bottom five states, amongst the bottom five states in the nation in terms of the times non-custodial parents have with their kids, and that is contributing to our epidemic. [2:16:44](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8204s) Friends, Senate Bill 404, uh, which will be before this body shortly, is supported by data. We saw the divorce rate in Kentucky decrease by 18% in the years after passing their bill. We've seen domestic violence go down by 20% across the states. In fact, even in Spain, they, they, some of the provinces in Spain implemented this. Those that implemented shared parenting, they saw domestic violence go down 20% compared to those that did not. It's true in Ohio versus Kentucky. It's true across our states. [2:17:16](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8236s) And friends, I would propose to you today that if we care about our kids and we're trying to solve systemic problems that have been plaguing our culture for decades, shared parenting is a critical part of that solution, and that's why I raised to you today these somber statistics, but I raise them with hope that we, the General Assembly, can do something about this, and do something about this we shall. With that, Mr. President, I yield the will. [2:17:47](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8267s) Senator's yielded. Recognize the senator from the 34th for a point of personal privilege. [2:18:03](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8283s) You got something happy and bubbly, Donzella? No. No? Of course not. Oh, okay. Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, colleagues. Yesterday's raid on Fortson County's elections headquarters was not a isolated incident. It was the latest conspiracy theory surrounding the 2020 elections. It was a theory continued to erode the foundation of our democracy. [2:18:34](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8314s) Every time we indulge of the fantasy that the elections were stolen, every time we repeat this excuse, we chip away at the very system of generations of Americans that defend our very lives. I've served this country until retirement. I wore the uniform. I stood watch. I defended the principle of government for the people, by the people, for the people. [2:19:11](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8351s) I did not defend a king. I did not swear to an oath of a strong man who treated the law enforcement like a personal plaything, since chasing conspiracy's better than suit the oppressive state than a free society. Democracy is not a suitable for loyalty to one man. [2:19:41](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8381s) It is suitable by truth, resistance, and the respect of the rule of law. We could do better. We must do better. I yield the will. [2:19:58](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8398s) All right. Senator's yielded. I'd also like to... There was a, uh, someone as- a s- senator asked that, uh, unanimous consent be given to senator from the 55th to be excused, and without objection, senator from the 55th will be excused. [2:20:21](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8421s) He's back. He's back. Oh, he's back. All right. Well, it's wonderful to have you, Senator. I don't know how I missed your 6'5" self walking in here, so... [2:20:33](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8433s) You have before you a consent calendar of privileged resolutions. Does any senator wish to remove a resolution from the consent calendar? Is there objection to the adoption resolution on the consent calendar? Chair hears none, and the resolution on the consent calendars are adopted. [2:20:59](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8459s) Secretary, read the resolutions. [2:21:03](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8463s) Senate Resolution Number 645 by Senators Walker, Walker III of the 20th and others. Resolution calling a joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate for the purpose of hearing a message from the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, inviting each other justice of the Supreme Court and each judge of the Court of Appeals to be present at the joint session and for other purposes. [2:21:26](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8486s) Mr. President, Senators Walker III of the 20th offers the following amendment: amend SR, Senate Resolution 645 by striking Clerk of the House on line 15 and inserting in its place Secretary of the Senate. Mr. President, that completes the order. Recognize the pro tem speaks to the resolution. [2:21:48](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8508s) Thank you, Mr- thank you, Mr. President. Uh, Senate Resolution 645 is a, just a con- traditional thing we do every year about the joint session. There was a scrivener's error, uh, saying the Clerk of the House on line 15, and it needs to say Secretary of the Senate. So I would ask for unanimous consent on the adopting the amendment so we can correct the scrivener's error. Thank you. [2:22:15](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8535s) Senator's yielded. [2:22:30](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8550s) Is there objection to the adoption of the resolution? To the amendment, sir. The question on the adoption of the amendment one by the senator from the 20th, is there objection to the adoption of the, of that amendment? Hearing none, amendment one is adopted. Secretary will read- [2:22:54](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8574s) Without objection, the resolution is amended and the resolution is adopted. [2:23:19](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8599s) Recognize the majority leader for a motion. [2:23:22](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8602s) Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand adjourned pursuant to HR998 until 10:00 AM, Monday, February 2nd. [2:23:28](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8608s) Secretary, read the announcements. [2:23:33](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8613s) The Rules Committee will meet in room 450 of the Capitol upon adjournment. At 10:00 AM, the floor session of... Oh, what? At 1:00 PM, the Education and Youth Committee in 30- 307 CLOB has been canceled. The State and Local Governmental Operations Committee in Mezzanine 1 at 2:00 PM. Urban Affairs Committee in room 125 of the Capitol will meet at 2:00 PM. The Judiciary Committee at 2:00 PM has been canceled. That was in room 307 CLOB. [2:24:06](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8646s) The Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee will meet in room 450 of the Capitol at 3:00 PM, and the Insurance and Labor Committee at 4:00 PM, that would meet in Mezzanine 1, has been canceled. Mr. President, that completes the order. [2:24:21](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8661s) Any other senators have any announcements? [2:24:26](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8666s) Senator from the, the majority leader has moved that the Senate stand adjourned until Monday, 10:00 AM. All those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. [2:24:37](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8677s) Aye. [2:24:37](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8677s) All those opposed, no. [2:24:40](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8680s) No. [2:24:40](https://vimeo.com/1159307570#t=8680s) The ayes clearly have it. Everybody have a good weekend.