Senate floor session, February 11, 2026 (legislative day 17)

Transcript

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1. 0:21:48

   Good morning. Good morning. The time for convening has arrived. The Senate will come to order. At this time, I'll ask the senator from the 6th to read, give us a report on the journal. Good morning, Mr. President. The journal is sound. Mr. President, we got some great pages here today with some very challenging names, but I did a little practicing, so we're gonna see how I did, do.

2. 0:22:26

   Out of Fairburn, we have Casey Aracora. From Milledgeville, Jana Baladwala. From Augusta, no, and from Augusta, Kirsten Coachman. Also from Augusta, Colton Crawford and Demuntrez Gardner. From Hephzibah, we have Kalia Green and Amaya Green-Ayres.

3. 0:22:56

   From Savannah, Ava Herndon. From Augusta, Kevin Mays. From Marietta, Sahil Patel. From Kathleen, Eleanor Perdue. From John's Creek, Amber Quinn. From Cordele, Stefan Robinson. From Milledgeville, Session Roshan. From Milton, Nathan Sivaganesh.

4. 0:23:28

   From Stockbridge, Lucy Sullers. From Valdosta, Charlie Tyre. And from Hephzibah, Isaiah Young. Y'all give these pages a big round of applause. We appreciate y'all being here to serve the great people of the great state of Georgia. Mr. President, the journal has been read and found to be correct. I move we dispense with the move, with the reading of the journal.

5. 0:23:59

   All right. Thank you, Senator, and thank you for the pages that are here today as well. We appreciate all, appreciate all the young people coming out and spending time with us today.

6. 0:24:18

   Is there objection to the dispensing of the reading of the journal?

7. 0:24:22

   No. Chair hears none. The reading of the journal is dispensed with. Is there objection of the confirmation of the journal? Chair hears none. The journal is confirmed. All senators who have bills and resolutions to introduce, please bring them to the secretary's desk at this time. We have first reading- First reading of the journal ... first reading and references of Senate bills and resolutions. Secretary? Senate Bill 44 by Senator Setzler of the 37th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend- Education ... Senate Bill 485 by Senators Payne of the 54th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 1 of Chapter 10A.

8. 0:24:55

   Regulated Industries. Senate Bill 486 by Senators Dolezal of the 27th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 3 of- Judiciary. Senate Bill 487 by Senators Hickman of the 4th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 14 of Title 20 of the Official Code- Education and Youth. Senate Bill 488 by Senator Setzler of the 37th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 51 of the Official Code of Georgia annotated. Judiciary. Senate Bill 489 by Senators Goodman of the 8th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 11 of Title 14- Retirement.

9. 0:25:27

   Senate Bill 490 by Senators Wicks of the 34th and others, a bill to be entitled an act- Education and Youth. Senate Bill 491 by Senator Setzler of the 37th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend an act- State and Local Government. Senate Bill 492 by Senator Setzler of the 37th and others, a bill to be entitled- State and Local Government.

10. 0:25:45

    Oh, sorry. Senate Bill 493 by Senators Kemp of the 38th and others, a bill to be- Education and Youth. Senate Bill 494 by Senator Summers of the 13th and others, a bill to be entitled an act- State and Local Government. Senate Resolution 744 by Senators Brass of the 6th and others, a resolution recognizing May 2nd, 2026, as Stilettos on Steel Day and International Female Ride Day in Georgia, and for other purposes. Rules. Mr. President, that completes the order. First reading and references of House bills. House Bill 944 by Representative McDonald, the 3rd of the 26th, a bill to be entitled an act to amend- Transportation ...

11. 0:26:16

    House Bill 1015 by Representative Workerheiser of the 157th, a bill to be entitled an act- Insurance and Labor. House Resolution 1050 by Representatives Green of the 154th and others- State Institutions and Property. House Resolution 1051 by Representatives Green of the 154th and others- State Institutions and Property. Mr. President, that completes the order.

12. 0:26:42

    Secretary will read reports of standing committees. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Education and Youth 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 471, due pass. Senate Bill 369, due pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Hickman of the 4th District. Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Retirement 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 452, due pass. Senate Bill 157, due pass.

13. 0:27:14

    Respectfully submitted, Senator Williams of the 25th District. Chairman. Mr. President, that completes the order.

14. 0:28:42

    Secretary will read bills and resolutions for the second time. Senate Bill 437 by Senator Dixon of the 45th and others, state building, plumbing, and electrical codes, acknowledgement of an applicant's use of a private professional provider to conduct a plan review or inspection, provide. Senate Bill 476 by Senator Tillery of the 19th and others, Income Tax Reduction Act of 2026, enact. Senate Bill 477 by Senator Tillery of the 19th and others, income taxes, personal income tax rate, reduce. Mr. President, that completes the order.

15. 0:29:16

    It is now time for the morning roll call. Are there any motions to excuse? Recognize the senator from the seventh.

16. 0:29:24

    Recognize the senator from the 31st. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 16th for business outside the Capitol. Without objection, the senator from the 16th is excused. Recognize the senator from the 44th. Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 22nd for business inside the Capitol. Without objection, the senator from the 22nd is excused. Recognize the senator from the 33rd. Thank you, Mr. President, and good morning to you all. I ask unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the fifth for business outside the Capitol.

17. 0:29:58

    Without objection, the senator from the fifth is excused. Recognize the senator from the 29th. Yes, Mr., uh, Mr. President, I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 56th for business outside the Capitol and the senator from the 30th for business inside the Capitol. Without objection, the senators from the 56th and 30th are excused. Any other motions to excuse? Secretary will call the roll. Senators, signify your presence by voting the yeas switch. Secretary, unlock the machine.

18. 0:31:31

    It is now time for our message of the day, and to lead us in our Pledge of Allegiance and introduce our pa- pastor of the day is the senator from the 32nd. Senator. Thank you, Mr. President. Please join me as we honor our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

19. 0:32:05

    Now the Georgia flag. I pledge allegiance to the Georgia flag, to the principles for which it stands: wisdom, justice, moderation, and courage. Thank you, colleagues. You may have noticed that today's National Guard Day, and you'll hear more about that in a little bit. But I want to introduce you to our chaplain of the day, Colonel John Pirtle IV. He is a native Atlantan, and he currently lives in Canton, and he is the pastor at Christ Covenant Church.

20. 0:32:40

    But in addition to that, he has more than one job. He's a chaplain for the Army National Guard, and he's also a chaplain for the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. He is a self-professed history and English nerd, and he teaches at the college level, and he's done that at many colleges, but currently he teaches at the University of West Georgia. He's married, has two kids, one grandkid, and I won't take up any more time. Please meet Colonel Reverend Pirtle.

21. 0:33:14

    Thank you, ma'am. Good morn- good morning, everybody. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you briefly. Just wanted to, uh, speak to you on the theme of victory. Regardless of your lane, I'm probably, uh, confident in saying that you are concerned with victory from your lane. I want to read a text to you from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy chapter 20, verses one through four, this is what the word of the Lord says there: "When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them.

22. 0:33:52

    For the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people and say to them, 'Hear, O Israel. Today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies. Let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them. For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you the victory.'" To give you the victory.

23. 0:34:28

    Two questions for you this morning. What's your initial reaction or gut instinct when you have a battle on your hands? And secondly, what does scripture say about where the Christian's reliance should be? In the passage above from Deuteronomy chapter 20, God is instructing the leader of the people, the shepherd, the pastor, if you will, Moses, and he's instructing Moses about the theme of warfare and upon what footing and what grounding we should enter into combat.

24. 0:35:00

    God knows all things, and he knows all people through and through, but God teaches Moses some fundamentals about whom and what to rely upon when facing battles. In, in verse one of that text from Deuteronomy 20, the first thing that God instructs Moses is, "Fear not. Fear not. You shall not be afraid of them." The second thing that Moses says there, or that God says to Moses, God teaches Moses why he is not to fear. It comes right there in verse one, "For the Lord your God is with you." I would assume in your lane that you may enter these halls some days, and you might never express it verbally, but you might think, "What ground am I standing upon?

25. 0:35:45

    What is a sure footing?" Don't ever forget, if you're a believer, the Lord your God is with you. Third thing that God instructs Moses there is he says it is God who grants the victory. Verse four says, "For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you the victory." So if I could just leave you with one thought this morning, I have no idea where each of you is in terms of your spiritual state

26. 0:36:17

    But I know wherever you are, spiritual warfare is inevitable. In the new, in the new covenant, in the New Testament letter of Ephesians, Paul writes this, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over the present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. But if you are in Christ, victory belongs to the Lord. Keep short accounts with the Lord, work hard, and trust God with the results." Is it okay if I pray for you?

27. 0:36:58

    Our Father, I thank you for the opportunity to be your minister for your Gospel. No moralism, no secular humanism, no system exists that reconciles us sinners to you, but only through the person and work of Christ Jesus there is hope. Lord, I lift these, your servants, before you today and in the days to come, and I pray that you shape them with acute minds and characters that reflect the image of God that they all bear. Again, I thank you for this time, and I pray for Christ's glory.

28. 0:37:31

    Amen. Amen. Thank you. I appreciate it.

29. 0:44:48

    It is, uh, always a pleasure to have our, and recognize our doctors of the day. Uh, we have ver- another very special physician here today, and always glad to have each and every one that will come and volunteer their time. To introduce our doc of the day, I'll recognize the senator from the 14th to introduce our doc of the day. Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning from the medical capital of Georgia, Senate District 14. I'm honored once again today to introduce our doctor of the day.

30. 0:45:19

    Today's doctor is Dr. Kristin Higgins. Uh, she is the chief clinical officer at the City of Hope Cancer Center, Atlanta, located in Newnan. She is a radiation oncologist who did her training in Durham at Duke University Medical Center. Um, she, in her own words, the kind of doctor you don't want to see, but hopefully, uh, she will be able to handle any of your, uh, broken odds and ends today down in the Capital Clinic on the second floor, and we hope that's not necessary. Uh, please help me welcome Dr. Kristin Higgins to the Capitol.

31. 0:45:52

    Hey. Thank you all so much. It's a real honor to be here. And I just wanted to thank you for everything that you do, um, working on all of the legislation, um, for the people of Georgia, and really helping us to be as healthy as we can be and have the best health outcomes. That's near and dear to my heart. So just thank you for all of your hard work. It does not go unnoticed. And please come visit me, um, in the first aid station if you have any symptoms at all. So happy to be here. All right. Thank you. Mm-hmm. Thanks very much.

32. 0:47:46

    We have some very special guests from CHOA here today. Uh, Secretary, read the resolution. Senate Resolution 642 by Senator Parent of the 44th and others. A resolution recognizing February 7th through the 14th, 2026 as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the State Capitol and for other purposes. Whereas over one million families across America face the challenges and hardships of raising children with congenital heart defects. Each year, approximately 40,000 babies are born in the United States with these conditions. And now therefore, be it resolved by the Senate that the members of this body recognize February 7th through the 14th, 2026 as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the State Capitol.

33. 0:48:20

    Mr. President, I complete the order. Is there objection to the adoption of the resolution? Chair hears none. Adoption, and the resolution is adopted. Recognize the senator from the 44th to speak to the resolution. Thank you, Mr. President. It is my true honor to present the resolution to recognize this week as Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week at the Capitol.

34. 0:48:52

    We have a whole panoply of very special guests up here with me today. We've got, uh, Hope and Will, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's beloved mascots, recognizable to all of us. We also have two of our therapy, um, dogs who you can't really see right now, which I'm struggling with because I want y'all, y'all to be able to see them during the presentation, but they'll come back around. Um, and they do such a great job. Uh, some r- other representatives, um, from CHOA and from the Heart Association.

35. 0:49:26

    And most special, we have the five members of the Hudson family, uh, Marquarius, Joy, Royal and Saint, and Baby Joyel. Joyel is 22 months old and was diagnosed at, uh, while young, obviously, with a CAVV. This means this is a congenital heart defect, and it means that her heart has one large shared valve instead of two separate ones.

36. 0:50:01

    Joyel's condition impacts one in every 15,000 to 17,000 births each year. As a matter of fact, heart defects are the most common birth defects in the United States, affecting four, approximately 40,000 babies born each year. These conditions vary in type and severity.

37. 0:50:31

    There could be a small hole between the two upper chambers of the heart or a hole between the two lower chambers. Each of those conditions would prevent proper blood, blood flow throughout the body.

38. 0:50:46

    Or perhaps, uh, someone could be born with a, a connection between the two major arteries of the heart that does not close after birth. There are many others. Some of, of these congenital heart defects are dis- are, uh, diagnosed at birth, but many others are not, and if undiagnosed, could lead to cases of sudden cardiac death, especially in young athletes.

39. 0:51:17

    And despite all of the alarming statistics and that this is the most common birth defect, um, in our, our country, uh, newborns and young athletes are not regularly screened for heart defects. This, um, congenital heart defects are, are very near and dear to my heart in particular. My, one of my beloved aunts, um, my Aunt Mary Ann, who we called Aunt Mouse, she passed away a few weeks ago, uh, due to heart failure from her congenital heart defect.

40. 0:51:51

    She was not diagnosed until she was about 20 years old. She collapsed at a dance and had to be rushed to the hospital, and that's when her congenital heart defect was discovered. She, sh- she, uh, when her death occurred a few weeks ago, she was 78 years old. So she really was a miracle of modern medicine. Um, but it was a battle for her, for her entire life.

41. 0:52:21

    And as she grew older, um, her malfunctioning heart led her to have to be frequently in the hospital for severe, um, atrial fibrillation. And her blood, her failure of her heart to, to pump blood efficiently meant that her, um, that fluid built up, would have severe build-up in her body. And her feet, for example, would be swollen and red because her heart simply could not pump her blood through her body.

42. 0:52:54

    But she was one of the lucky ones, and there are so many, um, like Joyelle, like young athletes who may collapse at fall football, uh, pre-training season that we often read about, who are not as lucky. And we w- and we need to have more work to do to help all of these patients. My aunt's story actually has a, a really, uh, wonderful silver lining. Were it not for this condition, she may never have met my uncle.

43. 0:53:25

    He was a hospital orderly when at 20 she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. He said, "Oh, this new patient who came in is pretty cute," and that was it, and they were married for 55 years.

44. 0:53:38

    Aw.

45. 0:53:39

    Yeah. So love and care go a long way, but we can do better as a body to try to catch and prevent, um, congenital heart defects. Um, the, the, the lifelong care needed for these patients is also a reason that I have filed, um, SB 481, which would cover heart and lung transplants under Medicaid. We're actually the only state that has the capabilities to do those transplants where they are not covered under Medicaid.

46. 0:54:10

    And this is a, a bipartisan issue that many are talking about and that I'm working on with Piedmont, Emory, and the Medical Association of Georgia. So, um, just putting in a plug for that while we talk about these defects. I really want to thank the Hudson, uh, family and all the other advocates who are up here. We've got some other young patients. Please give them a round of applause. Yeah. Yay.

47. 0:54:40

    Hi. Who are all here, uh, yeah, if y- if y'all haven't looked at this little cutie who's standing up and waving at you, you really have to. She's a firecracker, clearly. Thank you for coming and, and e- and educating us. Uh, and thank you to all of these special guests and always to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, which does a tremendous job. Thank you, Mr. President.

48. 0:55:01

    Thank you.

49. 0:57:05

    We have some more very special guests here today. And to, Secretary, read the resolution and then I'll introduce the senator to introduce our friends here.

50. 0:57:16

    Senate Resolution 640 by Senator Ginn of the 47th and others. A resolution recognizing family and consumer sciences and for other purposes. Whereas family and consumer sciences is a fa- comprehensive body of research, knowledge, and skills and helps make people make informed decisions about their wellbeing, relationships, and resources to achieve their optimal quality of life. And whereas family and consumer science professionals with unique focus on families, work, and their interrelationships empower individuals and families to manage the challenges of living and working in a diverse global society. Now therefore be it resolved by the Senate that the members of this body recognize the affiliates, communities, and other entities within family and consumer sciences and support and facilitate the development of implementation of national, state, and local intervention strategies to sustain family and consumer sciences in the current and economic education environment.

51. 0:58:02

    Mr. President, that completes the order.

52. 0:58:26

    Is there objection to the adoption of resolution? Chair hears none. The resolution is adopted. Recognize the senator from the 47th to introduce our friend.

53. 0:58:37

    Thank you very much, Mr. President. You know, I look over here at my president, and it's always great to be a Bulldog. The, uh, you know, and it's be- even better today to the, uh, where I've got a s- uh, Whole platform full of folks that are all good Bulldogs from the University of Georgia Family and Consumer Science. They, uh, today we, we wanna honor their service to Georgia and what it means 'cause, you know, you can look at me and I, I can look at y'all and I know that we all like to eat, we all like to eat healthy, we like to eat economical, we like to live well, and that's what FACS is all about.

54. 0:59:13

    And to me, I, I can tell you a little bit of personal side of things. As a 1949 graduate of the University of Georgia College of Home Economics, my mom was a predecessor to what we to- today call FACS. I'm gonna call on Dr. Allison Penn to introduce our platform guest and talk a little bit about what's going on at the University of Georgia FACS program. But before I do, I've got one FACS student up here and I'm gonna ask her to step forward. So they, uh, I want everybody in here to recognize Bella Brim.

55. 0:59:46

    Bella is a FACS student today. She'll be graduating this semester, or at the end of this semester. The, uh, she's from Dawson, Georgia, and she's what makes our office tick. The, uh, it's great to have, I think she's my 16th FACS student up here to Capitol, and it's great to have Bella here with us, but I wanted to introduce y'all all to her, and y'all to her and her to y'all. So, uh, Dr. Penn, so they, I'm gonna let you come on up here and speak a little bit to the resolution. But let's give them a warm welcome and a go Dogs.

56. 1:00:21

    Good morning. On behalf of the Family and Consumer Sciences profession, which includes, uh, our Georgia Family and Consumer Sciences teachers, students in high school and college, and other representatives of Family and Consumer Sciences, thank you, Senators and Senator Ginn, and-

57. 1:00:42

    Senator Cowsert as well

58. 1:00:43

    ... and Senator Cowsert and, uh, President Jones for recognizing today as Family and Consumer Sciences Day. We are extremely proud of this profession, and I do wanna take advantage of the opportunity to introduce the individuals who are behind me. So I would like to introduce Dr. Carmen Peterson to the University of Georgia. She is representing the Georgia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Kayla Hartline, who is up there in Chattooga County, who repr- who is representing the Georgia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.

59. 1:01:19

    Angelica Bridges, one of my very own Family and Consumer Sciences agent, who is an extension agent in Bartow County. And Julie Patterson, who is representing, also res- representing the Georgia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, and is with the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences. So as Senator Ginn alluded, we make a difference in Family and Consumer Sciences in the lives of people across this state.

60. 1:01:50

    We train the workforce and we educate individuals about how to lead a better life and how to make better decisions so that they have a good quality of life. We educate individuals about health, about finance, about consumer economics, about human development across a lifespan, about how to raise their children, how to be good parents, how to feed their family well. And we do this through a profession that is broadly stretched across the State of Georgia.

61. 1:02:22

    It is our pleasure and our honor to be represented in a, represented, represented with you today, and to have the opportunity to enjoy the recognition that you all provide us by proclaiming today Family and Consumer Sciences Day. Thank you very much for this privilege. I do also wanna recognize our Family and Consumer Sciences intern, Bella, who has done an amazing job today. Thank you very much for the honor.

62. 1:02:50

    Good job. Good

63. 1:04:22

    job.

64. 1:04:22

    All right, we've got some very special, uh, members of the law enforcement family here with us today. Secretary, read the caption.

65. 1:04:30

    Senate Resolution 5066 by Senators Albers of the 56th and others. A resolution recognizing February 11th, 2026, as Police Chiefs and Head of Law Enforcement Agencies Recognition Day at the Capitol and for other purposes. Whereas the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police is an organization of honorable men and women dedicated to the preservation of life and property of Georgia citizens in a professional and ethical manner. And whereas these brave law enforcement leaders provide public service above and beyond the call of duty, often at great personal risk and tremendous sacrifice, not only to themselves, but also their, to their families.

66. 1:05:01

    Now therefore be it resolved by the Senate that the members of this body recognize February 11th, 2026, as Police Chi- Police Chiefs and Head of Law Enforcement Agencies Recognition Day at the Capitol. Mr. President, that completes the order.

67. 1:05:14

    Is there objections to the adoption of the resolution? Chair hears none. The resolution is adopted. Recognize the senator from the 29th to introduce our special guest.

68. 1:05:25

    Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I stand up here today, uh, for our distinguished senator from the 56th to recognize the men and women that represent the police officers throughout the State of Georgia. We see a lot of good men and women out every day in their cars patrolling neighborhoods, taking care of businesses, and serving and protecting. They're extremely professional and well-trained. They would not be without great leadership, and the men and women behind me represent that great leadership.

69. 1:05:58

    And now I would like to introduce to you from Albany State University, Police Chief Allen.

70. 1:06:04

    Thank you.

71. 1:06:05

    Yes, ma'am.

72. 1:06:06

    Thank you.

73. 1:06:11

    Thank you. Greetings and good morning to all the guests and those that are distinguished guests that are assembled here on today. On behalf of GACP, it is an honor to stand before you on today. We really appreciate your support for GACP, but we also wanna ask you to continue to keep our law enforcement men and women in blue and their families in prayer, especially for those who have lost loved ones in the line of duty. Thank you for supporting GACP as we continue to move the needle and support the state of Georgia.

74. 1:06:41

    May God continue to bless you all and the state of Georgia. Thank you.

75. 1:08:12

    Obviously, it is, uh, National Guard Day here at the, at the Capitol. We always love to see our men and women in, of, in service visit us today and, and, uh, we're very glad to have them here in the chamber. And Secretary, read the resolution and then I'll introduce the senator who will introduce our good friends here. Senate Resolution 701 by Senators Payne of the 54th and others. A resolution recognizing February 11th, 2026 as National Guard Day at the State Capitol and for other purposes. Whereas the Georgia Department of Defense is headquartered at the Clay National Guard Center in Marietta, Georgia and includes the Georgia Army National Guard, the Georgia Air National Guard, and the Georgia State Defense Force.

76. 1:08:50

    And whereas the Georgia Department of Defense consists of more than 11,600 Army National Guard soldiers, 2,900 Air National Guardmen, 500 State Defense Force volunteers, and nearly 500 state employees. And now therefore, be it resolved by the Senate that the members of this body recognize February 11th, 2026 as National Guard Day at the State Capitol and commend the men and women of the Georgia National Guard for their strength, leadership, courage, and selfless service. Mr. President, I complete the order. Is there objection to the adoption of resolution?

77. 1:09:21

    Chair hears none. The resolution is adopted. Recognize the senator from the 54 to introduce our special guests. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. Good morning, family. Uh, today is a very special day to have these, uh, fine folks with us. The best of our state has to offer are here with us today. Um, today we are here, I've done a resolution we have for, to honor the Georgia National, the Army National Guard, the Georgia Air National Guard, and the Georgia State Defense Force. Um, without these entities, it's not just a state issue, but an, a national issue and an international issue because since 2001, September 11, 2001, more than 35,000 soldiers and airmen have been deployed around the world to our nation's defense.

78. 1:10:07

    And it's my honor to introduce Major General Wilson, and he's gonna introduce his, the folks he has with him. Okay. Thanks for coming. Go, go. Thank you so much. Yeah.

79. 1:10:20

    Hey. Well, good morning. Lieutenant Governor, sir, uh, thank you as well, members of the Senate. Uh, just thanks a ton for allowing us to be here. I've got the entire, uh, team with me. So, uh, so the Deputy Adjutant General, Mr. Joe Ferrero, Jason Frahm who commands the Georgia Army National Guard, uh, Chief Dent is our senior, uh, enlisted advisor for the Georgia Air National Guard, and then Tony Diehl, Colonel Tony Diehl, uh, retired, uh, Army Special Forces Colonel who we get, uh, back into our, uh, State Defense Force, and Tony does a great job with those folks.

80. 1:10:55

    We've got the whole team here with us, and we're excited, uh, to be here. So this, these guys never brag on themselves, so I'm gonna ask you just to bear with me for a few minutes 'cause I'm gonna brag, uh, on them, uh, and the folks that we have in the stands, uh, for just a few minutes. Uh, again, excited to be here. I'm honored to be able to, to get up here and just share, uh, a little bit with you. Most importantly, I wanna just highlight some of the accomplishments of the 15,000 men and women that make up the Georgia Army National Guard, the Georgia Air National Guard, volunteers from our, uh, Georgia State Defense Force, our federal and state civilian employees, all the folks that just make up, uh, the team.

81. 1:11:35

    These men and women selflessly serve our state and our nation, and they do it, uh, all over the world, both at home and abroad, and they do it with distinction and with courage. Now, I'm a little biased, but, but we have the best National Guard out of, out of the 54 states, territories, and the District of Columbia. The leaders standing here with me this morning, uh, routinely receive national level recognition. Recently, the Georgia Army National Guard was selected as 2025's Best National Guard Headquarters by the Association of the United States Army.

82. 1:12:10

    It's okay to clap. It's a big deal for these guys. Yeah.

83. 1:12:17

    Your Army National Guard won that award for 2025. Uh, additionally, the Georgia Air National Guard has received the Air and Space Force Operational Excellence Award for the last three out of five years, and that's certainly a big deal as well.

84. 1:12:38

    As the primary combat reserve of both the Army and the Air Force, we're more globally engaged than ever. As I stand here this morning, we have soldiers and airmen that are all over the world. They're in every geographic combatant command, not only protecting our own vital interests, our national interests, but assisting our partners and our allies, uh, in, with additional security, uh, in places like Europe, South America, the Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and then right here in the United States. We've got folks, uh, today along, uh, helping out along our southern border and then providing additional security at our nation's capital.

85. 1:13:13

    But that's not all that this team does. Unique to the National Guard is our ability to respond at the direction of the governor when we're needed right here at home. Just two weeks ago, we assisted our local communities and state partners during Winter Storm Fern, uh, primarily focused, uh, focused on some counties up in the northeastern part of the state, uh, but the team just did a great job, uh, helping out. Two years ago, these same men and women played a critical role in the state's response and recovery efforts during Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton, working side by side with first responders, uh...

86. 1:13:47

    and our county and state partners. Some of the teammates that have been involved in all of this, deploying around the world or helping out right here at home, some of them are with us here this morning. I'm gonna embarrass them a little bit. I'm gonna ask them to stand. Some of them are in the balconies up there, uh, a- above us. Please stand. And then I would ask you all to please join me in just recognizing them for their unparalleled service and sacrifice to our state and our nation. Please stand. Please stand. Yeah.

87. 1:14:23

    Hey, I'm happy to report to you this morning too, this doesn't happen in every state, but I'm happy to report to you that your National Guard is fully manned. The Georgia Army National Guard, uh, finished 2025 at almost 140% of the mission that was given, uh, uh, to them by the National Guard. They put more recruits into our formations than any other state did out of the 54. At the same time, the Georgia Air National Guard had their strongest recruiting year in two and a half decades, strongest recruiting year in 25 years. And both, uh, General Froman, uh, and Major General Crumble, who couldn't be here today, they're doing all of this while continuing to successfully transform their formations to meet emerging missions and requirements.

88. 1:15:04

    We continue, the Georgia National Guard continues to be selected to receive new force structure as both the Army and the Air Force execute the largest transformation and modernization efforts in almost 40 years. And just like Governor Kemp, uh, and you all, just like you all have worked tirelessly to make Georgia the best state in the nation to do business, we're working hard to make Georgia and the Georgia National Guard the best place for new missions and new opportunities for our soldiers and our airmen.

89. 1:15:34

    These new units will give our state added capability a- and added capacity for the joint force and for stuff that might happen right here at home. They'll keep the Georgia National Guard at the forefront of readiness, moderniza- modernization, and lethality for decades to come. Finally, because of the actions of this legislative body, because of the actions of you all, uh, through the years, we've been able to successfully renovate and modernize, uh, lots of our facilities, lots of our armories across the state. Most of these facilities were constructed in the 1950s and the 1960s.

90. 1:16:08

    This very much needed initiative, which was made possible with the support of Governor Kemp, and again, you all, it allows us to c- combine state and federal funds, uh, to match them to complete all of these projects. At the, at the end of this year, at the end of 2026, six years into this initiative, uh, we're gonna complete, uh, renovations on 30 of our armories. We're also working closely with our local and state leaders, some of you in here this morning, to explore the possibility of building brand new armories, uh, in our state as well, where these opportunities, uh, when and where these opportunities, uh, show themselves.

91. 1:16:43

    So thank you f- uh, all for your continued support with both of these efforts. In closing, it's certainly not lost on us, uh, that one of the most important components of our continued success though is you all. It's the support that we get from this body. It's the support that we get from the citizens of this great state. So thank you for all that you're doing and all that I know that you're gonna continue to do for our soldiers, our airmen, uh, their families, and the civilians that make up our team. As we navigate 2026, I want you to just rest assured that we're well eq- uh, equipped.

92. 1:17:18

    Your National Guard is well equipped to successfully meet any challenge that lies ahead. Georgians should continue to take great pride, uh, in knowing that the Georgia National Guard is always ready and always there. Sir, thank you so much for giving me a few minutes this morning. Absolutely. Yeah.

93. 1:17:36

    Good job. Good job.

94. 1:20:43

    Excuse me. Recognize senator from the 15th.

95. 1:20:47

    And ask for a unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 50th. Without objection, senator from the 50th is excused. Thank you, Senator.

96. 1:21:03

    Are there any unanimous consents?

97. 1:21:08

    It is time for points of personal privilege. Recognize senator from the 12th for a point of personal privilege.

98. 1:21:26

    Thank you, Mr. President. It is, colleagues, it is an honor to serve District 12 in Southwest Georgia. There are a total of 13 counties that I represent. This morning, one of those counties, Dougherty County, is being represented by some of the finest individuals in the world, and they are very special, and I'm very privileged to represent them.

99. 1:21:57

    Our mayor, Albany Mayor Boldere, would you just raise your hand and say good morning, who's also related to Senator Carden Summers. Senator from the 13th, I'm sorry. Our Dougherty County Chairman, Reverend Lorenzo Herd, Chairman Herd. Our 2026 Chair for the Albany Chamber, which is Adam Hutchins. And our wonderful, uh, the interim of the chamber, Matt Reed, who is also the, um, CEO of Georgia CEO.

100. 1:22:38

     And I'm so thankful and so proud to represent these individuals from Southwest Georgia. If you would just give them a round of applause. Say good morning. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the

101. 1:22:54

     Thank you, Senator. Always glad to have our friends from Southwest Georgia here today, and they are well-represented with the senator from the 12th up here fighting for them every day. We appreciate y'all being here. Thank y'all very much. We have some, uh, other special guests here. One of our largest employers are here today. We didn't have, uh, don't have a resolution, but, uh, when I heard that they were here today, I was like, "Well, we need to recognize them here." So, uh, senator from the 29th, come on up.

102. 1:23:25

     We got, uh, very special guests. Our folks with, our friends with Kia are here today. Let's give Kia a big round of applause here for being here today. So-

103. 1:23:38

     I know we have their leadership here. We have the, uh, former congressman, Congressman Drew Ferguson is here today. So he, uh, he was smart. He got out of politics. And so, uh, but, uh, anyways, I'm gonna call on the senator from the 29th and, uh, to introduce our special guest.

104. 1:23:58

     Colleagues, when we talk about creating jobs in Georgia-

105. 1:24:01

     Come on. We mean for it

106. 1:24:02

     ... and when we talk about Kia, when it's not talking about jobs, we're talking about generational impact on the state of Georgia, and I am so proud to represent this great company and the thousands of men and women that it employs. And I'm honored to introduce to you Mr., uh, Stuart Countis, the CEO of, uh, Kia.

107. 1:24:25

     Thank you, Senator. I want to say thank you from Kia. You guys have been great supporters. Um, we've now been in existence, um, 19 years and, uh, been producing cars in the state of Georgia. Just a small point, we made our five millionth car last week, which is a great accomplishment for any auto, uh, any auto company, but certainly all of those were built by Georgians. So thank you.

108. 1:24:51

     All right.

109. 1:29:02

     Recognize the senator from Crisp County.

110. 1:29:13

     Step up on this thing right here. Look at these, all these folks here. Good morning, everyone.

111. 1:29:20

     Good morning.

112. 1:29:21

     I want you all to meet, uh, Carter Jane Smith. Let me tell you a little bit about this young lady here. She is from Crisp County, and today Crisp County is having a function for everybody in the blue room at 5:00 PM. If you'll notice on your desk, you got some pecans, and they'll be serving food and telling you all about the things that the legislature does for Crisp County. So while we're here, here, Ms. Carter, this little young lady here, here's her story. Now listen to this now. If you don't find this fascinating, something's wrong.

113. 1:29:52

     She lost her sloth while in Savannah, and they looked for it and looked for it and looked for it, and her dad, Kenny Smith over here, went around looking for her sloth. Well, a homeless man found her sloth. The homeless man returned it to him because everybody in Savannah knew there was somebody, that Katie was, Car- Carter was looking for her sloth. When she got her sloth back, her, they put it online. It went viral. People started saying, "Well, donate money to buy another sloth," or do this, this, and the other.

114. 1:30:24

     All this money she raised, she decided she was gonna donate to homeless.

115. 1:30:29

     Oh.

116. 1:30:29

     So she wrote a book, The Sloth Goes to Savannah. Is that not incredible?

117. 1:30:37

     Is that not incredible? And she wrote this little book, guys. I'm telling you, she wrote this little book. The homeless man now that found the sloth, her parents got in touch with him and got him moved to a facility in Macon, Georgia, and he's now having a facility and getting his rehabilitation. It's amazing story. Absolutely amazing story.

118. 1:31:03

     And the l- I, I mentioned this to the lieutenant governor, and, and, uh, lieutenant governor said, "Wait just a minute. This young lady deserves a proclamation." So the lieutenant governor got a proclamation together for you, and he's right here behind us here, and he got this for you today. So he wants you to have this, and I'll give this to you and your mom and dad. We'll get a picture with him in just a minute. But guys, this is what it's all about. Amen?

119. 1:31:26

     Amen.

120. 1:31:28

     This is what it's all about. Thank you so very much. Thanks to Mom and Dad over here. Thank you all. And please come to the Crisp County thing at 5:00, and you can meet her today. Thank you.

121. 1:31:39

     All right. Outstanding. That's outstanding news. Thank you so much, Senator, for sharing that. And-

122. 1:31:45

     See if you go stand by your mom

123. 1:31:46

     ... and congratulations to the parents for doing such a wonderful job with their daughter. What a wonderful little lady, and what a wonderful story. So we're so appreciative of having them here. Let's give them another round of applause here.

124. 1:33:55

     Recognize the senator from the 22nd for a point of personal privilege.

125. 1:34:11

     Thank you, Mr. President. I just wanna, um, talk about one group that's here today. I think they're actually now kinda touring the Capitol and doing some things. But the National A- Action Network is a, a civil rights organization in the United States dedicated, obviously, to conducting civil rights. They also have youth organizations located throughout the United States, and we have one of those organizations in Augusta, Georgia. These youth chapters are dedicated to service and improving the communities, and they are doing a great job within the Augusta area. As I stated, they're currently, um, touring, but I did wanna give a big welcome to them, but we also do have three of those members who, who are pages with us today.

126. 1:34:48

     So I do wanna welcome the National Action Network CSR Branch Youth Organization. Thank you so much, and I yield the floor, Mr. President.

127. 1:34:58

     Thanks, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 36th.

128. 1:35:28

     Thank you, Mr. President, colleagues. Uh, I want to reference something that a lot of you already know, and that is that this is senior week at the State Capitol. Let's hear it for our seniors. And that today, t- t- t- today, uh, as well is the time to honor COAAG, the Georgia Council on Aging, who convened seniors from across the state to come down and bring their issues, their concerns, their perspective, their life experience.

129. 1:36:03

     And we're also very, very proud to, uh, today recognize this is the first, uh, and it will be annual, uh, senior day for Atlanta seniors. And so we have, uh, uh, in our, uh, i- in our, uh, ga- galleries today, uh, Atlantans who have come to be a part of senior week at the Capitol and to launch, uh, Atlanta seniors coming to the Capitol.

130. 1:36:33

     So please stand and recognize these venerable, wise, uh, folks who have much to share and who this w- may be their first time at the Capitol, but it will not be their last. I thank you and appreciate you, and, uh, please stand and be recognized, those of you who've been able to, uh, to, to... Wonderful. Thank you so much. Thank you, and, uh, don't be a stranger. We, we will see more of you, and of course, we'll see you all year round right here in Atlanta.

131. 1:37:04

     Thank you. I yield the floor.

132. 1:37:23

     Thank you, senator, senator, for recognizing our seniors there and appreciate that. Sec- uh, recognize the senator from the 48th for a point of personal privilege.

133. 1:37:49

     Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, colleagues. In honor of Black History Month, I hope you'll join me in taking a moment to honor an incredible person in our nation's history, Condoleezza Rice. Condi was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and at age 15 entered the University of Denver, where she initially majored in music, considering a career as a concert pianist. However, she found her calling and instead focused her study on international relations, ultimately earning a master's in economics from Notre Dame and a doctorate of international relations from the University of Denver.

134. 1:38:25

     In 1986, she started her career in service to this nation and was appointed as a special assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Nuclear Energy under Ronald Reagan. During the administration of President George H.W. Bush, she was the director for Soviet and Eastern European Affairs for the National Security Council and was a special assistant to the president. In 2001, she was appointed as National Security Advisor by President Bush and succeeded Colin Powell as Secretary of State in 2005, serving with distinction in the wake of 9/11 and the height of the global war on terror.

135. 1:39:04

     She worked actively to promote human rights in Iran and organized allied efforts to curtail North Korean nuclear weapons. She was, in her time, the highest ranking African American in the executive branch, overseeing the administration's foreign and national security policy during a time of great global turmoil and significant threats to our nation. One of the most fascinating stories of her time in office was a chance encounter with the, our current director of the Senate Press Office, a story which he would love to share if you would gladly take him offline to do so.

136. 1:39:40

     After leaving office in 2009, Rice returned to Stanford, where she served as an assistant professor of political science and as provost prior to her career as Secretary of State. And in 2012, senator from the 24th? Senator from the 24th? Senator from the 24th? Senator from the 24th? In 2012, Condoleezza Rice achi- achi- attained her greatest achievement, becoming the first of two women to be admitted as members of the Augusta National Golf Club.

137. 1:40:15

     She's a proud representative of the Republican Party, and I hope you'll all join me in celebrating her today. Thank you, Mr. President.

138. 1:40:28

     Recognize the senator from the 7th.

139. 1:40:45

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to do a history lesson and to talk about property taxes to address the GOP tax scam that will force the middle class, seniors, and small businesses to pay for yet another giveaway to the wealthy.

140. 1:41:03

     I also rise to discuss the majority's victory lap on their property tax scam. Let's remind people of a few facts. Number one, Democrats have not controlled this chamber since 20- 2003. Number two, Republicans have controlled both this chamber and the governor's mansion since that time and have held a trifecta since 2005. That's unified Republican control of Georgia for 23 years. Now, over those 23 years, Republicans have underfunded our public schools year after year, and upon taking control in 2003, the new majority licked their lips at the possibility of stripping money out of our schools.

141. 1:41:48

     And underfund them they did, to the tune of $1.5 billion by the end of the Perdue administration. It's not just us saying this. Let's look at what Georgia Trend magazine said in 2009. "Local school boards have been forced to increase their property taxes to make up for these ta- state cuts, and several boards are taxing at the maximum level and can't go any higher to deal with growing enrollments." And it's not just current Democratic electeds.

142. 1:42:19

     Our House friend from the 33rd who chairs House Regulated Industries had this to say about the Perdue administration. "The administration refers to these as austerity cuts. But as I have said for the past six years, there's nothing austere about shifting a constitutional responsibility from, from one level of government to another." That's a Republican speaking out about Republican policy. And as we know, it's gotten even worse. Between 2010 and 2014, Republicans underfunded our education formula by $1 billion per year.

143. 1:42:56

     And in 2026, cuts continue rising with no end in sight. The fixed costs of our schools are skyrocketing, even with enrollment declining. In July, school districts' costs for employees enrolled in the state health benefit plan will increase 8% per member per month. And for non-certified employees, it's even worse. The state stopped paying the employer share of tho- their health insurance costs in 2012. After causing soaring property taxes for decades, Republicans now blame Democrats for one vote taken last week.

144. 1:43:32

     I was always taught leadership means the buck stops with the people in charge. The majority reminds us that we should blame everyone except the folks who've run this state for 23 years. They think that election year scam will distract us, but that's not how we've ended up with sky-high property taxes and school districts decimated from 20-plus years of underfunding. So when they tell us that we can't trust their numbers, we have decades of evidence showing us we shouldn't trust one thing they say.

145. 1:44:03

     Don't fall for the scam this time. It's gonna raise your grocery bills, bankrupt your small businesses, and raise taxes on seniors. The scheme is simple: a few dollars in the front pocket while they pick your wallet out of the back. Suddenly, you funded another handout to rich people. And don't fall for this property tax scam either. Republican education cuts drove your property taxes up. It wasn't a vote on a bill that hasn't even gone into law yet. And their solution? Underfund your schools, defund your police, all so that they can get reelected and keep the state treasury open to the richest Georgians.

146. 1:44:38

     Let's end the 23-year tax scam this November. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

147. 1:44:52

     Recognize the senator from the second.

148. 1:45:16

     Thank you, Mr. President. This morning I rise, colleagues, today is Savannah State Day here at the Capitol. Savannah State is Georgia's oldest public historically Black college university, founded in 1890, uh, originally known as the Georgia Industrial College for Negroes. And we have a privilege today. We have the 15th president of the illustrious University of the Sea, Dr. Jermaine Whirl, our 15th president.

149. 1:45:43

     Uh, and I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge senators, uh, the senator from the second and the senator from the first and the senator from the fourth, whom I work with, uh, in our local delegation to help accomplish that. And Mr. President, we're very grateful for you for working to help us restore the College of Education. I believe I have some students here in the gallery with me, if y'all would wave your hands, from the illustrious University by the Sea. And I'd like to recognize one of our alumni, Captain Christopher Black, with Georgia State Patrol. He's an alumni of Savannah State University.

150. 1:46:13

     Y'all see him walking around the Capitol, so Savannah State is all throughout, uh, Georgia, and we appreciate all the support for everything we do. Uh, and we have a motto at the University by the Sea. Our first president, President Wright, said, "Tell them we are rising." And with that, I yield the floor.

151. 1:46:39

     Thank you, Senator, from the second. We greatly appreciate our friends from Savannah State being here today and having their new president here, so very, very glad to have him here today, so we appreciate that. Recognize the senator from the 38th

152. 1:47:10

     Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, colleagues, during Black History Month, we do more than remember names and dates. We remember the courage it took to change the course of this state and reflect on the responsibility that we carry to move that work forward. It is a profound honor to stand in this chamber as a member of the Georgia State Senate and to represent the people of District 38. Each day I walk into this building, I am reminded that this seat is not just simply holding the seat for this time.

153. 1:47:43

     It belongs to a lineage of leaders who believe that progress was possible even when the odds said otherwise. And in 1962, Senator Leroy Johnson became the first African American elected to the Georgia General Assembly since Reconstruction. He was not just a legislator. He was a trailblazer, a strategist, and a steady voice during one of the most defining periods in our nation's history. He advised young leaders like Julian Bond during the Rich's Department Store sit-ins.

154. 1:48:15

     He fought for justice both inside the courtroom and alongside communities demanding dignity and equality. From Morehouse College to Atlanta University to North Carolina Central University, he prepared himself not just for a career, but for service. And today, I sit in that very seat that's shaped by, that is shaped by courage and dignity and fight. That truth truly humbles me because Black history is not just a chapter that has closed.

155. 1:48:49

     It's living history and a living story that we continue to live today, written in the choices we make, the policies we pass, and the courage we show when it matters most. That same determination broke barriers in 19- 1962, but it also guides us today. That same faith that opened doors must push us to widen them even further so that every child, every family, and every community in Georgia sees themselves reflected in the opportunities that we all have in this chamber today.

156. 1:49:24

     I stand here aware that I walk in the footsteps of giants, and I honor that legacy not by looking backwards alone, but by working forward with integrity, with compassion, and with an unwavering belief that this body can absolutely be a force for good. During this Black History Month, we may, may we remember that history does not ask us to be perfect. It asks us to be brave. And we may leave this chamber each day committed to building a Georgia that lives up to the promise of those Leroy Johnsons that sat in these seats before us, the ones who fought hard to make change real and make the reality for all of us to be able to walk into these doors every day and serve the people of Georgia.

157. 1:50:12

     And I just wanna take a second to share this book. He actually happens to be in here. I walked into my office the other day and this book was sitting on my desk. And the other night we were at a brotherhood smoke, and it was shared to us, "You all need to read this book, Return of the King." And so we're looking it up like, "Oh, what's this book about?" And it was shared that this book is actually about Senator Leroy Johnson, and I'm gonna share a little bit that's in, uh, this, this book.

158. 1:50:46

     It shares that Atlanta had been courting and landing professional sports teams in football, basketball, and baseball since the end of 1968. An influential state politician, Leroy Johnson, Georgia's first Black state senator since Reconstruction, was determined to help Ali return after his exile. The state had no boxing commission to prevent Ali from fighting there, so Johnson made it his mission for Ali to make a comeback in Georgia. Ali's opponent, ponent would be Jerry Quarry, the top heavyweight contender and, more important, a White man who had spoken out against Ali's objection to the war.

159. 1:51:25

     So I want to just publicly thank the senator from the 35th for recognizing that I sit in Senator Leroy Johnson's seat and for buying me this book, and I just truly hope that we one day will have books that are written about the impact that we have in this great state. And so, Mr. President, I yield the will.

160. 1:51:52

     Recognize the senator from the 42nd. Thank you, Mr. President, members of the Senate. Two quick things. First, today we have our Council of Probate Court Judges here. I encourage you, assuming we ever get out of here today, but they started lunch downstairs. They'll be in 216, the Capitol, until 1:00 if you wanna come see your probate court judges. Second, um, tomorrow is gonna be After School Day at the Capitol.

161. 1:52:24

     February 12th. It's hosted by the Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network. It's an event that brings together afterschool and summer learning programs, including the Georgia Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, the Georgia Alliance of YMCAs, Los Ninos Primero, Mercy Housing, and the Study Hall, and many more from across our state to recognize the critical role that afterschool programs play in preparing Georgia's youth for success in college, career, and life. On your desk, you will see a fact sheet that talks about the BOOST program, and it was funded with $12.5 million in the FY26 budget, something we discussed last year, and we talked about childcare affordability as well, something we discussed with our study committee on that.

162. 1:53:04

     This program is supporting afterschool and summer programs that are critical in strengthening Georgia's future workforce, improving educational outcomes, supporting working parents, and fostering thriving communities. I hope you'll take a few moments tomorrow to join afterschool and summer learning providers from across Georgia for a breakfast from 9:00 to 10:15 in the morning in 216 at the Capitol. Thank you, Mr. President. I will yield the will

163. 1:53:34

     Recognize senator from the 43rd.

164. 1:53:56

     Thank you, Mr. President. Good morning, colleagues. I know you've heard that today is senior day at the State Capitol, and I am going to recognize some of the most phenomenal seniors that I know at East DeKalb Senior Center at Bruce Street, affectionately known as Lithonia Senior Center in the heart of Lithonia. They are the most loving young people with a variety of senior activities such as sewing, arts and crafts, line dancing, they really can dance, um, chair aerobics, yoga, group trips, health and wellness.

165. 1:54:36

     Please welcome them to the State Capitol, East DeKalb Senior Center in Lithonia at Bruce Street. Are they still up there? They may have left. All right. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

166. 1:55:09

     Recognize senator from the eighth, the blueberry farmer himself, all-American blueberry man. Thank you, Mr. President. This has, uh, this personal point of privilege has three, uh, uh, things I'm trying to accomplish here. First off, it's the Lowndes County Bird Supper tonight at The Depot, so I hope, uh, hope everybody will come and enjoy that. And also, it's, it's, uh, Black History Month, and so, um, I wanted to tell a quick story. I've told this story before, and it took me nine minutes then, Mr. President. I'm gonna try to do it in about two.

167. 1:55:40

     But, um, Ossie Davis. Ossie Davis was born, uh, Kent Davis, my wife's, uh, great-grandfather, um, wanted to build a railroad. This is before the advent of trucking, and, uh, they built the Waycross and Western Railroad, and he, he hired a gentleman by the name of Kent Davis to build that railroad. And, uh, this was 1915, and Kent Davis was a Black man, and there were a lot of folks that, uh, or there were some folks back then that, uh, you know, times being what they were, um, didn't appreciate that. But, uh, he and, uh, my wife's great-grandfather, they, uh, uh, didn't pay any attention to that.

168. 1:56:14

     And Kent Davis, um, was the foreman that built that railroad 42 miles long. And, uh, two years later, Ossie Davis was born in Cogdell, Georgia, right there at our farm. And so my wife's grandfather, who was born in 1914, they grew up together out there in those woods. And, uh, later on, uh, Ossie Davis moved to Waycross, and he went on to become an award-winning actor, uh, on Broadway. He w- he was nominated for Tonys and Grammys and Emmys. He married Ruby Dee. He was a, a civil rights leader.

169. 1:56:45

     He, uh, won the Kennedy Awards honors, and his life started right there in those piney woods in South Georgia. And so that's something that we're proud of, and proud of our family's, uh, re- relationship. I have a picture of my, of my, uh, wife when she's a little girl, when Ossie Davis is wearing a light blue leisure suit and Carrie is holding a baby doll. And so, uh, we, uh, we're, we're proud of that. And with him being from Waycross, I have my group here from Leadership Waycross. Will y'all stand up, please? And if y'all will, give them a round of applause.

170. 1:57:15

     So we appreciate y'all being here today. And, uh, Mr. President, uh, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to recognize them and talk about Ossie Davis and remind everyone about the bird supper. So thank y'all, Mr. President. I yield the floor. All right, all right, Senator. The bird supper is always good. It's always good. Glad to have them. Uh, we were on the local Lowndes County radio station this morning, too, right? We had them up here broadcasting live.

171. 1:57:46

     Good, good folks.

172. 1:57:50

     Any other senator wish to speak on a point of personal privilege? 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 of the resolution on the consent calendar? Chair hears none. The resolutions on the consent calendar are adopted.

173. 1:58:25

     Are there any motions to withdraw or commit? Secretary, read the caption of Senate Bill 400.

174. 1:58:40

     Senate Bill 400 by Senator Burns of the 23rd and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Part 1A of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to non-public post-secondary educational institutions so as to prohibit unaccredited institutions from offering degrees, to require certain institutions to participate in the Tuition Guarantee Trust Fund, and to provide how such institutions may participate, to provide for indemnification, to provide for definitions, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. The Senate Committee on-- Mr.

175. 1:59:11

     President, the Senate Committee on Higher Education recommends that this bill do pass by substitute. Senator Hickman, chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Higher Education offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 400, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Part 1A of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to non-public post-secondary educational institutions so as to prohibit unaccredited institutions from offering degrees and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

176. 2:00:01

     Recognize the senator from the 23rd to speak to the bill. Senator from the 23rd. Senator from the 23rd. Senator from the 23rd.

177. 2:00:21

     Senator

178. 2:00:26

     Buehler?

179. 2:00:31

     Oh,

180. 2:00:34

     boy. All right, Senator.

181. 2:00:35

     All right. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, colleagues, I have before you Senate Bill 400. This is, uh, an agency bill from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission. Many of you not, may not be familiar with the commission. It is a state agency that oversees and, and is responsible for over 358 authorized schools. Um, we have additionally 60, uh, applicants there. There are 81,000 students and a tuition, gross tuition for this system, it's, it's non-public, meaning it's private, is over $855 million.

182. 2:01:19

     You have these schools in your districts and in your hometowns. I checked my, uh, my Augusta area today and there are 26 schools that cover, that are covered by the Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission. This is a bill that, uh, provides several key features for GNPEC. It allows the commission... It g- it strengthens the commission and allows the commission to have oversight and control of bad actors.

183. 2:01:51

     Occasionally, uh, an independent school will come in, they'll set up shop in the storefront, they'll recruit students, they'll accept tuition, and then they fail to deliver services. And one of the things that the commission does is protect those students from bad actors. It provides the commission the ability to approve or deny courses or programs within the school, and without having to go through the administrative process if, if they're denied and the school feels that it's inappropriate, they can apply and appeal to s- to, uh, superior courts.

184. 2:02:23

     Basically, this commission protects students. It protects student records. So in this case, if a school were to, uh, abruptly close, the records of the students would be housed in, in shoeboxes and in closets. And the commission needs the ability to capture those records to provide transcripts, to provide certificates or, uh, program credentials that have been earned so that the students are protected. One thing that we need to be aware of is there is a tuition guarantee trust fund.

185. 2:02:58

     The tuition guarantee trust fund is the fund that allows the commission to backfill any undelivered service. So if a student comes in, signs up for a program, and is not completed, then the commission is able to say they can make that student whole or close to whole even though the business may have gone, uh, bankrupt. So the tuition guarantee trust fund is adjusted to strengthen it. We've allowed for schools who are really good actors to provide a bond or a letter of credit in lieu of service, and then those others would pay in a small percentage, I think it's one tenth of 1% of their tuition annually to have this coverage.

186. 2:03:41

     So at the end of the day, I'll be happy to answer questions. I'll be happy to walk through the bill in detail. But I appreciate the consideration of the Senate and ask for your favorable consideration. I'll yield for questions or I'll yield the well.

187. 2:04:00

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

188. 2:04:01

     No, no questions. No questions.

189. 2:04:12

     Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous question being ordered? Chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Question is on the adoption of the committee substitute. Is there objection to the adoption of the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there objection to agreeing to the reported committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The reported committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? Chair hears none. The main question is ordered.

190. 2:04:44

     Question is on the passage of the bill by substitute. All those in favor of the bill vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

191. 2:05:58

     On the passage of the bill, the yays are 48 and nays are 1. This bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed by substitute. Senator from the 43rd, for what purpose do you rise?

192. 2:06:10

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 26th.

193. 2:06:16

     Without objection, senator from the 26th is excused. Moving on to Senate Bill 444. Secretary, read the caption.

194. 2:06:28

     Senate Bill 444 by Senator Kirkpatrick of the 32nd and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Chapter 46 of Title 33 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to certification of private review agents so as to provide that certain decisions with regard to the provision of insurance coverage for healthcare services shall not be based solely on artificial intelligence systems, artificial intelligence or other software tools to provide for definitions, to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

195. 2:06:56

     Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor recommend that this bill do pass by Senators Harbin, chairman. Mr. President, that completes the order.

196. 2:07:08

     Recognize the senator from the 32nd.

197. 2:07:24

     Thank you, Mr. President. This bill protects patients. We've passed a number of bills on prior authorization of medical treatments over the years, and that's required by insurance companies many times before they'll approve the treatment that your doctor orders. This bill recognizes the important role played by artificial intelligence in this process now and in the future. However, the bill specifies that there must be a human clinical peer in the process before an adverse determination is made.

198. 2:07:58

     I'll be happy to take any questions. You have no questions, Senator. Thank you. I yield.

199. 2:08:06

     Would any senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous question be in ordered? Chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Is there objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? For the, the report of the committee is agreed to. No objection. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? Chair hears none. The main question is ordered. Questions on the passage of the bill? All those in favor of the bill, vote yay. All opposed, nay.

200. 2:08:37

     Secretary, allot the machine.

201. 2:09:39

     On the passage of the bill, the yays are forty-nine, the nays are zero, and this bill, having received a requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

202. 2:09:51

     Secretary, read the caption. SB 398.

203. 2:09:59

     Senate Bill 398 by Senators Hatchett of the 50th and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend Part 1 of Article III of Chapter 11 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to wiretapping, eavesdropping, surveillance, and related offenses so as to establish criminal offenses of virtual peeping, to prohibit the use of a generative artificial intelligence system to generate images of individuals with the knowledge that such generation was without authorization or consent, to provide for penalties, to provide for an exception, to provide for definitions, to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date and applicability, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

204. 2:10:32

     Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Judiciary recommends that this bill do pass by substitute, Senator Strickland, chairman. Mr. President, that completes the order. Recognize the senator from the 29th. Mr. President, I move that the Senate table SB 398. The senators move that we table SB 398. We had, uh, the sen- the author of this, uh, bill, the senator from the 50th, was, uh, had a, had a little, uh, emergency he had to get back home to, so that's the only reason why we're tabling it.

205. 2:11:07

     So just for everybody's information in here. So hopefully it's nothing serious, but, uh, just, uh, reach out to the senator and check on him if you get a chance. Any, is there objection? Without objection, uh, Senate Bill 398, it will be put to the bottom of the calendar.

206. 2:11:32

     Recognize the majority leader for a motion.

207. 2:11:40

     Mr. President, I move the Senate stand adjourned until 10:00 AM, Thursday, February 12th. Majority leader has moved that Senate d- stand adjourned until 10:00 AM tomorrow morning. Secretary, read the announcements. The Rules Committee will meet upon adjournment in Room 450 of the Capitol. The Appropriations Transport- Transportation Subcommittee will meet in Room 450 of the Capitol at 1:00 PM. The Finance Committee will meet in Room Mezzanine 1 at 3:00 PM. The Health and Human Services Committee will meet in Room 450 of the Capitol at 4:00 PM.

208. 2:12:10

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

209. 2:12:14

     Senator from the 20th, the pro tem, you have a announcement?

210. 2:12:22

     Floor is yours.

211. 2:12:26

     Ladies and gentlemen, uh, the hunger strike is over. Uh, we got through our business relatively quickly today, so we are gonna provide you with lunch. Um, it's gonna be Gusto, 12:15 in the Annie Room. All right. Thank you. Enjoy. Recognize the senator from the 29th.

212. 2:12:54

     Thank you, Mr. President. I wanted to let everyone know that there will be a, uh, on-site air support of active threats demonstration over in Liberty Plaza at noon. It's less lethal use of drones and other tactics. There's a demonstration going across the street. Anybody that would love to come and see the technology, please come across. Thank you.

213. 2:13:19

     Any more announcements? No more announcements. All right. Majority leader has moved the Senate stand adjourned tomorrow morning, 10:00 AM. All those in favor of the motion, signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, no. No. Ayes clearly have it.

214. 2:13:57

     We're adjourned.