Senate floor session, March 18, 2026 (legislative day 33)

Transcript

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1. 0:25:34

   Good morning. The Senate will come to order. The time has arrived to convene. At this time, I'll ask the unauthorized persons at the exit of the chamber to please leave the chamber and doorkeepers close the doors.

2. 0:25:52

   The chair recognizes the senator from the sixth district.

3. 0:25:57

   Good morning, Mr. President. You look a little different today. Hola.

4. 0:26:05

   Como esta?

5. 0:26:07

   Bien, y tu?

6. 0:26:08

   Muy bien.

7. 0:26:11

   We'll stop. Mr. President, we've got a great group of pages here today from all over this great state. Out of Bremen, we have Jaslyn Davis. From Dahlonega, we have Townes Edmondson. From Fayetteville, we have the Gable sisters, Audrey and Elizabeth. From Albany, we have Fleming Gatewood. From Alamo, Chelsea Gruber. From Glenwood, Madison Holmes.

8. 0:26:42

   From Snellville, Jamie Joyner. From Roswell, Xander Lee. From Saltillo, Everett Lemley. From Cumming, Alexander Lopez. From Kennesaw, Melany Medellin. From Morrow, Yaritzy Mejia. From McRae, Kaylee Rojas. From Buchanan, Anna Smith.

9. 0:27:13

   From Buchanan, Logan Smith. From Atlanta, Nicholas Stoll. From Demorest, John Hayden Touch. From Buchanan, Caden Truitt. And from Demorest, Hudson Weems. Y'all give these pages a big round of applause. We appreciate you being here to serve the great people of the great state of Georgia. Mr. President, the journal is tidy, the journal is correct.

10. 0:27:47

    I move we dispense with the reading of the journal.

11. 0:27:51

    Thank you, Senator, for your, uh, your hard work, and thank you for the pages that are here. And in particular, thank you to the pages, um, from Haralson County, a county I used to represent, and the senator from the 30th does a very fine job out there. So those of y'all from Bremen and Buchanan, thank you for being here. Is there objection to the dispensing of the reading of the journal? The chair hears none. The reading of the journal is dispensed with. Is there objection to the confirmation of the journal? The chair hears none, and the journal is confirmed. All senators who have bills or resolutions to introduce, please bring them to the secretary's desk at this time.

12. 0:28:26

    First reading in reference of Senate bills and resolutions.

13. 0:28:32

    Senate Bill 622 by Senators Jackson of the 41st and others, a bill to be entitled in an act to amend an act to incorporate the City of Tucker approved-

14. 0:28:38

    Slow down.

15. 0:28:39

    Senate Bill 623 by Senator Wicks of the 34th and others, a bill to be entitled in an act to amend an act creating the State Court of Claims.

16. 0:28:46

    Slow down.

17. 0:28:46

    Senate Bill 624 by Senator Williams of the 25th, a bill to be entitled in an act to amend an act to create the Public Facilities Authority.

18. 0:28:52

    Slow down.

19. 0:28:54

    Senate Bill 625 by Senator Parent of the 44th and others, a bill to be entitled in an act-

20. 0:28:57

    Slow down.

21. 0:28:58

    Senate Resolution 955 by Senators Davenport of the 17th and others, a resolution honoring the life of Mr. Robert Danley.

22. 0:29:03

    Transportation.

23. 0:29:04

    Mr. President, that completes the order.

24. 0:29:07

    The secretary will read reports of standing committees.

25. 0:29:11

    Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions 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 948, do pass. House Bill 1024, do pass. House Bill 1134, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Summers of the 13th District, chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Children and Families 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 181, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1009, do pass. House Bill 1118, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Kirkpatrick of the 32nd District, chairman.

26. 0:29:44

    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. House Bill 971, do pass. House Bill 907, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Hickman of the 4th District, chairman. 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. House Bill 328, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1261, do pass. House Bill 874, do pass. House Bill 1077, do pass. House Bill 964, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Hufstetler of the 52nd District, chairman.

27. 0:30:17

    Dear 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 House Bill 328, which passed out of the Senate Committee on Finance on March 16th, 2026. Sincerely, Senator Orrock of the 36th District. 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. House Bill 141, do pass. House Bill 439, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1001, do pass. House Bill 1112, do pass by substitute.

28. 0:30:47

    Respectfully submitted, Senator Hufstetler of the 52nd District, chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on, uh, the Senate Committee on Government Oversight 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 1192, do pass. House Bill 1415, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Bearden of the 30th District, chairman. 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 recommendation. House Bill 1097, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1238, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1278, do pass.

29. 0:31:18

    House Bill 1329, do pass. House Bill 1374, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1396, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Watson of the 1st District, chairman. Dear Mr. Secretary, pursuant to Senate Rule 2-1.6, I hereby give notice that I will introduce a minority report to be read along with the majority report of House Bill 1396, which passed out of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on March 16th, 2026. Sincerely, Senator Marin of the 9th District. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Higher Education has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation.

30. 0:31:49

    House Bill 550-- 541, do pass. House Bill 1328, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Burns of the 23rd District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Insurance and Labor 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 987, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Harbin of the 16th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Judiciary 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 421, do pass. House Bill 618, do pass by substitute. House Bill 530, do pass by substitute.

31. 0:32:21

    House Bill 1131, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1128, do pass. House Bill 1268, do pass. House Bill 1208, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Strickland of the 42nd District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Environment 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 320, do pass by substitute. House Bill 946, do pass. House Bill 1133, do pass. House Bill 1182, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1266, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Anderson of the 24th District, Chairman.

32. 0:32:51

    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. House Bill 1191, do pass by committee sub. House Bill 668, do pass by committee sub. Respectfully submitted, Senator Albers of the 56th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities 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 232, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1254, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Cowsert of the 46th District, Chairman. Mr.

33. 0:33:21

    President, the Senate C- 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. House Bill 438, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Williams of the 25th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Rules 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 1020, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Brass of the 6th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Science and Technology 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 147, do pass by substitute.

34. 0:33:52

    Respectfully submitted, Senator Setzler of the 37th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on State and Local Government Operations has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Sen- to the Senate with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 619, do pass. House Bill 1356, do pass. House Bill 1453, do pass. House Bill 1496, do pass. Hou- House Bill 1321, do pass. House Bill 1340, do pass. House Bill 1341, do pass. House Bill 1440, do pass. House Bill 1491, do pass. House Bill 1492, do pass.

35. 0:34:22

    Respectfully submitted, Senator Dixon of the 45th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on State Institutions and Property has had under consideration the following legislation and has instructed me to report the same back to the Senate with the following recommendation. House Resolution 1050, do pass by substitute. House Resolution 1051, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Harbison of the 15th District, Chairman. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Veteran- Veterans, Military and Homeland Security 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 1087, do pass.

36. 0:34:53

    House Bill 985, do pass. House Bill 979, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Payne of the 54th District, Chairman. Mr. President, that completes the order.

37. 0:35:02

    The secretary will read bills and resolutions for the second time.

38. 0:35:06

    House Bill 1030 by Representative Donatucci of the 105th and others. Math Matters Act, enact. House Bill 1284 by Representative Silcox of the 53rd and others. Education, awarding of high school diplomas to high school students who are at the end of life, provide. House Bill 1293 by Representative Jones of the 47th and others. Education, updated eligibility requirements for the Dual Achievement Program, provide. Mr. President, that completes the order.

39. 0:35:33

    It's time for the morning roll call. Any motions to excuse? Chair recognizes the senator from the 33rd.

40. 0:35:43

    Thank you, Mr. President, and good morning, y'all. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senators from the 5th, 22nd, 41st, 40- 44th for business inside the Capitol.

41. 0:36:04

    The senator, um, is asking for your motion to excuse the senators from the 5th, 22nd, 41st and 44th. Are there any objections to the motion to excuse? Seeing none, they're excused. Chair recognizes the senator from the 49th.

42. 0:36:19

    Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to ask unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the, uh, 51st for business inside the Capitol.

43. 0:36:26

    47th.

44. 0:36:26

    And 47th.

45. 0:36:31

    Senator from the 49th asking, uh, for unanimous consent to excuse the senators from the 51st and 47th. Without objection, those senators are excused. Chair recognizes the senator from the 11th.

46. 0:36:42

    Thank you, Mr. Leader. I'd, uh, like to ask for unanimous consent to excuse the, uh, senator from the 8th for business inside the Capitol.

47. 0:36:48

    The senator from the 11th is asking for, uh... Man, I need more coffee this morning. The senator from the 8th to be excused. Uh, the senator from the 8th is excused. The chair recognizes the senator from Habersham County, the senator from the 50th.

48. 0:37:03

    Thank you, Mr. President. I ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 29th and the 19th for business outside the chamber.

49. 0:37:11

    The senator from the 50th is, uh, recognizing that the senator from the 29th and 19th be excused. Without objection, those two senators are excused. The chair recognizes the senator from the 43rd from DeKalb County.

50. 0:37:25

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

51. 0:37:32

    Thank you, Senator. Without objection, the senator from the 26th is excused. Any other motions to excuse? Chair sees none. The secretary will call the roll. Would the senators signify your presence by voting yay, switch. The secretary will unlock the machine.

52. 0:39:02

    It is now time for the morning devotion. All senators please take your seats and cease all audible conversations. I would ask the doorkeeper to secure the chamber at this time. I now recognize the senator from the 32nd District for the purpose of leading the pledge and introducing the chaplain of the day.

53. 0:39:54

    Sir, I want you to meet my pastor, Reverend Kristen Lee. She's the senior pastor at East Cobb United Methodist Church in Marietta. Over her past eight years as pastor, she's led the church in their continued focus on outreach and mission in East Cobb. The church regularly provides meals for the homeless, leads afterschool tutoring programs at the local elementary school, and runs a transition house on our property for families in housing transmission through a partnership with Family Promise of Cobb County.

54. 0:40:28

    Reverend Lee previously served as associate pastor of Roswell United Methodist and Fayetteville First United Methodist. She's married to Dr. Eric Lee, who is also a Methodist minister and recently appointed district superintendent in the United Methodist Church. Together, they have five children that range in age from 10 to 27, with a fifth grader, seventh grader, and 10th grader still at home. Reverend Lee is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Duke Divinity School, so she has both her football and basketball allegiances all set.

55. 0:41:04

    When not at church, you can find Kristen cheering from the sidelines at baseball games, cheer competitions, and band performances, or swinging a racket on her neighborhood tennis courts. So, uh, we're so happy to have Reverend Lee with us, and please enjoy her devotional.

56. 0:41:22

    All

57. 0:41:25

    right.

58. 0:41:25

    Good morning.

59. 0:41:25

    Good morning.

60. 0:41:27

    I'm so grateful to be with you all this morning as I have such great respect and admiration for the work that you do. It's through my relationship with Senator Kirkpatrick that I see and hear about the incredible amount of time and energy and love that you put into your role as representatives here in Georgia. I know there's great excitement about the possibilities and the opportunities that are before you to make changes in our great state.

61. 0:41:57

    But I know there's also heartache when hopes and dreams for what Georgia can be don't come to fruition. With all that is at stake, I know tensions run high, and I'm grateful for the ways that you take your role and your re- responsibility seriously and not for granted. Yet I know it takes its toll. So today, I want to bring a message of peace, a word of hope, a pause in the midst of the chaos.

62. 0:42:28

    As we consult the scriptures, we hear the words of the psalmist speak a word of calm into the storms of life. "Be still and know that I am God." I wonder, when was the last time you truly stopped? And not just stopped physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. When was the last time you forced yourself to be completely still, body, mind, and soul?

63. 0:43:03

    It's a difficult task, and I recognize even more so for those in this room. You are achievers. Some might even say over-achievers. People with big dreams and the drive to make those dreams a reality. It's built into your job. You've got to constantly be thinking about the bills proposed, the committees to be convened, the people you need to talk to, the people that want to talk to you. I know I don't have to tell you, by the way, your, your job's not always secure, and you've got reelections constantly on your mind.

64. 0:43:41

    So what would it be like for you to boldly and firmly tell yourself, "Stop. Be still"? Now, a stillness is not without purpose. "Be still," and the psalmist writes, "Be still and know that I am God." That's a big caveat. It's not just about being still and resting. It's not about being still to recharge your batteries or gain a clear head or even focus on the task at hand.

65. 0:44:15

    This is a stillness that reminds us who we are and whose we are. It is a stillness that reminds us that power is not just in our hands, but in the hands of our creator. It is a stillness that speaks truth into our lives that we are not alone. God is with us. It's a stillness that allows our heart to beat a little slower, our lungs to breathe a little easier, and even our stomachs to churn a little quieter.

66. 0:44:52

    If we will allow it, this stillness can overwhelm us, and we will know deep in our bones that our lives, that our work

67. 0:45:02

    Our ultimate security is, lies not only in our own strength or our own effort or our own resources, but in the power and presence of God. Now, Senator K- Patrick will tell you that at our church I'm a big fan of participatory worship. I don't wanna just talk the talk, but I want us to walk the walk. So I'm gonna invite you all to a little exercise today. Um, it may be a little uncomfortable, but we could all use with a experience that takes us outside of our comfort zones, I think.

68. 0:45:39

    So I'm gonna invite you to lift your shoulders and release them. To allow your arms to flow at your sides, your feet to relax into the floor.

69. 0:45:57

    If you choose, you might even want to close your eyes

70. 0:46:03

    as we pray and be still together. Be still and know that I am God.

71. 0:46:16

    Be still and know that I am.

72. 0:46:24

    Be still and know that I.

73. 0:46:30

    Be still and know.

74. 0:46:37

    Be still and.

75. 0:46:44

    Be still.

76. 0:46:50

    Be.

77. 0:46:56

    God, I pray for all these senators gathered here and all who do their work. God, would you move within them, lead them and guide them as they seek to do the best for our great state.

78. 0:47:16

    God, we are grateful for the great work that they do, the time, the energy, the effort, the love that goes into it. But God, I ask that you will remind them through it all to find moments to be still, to breathe in your peace,

79. 0:47:37

    and to know that no matter what, it is you, O God, who is in control. Amen.

80. 0:47:48

    Mm.

81. 0:47:48

    Joe.

82. 0:47:49

    Thank you.

83. 0:52:21

    Always nice to have our p- doctors of the day here. And, uh, to introduce our doctor of the day, our doctor of the day is a senator from the 54th, good man from Dalton, Georgia. Senator?

84. 0:52:34

    Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, my friends, today we have a, uh, Dr. Trayer from, uh, Gordon Health, uh, from actually Advent Gordon Health, and it's my honor presenting him today. I just, uh, just to share with you, you know, Advent Gordon is a community hospital in C- Calhoun, formerly known as Gordon Hospital, that provides a wide range of whole person, whole healthcare services, including emergency care, surgical services, women's health, cancer care, and primary care through its network of clinics.

85. 0:53:07

    And it's my honor to introduce you Dr. Daniel Trayer, who's joined us today.

86. 0:53:13

    Thanks, Chuck. Thanks, Chuck. It's a privilege to be with you here today and to serve as doctor of the day. It's a great program and I work in, uh, Gordon and Murray Counties. I'm also in leadership there for the hospital medicine department and with the medical executive committee in an organization that prides itself to deliver uncommon compassion and excellence, and with the mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ to extend a whole person care, mind, spirit, and body.

87. 0:53:47

    And, you know, in leadership, a lot of people get criticized often, and that comes to me a lot in, in a position of leadership, and I'm sure you all navigate that every day. So I wanna be the first to thank you if no one thanked you today for all the different special interests you have to navigate every day. Thank you for what you do. Service is challenging and fatiguing, but it does have a depth to it that is fulfilling. So I just wanna thank you all for the opportunity.

88. 0:54:23

    Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate you, Chuck.

89. 0:54:26

    Senator.

90. 0:54:47

    And made this team a spectacular one to observe throughout the season. And as a fitting finale to its remarkable 2025 campaign, the team captured its 10th overall state swimming championship title. And whereas Senior Baylor Stanton led the way, setting a state record in the 200 meter IM. Now therefore, be it resolved by the Senate that the members of this body congratulate the Brookwood High School boys swim team for winning the 2026 GHSA Class 6A State Swimming Championship, and expend, extend best wishes for their continued success. Mr. President, that completes the order.

91. 0:55:18

    Is there objection to the adoption of the resolution? Chair hears none. The resolution is adopted. I recognize the good senator from the ninth to present our special guest. Senator?

92. 0:55:30

    Well, thank you, Mr. President It is a great honor to always honor our students from the, my might- the mighty ninth, Senate District 9, um, where we have lots of except- exceptional athletes. And oftentimes there are some sports that get forgotten because they're not on TV, you know, when it's football season, and they're not on television every Saturday. But still does not make them any less exceptional, and we want to honor those accomplishments.

93. 0:56:00

    So today I have the honor of recognizing an exceptional group of student athletes from Brookwood High School. And join me in congratulating the Brookwood High School boys swim and dive team who won the state championship, and this is the second year that they have won. Um, in the past we've had the girls come, but this year the boys have won twice, um, two, in consecutive years. And winning at this level takes a lot of discipline. There's long hours of training, it's commitment to showing up for each, each other every single day, and this team has a, has done exactly that.

94. 0:56:36

    And I know how hard and challenging it is to be a student athlete. I'm honored to have them with us today, and I'm honored to have them in my district. And at this time I'm gonna turn it over to Captain Evan Liu to share some in, uh, so to share some more incredible achievements about his team. All right, Evan.

95. 0:57:02

    Hello. First of all, I just wanna thank you guys for recognizing us today. I'm so proud of this team and all that we've accomplished together through our second state championship and second undefeated season. It's just been an amazing journey. I just wanna give a big thanks to all the coaches for all the effort they put into leading us to victory, and the Brookwood community for their unending support. Thank you so much and go Broncos.

96. 0:57:25

    There you go.

97. 0:57:29

    Good job. Good job.

98. 0:57:30

    And with that, we wanna present them with their resolution.

99. 0:57:33

    All right.

100. 0:57:33

     I upgraded you guys this year.

101. 0:59:37

     Secretary, read the caption.

102. 0:59:40

     Senate Resolution 679 by Senators Jones of the 10th and others. A resolution honoring the life and memory of Bishop William Bill Harris, and recognizing February 17th, 2026 as Bishop William Bill Harris Day, and for other purposes. Whereas the state of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of Bishop William Bill Harris on December 9th, 2025. And whereas Bishop William Bill Harris was born on February 1st, 1943 in Albany, Georgia, a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, community leader, and civil ri- rights activist.

103. 1:00:15

     And whereas Bishop Harris also served as a field worker for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and was a founding member of the Atlanta SCLC chapter. And whereas at the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, Bishop Harris worked with and marched alongside his friends and fellow civil rights family, the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis, Hosea Williams, Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy, and other pioneers of the civil rights movement. Now therefore be it resolved by the members of the Senate, join in honoring the life and memory of Bishop William Bill Harris, recognize February 17th, 2026 as Bi- Bishop William Bill Harris Day, and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing.

104. 1:00:59

     Mr. President, I complete the order.

105. 1:01:02

     Is there objections to adopt a resolution? Chair hears none, and the resolution is adopted. Recognize the senator from the 10th to recognize a very special gentleman from our side of the, our side of town here. So, uh, if y'all could give his, give him your attention, we would greatly appreciate it. Senator?

106. 1:01:23

     Thank, thank you Mr. President and colleagues. Uh, I will share with you this morning that during my 22 years in this body I've had an opportunity to present a lot of famous and some not so famous people right here from this rostrum. But I would tell you today that there's no person more important than Bishop Harris, that I plan to share a little of his history with you. Though he transitioned back in December of 2025, his legacy lives on.

107. 1:01:56

     I was touched by Bishop Harris some 20 years ago when I became chair of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, and he said to then a young state senator, "Come join us on a march in Moore's Ford Bridge up in Monroe, Georgia." And I will share with you being an Atlantan, I didn't even know where Monroe, Georgia was, but Bishop Harris taught me and took me there, right along with my good friend from the House, Tyrone Brooks. It was then that I had an opportunity to get steeped into civil rights history.

108. 1:02:29

     Though I was born close to the 1959 and '60s in Georgia and Atlanta, it wasn't until I had a chance to experience the kinship, the friendship, and relationship with Bishop Harris that I really got steeped in the civil rights movement in our great state of Georgia. And the reason why I got steeped in that relationship is because he was one of the originals who marched with Dr. King. Just allow me a couple of minutes, if you will, Mr.

109. 1:03:02

     President, to share part of the accomplishments of Bishop William C. Harris. You see, he served as a field worker for the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee that we know as SNCC. Bishop Harris was one of the founders of the Atlanta SCLC chapters. And during the height of the civil rights movement in the '60s, Bishop Harris worked With and marched alongside his friends and fellow civil rights family, the late Dr.

110. 1:03:39

     Martin Luther King Jr., Congressman John Lewis, Hosea Williams, Ralph, Reverend Ralph D. Abernathy, and others in the civil rights movement. You see, Bishop Harris was instrumental in forming and inspiring me to be a public servant. I can't thank his family enough, who has been one family member who I knew, Madam Chair, the chairlady of Henry County, your father long before I knew you.

111. 1:04:17

     And Ms. Simmons, thank you for sharing your father with all of us in this great state. I didn't know their history and these connections until I had a chance to speak with your father. And Ms. Brenda Harris, let me just say personally, this great State of Georgia appreciate the service of your husband. And Mr. President, if you would allow, please, I'd like to bring the matriarch that's still standing for the civil rights movement, one of the founders in the great State of Georgia, to this rostrum to speak and just share a few words about your husband, who we loved so very much.

112. 1:05:02

     Ms. Brenda Harris.

113. 1:05:07

     Thank you so much everybody. I would just like to start off by saying, uh, I am so grateful, and my family as well, as this day has been given, um, to the late Bishop William C. Harris, uh, and his legacy of the things that he has contribute, um, to the world. I won't just say to Georgia because the s- the, the fighting for civil rights was everywhere.

114. 1:05:37

     So he was part of it, Atlanta, Alabama, Mississippi, uh, y- wherever it was needed for him to go. And to, um, Senator Emanuel Jones, um, and to our Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, Lieutenant, uh, Lieutenant Governor, uh, Burt Jones, I, we appreciate you all, um, acknowledging this day, uh, for him. Uh, he was, um, a veteran of, uh, the US Army, where he served for two years.

115. 1:06:12

     And, uh, and after w- a- after his, um, dis- dis- uh, discharge, honorable discharge, he was, um, s- served, um, still, um, in reserve. So, uh, and in his civil rights, you know, in our household, my kids, when they were growing up, we had strict rules and regulations. And, you know, and to me, personally, I think it really was good for them to have them strict rules and regulations, 'cause some things you could do and some things you couldn't do.

116. 1:06:49

     And the things that you could do, you did them. The things that you couldn't do, you better not do them. I know you're right, Mama. And, uh- I know you're right ... so, you know, I think about these kids nowadays that tell you that, "I don't wanna do this." "Oh, yes, you will do this." You know. I know. So, you know, we need to put that back into the schools, into the home. Where it first, it started at home. Mm-hmm. So, uh, and, you know, my husband was a very strict person in things, and he expected for me to not, you know, take sides with one of them and not, um, and sometime I would say, "Oh, honey, you know, don't let them, uh, let them do this, you know?" He said, "No." He said, "I said no." I said, "All right." And he was the same way in his work in the civil rights.

117. 1:07:37

     He, uh, was dedicated and could sing, and he could preach, too. Uh, but that was before that calling. And, uh, but he could, uh, really s- his freedom songs and any kind of song. His mother used to tell me that he used to go out there in the back, he was raised in the country in Albany, Georgia, and sang to the chickens, preached to the chickens. And, uh, you know, so they gave him a little experience, you know, of, uh, being able to, uh, express that talent God had given him.

118. 1:08:10

     Um, and, um, you know, I j- I just, you know, think about all the things that... He was a, you know, the husband, kind of a husband he was, a good one. And, um, his work in the communities, wherever he went, if there was something to be done, he would always get involved in doing it. And, um, so we are just so thankful that, uh, of the good works that he did while he was here. And, uh, his ministry was the same.

119. 1:08:41

     He prayed for people right up until the day that he was called, uh, home. Amen, indeed. Mm-hmm. Okay. And so, um, you know, it, it's just so much that, that he have contribute. Uh, in his church work, he always wanted, he always helped young people. I don't know how many adopted kids that we had, uh, accumulated, um, you know, during his ministry and helping kids.

120. 1:09:13

     Um, kids that came from, um- Different ... you know, different backgrounds. And, uh, he wasn't afraid of helping anybody. Yeah. So, you know, I can go on and on and, uh, but, you know, we don't wanna take up all day because there are some other people here that have some things that they want to express. And my kids are holding me, so. But, you know, uh, I, you know, I thank God for them. And we d- I, we have two other kids. Uh, I have a, had a son who's, um, uh, he's deceased, and, uh, we have a younger daughter who lives in California that, um- Is fighting this, uh, flu.

121. 1:09:55

     So, um, but, you know, we had, um, and all my grandchildren, my great-grands. You know, we got about 14. I have to make a correction. We got about 14-

122. 1:10:06

     Stand up

123. 1:10:07

     ... grandchildren. Y'all stand up. And great-grands. All of them not here. But the ones that are.

124. 1:10:16

     Thank you.

125. 1:10:17

     Okay, thank you. Okay. All right.

126. 1:12:26

     Well, we have a special guest over in the corner over there. Former representative, Jim Cole, right here. Let's give former representative Jim Cole a big round of applause.

127. 1:12:38

     He is currently serving as the athletic director for Mercer Uni- University there in Macon, Georgia, doing a fantastic job. He's got, uh, he's got that athletic program rocking and rolling right now. Good to have you here, Jim. And, uh, and Caroline's doing a wonderful job for us as well, too. She's doing a great job.

128. 1:13:06

     Are there any un- unanimous consents?

129. 1:13:13

     Are there any unanimous consents?

130. 1:13:21

     Recognize the senator from the 52nd.

131. 1:13:23

     Yeah, Mr. President, I move that House Bill 439 be committed to the committee on finance so that we can fix a small error in it.

132. 1:13:31

     Sec- Is there objection? Secretary, read the caption.

133. 1:13:38

     Motion granted.

134. 1:13:51

     Secretary, read the caption.

135. 1:13:53

     House Bill 439 by Representative Zwierta of the 152nd and others. A bill to be entitled an act to amend code section 48-8-50 of the official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to compensation of dealers for reporting and paying tax and reimbursement deduction so as to revise deductions allowed to dealers to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date, to repeal conflicting laws or other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

136. 1:14:16

     Is there any objection? Hearing none.

137. 1:14:30

     Recognize the senator from the 32nd.

138. 1:14:43

     Hey, man. How you doing?

139. 1:14:45

     Thank you, Mr. President. I want to recognize a special group that is here with us today. It's the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, and they are based in Cobb County, in my county. I'm a season ticket holder, and this is their 75th anniversary. They are, uh, also 20 years into the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra. They provide beautiful music and great venues in our county, and, uh, I hope that you'll join me in welcoming them.

140. 1:15:17

     They're up in the gallery, and, uh, we're thankful that they're still here after 75 years.

141. 1:15:27

     Thank you. I yield the floor.

142. 1:15:29

     Recognize the senator from the 25th.

143. 1:15:51

     Sorry. My sound don't go to my hearing aids right. I couldn't hear you. I'm sorry. I apologize. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to recognize our Baldwin County School Superintendent, Christina Brooks. If y'all will stand up. We have, uh, Baldwin County student leadership, uh, region one act and literary team champs, uh, representatives from the region history and science, uh, fair state team champs, our governor's honors program alumni, girls basketball region champs, boys basketball elite eight.

144. 1:16:29

     But, uh, a bunch of great young people that are doing a fantastic job, and we're so proud of you. And Dr. Brooks, thank you so much for having them here, and thank y'all. I hope you enjoy. And if you would give them a round of applause for me, please. Thank you.

145. 1:16:49

     Thank you, Mr. President.

146. 1:17:05

     Recognize the senator from the 12th.

147. 1:17:23

     Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, I would like to welcome to the Capitol this morning Youth United of United Way of Southwest Georgia, Albany. They are visiting us, and we thank them. We want to thank them for everything that they do to support United Way of Southwest Georgia and the youth in Albany and rural Georgia as well. So thank you so very much for coming, and if you're in the gallery, would you please stand so we can give you a hand?

148. 1:17:56

     Oh, they're over there.

149. 1:17:59

     Thank you so very much. We appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the well.

150. 1:18:08

     Recognize Senator from the 39th.

151. 1:18:22

     Good morning, Senator. Good morning, Mr. President and colleagues. I rise today for a point of personal privilege to recognize two groups who are with us in the gallery this morning. First, I wanna take a moment to recognize an organization that has been quietly but powerfully changing the trajectory of young people's lives here in Atlanta, Raising Expectations. For 30 years, Raising Expectations has worked alongside students, many of whom would be the first in their families to attend college, providing not just academic support, but guidance, mentorship, and belief in themselves and in what's possible for their future.

152. 1:19:03

     By breaking cycles of poverty and fostering a culture of high achievement, Raising Expectations has shown us that consistent, intentional investment in young people creates a ripple effect, strengthening families, neighborhoods, and communities for decades. Um, because what they understand is something we all know to be true, talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. And this organization helps close that gap. Today, I will be presenting our Senate resolution recognizing Raising Expectation, its founders, Maria Armstrong and Tanjie Allen, Board Chair Tamara Warren, and the staff members who are with us today for their years of service and impact.

153. 1:19:47

     We thank you for the work you've done and the lives you've changed. I'd also like to recognize another special group joining us today. We have 34 students from the Mount Vernon School, along with their AP government teacher, Dr. Shayway, visiting us in the gallery. When I see students in the gallery, I'm reminded that the future of leadership is already in the room. These students are here not just to observe, but to understand how government works in real time, how ideas move, how debate happens, and how decisions get made, and there's no better classroom than this chamber.

154. 1:20:25

     To our visiting students, we are glad you are here, and we hope this experience stays with you. And colleagues, I ask that we give Raising Expectation and the students and educators from Mount Vernon School a warm Senate welcome.

155. 1:20:45

     All right. Thank you. Recognize Senator from the 38th.

156. 1:21:05

     Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, colleagues, I rise in the spirit of my colleague from the 21st. I appreciate that he has been getting up for the last two months to recognize Black History Month and women hi- Women's History Month. So today, uh, for Women's History Month, I rise to recognize the remarkable life, uh, and legacy of Sonia Sotomayor. Justice Sotomayor's story is not one that began in marble halls or circles. It began in a modest neighborhood in the Bronx.

157. 1:21:37

     She ra- she was raised by a single mother who worked long hours as a nurse. Her family lived in public housing, and her father, father passed away when she was just nine years old. And yet, from that humble beginning, a young girl with dreams and a fierce work ethic dared to believe that her future could be bigger than her circumstances. She studied hard. She believed in the power of education. She earned her way to Princeton University, then to Yale Law School, and through perseverance and determination, she rose through the legal profession until she was nominated to serve on the highest court in the land, the United States Supreme Court.

158. 1:22:22

     Now, I'm sure you ask, why does this matter here in Georgia? Because her story reminds us something very powerful. Greatness does not belong only to those born to privilege. Because her story tells us that greatness can come from public housing. Greatness can come from working families. Greatness can come from neighborhoods where opportunity sometimes feels just out of reach. Justice So- Sonia Sotomayor once said, "Until we get equality in education, we won't have an equal society." Those words should resonate deeply with us in this chamber as we tackle literacy, absenteeism, and safety.

159. 1:23:08

     During Women's History Month, we celebrate not just the achievements of women like Justice Sotomayor, we celebrate the doors they opened and the possibilities they represent for our next generation. For every young girl in Georgia watching today, whether she's in Atlanta, Dublin, Fairburn, or a small town anywhere in our state, her story reminds them of this: your beginnings do not determine your destiny. And Brooklyn, my daughter, if you work hard, believe in yourself, our daughters, keep pushing forward, even the highest court in the land may not be beyond your reach.

160. 1:23:52

     Thank you, Mr. President, and I yield the well. Recognize Senator from the 21st.

161. 1:24:15

     Thank you, Mr. President.

162. 1:24:19

     Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, you know, we're getting that in to the point of the session where, uh, tensions get a little high. Uh, ten- people get to be a little snippy sometimes, so just wanna remind everybody to be respect and be respectful. Ironically, this morning when I was on the way into the Capitol, I was flipping through the radio, and, uh, the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin herself, came on with the song Respect. So I thought it was, uh, in conjunction with, uh, Women's History Month as well, I thought, uh, what a great way to remind everybody to, to be respectful a- and, and honor her as well.

163. 1:24:52

     So Aretha Franklin was, uh, more than a singer. She was a force of nature, a voice that could shake the walls of a church, fill the soul of a nation, and move the conscience of a generation. Born in Memphis and raised in Detroit, Aretha grew up surrounded by faith, music, and purpose. She began singing in her father's church as a young girl, where her extraordinary talent became undeniable. But what set Aretha apart was not just her voice, it was her courage, her conviction, and her unwavering belief in her own worth.

164. 1:25:31

     At a time when opportunities for women, especially women of color, were limited, Aretha Franklin rose to the very top of an industry that often tried to define her. Instead, she defined herself. Through songs like Respect, she gave voice to a movement. She didn't just sing about dignity, she demanded it. And in doing so, she became a symbol of both the civil rights movement and the fight for women's equality. Aretha Franklin showed the world that talent paired with determination can break down barriers.

165. 1:26:06

     She proved that you do not have to conform to someone else's expectations to accreed- achieve greatness. You can stand boldly in who you are. To the young women watching and listening today, especially young women of color, her story carries a powerful message. Your voice matters, your dreams are valid, and your potential is limitless. There'll be m- moments when the world underestimates you. There'll be obstacles placed in your path.

166. 1:26:36

     But like Aretha Franklin, you have the strength to rise above them. You have the ability to lead, to inspire, and to leave your mark on this world. Aretha didn't just entertain, she empowered. She opened doors that had long been closed and made it possible for future generations of women to walk through them with confidence and pride. Her legacy reminds us that greatness is not reserved for a select few. It's within reach for anyone willing to work hard, believe in themselves, and persevere.

167. 1:27:09

     So today, we honor not just a legendary artist, but a trailblazer, a woman who turned her gift into a platform for change, a woman who taught us all the meaning of respect. May we continue to carry her legacy forward by uplifting one another, by believing in the next generation, and by ensuring that every woman, regardless of her background, knows that she is capable of achieving, achieving extraordinary things. Thank you. Mr. President, I yield the will.

168. 1:27:40

     Thanks, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 34th.

169. 1:27:50

     Recognize the senator from the 34th.

170. 1:28:09

     Good morning, Mr. President. I rise to recognize and honor two outstanding Georgians, Evan Oglesby and Orson Charles, who is to my right. They are men of distinguish- distinction, former NFL players. One of them is a Georgia Bulldog, too.

171. 1:28:36

     Both are leaders, mentors, and champions in their communities. Through Evan Oglesby Foundation, Evan Oglesby has impacted tens of thousands of students across Georgia through camps, mentorships, enrichment programs, and scholarships that have changed lives. Like, uh, Orson Charles has used his platform and life experience to uplift others through mentorships, community development, and particularly through supporting youth and families facing adversity. Today, we recommend both of them for their service through leadership and their unwavering commitment to making a lasting difference in lives of others.

172. 1:29:15

     They represent the very best in Georgia, and we are proud to recognize them today. Thank you.

173. 1:29:29

     Recognize the senator from the 8th.

174. 1:29:38

     Well, thank you, Mr. President. I wanna thank the m- members of this body for helping me pass out a resolution honoring my fraternity, the senator from the 11th's fraternity, the senator from the 47th's fraternity, our Commissioner Tyler Harper's fraternity, uh, my for- predecessor in the Senate, uh, Senator Ellis Black, as well as our, uh, former House Ag Chairman and our current Farm Bureau president, Tom McCall. Today is National AGR Day in the Capitol. And so I lived in the AGR House for about four years.

175. 1:30:09

     It was a great experience that had a huge impact on my life. I remember when my dad died, I was at the University of Georgia, and, uh, the AGR brothers filled up about three rows of pews at the funeral home, and, uh, I'll never forget that. It's been a huge part of my life. And the motto for Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity is to make better men and through them a broader and better agriculture. And I can tell you that I'm a better man for my time at AGR, and I'm so thankful my son

176. 1:30:38

     My oldest son, JR, and his friends are in the gallery today. They're brothers of mine. So not only is my son, uh, my oldest son, but he's also my brother. And so, uh, guys, stand up and be recognized if you will, please. Y'all give him a round of applause.

177. 1:30:58

     So I don't know, I don't know if this is, uh, I don't know what the decorum is on this, but I'm gonna close out with this. It goes, "Ah-roo. Hootie toot. Good God Almighty. Who the heck are we? We're the romping stomping farmers of the ag fraternity. If you don't know by now, we're the brothers of the plow. Hip ra, hip ra. Three cheers for AGR. Ra, ra, ra." Thank y'all for being here. Mr. President, I yield the well.

178. 1:31:59

     Recognize Senator from the 27th.

179. 1:32:12

     Thank you, Mr. President, colleagues. I rise to recognize Georgia Runs on Trucking Day here at the State Capitol. Uh, you will see a hat and some other gifts for you on your desks from the trucking industry. Uh, I first want to talk about the industry. Employs about 326,000 people here in our state, uh, over about 93,000 businesses. Everything that we eat, everything that we wear, everything that we consume got to us most likely, uh, by riding at some point in time on a truck.

180. 1:32:44

     And so we just wanna recognize this very important industry as well as the work that you all have done. Uh, two years ago, we laid out a freight and logistics plan for the state, funded it for the first time last year with the leadership of Governor Kemp, and recognized the need, uh, over the next 30 years in the state, most likely after all of us have left this general assembly, to really take a fresh look at the freight logistics planning that we have to do to ensure that all of the freight that moves through Georgia can do so efficiently. So to the truckers here in the building, thank y'all for joining us here today.

181. 1:33:14

     And for those of you in the general assembly, thank you for the work that you've done, uh, to ensure that we continue to invest in infrastructure in our great state. With that, Mr. President, I'll yield the well.

182. 1:33:26

     Senator. Thank you, Senator. Thank you. Senator from the 28th.

183. 1:34:28

     Wow. Miller family.

184. 1:34:36

     Okay. God.

185. 1:34:45

     Okay. I was waiting to see if they were...

186. 1:34:53

     Thank you very much, uh, Mr. President. And today is Film Day in the State of Georgia.

187. 1:35:05

     And thank you for being here. And, uh, you, uh, make us happy entertaining us and working hard and bringing even more jobs here to Georgia. I have, uh, Mr. Bill Duke, uh, the actor. Where are you? Oh, he's standing over here, y'all. And, of course, many of you know him from the movies Predator, uh, Commando with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sister Act, and so many other...

188. 1:35:37

     Anyway, he's sitting over there with the NFL players right now. But also the film industry and all of us are celebrating Mr. Craig Miller, who was a visionary leader here to shape Georgia's film and television industry. Where are they? The family is, was right there at the door. But it's a, a opportunity, he's given opportunities for small business, local communities, and thousands of hardworking Georgians.

189. 1:36:16

     The film industry has fueled our economy while inspiring countless Georgians to create their big dream. And Mr. Craig Miller understood that when we invest in the arts, we are also investing in our people. And because of his work, so many Georgians have found careers behind the camera, on set, and in industries that keep production moving. So today we remember-

190. 1:36:45

     Mr. Craig Miller. Uh, will y'all let, I wanted his, his family to please stand and be recognized. But they're at the door. They're at the door, and I think they won't let them in.

191. 1:37:03

     Will they let them in so we can, uh, give them a warm welcome as, as... And also, please stand up everyone from the film industry who are here today. But here's the family that's coming in right now.

192. 1:37:19

     Well, I just, uh, introduced the fact that we have a resolution that's been presented to you already, and we're, we're glad to have you here. We really, really miss your father and your husband and... But this is the family, Mr. Lieutenant Governor. This... Can you raise your hand so people will know where ... There you are. So let, let us, let us honor them. And senators, will we stand up and give them a warm welcome, please?

193. 1:37:53

     Look up in the back gallery. We have all of... This, this is our film industry that brought us from number 38 to number one. We are ahead of New York and, yes, I am, and Hollywood. Again, we thank you. Thank you for being here. We're on a time schedule, so they're gonna give me the hook. Y'all know about that, right? So thank you very much and thank you, family. Please come up, up here and take a picture with the lieutenant governor. Thank you.

194. 1:39:06

     If I could have the, uh, Senate's attention real quick, please. If I could have the Senate's attention. I would like to take a point of personal privilege. We got our chief of staff back there in the back. Look at him. Hey. Hey. Everybody, anybody wants to get a Senate bill through the House, there's the man to talk to right there, huh? How you doing? Good to see you.

195. 1:39:36

     We're coming down the home stretch of, uh, this session right now, and tempers are getting hot. People are getting a little upset. We got a budgetary process going on.

196. 1:39:52

     We got a budgetary process going on. Had a lot of requests from a lot of different senators from all over the state, from Columbus to Augusta to Savannah, Macon, all these places. And I want to recognize our chair of the appropriations as well as the s- subprosha- procreation chairs for the good job that they're doing right now in trying to make sure that every senator gets accommodated.

197. 1:40:22

     Because our responsibility as elected officials is a fiduciary responsibility, and it is to take care of the best interests of the state as a whole. So I want to m- remind everyone as we're coming down the home stretch that we are trying to be accommodating and we are trying to, doesn't matter what party affiliation you have or whatever it might be, we're trying to be mindful of everyone's needs and wants in their districts.

198. 1:40:53

     Now, when that bill leaves here, it goes to our state agencies. And our state agencies should take the same responsibility of minding the people's business the best they can. But I don't think there's any secret that's been brought to light here recently that we've had vendors who've been taking advantage of our agencies to the tune of over a billion dollars in non-bid funds.

199. 1:41:29

     No-bid funds. On the healthcare arena at that. Something that we talk about all the time about affordability, about hospitals in rural and metro Atlanta not being able to keep its doors open because of cost and personnel. So when I look at vendors who are taking advantage of loopholes that have been offered through the agency, we're gonna close those loopholes this week, I can assure you that.

200. 1:42:07

     And we're gonna, we're-

201. 1:42:13

     But it does really kind of disgust me that you have one private company that's used taxpayer dollars to basically, to, to basically triple the cost of healthcare in this state. Atlanta Medical would still be open. Rural hospitals would still be open. 'Cause they all point to the cost of personnel in healthcare. So that needs to be said and it needs to be recognized because it's happened right up under our noses.

202. 1:42:52

     And if we wanna allow other vendors to take advantage, which I'm sure there's others that need to be held accountable, but I don't believe there's one that touches as many people as, as in, in the healthcare industry. And so I don't mind calling out Jackson Healthcare for being the culprit of our healthcare costs in this state more than tripling when you allow a private entity to be monopolizing, monopolizing an industry like they have.

203. 1:43:28

     So when people ask me, "How do you fend off so much money being thrown at you?" I say, "It's hard to defend that somebody has the keys to the treasury." And that's what we've allowed to happen in this ... Not this body, but we've allowed it through the agencies and not holding our agencies accountable. So when you look at wanting to do, run something like a business, you gotta count every penny, and you gotta, you gotta count every penny, and the dollars will take them, take care of themselves.

204. 1:44:02

     And you have to hold everyone accountable in this room, the next chamber, and the ones who are in charge of running your state government. So I just wanna remind everybody if when you have these wish lists, if you're unable to get what you need for your constituents, think about the waste that has gone on the last several years that has made that possible and made it impossible for you to get necessary resources to your communities, 'cause every one of you in here have sent in a request.

205. 1:44:40

     And so I think as we move forward, just be mindful that we hold each and every one of us accountable because we're here on the taxpayer's dime, not on your dime, not on somebody else's. We're here to represent the people of the state and put forth the best policies, but also put forward the best way to spend their money, and it isn't by monopolizing private entities with property taxpayers' money.

206. 1:45:12

     So thank y'all very much. I appreciate the point of personal privilege.

207. 1:46:10

     Recognize the majority leader.

208. 1:46:23

     So I just wanna take a quick, quick moment. Um, today is my daughter Madison's 16th birthday, sweet 16, Madison Rose Anavitarte. Um, just wanna wish her a happy birthday. I know she's having an awesome day at North Paulding High School, where it seems like they're winning a lot of state championships right now. But, um, I hope you have a great day, my dear, and, uh, look forward to seeing you tonight to celebrate your birthday. Love you.

209. 1:47:04

     Any more points of personal privilege? You have 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 consent calendar is adopted.

210. 1:47:28

     Are there any motions to withdraw or commit?

211. 1:47:41

     You have before you a consent calendar of local bills. Mr. Secretary, are there any objections? No objections have been filed, Mr. President. Is there any objection to re- re-agreeing to the four committee on state and local government operations, which is favorable to the passage of the bills on the local consent calendar? Chair hears none. The reported committee is agreed to. Question is on the passage of the bills on the local consent calendar. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

212. 1:49:45

     On the passage of the bill, the yays are 50 and the nays are zero. This bill on the local consent calendar, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

213. 1:50:05

     As the majority leader. Mr. President, let's keep this party going. Unanimous consent that HB 376 and HB 1159 be engrossed. Secretary, read the caption.

214. 1:50:20

     House Bill 376 by Representative Hilton of the 48th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the imposition, rate, consumption, exemptions, and credits for state income tax so as to increase the amount of tax credits available for the rehabilitation of certified structures, to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date of applicability, to repeal conflicting laws for other purposes. House Bill 1159 by Representative Gamble of the 15th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the imposition, rate, computation, exemptions, and credits relative to income taxes so as to exempt the taxation all income received by individuals, corporations, and partnerships under the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program of the United States Department of Agriculture, to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective purpose, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

215. 1:51:07

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

216. 1:51:20

     Majority Leader has moved to engross House Bill 376 and House Bill 1159. Is there objection? Objection. There's objection. Would you like to speak to your objection?

217. 1:51:42

     Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, the reason for the objection today is I've heard many times that we only will engross bills from Finance and Ethics. However, HB 376 comes out of the Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, and if it was a matter of practice or principle, uh, then the majority party would continue to engross just Ethics and Finance bills, but this is now a bill that has come out of Economic Development and Tourism. And so this sets a precedent of this body engrossing bills from just any committee.

218. 1:52:12

     And so therefore, Mr. President, Minority Caucus is opposed to the engrossment of these pieces of legislation as we move forward in the rest of this session. And with that, I yield the well.

219. 1:53:04

     Does the majority w- leader wish to speak?

220. 1:53:13

     I'm gonna be very, very brief. I know my dear friend from, uh, the 2nd, I'm sure there are people in his city that utilize 376, so we'll see how he votes on that bill. But literally, both these bills are both Title 48 bills, um, and that's the reason for engrossment. So please vote green. Thank you.

221. 1:53:37

     Senator from the 2nd, for what purpose do you rise? Just a parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, is it not true that we always hear from the majority leader that the majority party only engrosses bills from Ethics and Finance? Is that not true? Senator, I think they're following the rules that they usually follow over there in the majority caucus. Senator from the 6th over there, what, what, what are you, what you got over there?

222. 1:54:06

     Why don't you come to the, show that in the well real quick. Show, show it everybody.

223. 1:54:15

     Is this part of a motion right here? Hmm? Today's Self-Direction Day, and I am a champion, as you can see by my belt. So when y'all see them around the cha- around the Capitol today, y'all welcome them and learn a little bit more about it. Thank you. All right. All right, the motion is on the table to engross. We'll come back to him in a second. Uh, motion is on the table to engross.

224. 1:54:46

     All those in favor of engrossment will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

225. 1:55:53

     On the motion for engrossment, the yays are 30 and the nays are 20, and this motion has prevailed.

226. 1:56:08

     Senator from the 27th, did you have a, a question for the, for the heavyweight champion next to you over there? I did actually, Mr. President. I've never heard of Self-Direction Day. I was wondering if the senator from the 6th could opine on exactly what that may be, since he's the champion. Well, since y'all sit right beside each other, I'll let y'all talk that through. So, moving on to the rules calendar.

227. 1:56:35

     H- House Bill 998. Secretary, read the caption. House Bill 998 by Representative Leverett of the 123rd and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to telecommunications and competition development so as to authorize certain Tier 2 local exchange companies to elect to become subject to rate of return regulation, to repeal a limitation on the period of certain distributions can be made from the Universal Access Fund to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes. Mr. President, the Committee on the Senate of Economic Development and Tourism recommends that this bill do pass.

228. 1:57:08

     Respectfully submitted, Senator Echols of the 45th District. Chairman, Mr. President, that completes the order. Recognize the senator from the 23rd.

229. 1:57:33

     Thank you, Mr. President, colleagues. I bring you House Bill 998. This is about affordability. It's about affordability in rural Georgia equivalent to affordability in our metro regions. It's about access. It's about every resident of Georgia having access to a reliable telecommunication lines, both in the rural parts of our state that is already in the urban parts of our state.

230. 1:58:03

     It's really about business. It's about commerce. If you do business outside the metro areas, you cannot conduct business unless you have a reliable voice telecommunications line. So, where we are today is to recognize that we continue to have service gaps in the cell industry. I live in rural Georgia. I live at 5417 Newington Highway.

231. 1:58:33

     It's right on the border of the Savannah River. I am on the fringe of cell service. I cannot get reliable cell service in my home. I have to rely on a landline. This legislation continues a program that was originally established by the General Assembly in 1995 to help ensure that rural Georgians had reliable voice communications, that in particular, they had access to emergency services.

232. 1:59:06

     In many rural areas, in mine and in many of yours, there are gaps in cell coverage. They still remain. And the only reliable telecommunications access point is through a land-based line. These are in sparsely populated areas, which means their costs are significantly greater than in our urban and metropolitan area, and the best thing about the Universal Access Fund is it ensures everywhere in Georgia you have stable, reliable telecommunications.

233. 1:59:41

     We have to recognize that the cost per mile in those rural areas is much greater than the cost per mile in the urban areas, and the Universal Access Fund allows that to happen. Let's just make sure you understand what happens in this bill. Uh, the most important thing is it would take the current environment that would sunset in 2030 and extends it to 2040 so that we can have a stable environment. We're already seeing where small rural telephone companies, there are 22 tier two telecommunications country- companies in Georgia.

234. 2:00:15

     There is one tier one company. Now, let me explain it. A tier one company has more than 50,000 line access points. A tier two company has less than 50,000. So one tier one, 22 tier twos servicing the rural parts of our state. Extends the sunset from 2030 to 2040. It, uh, is, it requires all of those companies to be under a rate of return formula that's administered through the Public Service Commission.

235. 2:00:47

     It codifies an annual audit. They can only receive reimbursement from the fund for, uh, cost, direct expense cost to deli- to delivering telecommunication services in rural areas, and it does provide a limited opt-in. Again, there are 22 telecom tier two companies in Georgia. 19 of them are a part of this program. There are three that are not. This would allow until August the 1st of 2026 for those three to decide whether they wish to be subject to rate of return and whether they wish to comply with PSC oversight of their communications, uh, environment.

236. 2:01:25

     So I ask that you favorably consider House Bill 998. If you do business outside the metro area, you have to have a landline today. If you have family outside of metro area, there's no guarantee you can communicate with them unless they have a landline. I will suggest to you that it is the lifeblood of safety during Hurricane Helene. We had telecommunications down all over my region.

237. 2:01:57

     There were no cell towers. The only reliable communication option was a landline that was based, uh, in, in the service region from these 22 telecom tier two companies. So it's a safety issue, it's an economic, uh, engine issue for commerce, and it's, uh, it's an access issue to my constituents in rural Georgia. So, uh, Mr. President, I would ask that the Senate favorably support House Bill 998, and I'm happy to consider any questions you might have.

238. 2:02:32

     Chair recognizes senator from the 35th.

239. 2:02:36

     Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, Senator, do you yield?

240. 2:02:39

     I do.

241. 2:02:39

     Um, I really appreciate this bill. Um, definitely leaning towards supporting it. But just so I can better understand, is it true that, um, those in more urban areas are, are, their fair share is, I guess, less compared to what someone in a rural area would be paying? Are, are rural area folks paying more, or is this where the state comes in? Just wanna better understand.

242. 2:03:01

     This, this creates... Th- thank you for the question. This creates parity so that it remains affordable in rural areas. The, the best thing, the best illustration I could give you is that the number of access points per mile in the urban area is hundreds of times more than in rural areas, so that in some cases, I have to go multiple miles to, to collect a dozen or more customers, where I can do one mile in the metro regions and have thousands. So it creates an affordability balance from metro to rural, and it ensures, uh, universal access across our state.

243. 2:03:35

     Okay, so is it true that this bill would suggest that the state believes that equity is important when it comes to telephone service? I believe that it is important that all Georgians have access to reliable telecommunication services, and this bill ensures that that will continue for the next decade. I- I'd point out that, uh, these are small businesses. They are run on very limited margins, and without, uh, access to the universal access fund, their financing is in jeopardy. This, uh, this is a good bill.

244. 2:04:05

     Thank you so much. Thank you. I recognize the senator from the 42nd for a question. Does the senator yield? Certainly. Senator, isn't it true that in our state we see a lot of population changes where you see population decreases in certain parts, the rural parts of our state, while population increases around Metro Atlanta? The senator's correct. Do you further yield? Yes, sir. Isn't it true that one of the side effects of that is that with redistricting population changes, there are less people up here in this body and across the hall over in the House that represent and speak for rural Georgia?

245. 2:04:43

     You are correct. Thank you. Do you further yield? I do. Isn't it true that bills like this is important for all of us, especially people of Metro Atlanta, to listen when it comes to bills like House Bill 998 about the unique challenges that rural Georgians have, and that's one of the reasons we should be supporting this bill? It is a critical issue that we maintain, uh, telecommunication access throughout our state, and this bill helps ensure that. Thank you. Recognize the senator from the 4th.

246. 2:05:13

     Thank you, Mr. President. Senator yield? I do. Senator, uh, with the 911 service that we depend on so heavily for emergency situations, uh, does the cell phones handle that type of service or we have to have a landline service to handle that? Regrettably, the cell service does not accurately identify the location of the emergency. The most, uh, effective way to determine the, the location where EMS needs to respond or fire or whatever is through, uh, uh, a physical location that is associated with a landline, a telecommunication telephone line.

247. 2:05:52

     Thank you, sir. Thank you. Senator yield? Yes, I do. Senator, don't you, in our part of the world, which is South Georgia, don't we see a lot of companies now and residents that have metal, metal roofs on them? Unfortunately, we do. S- Senator, are you aware that most of the time cell phones do not work in those type of settings? They do not. So you have to have a line, landline phone for that one? You have to have a landline to access your telecommunications, uh, network. Okay. One, one more question, Senator.

248. 2:06:22

     Certainly. Would you also then agree that the needs of rural Georgia are different than the needs of Metro Georgia? They are, but they are, uh, codependent. So the, the metro regions cannot be successful without the rural participation in, in business and commerce and education and transportation. So we're, we're a part of the, uh, the ecosystem of Georgia, and we have to have reliable telecommunications access. Thank you, Senator.

249. 2:06:53

     Thank you. If there are no further questions, Mr. President, I'll- Uh, I recognize the senator from the 24th. 24th. Senator, do you yield for que- I do ... a few questions? Senator, isn't it, aren't we blessed in the A- Atlanta area to have all type of services? We are. We're very fortunate in our metro regions to have, uh, multiple communication paths including landlines, physical lines, but also reliable cell service.

250. 2:07:26

     Senator, do you, isn't it, uh, true that a person that lives in the rural Georgia is just as important as a person in the Atlanta area? Uh, the gentleman knows of what he speaks. And Senator, isn't it true that the people in rural Georgia that lives on a dirt road possibly does not have all the blessings that we have up here for services? Uh, they s- they do not. Uh, I would say that the reliable telecommunication service is an essential part of their ability to continue to progress and, and contribute to the economy of Georgia and to have a fruitful and productive life, especially when it comes to communicating with family and friends outside of those rural areas, and especially when it relates to, uh, emergency service access.

251. 2:08:16

     Thank you for helping the ru- rural people. Thank you. Thank you. No more questions, Senator. Thank, thank you, Mr. President. We do have some amendments, um, offered. Uh, the secretary will read the caption. Mr. President, Senator Jones of the 22nd offers, and others offer the first amendment to amend House Bill 998 by replacing lines one and two with the following: To amend Title 46 of the OCGA relating to public utility so as to authorize certain by replacing line nine with the following: Of such report to provide for a definition to reestablish consumer utility council to represent consumers in matters of the Public Safety Commission or other agencies concerning public utilities to create the Office of Consumer's Utility Council and for other purposes.

252. 2:08:56

     Mr. President, Senator Parent of the 44th offers Amendment 1A to amend Amendment 1 to the H- to House Bill 998 by replacing lines 5 through 12 with the following: Of such report to prohibit certain costs incurred by an electric utility as a result of providing electric services to commercial data centers for being included in any rates or charges of such electric utility unless such rates or charges are designed to recover su- costs solely from or at least substantially from con- commercial data centers to provide for a definition to repeal conflicting and for other purposes.

253. 2:09:26

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

254. 2:09:36

     I recognize the senator from the 22nd to speak to his amendment

255. 2:09:42

     Uh, he waives. The senator from the forty-fourth, would you like to speak to the amendments?

256. 2:10:07

     Mr. President, I have a thought. I mentioned the meetings. Senator, what may I

257. 2:10:25

     do?

258. 2:10:25

     Um, thank you, Mr. President. I am going to speak to both amendments. The, um, senator from the twenty-second's amendment and then 1A, which I have introduced. Um,

259. 2:10:41

     amendment one, um, would reestablish a consumer utility council at the Georgia Public Service Commission. And this is important because since the consumer utility council was defunded in 2008, consumers, bill payers have not had an independent voice with full participation rights in rate cases and other important proceedings that directly affect their bills, um, in, in any of these matters in front of the Public Service Commission.

260. 2:11:21

     While consumers have been left without a fully participating independent voice on their behalf at, in, uh, Public Service Commission proceedings, the utility companies still have, have, you know, been able to have teams of lawyers and, and lobbyists that are addressing their interests in front of, uh, the Public Service Commission and, of course, as we know, in front of, of, of, uh, this, this very body. So, you know, I think that it's critical that there is this independent, uh, representation, especially while Georgians are struggling with, um, high power bills.

261. 2:12:02

     Um, our bills have gone up. Uh, those of us that, that pay Georgia Power bills have gone up six times in two years and are now among the, um, highest in the country. And these proceedings are very opaque, very technical, inaccessible to the public. And the way it stands right now, there is no party that has full discovery rights that can look at the trade secret documents and all of the rest in these proceedings.

262. 2:12:36

     We also are one of only three or four states that does not have one. The need is clear. I would posit the need is clear. Not having one or not advancing legislation to es- to reestablish the Consumer Utility Council basically says we don't want transparency in this process. We don't want fairness. We don't want oversight. We want the utility companies to be able to have a finger on the scale.

263. 2:13:11

     Um, and this would be a, a step towards restoring balance. Um, speaking to the, um, Amendment 1A, the Public Service Commission in December authorized Georgia Power to add ten thousand megawatts of capacity that mostly is gonna be in the form of new, uh, natural gas plants. And that is on top of another four gigawatts that the commission certified in twenty twenty-four.

264. 2:13:44

     What that means is there is a massive build-out underway that's been green-lit by the Public Service Commission to double the amount of capacity the system has to serve large, large load customers. What that means is to serve AI companies, da- data centers on behalf of tech companies and tech billionaires. Legislation passed a few weeks ago does not fully protect residential and small business customers from bearing the financial risk of this unprecedented build-out.

265. 2:14:21

     It, it re- relies very heavily on anticipated contracts that, again, no one can actually see, um, that, that would possibly require them to pay for some of the initial cost of build-out but does not cover consumers in the event that the contracts and load and data centers don't materialize or don't stay past the length of the contract, which, as I told you before, are usually fifteen years, whereas the build-out will need to be paid for for forty-five to fifty years.

266. 2:15:02

     And if they don't come, then there will be the right to recover from consumers. And Georgia voters feel very strongly that if we are doubling our capacity to serve data centers, then it's data centers and tech billionaires that need to fund that build-out, not, not them. So I ask for your support for both of these amendments, and, um, happy to answer any questions or yield the well.

267. 2:15:34

     I'll yield the well. Thank you.

268. 2:15:41

     She's yielded the well.

269. 2:15:44

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 13th. Do you still want to speak to the bill, Senator?

270. 2:16:07

     Thank you, Mr. President. Folks, for all you people that don't live in rural Georgia, I know it's a little bit hard to figure out why rural Georgia needs something like this right here, but I want to put this to you in very plain terms. I still have people in my district who don't have cell phones. A lot of them don't have cell phones, believe it or not. I find that quite unusual, but when I ask them why they don't have a cell phone, their response is, "Because I don't have any signal, and I, if I try to use my cell phone in my home, I don't, I can't, I can't talk to anybody." You, you, it's garbled and cut off, or you lose signal.

271. 2:16:43

     It drops it all the time. We must maintain rural Georgia, and that's why I'm in favor of this bill, and I appreciate senator bringing this bill to us from the 23rd, because we need this bill in rural Georgia to maintain the continuity. And I know rural Georgia is a massive area compared to the big city. My God, I got one county that's 73 miles from end to end. You put Fulton County and Cobb County in that county. You know, it needs help, and that's why I support this bill, and I appreciate this senator bringing it. I won't speak to the amendment. I would, uh, but I will speak to that bill.

272. 2:17:14

     We need to support this bill. Thank you. Mr. President, I yield the will.

273. 2:17:22

     Chair recognizes the senator from the 56th to speak to the motion.

274. 2:17:35

     Thank you, Mr. President. I'm here to talk about the bill, and I really commend the senator from the 23rd for what he's trying to do. Often in this chamber, we get passionately excited about helping children, helping rural Georgia, helping different areas, and that is a very good thing. But I think we have to know a little history on this before we jump forward and make sure we're all knowing what the facts are. When this fund was created 30 years ago, it was created to connect lines, back then almost exclusively by copper lines, to areas that did not have access for the purposes of communication for their business, for their home, and to 911.

275. 2:18:15

     That has been done. At this point, the people that have lines already have those installed. They have already long been paid for, and they are what's called maintenance mode now with the telecoms, which is their most profitable part of a telecommunications company, is those that are already installed and are just on monthly residuals. There are not a lot of new people getting new lines in rural Georgia, and in fact, people are dropping their lines all over the state, urban, rural, and suburban, at a dramatic rate.

276. 2:18:47

     Yet what we're doing today is saying we have to then prop up something that is going down, that is already making more money than it ever has been, while at the same time we've spent billions and billions of dollars building out broadband. And with broadband, you can have a free IP phone that will pinpoint your location. These two things just don't add up, folks. Now, another comment was made about how self-service works with 911. I've got news for you.

277. 2:19:18

     With your cell phone, I can pinpoint your location within three feet of where you are, as opposed to your home, which may be in acres of property. That's just a false explanation. It's just not right. We were part of the negotiation center from the 46th and other of us 10 years ago when this came up the last time. Everybody agreed this was going to end by 2030, until we wanted more money again. It's 2026, folks.

278. 2:19:50

     This doesn't expire for four more years, and you're being asked to extend it out 14 years. 14 years. Do you know what's gonna happen with technology in 14 years? We're seeing it all over with low-level satellites, with all sorts of changes in communication. This is a $2.60 tax every month on every citizen in the state of Georgia for something that has long been agreed, is still profitable, and while we love rural Georgia, we love suburban Georgia and urban Georgia, we have to quit creating a false narrative, something as dramatic that's simply not true.

279. 2:20:32

     This service can stay. It will stay. It's in the books for the next four years, and let's be smart about this and not put the burden back on Georgia taxpayers. Thank you. I yield the will.

280. 2:20:45

     I recognize the senator from the 31st. What purpose do you rise? Mr. President, at the appropriate time, I'd like to object to the amendments. State your objection. Um, Mr. President, I object according to Senate Rule 7-1.6 that this is a set of amendments designed to subvert, to subvert the rules of the Senate with a floor amendment.

281. 2:21:39

     All right. In the Senate rules, I'm referring to Senate rule dash, Senate Rule 7-1.6

282. 2:21:49

     Sub-section D says an amendment or series of amendments offered in the nature of a substitute for the purpose of circumventing paragraph B of this rule shall be out of order. And paragraph B, um, and it says this determination is made by the president. Paragraph B talks about a, a substitute being, uh, three pages or longer. So, uh, I agree, uh, with the objection and the amendments, amendment one and amendment 1A are ruled out of order.

283. 2:22:27

     Objection. All right, we have an objection. But it's in the opinion of the president.

284. 2:22:36

     Mr. President, the 14th. Mr. Chair. I recognize the senator from the 14th, who's got his button pushed like is the way we do it here. Thank you. The, Mr. President, parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Thank you, Mr. President. I want to start by saying I know the chair is very thoughtful and is, uh, attempting to be objective in applying this analysis, and I just want to highlight for the chair the way that these amendments are structured. So is it not true, Mr. President, that amendment 1A does not simply add to amendment one, amendment 1A pre- presents an option that either the line 17 through 61 of the original amendment one will take effect, or those would be replaced with a different idea.

285. 2:23:18

     So what I'm trying to get at, is it not true, Mr. President, is that this is not gonna be in the aggregate more than three pages. It would never circumvent the three-page rule, and in fact, would allow for the Senate to choose between two possibilities that are both compliant with the rules. Is that not true, Mr. President? Uh, respectfully, Senator, I view this as a series of amendments, and I look at it and it's one page, two page, three page, four pages. So that's m- my ruling.

286. 2:23:50

     Amendments are out of order.

287. 2:23:56

     Chair recognizes the senator of the f- your bu- uh, senator from the 41st was ahead of you, and then we'll come to you. Point of order, Mr. President. Yeah, what's your question? Mr. President, the rules state that the, in order for it to be considered a substitute, it has to be three pages. It cannot be more than half the length. Our word count, to be clear- I've made my decision on that. Now, you can challenge the- I will challenge ... the decision of the chair. We, we, we do challenge the decision of the chair, but we would like to speak to the motion for why we are challenging the ruling of the chair.

288. 2:24:30

     Stand by. You can't just ...

289. 2:24:36

     So do we adjourn when it comes up for a vote? Here, yeah, let's go. Now we make a motion. Because they're, this is the numbers.

290. 2:24:45

     That's true. There's about one of them. Yeah.

291. 2:24:51

     Okay, so you've challenged the ruling of the chair is my understanding, and so that is not, you can't speak from the well. It's just a vote. So the senator from the 42nd has moved to challenge the ruling of the chair. I've chaired, the chair has ruled that the amendments are out of order based on the rule, in Senate rules that I referenced. The question is, shall the ruling of the chair be sustained? Vote yay to sustain the ruling of the chair, vote no to overturn the ruling of the chair.

292. 2:25:24

     All those in favor will vote yay, opposed nay. The secretary will unlock the machine.

293. 2:25:40

     Senator from the 41st, what purpose do you rise? Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Isn't it true that the underlying bill is 1,200 words, but our amendment is less than 600, therefore making this within the proper rules of our Senate? Your amendment is attempting to be a bill substitute, and I've, I've ruled on that already. Chair, uh, recognizes sen- senator from, uh, the metro Atlanta area. I can't see your... Senator from the 44th. Yeah.

294. 2:26:10

     Thank you, Mr. President. Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Is it not true, Mr. President, that the last time this issue came up, we abruptly adjourned the Senate to not deal with it, and now we're contending with spurious, um, orders that don't follow Senate rules to avoid it? You're welcome to your opinion on that, Senator. On the r- ruling to, uh, whatever this is, shall the ruling...

295. 2:26:47

     Shall the ruling of the chair be sustained? The yays are 31. I'm gonna use the gavel on this one. The yays are 31 and the nays are 21. The chair is sustained.

296. 2:27:02

     All right, s- I recognize the senator from the 14th. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, isn't it true that what we just witnessed is an example of what the former secretary David Cook was talking about when he used to say that the rules are whatever 29 senators say they are? Isn't that true, Mr. President? Uh, you're welcome to your opinion on that. I think the rules are quite clear on this issue. Chair recognizes senator from the 2nd. Thank, thank you, Mr. President. Pursuant to Mason's Manual on Legislative Procedure, I move that we divide the question on the amendments, uh, and vote on the division of those amendments.

297. 2:27:38

     They've already been ruled out of order, and my decision's been sustained by the body. Thank you, though, Senator. Very clever and creative. Chair recognizes the senator from the 55th. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. presiding Officer.

298. 2:27:52

     State your inquiry, Senator. Is it not true that one of these amendments could be withdrawn and the rule would not have any applicability as to what the presiding officer has ruled inappropriate and out of order? Senator, they've been ruled out of, out of order. That's for you to decide about how to proceed further. Thank you. All right.

299. 2:28:15

     Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Chair recognizes the senator from the 50th.

300. 2:28:37

     Thank you, Mr. President. And I know we're moving fast. There's a lot going on, but I just want to ask you all to slow down for a second and hear me out on the underlying bill.

301. 2:28:48

     Not long ago in my district, there was a bad storm, power went out, and families lost cell phone service for days. Not hours, days. No ability to call loved ones, no ability to reach emergency services, nothing. It didn't matter if you had Wi-Fi or not, power was gone. The cell phone towers were down, and at that moment, all the advanced technology in the world did not matter because it failed. But you know what didn't fail?

302. 2:29:19

     A simple landline, and those in my district who had landlines were able to communicate. Being able to communicate in times of cri- in times of crisis is extremely important, and it matters in rural Georgia, especially in the mountains. Now, I understand the argument on the other side. Some say landlines are outdated, that we've moved on, but I'd challenge that thinking. I'm gonna get a little bit outside the box here, so just follow me.

303. 2:29:51

     I took a class in college one time that was talking about the philosophy of technology and whether technology shapes culture or whether culture shapes technology. One of the biggest examples is, do y'all know why songs typically are about two to three minutes historically? It's not because humans just love that time. It's because back in the day, three minutes was all you could put on a record. So if you wanted to write a song that could be mass-produced, you had to do it within three minutes.

304. 2:30:23

     Same thing with fireplaces in houses. At first, it was designed so that people could congregate in one room to get heat. Well, now we have central heating and air, but you still have fireplaces, some of them are decorative, in homes. So does technology shape culture or does culture shape technology? The answer is it goes both ways. Technology leaves a footprint. It shapes how we live even after we've outgrown the need that created it.

305. 2:30:56

     We have a culture around communication in our country that is disappearing quickly. Most people in this room probably remember the rule, you don't call someone before 9:00 AM and you don't call them after 9:00 PM. Most people in this room know how to leave a message. Most people in this room know how to call and ask for someone at a, at a residence or at a business. That culture is disappearing, but there are a, there is a group of parents that are my age and younger who are going back to that.

306. 2:31:29

     There are parents who actually are reaching out to these telephone companies because we want landlines in our homes. We do not want our kids completely reliant on Wi-Fi, completely reliant on tablets, completely reliant on screens. So parents are actually buying landlines. So the argument that landlines are completely disappearing is wrong. Parents deserve the ability to choose the way their kids communicate.

307. 2:32:08

     So the question before us today is a bigger one than you realize. The question is, are we shaping technology to serve people or are we letting convenience dictate what people are allowed to have? Because for Georgians, especially in rural areas, this is not about nostalgia. It's about safety. It's about access. It's about having a communication system that works when everything else doesn't and it's about parents having a choice to parent their children.

308. 2:32:40

     I'll also say this, and I'm gonna say it carefully but honestly, there are also growing concerns around the country, especially among parents, about constant exposure to wireless signals and EMF from screens. Whether you think those concerns are overstated or not, they are real to real families who we represent and what is the one method of communication that avoids all the MF? A wired landline. No signal dependence, no constant wireless transmission, just a direct physical connection that does its job quietly and reliably.

309. 2:33:17

     Now, we don't have to settle all these scientific debates, but having a low tech, low exposure option is a smart, balanced approach. This bill doesn't force anyone to go backward. It simply ensures that we don't leave people behind. So I ask for your favorable consideration on this and with that, I yield the floor.

310. 2:33:40

     I recognize the senator from the 31st for a motion maybe. Mr. President, call the question.

311. 2:34:01

     Senator from the thirty-first has moved the previous question. Is there objection?

312. 2:34:06

     Objection.

313. 2:34:06

     There is objection. All those in favor of the motion will vote yay. Those opposed, no. The secretary will unlock the machine. I recognize the senator from the fifteenth. What purpose do you rise?

314. 2:34:19

     Yeah, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the tenth for business in Savannah.

315. 2:34:24

     Yeah, we'll do it after this vote. Senator from the tenth.

316. 2:35:15

     On the motion, the yays are thirty-one and the nays are twenty. The motion has prevailed and the previous question is ordered.

317. 2:35:30

     Senator from the sixth, what purpose do you rise? He's waives. Is there objection to the agreeing of the report of committee, which is favor of the pass of the bill? Chair hears none. Report of the committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? Chair hears none and the main question is ordered. The question is on the pass of the bill. All those in favor of the bill will vote yay, opposed nay. The secretary will unlock the machine.

318. 2:36:26

     Order!

319. 2:36:26

     On the pass of the bill, the ayes are fifty and the nays are two.

320. 2:36:59

     This bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

321. 2:37:16

     Secretary, read the caption to House Bill 1159.

322. 2:37:27

     House Bill 1159 by Representatives Gamble of the 15th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the imposition, rate, computation, exemptions, and credits relative to income taxes so as to exempt from taxation all income received by individuals, corporations, and partnerships under the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program of the United States Department of Agriculture to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Finance recommends that this bill do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Hufstetler of the 52nd District, Chairman.

323. 2:38:00

     Fiscal note.

324. 2:38:01

     Mr. President, a fiscal note has been attached. Mr. President, that completes the order.

325. 2:38:04

     Recognize the senator from the 50th District to speak to House Bill 1159.

326. 2:38:26

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to bring you HB 1159. For those of you who are following, um, President Trump on December 8, 2025, announced a $12 billion, um, Farmer Bridge Assistant Program. This would go to American farmers in response to temporary trade market disruptions, high input costs, and increased production costs that affect our farmers every day. These federal bridge payments are intended in part to aid farmers until investments from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reach eligible farmers on October 1st, 2026.

327. 2:39:04

     Some disruptions farmers are facing include reference prices, which are set to increase between 10 and 21% for major covered commodities such as soybeans, corn, and wheat. Of the $12 billion provided, up to $11 billion will be used for the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, which provides broad relief to the United States' row crop farmers. This legislation would provide farmers with an income tax deduction equal to any payments received as income through the FBA program. Essentially, what this does is the federal funds that farmers receive will not be taxed in the state of Georgia.

328. 2:39:37

     I'm happy to answer any questions, but I just ask for your favorable consideration to support our state's number one industry, agriculture, and help them get through this time.

329. 2:39:51

     No questions, Senator.

330. 2:39:52

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

331. 2:39:54

     I recognize the senator from the 14th to speak to the measure.

332. 2:40:12

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today in enthusiastic support of this bill. Uh, I want to be clear, my, the level of enthusiasm that I have for this bill is extreme enthusiasm. Uh, this must be a fully green board. Anybody who votes no on this, uh, is making the wrong choice for Georgia and is bad at politics. Let me detail for you a few reasons why it's critically important that this chamber, this body, pass this legislation today.

333. 2:40:47

     And I'll start by rooting my comments in the values of our dear friend from the eighth Senate district. The senator from the eighth has made it extremely clear that supporting farmers in the state of Georgia means more than a couple partisan talking points. And the reason partisan talking points don't get you there is because we've got problems on both sides of the aisle, folks, when it comes to rural Georgia and the support that farmers deserve.

334. 2:41:18

     You've got some folks who don't worry about what? Corporate consolidation, that there are mom-and-pop farmers that need our assistance, that need robust antitrust rules, that need, uh, the ability to compete in a, a tough marketplace. You also have on the other side some politicians who are not that concerned about international competition and are not concerned about protecting the marketplaces in which we compete at a high level. And that means that we compete in a way that might not be cost-effective relative to international imports, but preserves quality and makes sure that the food that we're eating is safe, uh, and made by local businesses that contribute to local economies.

335. 2:42:01

     So we have a lot that we could be doing on farming to wake up from a little bit of a bipartisan snooze fest when it comes to recognizing the real challenges that farmers face across the board. So with those values in mind, let's talk about targeted income tax relief and the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program specifically. It's an incredibly important program. And it's the least we could do to ensure that our farmers in the state of Georgia are getting the support that they deserve.

336. 2:42:36

     But it's a broader commentary, too, on the ways that income tax policy can be targeted appropriately in a tailored way to achieve the policy outcomes that we are trying to secure. The problem that we've had this session, and I think this is a larger philosophical discussion about how income taxes work and about the ways that income tax relief works. The problem we've had this session is that the types of income tax relief that have been proposed and passed out of this chamber are not targeted forms of income tax relief.

337. 2:43:11

     Now, of course, we all voted the other day to give back $250, $500 to individual taxpayers depending on their status. And that's something that I think people will be able to put to good use. That 500 bucks makes a big difference for a family, uh, in potentially meeting some sort of an emergency need. But let's be very clear about what the initiatives in this chamber beyond that really serve to accomplish. Beyond that more modest rebate, slashing tax rates, refunding, uh, entire brackets worth of income taxes without really much of a plan of how to replace them, as we've already informed this chamber before, that could cause a- an up to nine billion dollar hole in our state budget per year.

338. 2:43:58

     Again, some of the estimates that were lower than that were calculated on a six-month basis. So when you look at the full fiscal year effect, the full 12-month effect, the income tax cuts that this chamber passed earlier this session would have a nine billion dollar per year consequence. And let's talk about what that means in terms of the downstream effects for legislation like this. It means that every conversation that we have about income tax relief is now suddenly squeezed in a way that it was not before. It is under the shadow of a much larger cut, a much larger giveaway to the top earners, the top 20%, that we can no longer afford to give more targeted relief because we're, well, we're just out of quarters.

339. 2:44:42

     And you see the downstream effects of this type of income tax giveaway all the way, not just on the floor, but into our committee process. In our committees, we have all kinds of great legislation that comes through with some kind of a fiscal impact. The Retirement Committee is a great example of a committee where we often talk about ways that we could, you know, move the, the abacus, uh, sliders around and, and move the ledger in such a way so as to increase peace officer annuity benefits or increase the retirement of teachers or of public safety professionals paid out of general revenues.

340. 2:45:18

     But we, we feel squeezed when we have those conversations. We go to committee and we talk about how, well, state revenues just aren't freely available for this sort of thing, and you hear axioms or phrases like, uh, you know, conservative budgeting or fiscal responsibility. But the reality is that all of those conversations are happening against a backdrop of one of the largest proposed income tax, I guess maybe the largest cut to state revenues that's been proposed in a very long time, a reckless level of cut.

341. 2:45:50

     And so I think we need to be honest. When we have conversations about targeted relief, we have to remember that the only reason that this feels special to us or feels like something that we can't do very often is because the backdrop, the elephant in the room, so to speak, is that there is a much larger giveaway that is being proposed. And so I, I think, you know, we need to be mindful, uh, about the context anytime we are having these conversations, anytime we are making these decisions, that this may feel ordinary, uh, once it gets all the way to the floor, but it's anything but ordinary as it moves through the committee process and the rules committee.

342. 2:46:34

     You know, these types of interventions, which are so helpful for our farmers, are gonna be less and less available to us the more that we engage in top-level fiscal policy that is designed really to bankrupt government, that is designed to appeal to the philosophical priors of people like Grover Norquist, who famously said that he would drown government in a bathtub if that were up to him. Now, I don't think anybody in this room who sees the great value that state government can provide on a daily basis to the people of Georgia, uh, believes that we should be drowning government in a bathtub, and yet that has become the ideological framework against which all of the initiatives in this chamber have been measured, except for the ones that manage to sneak through.

343. 2:47:23

     But I just can't stress enough the level of honesty and intellectual consistency that this chamber should be engaging in when it comes to those initiatives.

344. 2:47:38

     Another thing about this bill that I think is worth highlighting is that there is oftentimes in this chamber an interplay between state government and federal government. And we just recently had a vote on an IRS true-up that required this chamber to align its regulations, the, the state regulations, with federal regulations under the IRC. That got a little bit messy, if you'll recall, because there were, uh, changes put into that bill that made it no longer a fair true-up, that it was a, a true-up with some extra sauce.

345. 2:48:14

     And that's an area where we get into trouble quite often as well, that the state government, you know, just trying to do meat and potatoes, good government business, stay aligned with federal regulations. We sometimes find ourselves in a situation, uh, where we would like to tinker, or a handful of voices within the chamber want to tinker with the legislation to put their own druthers, their own policy preferences into it, but it has the expense, the cost, of making it much more difficult to coherently align state policy with federal policy.

346. 2:48:46

     And in this case, I will admit to you, I haven't done a tremendous amount of research, uh, to see if the state policy in this case is well-aligned with the federal policy. And I would welcome any questions when I'm done with my remarks, uh, in the nature of explaining to me, you know, if, if there is some kind of insight that members of the chamber have as to how our state policy could be aligned better with federal farming policy. I think now is really the time to go in depth on that issue and discuss the ways that state policy could better supplement federal policy, whether even if it's under the Trump administration.

347. 2:49:21

     I mean, I think that's one thing too that is really remarkable about this chamber just this session, is we have found a footing, a bipartisan footing for working under the framework that the Trump administration has created. I mean, I, I think if we're doing our jobs well, we are acknowledging that the Trump administration has put some policies in place, uh, that Georgians, whether we like it or not, we're going to work under those policies. And so we need to be marrying what's happening on the state level to the federal level, uh, sufficiently, as well as we possibly can.

348. 2:49:56

     One more note about bipartisanship, because I think a farming bill is an especially good location to have the conversation about bipartisanship. We do have a situation where people on both sides of the aisle have historically had some ideological hang-ups with supporting farmers a- as well as we could. But I think there's renewed hope in this chamber this session for a level of bipartisanship that this chamber has not seen in a very long time.

349. 2:50:26

     And I'm talking about the, the vote on Monday when the senator from the 46th, uh, ably, capably came up with an amendment, I think in part inspired by the senator from the 41st, who drafted an amendment, uh, for that section, and then we, we put our heads together and figured out the best way to do it. That was a prime example, just as the chair, uh, said at the time, of how this chamber can really perform in a way that people outside the building are expecting us to. I mean, you talk to voters of, of either party, Democrats or Republicans, and they may have their partisan preferences, but they will tell you the same thing, which is when I send you to the Capitol Building, I don't want you to just engage in useless partisan antics.

350. 2:51:09

     I want you to work with the other side to find the solutions in a bipartisan way that we need to address the problems of the day. And I'll tell you, in my eight years, I have never seen a moment as, uh, inspired from a standpoint of bipartisanship as Monday when we were able to come to that solution. And I remember, uh, afterwards people in the hallway telling me, lobbyists and others, that they had not seen a moment quite like that, that it was extremely rare, and you hear that roundly from everybody who witnessed the events Monday.

351. 2:51:42

     And I say all that just to say that this chamber has proved this session, and particularly on days like Monday, that we are capable of achieving a level of bipartisanship even in a highly charged partisan environment, uh, that is the type of service, client service, that our voters across the state really expect from us and demand from us regardless of our political affiliation. And, and notwithstanding that the national temperature has grown even hotter and the, the raucous, the cacophony at the national level has grown even louder, there is something to be said about Georgia legislators' ability to try to survive that moment by focusing on the work, focusing on these details, the types of bipartisan initiatives that truly move the ball forward, and to be able to do so in a way where even when we have all these pressures nipping at our heels, right?

352. 2:52:37

     People in the hallway texting you, your voters asking you to, to turn up the volume and be more partisan, primary season, qualifying season, notwithstanding all of those pressures, genuinely amazing stuff to see that we can keep our heads. And what's that, that phrase about if you can keep your head when everyone else around you is losing theirs, you inherit the world. It- that is what enables you to do the work, to focus on what really needs to be focused on, again, in an environment that nationally is increasingly, uh, tougher.

353. 2:53:11

     You know, the last discussion that we just had, the one about telecoms in rural areas, really actually feeds into this bipartisanship conversation even more than I think we're acknowledging. One of the things that I wish to say, uh, before debate was closed on the telecoms debate is that cell phones, if you think about it, cell phones, the smartphones we carry around in our pockets, they have a way of polarizing political debate, of shutting down real discussion that landlines never had. Thank you very much.

354. 2:53:43

     Landlines have one purpose, which is to connect a caller from point A to point B. And, and during those simpler times, whether it was a wired phone that you have to stretch around the kitchen or a, a s- a, a wireless phone but still connected to a landline, the amount of deliberate intention as a conversant that you had to bring to those conversations was really important. It meant that you gave your full attention, your full focus to your conversational partner. But the problem that cell phones have introduced, and I think everybody here knows exactly what I'm talking about, is that your cell phone has 50 notifications, 100 distractions a minute, whether it's iMessage, text message conversations, or it could be incoming calls that you have to mute because you're on do not disturb, or an application on your phone that you've allowed to push notifications.

355. 2:54:33

     All of those distractions have a way of taking you out of the present moment, of de-centering your focus and, and fracturing our attention. Now, that fracturing of attention is not just metaphorical. This is something that is taking us out of our communities, out of our present awareness. When you're on the road driving, you shouldn't be using your phone. Whether you're walking down the street just looking at the sidewalk, you shouldn't be using your phone. Uh, people are losing their presence in the world around them, and that's not just metaphorical. What it also means ...

356. 2:55:03

     is that we are siloed when it comes to information, that we are only receiving the information that we want to hear, not the information that might be the best news of the day for us to consume, for us to stay informed about the topics of the day, but the information that already m- that makes us feel what we already feel, that justifies our prior assumptions that we already came into, uh, our day, our week believing. So we can't have that c- clash of ideas, that real genuine contest of debate and of community and collaboration because these devices that we all have have enabled us to, to live lives of isolation and silo ourselves instead of engaging in real community.

357. 2:55:49

     So again, that's even more reason to pass HB998, which we already passed, and I, you know, Representative Leverett was here, and obviously the debate got kind of wacky, but that's really at the heart of what the senator from the 50th was saying as well, right? That the floor leader was, was discussing how, you know, things come back around. Bell-bottoms come back around. Just because people have moved to this format of communicating with others, uh, in the last few years, the last couple decades, doesn't mean that technologies like landlines are completely outdated.

358. 2:56:23

     Uh, and in fact, if we had some kind of a security issue, you know, in Senate Transportation this morning, the senator from the 27th chairing the committee, we were talking about possible security threats that both federal and state actors have tried to assess to see, you know, are there vulnerabilities in devices? And there is a real risk that, you know, a grid that supports technologies like this could go down at some point. I mean, I think we get very egotistical with our new technologies. We, we start to assume and take for granted that these technologies are always available to us, and what happens?

359. 2:56:56

     You know, what happens if suddenly our favorite pocket device, which gives us all our information and our driving directions and whatnot, what happens when that shuts down? Maybe we'll be humbled, humbled by circumstance, and have to go back to using a landline. So again, and you're just trying to add a little bit of flavor and, and texture to the debate that we already had, that is one more example of why bipartisan cooperation on meat and potatoes issues of the day is so critical.

360. 2:57:28

     Uh, so critical because these vulnerabilities, whether it's security or, uh, deliberation vulnerabilities in the use of cell phones, whether it's the failure of both sides of the aisle to really come to grips with what's happening with farmers, there are so many ways that if we can block out the noise and just focus on what really matters at the state government level as colleagues to employ collegiality in order to overcome those partisan barriers, there's so much that we need to be focusing on that requires us, requires us to do that.

361. 2:58:01

     And I appreciate so much that y'all are patient with me as we reflect a little bit this afternoon on the importance of bipartisanship because I think things have. You know, we talked earlier today, the president mentioned that things have gotten a little raucous, and, you know, I guess this is a Tom Murphy quote or whoever you want to attribute it to who said the, you know, "The other party is the opposition, but the other side of the building is the enemy," right? Maybe that's a little bit of the raucousness, but we have our own fair share of partisan raucousness in here as well. And so reflections like these, just like the chaplain of the day said, the ability to stop, the ability to pause, to reflect, right?

362. 2:58:39

     Be still and recognize that our partisan divides do not define us dispositively. Our partisan divides are not the, the true measure or test of our character in this building. Once we're able to stop with that level of reflection and, and self-discipline and awareness, that is the moment at which true bipartisanship is really possible. So, um, it's a remarkable journey we're all on, and that we're all on together.

363. 2:59:12

     I know that everybody in here to some degree or another agrees with what I'm saying about bipartisanship right now, and it's for all of those reasons that I think a unanimous vote today on House Bill 1159 is critical to maintaining that spirit of state government level bipartisanship that we have cultivated especially well at times this session, but to no greater effect than we did on Monday of this week. And with that, Mr. President, I would be happy to yield for any questions from my colleagues.

364. 2:59:45

     Recognize the senator from the second.

365. 2:59:54

     Thank you, Mr. President. Senator, do you yield for a series of questions?

366. 2:59:58

     I would be so thrilled to yield to my good friend and my colleague, the senator from the second, who, by the way, uses the phrase I-16 in reference to I-16, the interstate that travels all the way down to Chatham County, as metonymy or some kind of a part representing the whole type figure of speech to represent your commitment to representing your constituents in Chatham County, uh, in the state capital located in Atlanta, even though it's a four to five-hour drive for you, depending on traffic. Uh, I, I will be happy to yield to my good friend, the senator, uh, down I-16 from District 2 for a series of questions.

367. 3:00:35

     Thank you so much, Senator, and for the eloquent introduction of I-16, the two-lane road that impacts many, uh, farmers in which this legislation, uh, if passed today, would seek to help. But Senator, I do have a few questions. Senator, is it not true, uh, that in my Senate district it is home to the Georgia Port Authority, the second largest port authority in the United States, uh, moving significant, uh, millions of TEUs? That is true, Senator, and I will say it was my distinct honor and privilege along with several members of our caucus to go visit the ports, uh, to sit in the boardroom, to watch a very detailed PowerPoint presentation that outlined the sheer volume of freight that comes through the ports, uh, through Savannah, uh, and is then distributed not just to Georgia, but all over the Southeastern United States, uh, making us one of the busiest ports in the country.

368. 3:01:25

     And, and another note on that that I think is significant to reflect on is that by virtue of the location of the ports in Savannah and the amount of volume that comes through the Southeastern United States as a result, that Trump's tariffs hit the state of Georgia especially hard. The amount of money that Georgians have paid in taxes because of the senseless arbitrary tariffs that the Supreme Court ruled, uh, overstepped Trump's authority, we have already paid several billion dollars in taxes because of those tariffs.

369. 3:01:58

     And now that the Supreme Court has overruled those tariffs, there's a real question that I think a lot of our constituents have, which is, are we gonna get that money back? Are we gonna get a refund? Now, obviously, logistically, that's very difficult to do, but it just goes to show that Georgia, more so than you might expect, was hit by tariffs, hit by these billions of dollars of taxes in a way that, that people don't really realize until they start to do the math, and that's all thanks to the ports that are located down that two-lane road, I-16, Senator.

370. 3:02:29

     And Senator, since you read my mind, my question was as it, uh, relates to not only the port being in my district, but as it relates to commodities. Uh, and when looking at the crops listed here, uh, two are, two of those crops being peanuts and soybeans, which were impacted by those tariffs globally, uh, and caused the global market to shift from consuming Georgia-grown products, and those products were then sourced from other countries. And so when I see the relief that we, uh, hope to provide, uh, to those two specific commodities, it draws my attention.

371. 3:03:03

     I know that this bill is related to what was lost in twenty twenty-five through a hurricane Helene. Uh, but Senator, is it your opinion or do you think this bill goes far enough to address, uh, the concerns that farmers have throughout rural Georgia as it relates to recovering the loss, uh, in being able to ship those commodities, and not only the loss, but the price point per dollar that they lost because of those tariffs and the global market then shifting and other countries producing and securing, uh, those commodities in other places, putting an extra hardship on those farmers from rural Georgia?

372. 3:03:38

     Uh, Senator, can you opine as to how this would affect that? Senator, that's a fantastic and thoughtful question that I think gets at some of the fundamental disconnects that folks in the majority in this chamber face when they're trying to ba- balance the partisan primary politics that compel their allegiance to the leader in DC with the types of state considerations that I was opining on earlier that deserve our bipartisan focus and attention. I think your question gets to that exact tension that members of the majority must face because we often find in this room that there are partisan political allegiances to DC and to the current administration in Washington that make it much harder for us to do the work that we are supposed to do as state legislators for the state of Georgia.

373. 3:04:24

     And tariff policy couldn't be a better example. You know, I heard the Speaker of the House, uh, who I respect and, and count as a friend, go to a forestry event not too long ago at the freight depot where he had to ask an, a group of people assembled, uh, around the forestry space in the forestry industry, people who are lobbyists, members of the Capitol, he had to ask if anybody in that group knew How to get in touch with the White House to relay the message that we would like 30 days notice anytime the president puts a new tariff on.

374. 3:04:58

     I'm gonna say that one more time because I think this is a true story, and the folks in here I think would be well-advised to think about how significant this is, that the Speaker of the House of the State of Georgia, I believe we're the eighth most populous state with over 11 million residents, has to ask a group of industry folks if somebody happens to have an arbitrary phone connection, talking about cell phones, to the Trump administration for purposes of lobbying the Trump administration to provide more notice before harmful tariffs are implemented.

375. 3:05:30

     And I think that speaks to the total breakdown of regular order that is happening in Washington right now. It, it would be, and under a normal administration, you would have intergovernmental a- affairs channels where the Speaker of the House could easily talk to a legislative assistant, a staffer who could then connect through a pipeline to the White House to make what is an eminently reasonable request about a major policy issue. But the reality is that the Trump administration operates according to the whims of not one man, but the people that he surrounds himself with.

376. 3:06:03

     It is a regime that is based completely on arbitrary favor and the randomness of whether you have access or not. And this is no knock on the Georgia Speaker of the House, who I think does a good job of managing that chamber. The issue is that he is left without options because the federal administration operates in such an arbitrary and capricious way. And so now let's zoom out to the big picture. That's just one anecdote of how the difficulties with federal policy and coordinating federal policy through normal intergovernmental achair- affairs channels leads to a breakdown in conditions on the ground that require us in the state legislature to clean up after what's happening in the federal government.

377. 3:06:45

     And, and, and bills like this do good work, and this must be a green board today. I cannot, uh, stress enough that if there is one red vote, it's somebody, uh, who doesn't understand politics, right? But, but a, a purely green board, I think, will, will send the message that, yes, we do want to clean up these, these messes, but the problem is that these messes are so vast in scope that one modest bill with one targeted type of relief is not going to begin to make up for the amount of economic damage that occurs when federal policy is running wild in this way.

378. 3:07:21

     So yes, Senator, I think to your point, that question about balance, it's very difficult for us to do enough in some legislation like this to offset what's happening at the federal level, Senator.

379. 3:07:32

     And Senator, my final question is I do not believe that this bill goes far enough to allow those farmers that have experienced the economic hardship to have a tort, uh, against the federal government to ensure that they would receive some type of relief, uh, as they were impacted as countries secured, uh, and purchased those commodities from other countries, not directly from the US, but there's direct harm to those farmers. And the way I look at it now, there's no current remedy, uh, for those farmers to seek any damages. And so if those tariffs are to be refunded and come back, uh, this bill does not make mention or speak to, uh, any opportunity for those farmers to find any relief, um, from this legislation.

380. 3:08:12

     Is that not true?

381. 3:08:13

     Senator, I think in, in largely speaking, that is true. You know, the powerful do what they will, and the powerless suffer what they must. And unfortunately, because of the chaos at the federal level, you have farmers stuck between a rock and a hard place oftentimes. Now, I will say that US Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have done a fantastic job of being responsive to farmers and to other constituent groups, not just in urban areas or metro, but in rural areas to respond directly to the needs that those constituent groups have.

382. 3:08:46

     And they have secured a great deal of federal funding for, for things like disaster relief, uh, for, to support farmers during difficult economic times. We have seen this over and over again in the last few years since 2020, that they have governed for the entire state, and they have put farmers and the Farm Bureau at the forefront of their attention and their deliberation as US Senators. But again, even with the federal delegation being very plugged into the needs of farmers, even with political will at the state level to pass good bipartisan legislation like this, I, I still believe, and the senator from the eighth could correct me, that many farmers in Georgia still find themselves in the lurch.

383. 3:09:26

     And so, you know, oftentimes, just like we found with other policy areas, healthcare, transit, you name it, public schools, we have a narrative about how we do a lot for these policy areas, but the reality is that we're creeping very slowly in the direction of progress across all of these different policy areas. So the senator's point is well taken that this pink sheet today that we're holding is absolutely deserving of a completely green board, but there is so much more that we could be doing to advance the interests of farmers and other groups in this state.

384. 3:09:58

     I'll yield for further questions.

385. 3:09:59

     Senator, you've about exhausted your time. We do have one quick question to the senator from the 19th, and seriously, you- your time's expired.

386. 3:10:10

     Thank you, Mr. President. Senator, you yield?

387. 3:10:12

     I do.

388. 3:10:13

     Thank you for your, um, appeal for an entire green board today, and I agree with you and support the farmers in this. I'm wondering if you have an opinion, though, on the people who are gonna be voting white, particularly the districts of the 53rd and the 7th.

389. 3:10:28

     You know, um, Senator, that's an interesting question. I think, uh, as much as we can, we try to make sure that these seats are filled during session, during the most critical time of the year. Um, I think both parties will get by one member short. Thank you, Senator.

390. 3:10:42

     Thank you, Senator. Your time has expired. Congratulations, 30 minutes. All right. So like the senator from the 14th, I'm a big Jimmy Stewart fan. And he, uh, talked the other day about It's a Wonderful Life, which is a great classic, but another great Jimmy Stewart classic is Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, where he famously filibustered for days on end. Kudos, you almost did that.

391. 3:11:14

     Thank you. All right. What purpose does the senator from the 49th rise?

392. 3:11:21

     Thank you, Mr. President. I ask that we move the previous question.

393. 3:11:26

     All right. We are ready to do that. So, yeah so as your, your wish is our command. Um, does, I, I hesitate to ask this, but it's in the script. 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. Is there objection to agreeing to the report of the committee which would favor the pass to the bill? Chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? The chair hears none. The main question is ordered.

394. 3:11:57

     The question is on the pass to the bill. All those in favor of the bill vote yay. Opposed, nay. The secretary will unlock the machine.

395. 3:13:04

     On the pass to the bill, the yays are fifty-one, the nays are zero. This bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed. All right, Senate, uh, we are going to stand at ease for thirty minutes. Uh, we'll reconvene at one thirty. There is lunch in the Annie Room, uh, that our, uh, some gracious sponsors provided for us. So grab a quick lunch, catch up on your text messages, and we'll be back at one thirty.

396. 3:46:04

     All right, the Senate will come back to order.

397. 3:46:08

     Senate will return to order.

398. 3:48:02

     Once again, the Senate will return to order. The secretary will read a message from the House of Representatives.

399. 3:48:12

     Mr. President, the following message was received from the House through Mr. Riley, the clerk thereof. Mr. President, the House has agreed to the Senate substitute, as amended by the House, to the following bill of the House. House Bill 1199 by Representatives Carson of the 46th and others, a bill to be entitled an Act to Amend Code Section 48-1-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to definitions regarding revenue and taxation so as to revive the definition of the terms Internal Revenue Code and Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to incorporate certain provisions of the federal law into Georgia law to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date and applicability, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

400. 3:48:44

     Mr. President, may I complete C order?

401. 3:48:50

     Secretary will read the caption of House Bill 1302.

402. 3:49:05

     House Bill 1302 by Representatives Gamble of the 15th and others, a bill to be entitled an Act to Amend Titles 20, 34, and 50 of the OCGA relating to education, labor, and industrial relations and state government respectively, so as to provide for the reconstitution of the Office of Student Achievement as the Office of Education and Workforce Strategy to provide for a combined Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act plan and Perkins State plan to provide for registered apprenticeship programs, to designate the Technical College System of Georgia as a state apprenticeship agency for the State of Georgia, and provide for related authority and responsibilities, to provide for definitions, to provide for conforming changes, to provide a short title, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes.

403. 3:49:40

     Mr. President, the Committee of the Sen- the Committee of the Senate on Higher Education recommends that this bill do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Burns, Chairman. Mr. President, may I complete C order?

404. 3:49:50

     I recognize the senator from the 6th to speak to his mo- his bill.

405. 3:50:05

     Thank you, Mr. President. Do I need to filibuster or give people time to get back in here? Because I can talk all day.

406. 3:50:14

     They're probably, they're prob- probably close by, Senator. I bet you when we ring the bell, they'll all come in here.

407. 3:50:21

     Well, Mr. President, I will tell you about SB 1302 while we patiently await our colleagues' return. The Education and Workforce Strategy Act is the final piece of Governor Kemp's workforce development package that aims to ensure the important work done over the past several years, and that it continues. And so, ma- many of the items in this bill and in the workforce development bills of previous years have been proposed because of our body's joint study committee with the House on dual enrollment for highly skilled talent at younger ages, which we created back in 2023 under SR 175.

408. 3:51:06

     And I was proud to co-chair That study committee and had great participation from the senator from the fifty-fifth, the senator from the forty-fourth, and the senator from the twenty-fifth. Appreciate all y'all's good hard work on these initiatives. And out of our, uh, report, the governor has taken on some of these, uh, some of our recommendations as his own initiatives, and then this body has passed several others, and this will be the final package of what we proposed back in that time.

409. 3:51:43

     So the legislation simply designates the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, many of us know that as GOSA, as the lead coordinator to bring together the agencies that par- have participated in the Governor's Workforce Strategy Team. It's the same group that envisioned and implemented Georgia Match, the state's high-demand career list, and the Top State for Talent Act. To align with these new responsibilities, GOSA would be renamed the Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Strategy.

410. 3:52:16

     The State Workforce Development Board would be assigned to the reconstituted GOSA, and the office would work with TCSG and the DOE to submit unified federal workforce plans. These unified plans, along with the state's workforce data and reports, would be incorporated into a comprehensive state workforce plan prepared by the office. And lastly, this legislation, at the request of the Federal Department of Labor, designates TCSG as the state apprenticeship agency to give the state more autonomy, oversight, and information regarding our apprenticeship offerings.

411. 3:52:56

     With that, Mr. President, I'll yield for questions. I recognize the senator from the 49th.

412. 3:53:08

     Thank you, Mr. President. Senator, yield? Absolutely to my good friend who was a former floor leader. Isn't it, uh, isn't it true you said this was a governor's bill? It is. It is, and I'm honored to carry it for him. Mr. Chairman, I'm ecstatic that you were able to take my place as a floor leader, and I'm just asking, would it be okay if I could take your place as rules chairman?

413. 3:53:30

     Senator, all I can say is if you take a shot at the king, you better not miss.

414. 3:53:40

     Anyone else?

415. 3:53:44

     Well, I ask for your favorable consideration of- Senator from the 23rd. Oh, 23rd, come on. Will the distinguished rules chairman yield? I would absolutely- I would never- ... to my good friend ... take a shot at the rules chairman, folks. Uh, I, I, I- Thank you ... about this, about this legislation. By the way, I support the legislation. Does it not, uh, focus the entire efforts of this office on workforce strategy and ultimately to meet the needs of Georgians as far as our workforce needs? That is absolutely true.

416. 3:54:16

     The- Uh- The, the work of the bill is in the name. That's exactly right. Now, the question is, as we transition from what we now know as GOSA to this new office, uh, would there not be some, uh, adjustments of personnel from one area to the other? Would they remain the same? Uh, th- uh, there'll be a lot of repurposing. So mostly it's, uh, utilizing existing resources? We're not recreating the wheel. We're just redefining it. Very good. And finally, one more question, Chairman. Absolutely. I- if you continue as rules chairman, can, can I get a bill or two out of your committee?

417. 3:54:51

     We shall see. Thank you, Mr. President. I, I yield.

418. 3:55:00

     No further questions, Senator. All right. Thank you for your support. There has been an amendment offered. The secretary will read the amendment. Senator Wicks of the 34th and others offers the following amendment: amend HB 1302 by inserting before to provide for short title on line 16 the following, to increase the minimum, minimum wage for covered employees from 5.15 to 15 by inserting after line 1168 the following: said title is further amended in Chapter 4 relating to minimum wage law by revising subsection A of code section 34-4-3 relating to amount of minimum wage to be paid by employers and employers, and employees covered by a chapter as follows, except as otherwise provided in this code section, every employer, whether a person, firm, or corporation, shall pay to all covered employees a minimum wage which shall be not less than $15 per hour for each hour worked in the employment of such employer by redes- designating Section 40 as Section 41.

419. 3:55:54

     Mr. President, that completes the order.

420. 3:55:59

     Recognize the senator from the 34th to speak to her amendment.

421. 3:56:19

     Thank you, Mr. President. I introduced Senate Bill 273 to finally raise minimum wage, moving Georgia forward to an outdated 5.15.

422. 3:56:34

     I wanted to make sure that the, you know, the last time we raised minimum wage is in 2021. Guess what? My son was born then. He graduated high school, college, and nothing has changed between now and then. It's about, it's about time that we make sure that all Georgians actually pay and make enough to live with today's economy, not the economy from decades ago.

423. 3:57:09

     Prices are rising every day.

424. 3:57:13

     And we're doing nothing to ensure that judges keep up with what, what's, uh, keep their heads above water. Instead of moving this bill forward, the Republicans have let their proposal stall, leaving Georgia stuck with one of the lowest minimum wages in the country.

425. 3:57:35

     It's about dealing with every day's issues like groceries, gas, childcare. Everything is getting more expensive. We're just seeing gas right now is four dollars.

426. 3:57:54

     We're just trying to simply do one simple thing: pass a law that matches the wages, real cost of living, so work means we can get ahead, not fall further behind. I believe in, and I'm a champion of, workforce development, apprenticeship, and internship. I just want us to move from a five fifteen to a fifteen dollars an hour.

427. 3:58:26

     Thank you, Mr. Chair, Mr. President. You do have questions?

428. 3:58:35

     Thank you. Recognize the senator from the twenty-third. I'd just like to ask unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the twenty-first- Okay ... for business inside the Capitol. Without objection, the senator from the twenty-first is excused. Senators yield to the well. Recognize the senator from the twenty-second. Would you like to speak to this amendment?

429. 3:59:00

     Senator from the sixth. Well...

430. 3:59:09

     Thank you. I'll be, I'll be brief, Mr. President. Um, I stand in support of this particular amendment. I think it's a great amendment. One of the things we've been talking about all year as far as affordability is concerned, and this fits that particular issue. One of the issues that people a lot of times talk about is, does it kill jobs? The fact of the matter is raising the minimum wage doesn't kill jobs. What it does, it kills jobs vacancies. It actually helps people get hired. So the conventional wisdom has been proven time and time again from study after study about the fact that people think if you actually raise the minimum wage, it would actually re- stop employers from actually hiring people.

431. 3:59:47

     But study after study shows no, that's actually not true. It actually means that employers now are going to be hiring, actually even hiring better people as far as those that are gonna be working. And another thing that's been talked about is when we start talking about maybe lower earning wage jobs, such as your retail jobs, your restaurants, grocery stores, that those jobs will contract. Once again, what we've been finding is that actually is not the case. What is the case is that your employers still are able to hire in those particular jobs, and guess what?

432. 4:00:18

     Now all of a sudden, those incomes go up. They go from low wage jobs to jobs that actually can feed a person's family, as it should. So this is not a job killer. It kills job vacancies. It creates higher wages. It reduces poverty and increases financial security. And that's what we should be here to do. And that's why this amendment is a good, strong amendment. We ought to support this particular amendment. It fits better than anything we've done all year as far as this issue of affordability is concerned, because when you talk about affordability, you're really talking about people who are on kind of like the lower wage scale.

433. 4:00:53

     This fits that. It actually helps them. This is a good opportunity, especially since we've given up the opportunity on three occasions to do the will of sixty-three, what, what, sixty-three pers- sixty-three percent of Georgians want, and that's to actually do something about data centers. So since we punted the ball on that on three opportunities, let's actually do something about affordability today and actually increase this minimum wage. Thank you, and I yield the well.

434. 4:01:35

     It's been ano- another amendment filed, Amendment 1A. Secretary, read the amendment. Senator Setzler of the thirty-seventh offers the following amendment to amend House Bill 1302, Amendment 1A, by on line three and 10 striking fifteen and replacing with seven twenty-five. Mr. President, that completes the order. Thank you. I'm gonna recognize the senator from, from the sixth. What purpose do you rise? Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, I question the germaneness of, of Amendment 1.

435. 4:02:09

     While this bill does touch in code section 34, Title 34, and it does talk about workforce, but in no area of this bill do we talk about the payment to employees, and this is for students. And so, um, under the one subject rule, I would ask for your ruling on germaneness. All right. Let me look at it.

436. 4:04:32

     Okay. The underlying bill, House Bill 1302, deals with the reconstitution of the Office of Student Achievement and deals with HOPE Scholarship funds for dual enrollment students. It's basically a workforce training and an education bill and restructuring the agency that would be over that. The amendment deals with, uh, minimum wage, and I rule the amendment is not germane.

437. 4:05:07

     So it's not in order.

438. 4:05:14

     Senator from the 41st, what purpose do you rise? Mr. President, respectfully, I ask that, uh, the body be taking, uh, be able to vote on this. I challenge the ruling of the chair. Senator has once again wanting to override the ruling of the chair. Shall the ruling of the chair be sustained? Those in favor, vote yay. Those opposed, nay.

439. 4:05:41

     Secretary will unlock the machine.

440. 4:05:46

     Senator from the 50th, what purpose do you rise? It's too late, but I was gonna ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 42nd and 19th for business outside the chamber. Green brain. Green brain.

441. 4:06:28

     Senator from the 42nd, what purpose do you rise? I, parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Isn't it true that the m- majority party has enough votes to vote down an amendment if they don't like it? If they're all here, they do, yes.

442. 4:06:48

     All right, on the ruling, the, shall the ruling of the chair be sustained? The yays are 29, the nays are 16, and the ruling of the chair is sustained. So the, I rule that, that the f- amendment one is not germane, so that makes amendment 1A, uh, out of order and a moot point. All right, let's, chair recognizes the senator from the 14th. What purpose do you rise? Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, is it not true that the word germane is Latin for votes that Republicans are willing to take on the record?

443. 4:07:23

     Is that not true, Mr. President? That's, uh, for each and every senator to determine for themselves. Thank you, Mr. President. They can probably Goo- I bet you they could Google the, uh, what germane means. I don't know what the Germans have to do with this, really. Chair recognizes the senator from the 50th. What purpose do you rise? Thank you, Mr. President. I'm, ask for unanimous consent to excuse the senator from the 42nd, and I also move for the previous question.

444. 4:07:53

     Oh. Without objection, the senator from the... He, he should've moved the motion two, two, two things at the same time. What is the, what's the, uh, what seat number is he? I can't see it, and I- 42. 42nd. And he's change, you know, he changes districts about every term, so. I know. Without objection, the senator from the 42nd is excused.

445. 4:08:20

     I guess he wanted to be excused. Chair, uh, I mean, golly.

446. 4:08:26

     I will recognize you again, Senator from the 50th. Thank you, Mr. President. I move for the previous question.

447. 4:08:40

     Objection. So, um, senator's moved for the previous question, and we do have an objection. So I guess we will, um, let's try it this way. All those in favor of the motion to move to the previous question will rise, stand, and be counted.

448. 4:09:05

     Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Can they- There's been a call for the yays and nays.

449. 4:09:14

     All right, there's been a call for the yays and nays to be put on the board, and we're just gonna do that because we could, you know, debate that, I guess. So all those in fa- in favor-

450. 4:09:29

     Sorry. ... of the motion to move to the previous question will vote yay. Those opposed, nay. The secretary will unlock the machine.

451. 4:09:55

     Senator from the 48, what purpose do you rise? Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. President.

452. 4:10:02

     State your inquiry. Mr. President, is it not true that the word germane means relevant or closely related, and originates, uh, from the Latin germanus, meaning having the same parents, brotherly or closely akin, my brother? Thank you for that edification.

453. 4:10:30

     I recognize the senator from the 38th. Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Mr. President, is it not true that the federal mem- minimum wage is $7.25, while here in Georgia it is still $5.15? I believe that's correct, Senator. Thank you. All right, on the mo- motion to move to the previous question, the yays are 29, the nays are 19. So now we're gonna move to the previous question.

454. 4:10:59

     Is there objection to agreeing the report of the committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? The chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question? Being ordered, the chair hears none, and the main question is ordered. The question on the pass of the bill, all those in favor of the bill vote yay. Opposed, nay. The secretary will unlock the machine.

455. 4:11:24

     Senator from the 41st. What purpose do you rise, Wise? Senator

456. 4:12:03

     from the 6th, what purpose do you rise? Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Is it not true this will be the first governor's bill I've passed and since he's been here? It's good to see y'all aligned. Thank you, Senator. All right, on the pass of the bill, the ayes are 48, the nays are 1. This bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed.

457. 4:12:30

     Secretary will read the caption to HB 1379.

458. 4:12:40

     House Bill 1379 by Representative Gaines of the 120th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to education so as to require semi-annual reports from institutions of the University System of Georgia, units of the Technical College System of Georgia, and local school systems and other public schools regarding funding received from foreign sources, to provi- to provide requirements for such reports, to provide for such reports to be made publicly available, to provide for definitions, to provide for related matters, to provide for a short title, to repeal for, uh, to provide for the effective dates, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

459. 4:13:10

     Mr. President, the Committee on the Senate of Higher Education to recommend that this bill do pass. Respectfully submitted, Senator Burns, chairman. Mr. President, that completes the order.

460. 4:13:22

     All right, I recognize the senator from the 23rd to speak to House Bill 1379. Senate will come to order, please.

461. 4:13:46

     Colleagues, good afternoon. No ha- no happy good afternoons? Okay. So we have, uh, House Bill- Good afternoon ... Good afternoon. 1379. This is a, uh, piece of legislation that protects Georgians, especially students in Georgia who are in K12, technical college, or university college, from, um, the influence of foreign countries that are potentially adversarial to the United States.

462. 4:14:22

     We had similar legislation in the past. We had Senate Bill 181, we had House Bill 187, excuse me, House Bill 150, and now we have House Bill 1379. This bill requires reporting of any donations given to a school, a public school in Georgia, K12, technical college, or university system, who are designated as adversarial countries from the State Department, or foreign adversaries, countries of particular concern by the president, and then a special watch, uh, designation, again, by the president or the State Department, or, uh, unique countries in the Middle East who might attempt to influence our educational environment, either from a standpoint of research, but more importantly perhaps, through curriculum and instruction.

463. 4:15:25

     So let's see what this legislation does. It, it covers any contribution to an educational environment of more than $10,000. So it requires a report if an institution, a school, a college, receives a foreign contribution, it exceeds $10,000. It requires them to report the amount and the type and the purpose of the funding so that it can may be publicly available on, uh, the Department of Audit's website so that you and I are aware of those nations that are attempting to influence the educational system in Georgia.

464. 4:16:09

     Tuition and fees related directly to a pupil, a student, or to a family are explicitly, explicitly exempt. There is some non-compliance penalties, so if you, if you receive funds and you do not report, there's a requirement that you, that you, uh, would pay a civil fine and, and that ensures that we get accurate reporting. I want you to recognize that this legislation has been crafted in conjunction, in cooperation with our schools, our school systems, our technical colleges, and our universities.

465. 4:16:46

     I would point out that, uh, the federal law has similar provisions, but its limit is $250,000, so there's a lot going on underneath the radar. What we wanna make sure that Georgians know who is influencing education in our state and by how much. So, uh, I'll be happy to take questions, but I would ask that you favorably support House Bill 1379.

466. 4:17:15

     I recognize the senator from the 35th.

467. 4:17:19

     35th.

468. 4:17:19

     Thank you so much. Uh, Senator, do you yield?

469. 4:17:21

     I do yield to my good friend from the 35th.

470. 4:17:24

     I appreciate you bringing this bill forward. As you know, we've, uh, had some conversations about some concerns here. Um, can you talk to us more about the amount, uh, that is required in, um, the President of the United States and his administration has, what, $250,000 as the amount that signals a report necessary. But here in the state of Georgia, it looks like we're doing 10,000.

471. 4:17:46

     Correct.

472. 4:17:47

     Uh, if it's good enough for Trump, uh, why was it not g- why is it not good enough for us?

473. 4:17:51

     We feel we need, uh, more, uh, knowledge of funds going into our school systems. 10,000 was a baseline number that we would like to, uh, focus on and ensure that we know where the contributions are coming from, how much they are, and what they're being used for. So, uh, I'm comfortable with the 10,000. Again, that was a negotiated number. Uh, and I would suggest that, uh, we need to stick with that number and make sure we have a, a stronger level of, of, uh, knowledge of what's going on.

474. 4:18:24

     Thank you. Does the senator further yield?

475. 4:18:26

     Certainly.

476. 4:18:27

     Um, if, say, a organization, um, that was heavily funded by one of the countries listed on here, maybe the UAE or Qatar, c- um, there's no listing, but I think some of these, uh, monarchies are listed on here, right? Can we-

477. 4:18:45

     They're, if you go to the, uh, foreign adversary list, and I'll just list them out. The reason we did not codify them in code is they, they're, they are, they're flexible.

478. 4:18:56

     Yes.

479. 4:18:56

     But the category A, which is foreign adversaries, would be China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela, uh, under the designation of the Maduro regime, which we know now is, uh, been deposed. Category B are countries of particular concern. Those are countries that oppress religious freedom. There are about, uh, 12 or so of those, including Burma, uh, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan Saudi, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan.

480. 4:19:31

     So those are countries of particular concern. There's also a group on the special watch list. Those include Algeria, Azerbaijan, Central African Republic, Vietnam, for example. I think the most, uh, important category is category D, which is qualifying monarchies. This is a unique situation where there are certain countries that have, uh, monarchies that have a fund, a wealth fund designed to essentially influence education in the United States, and in particular in Georgia.

481. 4:20:06

     Uh, there are several countries, generally in the Middle Eastern area, uh, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE. Oftentimes, these are our allies in certain instances, but yet they support adversarial types of, uh, funding. I- in, in Qatar's, uh, case, not only do we have a US military base in Qatar, we a- they also, uh, are the headquarters for Hamas, and they fund terrorism. So we've got a little bit of a mixed issue.

482. 4:20:37

     I think I would like the Senate to recognize this bill is a reporting bill. It does not prohibit any nation from donating funds to Georgia educational environments. It just means that if you receive a fund exceeds $10,000, it would be reported.

483. 4:20:56

     Um, does the senator further yield?

484. 4:20:57

     Yes, sir.

485. 4:20:58

     Um, would this bill help with any, um, cryptocurrency-

486. 4:21:05

     A- a- that's a great question

487. 4:21:06

     ... re- re- related to our education system, with any investments with our education system in cryptocurrency?

488. 4:21:12

     I, I, I, I would say that the way those funds are transferred or donated would be up to the donor. I would suggest that typically they would be in some form of US currency.

489. 4:21:22

     Okay. Senator further yield.

490. 4:21:24

     Yes, for one more question.

491. 4:21:26

     Okay. With aerospace being a big part of our industry, is there a, a issue with any Qatari jets or a- airplanes or any aerospace collaboration with our university that we should be concerned about?

492. 4:21:38

     I, I think we have a, a large number of research, uh, programs, whether they're in aerospace or basic sciences, medical research, or what have you. Those are often positive and effective and beneficial to the United States. Again, if those funds were donated and used appropriately and reported appropriately, there is no restriction.

493. 4:21:58

     Thank you.

494. 4:22:03

     There are no further-

495. 4:22:04

     Recognize the senator from the 41st.

496. 4:22:07

     Try to get out.

497. 4:22:07

     Thank you, Mr. President. Does the senator yield?

498. 4:22:09

     I do. My friend from the 41st, how are you?

499. 4:22:12

     I'm doing great. Thank you so much. Uh, Senator, is it true that you used to serve as a college president?

500. 4:22:17

     I'm sorry. Say it one more time.

501. 4:22:18

     Is it true that you once served as a university or a college president?

502. 4:22:22

     I did. Yes, I did.

503. 4:22:24

     Senator-

504. 4:22:24

     Great experience.

505. 4:22:25

     Uh, Senator, um, is it not also true that the Board of Regents and the chancellor are all appointed by, uh, our good governor, Governor Kemp? Is that not true?

506. 4:22:37

     Uh, that is true. The regents serve at the pleasure of the governor.

507. 4:22:40

     Right. So Senator, is it your contention that our system is being led by people who could be so easily swayed by the influence of a mere $10,000, which represents, what, .00001% of the budget? Is it your contention that, uh, our chancellor would be swayed and influenced by $10,000?

508. 4:23:04

     Not, not at all. As a matter of fact, I think that the chancellor and the regents and the university presidents and the technical college presidents, our school systems across the state, are not influenced by such a nominal amount. However, I think it is important for the citizens of Georgia to know who is contributing and what amount they contributed and for what purpose. Again, this is a reporting bill, and unless that donation would perhaps challenge the integrity of the system, then the regents or the, uh, technical college board could address those issues, or the superintendent could address those issues.

509. 4:23:44

     A- as long as they do not overly influence the educational curriculum or teaching in our state, they're welcome to make their donations.

510. 4:23:53

     Does the senator further yield?

511. 4:23:54

     Yes, ma'am.

512. 4:23:55

     So therefore, isn't it true if you were concerned about overly influencing, does that not mean that you do not trust our chancellors and those who receive these funds to not be influenced by nominal funds that come from a foreign institution? Is that not true?

513. 4:24:10

     Uh, that is not true. I, I have total confidence in the chancellor and the Board of Regents, and I feel that they will make decisions independent of any amount of influence of contributions.

514. 4:24:24

     Thank you, Mr. President. And there are no questions, I'll ask for your favorable consideration.

515. 4:24:27

     Senator, you can yield the well at any time.

516. 4:24:30

     That's what I'm doing right now.

517. 4:24:31

     As you know, there are more questions if-

518. 4:24:32

     I would ask for your favorable consideration of House Bill 1379. Thank you, Mr. President.

519. 4:24:38

     Senator has yielded the well. Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? I recognize the senator from the 36th.

520. 4:25:11

     Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, uh, I rise to, uh, hopefully, uh, u- uh, eliminate some issues with this bill that, uh, was somewhat r- rushed through committee. I don't know that we were

521. 4:25:27

     Handed. In fact, I have no knowledge of having been provided with a list of, uh, of, uh, nations. It might have been verbally read or referenced, uh, in the committee, but th- th- this to me... I, I do, I do want, want to t- tell you something that opened my eyes wide open when, when part of the materials that were handed out sometime during the meeting to justify why we need this bill, there, there was an exchange of letters from high school teachers who teach Arabic in Georgia public schools and private schools.

522. 4:26:04

     And there was a, it was pointed out that they w- went to Detroit and had a meeting that they, uh, a- a- as though there's some skullduggery going on, uh, when it comes to teaching Arabic to, uh, students who are learning foreign languages in our schools. I, I mean, it, it, it just smacked to me of a kind of McCarthyism. You know? It's kind of d- lighting a fire and alleging that there's a big problem here that we need to, uh, actually, uh, punish any school, any public school in the, in the, in the state that, that, that, that, th- failed to comply with reporting this, uh, $10,000, uh, piece of money that comes from an array of nations, uh, uh, that, uh, are, are referenced here, uh, kind of obliquely.

523. 4:27:00

     And that, and that, uh, the attorney general... Now, this, this is what, it's like taking a sledgehammer to a flea. That, that, that you're gonna put the attorney general to notify public educational institutions. This is line 109 through 16- 16 if you want to follow on page five. If, if the, the, now, this, this would sound, it's like a five-alarm fire, uh, notice that's been put out here. Uh, if a public educational institution fails to provide a report required by this code section or fails to disclose reportable funding in a report, the attorney general, good Lord, we're gonna get our AG involved, uh, at, at this point.

524. 4:27:41

     That's why, it, it's like a, a, a sledgehammer, you know, to stomp out a flea's life. It, it, it, it... The attorney general shall notify the public educational institution of such failure and provide the public educational institution with an opportunity to correct the failure. If a public educational institution fails to submit a report within 30 days of receipt, the AG, attorney general, shall notify the applicable governing authority, and such governing authority shall be authorized to withhold a portion of the state funding allotted for the applicable public educational institution in the amount of $5,000 fine or three times the amount of reportable funding the institution failed to disclose, whichever is greater.

525. 4:28:26

     Are you... This is s- s- some kind of overreach without a real understanding or, or without really explaining what i- what is the dread danger that we face. And, and, uh, students in a, a, a, of a s- of a student, we saw correspondence back and forth planning, uh, a, a trip and a bringing together of students who were learning Ar- Arabic with, uh, uh, communities that, uh, have a high, uh, in Detroit that has a, a significant population of Arab-speaking people.

526. 4:29:03

     Um, it, it, it, does this, do, are we, have we got something going on that the AG has to get involved with here? I, I mean, I, I hope some of you share my concern about the question of, of overreach and failure to make a case for why we're doing this bill. Teaching kids Arabic, is that, has that, has that, have we crossed a line here, uh, i- i- in, in Georgia? Uh, is that posing a threat to have, to be schooling students and to have a relationship that involved, uh, transportation a- a- and taking those students to another setting to s- uh, to meet with people who are Arabic speakers?

527. 4:29:45

     I, I, that, that, that's just, that's just one example of, of th- this, this, this overreach of this bill that, that was really, I would say, poorly defended, uh, when it was, uh, brought to our committee, uh, of higher education. Uh, and, and, and occasioned the reason that several of us voted against this bill, uh, at that point in time. Uh, I would urge your careful consideration and thoughtful approach to how you want to vote on this bill and our, and what road we might be starting down, uh, in putting this sort of thing in Georgia, uh, law.

528. 4:30:28

     Uh, if there are no questions, I will yield the well. Thank you.

529. 4:30:34

     You do have a couple questions, Senator.

530. 4:30:38

     Yes, I will yield.

531. 4:30:40

     Recognize the senator from the second.

532. 4:30:45

     We've got some good, uh, traction on these new mics. Senator, do you yield?

533. 4:30:48

     I yield.

534. 4:30:49

     Senator, uh, is it not true that, uh, there is a competitor to the PGA and it is called LIV Golf? Is that not true?

535. 4:30:58

     And it's called?

536. 4:30:59

     LIV Golf.

537. 4:31:01

     I- i- if the gentleman so states. Uh, and Senator, a further question, is it not also true, uh, that the current President of the United States, uh, is very supportive of LIV Golf? And so if LIV Golf, which is highly invested and supported by the Crown Prince of Saudi Ara- A- Arabia, uh, as their ruling monarch, uh, and his family, uh, this legislation, should they want it to partner with any additional school, uh, in the State of Georgia, uh, would then be having to register and provide all of this additional information and possibly be fined, uh, when the current President of the United States actually supports LIV Golf, and his son-in-law, uh, has invested, uh, in LIV Golf and got the media rights with Paramount.

538. 4:31:42

     Is that not also true, Senator? Uh, uh, if the gentleman so states, it, it, it has a ring of veracity to me, let me just say that. Uh, a- and, and I, I rely on, uh, your, you being a, a reliable source on this matter. Thank you. And, and so, Senator, my final question, if my colleagues do support, uh, the, the President of the United States, it would be wise for them to, to vote no on this legislation, uh, as they may understand what his interests are. Is that not true? Uh, that's a, an excellent point, uh, uh, Senator from the coast, and, um, is, is exactly why I would urge close scrutiny and, uh, uh, certainly, and delay action on this bill.

539. 4:32:23

     Uh, uh, vote against it. The, the, just, you know, it's, it's poorly vetted, it's, it's poorly supported, and I just see this specter of kids, uh, that wanna learn Arabic. Uh, and they have a, a, a faithful teachers who are invested in, uh, training them in that language, and all of a sudden, this is th- this is all... Y- you look askance at this whole enterprise of putting together people that speak Arabic and people that teach Arabic and students that wanna learn Arabic, and that that somehow, uh, the AG needs to get involved, and we need to put in a fine and snatch back public education funds, uh, if, if, if, uh, this bill is, uh, not honored, uh, were it to become law.

540. 4:33:08

     Uh, I will rest my case and, uh, yield the well for, if there are no further questions. Thank you. You do have a few more questions, Senator, but it's all up to you. Okay. You know these rules better than anybody else in here. Recognize the senator from the 14th. You flatter me. You flatter me. Thank you, Mr. President. Does the senator yield? I yield. Senator, are you aware that the US representative in Georgia for the 10th Congressional District is now launching a campaign for US Senate? His name is Mike Collins. You're aware of that, correct, Senator? I'm aware of that.

541. 4:33:38

     That's right. And Senator, uh, are you aware that there's a state representative s- who's the lead sponsor on this legislation who is running to replace, uh, Congressman Collins in the United States House? Great information. I'm, I'm, uh, on a learning curve on some of this, but yes, thank you for that information. No problem whatsoever. So for Representative Gaines' marketing purposes, on a scale of one to 10, how good of an ad would you say that this xenophobic bill is, uh, for his congressional primary? Uh, one being the lowest, not a very good ad, 10 being an excellent ad for the Republican base.

542. 4:34:11

     What would you say, Senator? Well, I- I- I'll go with a five, and, and that ought to be a safe number for the co- purposes of this conversation. Uh, but,

543. 4:34:23

     but, but I, I, I, I would, I, I would, I, I would hate to think ill of the gentleman having those kinds of motives for, uh, carrying this bill and bringing it to our committee, but, uh, you do make a case. Neither of us could imagine a world in which Representative Gaines' primary motivation for this bill would be his congressional primary. But, uh, you know, per- permitting that illusion for a second, I appreciate your willingness to give it a rating. Thank you, Senator. Thank you, Senator. Uh, if there are no further, uh, questions, I'll yield the well. I s- um, believe that there may be.

544. 4:34:55

     Senator, were you aware that half this chamber is running for lieutenant governor? I- I- I've heard that. Who, who, who said that? It's just, uh, the, it's just from the heavens, that's all. Rec- recognize the city, senator from the 38th. Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, does the senator yield? I yield. Uh, is it not true that the sponsor of the bill, uh, shared that the concern is there's, uh, could be over-influence from countries such as Qatar?

545. 4:35:26

     I think that's true. Mm-hmm. Is it not further true that one would stand to reason that for folks to vote yes on this bill, we would expect them to raise that same concern of the fact that the President of the United States has taken a gift from the country of Qatar in the form of a plane that will now be Air Force One? Uh, Senator, you make an excellent point and, uh, uh, give us great cause for deep consideration as we weigh how to vote on this bill.

546. 4:35:56

     Thank you. Thank you. Uh, Mr. President, I yield the well. Thank you, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 35th.

547. 4:36:22

     Senator from the 31st, would you... Your light's on. You don't wanna say anything? Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, rise in opposition to this bill. Um, the, the concern and I guess the, one of the biggest concerns that I have is about foreign influence. I just find it striking, like it's, there's a dissonance here, right? That we're, we have, we have a bill here because we're somehow concerned about foreign influence, and then the list of countries-

548. 4:37:03

     I mean, there's just a l- a lot of countries missing off of here. I'm concerned about several folks who might be influencing us. And I'm sure you are as well. On both sides of the aisle, our country America first mentality sure does have us in a lot of international affairs. Our brave men and women are sent all over the world. Our president has been enriching himself, and in many estimates has doubled and tripled his net worth.

549. 4:37:37

     I'm concerned about foreign influence. But it sounds like if the Trump organization wants to, uh, support one of our universities, it may need to be reported, because the Trump organization has received almost, what? $1.8 billion, with a B, $1.8 billion from countries that are on the no-no list.

550. 4:38:04

     Wow.

551. 4:38:04

     So countries that are on the no-no list that we're saying we wanna make sure that our folks at universities and K-12 education have to do all this reporting, all this red tape that my colleagues love, all this big government that we're adding. This is a big government bill. This is a red tape, more red tape bill. This is a we're concerned about foreign influence except when it comes to the President of the United States. And our, our folks back home where I live and where you live, they want people to be fair.

552. 4:38:39

     They want some urgency. They want some, some integrity. But here we are. Let's do a witch hunt instead.

553. 4:38:47

     That's all.

554. 4:38:48

     Let's find an other so we can point the finger at when there's a $1.8 billion problem right here at home.

555. 4:38:59

     I just find it fascinating on what gets us all riled up.

556. 4:39:04

     Mm-hmm.

557. 4:39:05

     What we wanna come up here and literally have a, a commercial content for our future campaigns right here in this chamber, and we're riled up, we're fired up.

558. 4:39:14

     Funding is it a single payment or-

559. 4:39:16

     And then we have these witch hunt bills 'cause it can make us maybe look good in a primary. Are we ever gonna get real? We'll sit here and literally pray together about our ethics and, and how we, we know a tree by its fruit, and we're gonna have wisdom and justice and moderation. And then we get up here and we say, "Oh, hold on. Witch hunt bill. Big government witch hunt bill. Let's go with it. Don't worry about this Qatari plane over there. Oh, that's federal government. We would never have to do anything with federal government until it helps us with our campaigning." And when we have colleagues with demonizing messages that are offensive to people in this body and people around the state, we say nothing.

560. 4:40:01

     We say nothing. And then we have folks who love law enforcement and will fight for law enforcement every day. But then when the law doesn't suit certain people, all of a sudden those ethics got thrown out the window. I just, again, I'm learning. I'm two months in now. We say what we mean when convenient, otherwise we are busy doing other things. But we have to answer to a God that does not care which party we belong to.

561. 4:40:37

     Oh, we're here for the people, and then all of a sudden big business says, "Take the teeth out of that bill." No problem. Teeth are gone, and as a dentist, I know what it looks like when the teeth are gone.

562. 4:40:49

     Sample.

563. 4:40:52

     Are we ever gonna get for real?

564. 4:40:58

     This isn't play for me.

565. 4:41:01

     Uh-huh.

566. 4:41:01

     It's not play for many of you. But I want us to be honest with ourselves what we choose to get fired up about.

567. 4:41:09

     I know. I know.

568. 4:41:11

     This is a witch hunt. It's amazing how it just flies through committee and it shows up on this desk. When we have Medicare expansion, it stalls. When it comes to public education, it stalls. We talk about literacy, oh, here's another unfunded mandate, public schools. Why are you struggling so much? It stalls. We're the number one place to do business, but we're far from the number one place to raise a child, age in place, go to school, a public university, a public school.

569. 4:41:44

     Oh, that stalls. Oh, there's always a problem with it. But when we wanna find money for it, we find it. I yield the will.

570. 4:41:56

     Recognize the majority leader.

571. 4:42:01

     Oh, now, now, now, now. If his kids aren't here.

572. 4:42:07

     You know, what we get to witness every single day in this chamber, especially today, is the Democratic Party that wants to run America and wants to run Georgia.

573. 4:42:20

     No.

574. 4:42:20

     That's right. Can you-- I hear you in the background.

575. 4:42:25

     And, you know, it's fu- it's funny, we talk about, let's, let's talk about America, Georgia values, let's talk about the future of Georgia. Literally, the bill before, y'all wanna raise the m- the, the, uh, the minimum wage, and you wanna put low income, middle class, blue collar people, people with disabilities, people without a high school diploma, people trying to get a first job, you wanna put them on the street, because business...

576. 4:42:58

     You think they're gonna hire them w- by raising the minimum wage? No, they're not. You're gonna, you're gonna close people out and put them out on the street. And then you're gonna invite this technology world and machines to take over for the businesses that put those same people on the street. So this, this is the Democratic Party that is for the people, by the people. As much as y'all wanna quote the Constitution, you may wanna go read it.

577. 4:43:30

     And then let's talk about all these countries y'all wanna sit up here and give excuses or defend. It's so funny that under President Biden ... I'm sure your memory's better than his was. The same guy that sent his Secretary of State to Iran- I know you don't want- ... to give them a $1.8 billion payment- ... and also gave them $150 million in sanction relief. The Democratic Party that's for human rights, right?

578. 4:44:01

     And what has Iran done since then? They've killed Jewish people. They've killed their own people. And then we wanna sit here and make every excuse about the attorney general this, or big government that, or affordability. And then you're gonna come down here and lecture us about morals and politics, and your way is, is the best way for Georgians. I hope every Georgian's listening to this debate today, because you wanna put people on the streets, and you wanna see the people of Israel, the people who are doing good in defending their state.

579. 4:44:39

     Oh, my God. That's ridiculous. The senator from the 35th wants to talk about, you know, our people on our side of, you know, Atlanta. I live right across the, the county line from the senator from the 35th. Last time I checked, there's a lot of Jewish resident, Jewish people that live in Cobb County. I think they would like to know if Qatar or Turkey or any of these countries, Lebanon, who's put money in the USG system, is that money being disclosed? You don't think as Georgians and Americans we wanna know where the money is coming and going?

580. 4:45:12

     We just need to hide it, just throw it in the corner, pretend like it doesn't exist because y'all are afraid of one part of your party that's gonna hold you hostage, because, you know, they wanna go out there and be, you know, nice to Hamas and all that kind of stuff? That's the Democratic Party here in Georgia. I look forward to having that debate for the next weeks and months to come to November if that's what y'all are gonna bring to the table, because that's what it sounds like y'all wanna do.

581. 4:45:43

     Let's remember the authoritarian regimes like in Iran that we're watching right now, it is the same Democratic Party that was really quiet when Maduro was taken out, who oppressed his own people, who sent gang members to kill people, sent gang members and drugs to this country, are the same people you're sitting up here making excuses for, trying to figure out and not knowing where their money is, or not caring where their money is. The senator from the 36th wants to get up and say, "Hey, I didn't have time for the, to, to read this bill and have this discussion." We have had so many debates in this since I've been here in 2021.

582. 4:46:21

     I've been here less than most of y'all. We've debated China land, we've debated, debated TikTok. We've debated all sorts of th- issues around what are foreign adversaries, and, and I find it interesting that time and time again, the Democratic Party wants to get up here in this well, and let's, let's shield these foreign adversaries. Let's not upset them. We're gonna blame it on Trump. Trump's doing the exact same thing that Ronald Reagan did, standing up to these totalitarian leaders who had no interest in America, that wanted to destroy American values.

583. 4:46:57

     Oh, my God. The shining city on the hill. Oh, my God. That's all you do. And that's what, that's what we're gonna get up here- Oh, my God ... and we're basically gonna hide from. Well, our party's not gonna hide from it. We're gonna do what's right. And we can come up with all the excuses in the world, and we're debating literally something as simple as disclosing foreign money in our schools, public schools.

584. 4:47:25

     So Mr. President, as, as we continue to have these lovely debates about what is right and wrong and affordability, which, you know, the Democrats haven't seen a tax increase they don't like. You know, I look forward to keep having these debates. Just, just keep bringing it down here, but if you're gonna sit up, get up here and defend the Schumer agenda, and my dear friend from Savannah, the senator from the 2nd earlier, when he was talking about, you know, our United States Senator Jon Ossoff, he's doing so many great federal things.

585. 4:47:59

     Why doesn't he tell TS, fund TSA and the Department of Homeland Security? Those long lines at Hartsfield Airport that are sitting at Democratic Senate districts, that constituents from all over this state go to, are sitting in hours and hours and hours of lines because of your two US senators that don't wanna get to work, that wanna be ghosts. Oh, my God. That don't wanna show up and defend Israel. Oh, my God. They wanna play cute to Iran. I still hear you in the back of the room. That is fine. We will keep having this debate, because we are not gonna go anywhere.

586. 4:48:33

     We're gonna run into the fire. We will keep talking about this, and you can keep bringing it. But Georgia is not gonna stand for those values. America's not gonna stand for those values. Now, we can keep being cute about it, but at the end of the day, we are gonna do what's right. We're gonna stand by the people of Georgia. We're gonna, we're gonna stand by the families who have families in Israel, in Tel Aviv, that are getting bombed by Iran, that live in Cobb County, North Fulton County, and the 60 to 80,000 Jewish residents that live in this, this state, we're gonna keep standing by them.

587. 4:49:12

     Maybe one day you will too. But I look forward to having this debate for the rest of the year and in, in the next two weeks of session, because it is, it is worth having, and we're not gonna shy away from it. Mr. President, I yield the will. Recognize senator from the eighth.

588. 4:49:34

     Thank you, Mr. President. You know, I just want my friends in the minority caucus to understand just one thing, that a Democrat was a second signer on this bill. This bill passed in the House 139 to 16. The minority leader in the House voted for the bill. The minority whip in the House voted for this bill. And I just wanna say, you read it, y'all, it is foreign adversaries of the United States. Think about what is going on geopolitically around the world right now. Foreign adversaries of the United States, that's red states, that's blue states, that's Republicans, that's Democrats, that is every American in this country.

589. 4:50:13

     Every American. No matter what your political ideology is or what state you come from, everyone. That's what this bill addresses. It is a reporting bill, y'all, a reporting bill. But I think that we should know who is trying to influence our society. As for me, I want to know if the people that are screaming, "Death to America," are trying to influence our kids, because when they scream, "Death to America," they're not just screaming, "Death to me," but they're screaming, "Death to every one of y'all and everyone in this country." Mr.

590. 4:50:46

     President, I yield the will.

591. 4:50:51

     They got the air conditioning on.

592. 4:50:57

     Leader, would you like to be the last one? Come on up here. Close it out for them. I think, I think we probably have... I, I'm sorry I missed all this debate, but, um, I think you'll be a good closer.

593. 4:51:16

     I was thinking that this bill would kinda be voted on, even though we are against it being voted, we're gonna move on. But since we wanna talk about bringing debate, I guess we can talk about bringing debate. Um, I think that's a good thing, and I hope the people of Georgia are watching. I, I really hope they're watching, and if they're not, we, we will make sure we play this. And we'll play the two clips together, 'cause when we start talking about where Georgia is. Georgia, as you know, has one of the worst childcare institutions in, in, in, in America. We have the highest childcare costs, some of the highest childcare costs in the United States.

594. 4:51:47

     Guess who's been in charge for 22 years? Republicans. So, you wanna talk about who to blame for our childcare costs in Georgia? Make sure you blame Republicans. You wanna talk, talk about debating, debating healthcare? You wanna talk about debating healthcare in this state, one of the worst healthcare systems in the nation? You want to have that debate? Oh, man, we, we're ready to have it. But make sure you understand, people of Georgia, when you talk about healthcare, the fact of the matter is, this year, for the first time in 15 years, you actually had an opportunity to expand Medicaid. Guess who stopped it? It was Republicans. Guess who's been in charge for over 22 years, and your healthcare system is in shambles?

595. 4:52:20

     It's the Republicans. You wanna start talking about child poverty? We're talking about protecting children and loving children? I can think of, uh, nothing better than love children, and actually making sure that they don't go hungry at night. 22 years, guess who's been in charge? Republicans. Child poverty in the United States, child poverty in Georgia, is one of the highest within the United States. Those are the facts. Those are the facts that will be debated over the next few months, and we c- look forward to having that debate. And the fact of the matter is, to come up here with the same kinda talking points, they've already been debunked in research, in study after study, that you're not putting people out of work by actually increasing the minimum wage.

596. 4:52:54

     And if you really thought it was that bad of an idea, why'd you run to the rules book and try to stop that particular vote? If you really think it was that bad of an idea, I think you would've voted against it proudly. Instead, you actually ran from it, which you've been doing all year. The fact of the matter is, you ran for the vote for, on data centers, now you're running from votes actually to try to increase the minimum wage, and c- and coming up here with the same kinda talking points that have already been, uh, debunked. We're the ones who are actually trying to care about the United States citizens. We're the ones who actually wanna care about Georgia citizens, 'cause we actually wanna make their lives better.

597. 4:53:24

     We're the ones, we've not been standing quietly and idly by as we talked about the fact that our administration actually go, went around kidnapping foreign leaders. We actually stood up against that. We haven't been standing idly by when we started these illegal wars, which actually will put people out of work, because the gas lines are gonna get long. That action is gonna put people out of work. That's what you ought to be fighting against. Instead, you come up here with the same kinda silly talking points about somebody killing their own people. Let me give you this example. Let's, uh, let's don't forget United States history. Okay.

598. 4:53:54

     As far as they treated African Americans. Now just imagine if the Soviet Union, like in the 1950s and '60s, says, "You don't give your people the right to vote, we gonna invade you and bomb you." You know how ludicrous that sounds? It's ridiculous that that's gonna be your justification when you haven't treated your own people right. That's the facts, and a lot of times we don't wanna, we wanna hide from those facts. But the fact of the matter is, for over 200 and some odd years, African Americans were second-class citizens. You want to be invaded? Nor did you justify it. Those are the facts.

599. 4:54:25

     So, we say we wanna take care of our people at home. That's the key, and we're always gonna be doing that, taking care of our people at home. We say we wanna make sure that we lower childcare costs. We're gonna actually improve healthcare. We're actually gonna make sure that child poverty goes down. Those are the things that we're gonna be looking for. Those are the things that we're gonna be talking about, unabashedly. The days of Democrats putting their head in the sand and allowing you to say anything that you wanna say w- are long gone. So, you talk about a debate. This ain't your grandfather's Democratic party anymore.

600. 4:54:56

     You want it, you're gonna get it. Thank you. I yield the will. All right. So, we're gonna go ahead and close the d- debate, and I'll let the, uh, the senator who is carrying this House bill come on, come on up, and let's close it out, and we'll get to voting

601. 4:55:15

     Thank you, Mr. President. Well, well, well, well, well, here we are. We've had... You know, my grandmother used to say that to me. She'd say, "Well, well, well." It's been lively. Totally misdirected. By the way, if you cannot win an argument, what do you do? You change the subject, and that's what we've seen all afternoon. This is a bill that does one thing.

602. 4:55:46

     It provides for transparency of contributions to educational institutions in Georgia who would come from potentially adversarial countries. So it's not about politics. Senator from the 14th, I'm not running for anything. Are you? Are you running for anything other than a Senate seat? Yes. Thought so. Thought so. I'm not running for anything, folks. I just hope to be back here next January, but we'll see. The voters will make that decision.

603. 4:56:18

     It's not about politics. It's about transparency. There is no witch hunt. We're not hunting witches. We know who the witches are. They're on the adversarial list. We just want the witches to be exposed. Wanna make sure what they're doing to the educational system in our, in our state, and really across the country. So, uh, I appreciate the support, the strong bipartisan support in the House.

604. 4:56:48

     Appreciate the senator from the 8th pointing that out. This is not a political bill, folks. It's really not. It's not a partisan bill. It's about protecting Georgia's education. I spent five years at University of North Georgia. While I was there, we had strategic languages taught and cultures taught, including Mandarin Chinese, Farsi, and Arabic. I had the privilege of going to China to represent the university in an opportunity to exchange. That's a positive thing.

605. 4:57:18

     That's a positive thing, and we will continue those positive things. Now, we still have to realize that they can be our sworn enemies, but we have to know what investments they're making on education. So at the end of the day, you can vote green or you can vote red. That's your decision. But if you vote red, you're voting for covering up the investments of foreign adversaries in Georgia's public education.

606. 4:57:50

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

607. 4:57:57

     Is there objection to agreeing to the order of the committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The order of the committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? Chair hears none. The main question is ordered. Senator from the 14th, for what purpose do you rise? Points of order and inquiry, Mr. President. State your inquiry. Mr. President, if Republicans had a bill to ban monsters under your bed and Democrats voted no, do you think Republicans would send mail saying that Democrats are pro-monster? You know I don't believe in monsters, Senator, so I don't know what- Neither do Democrats. Thanks, Mr.

608. 4:58:28

     President. Question is on the passage of the bill. All those in favor of the bill will vote yay. Opposed, nay. Secretary will unlock the machine. Order.

609. 4:58:53

     You need to get in touch with your inner red there. Gotcha.

610. 4:59:22

     You got it. You got it. If you're the senator from the 23rd.

611. 4:59:37

     On the passage of the bill, the yays are 31, the nays are 20. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed.

612. 4:59:48

     Secretary read House Bill 999. House Bill 999 by Representatives Leverett of the 123rd and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 5 of Chapter 10 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to fees and costs of magistrate courts so as to revise provisions relating to magistrate courts collecting sums and fees authorized by law to amend an act to amend Chapter 10 of Title 15 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to magistrate courts so as to provide for nonpartisan elections of magistrates approved May 14th, 2025 so as to correct a scrivener's error in the automatic repealer in said act relating to a constitutional amendment for the nonpartisan election of judges of the probate court to, to provide legislative intent, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes.

613. 5:00:31

     Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Judiciary recommends that this bill do pass respectfully submitted to Senate strictly on the 42nd District Chairman. Mr. President, Senator Setzler of the 37th and oth- and others offers the following amendment. Amendment one, by adding a new Section 3 by amending Paragraph 5 of Subsection A of Code Section 15-10-2 by striking does not exceed $15,000 and replacing with the following, "Does not exceed $30,000" and renumbering Section 3 as Section 4. Mr. President, that completes the order. Recognize the senator from the 50th.

614. 5:01:04

     Thank

615. 5:01:13

     you.

616. 5:01:31

     Thank you, Mr. President. Bill you've all been waiting for today, House Bill 999 deals with magistrate courts. Uh, legislative council's office has questioned whether technology fees for magistrate courts can be created by local legislation as we've done in the past. This bill prepared by them authorizes that the fees can be created by local legislation and ensures that the fees we have already created are allowed. Second thing this bill does, uh, the bill provides that magistrates would be elected in nonpartisan elections.

617. 5:02:06

     We passed the bill last year. Apparently, there was a technical error that may have repealed the bill if the probate constitutional amendment didn't patch, pass, which clearly was not the intent of the bill passed last year. Happy to answer any questions. Simple cleanup bill. Thank you, Mr. President.

618. 5:02:29

     You have no questions. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, senator from the 19th.

619. 5:02:36

     Uh, thank you, Senator. You yield?

620. 5:02:38

     I do to my friend from the 19th.

621. 5:02:40

     Senator, I'm looking at line 14.

622. 5:02:44

     Yes.

623. 5:02:49

     What is a frery foccus?

624. 5:02:52

     Thank you for pointing that out. That actually looks like another scrivener's error that we're gonna have to correct, which I would appreciate the body support in an amendment. There seems to be a misspelling on the writ of fiary facis, AKA Fife A. There is an R instead of an I. If my friend from the 19th could help me draft that amendment, I would greatly appreciate it to make this a bill that we don't have to correct again.

625. 5:03:20

     Will do.

626. 5:03:23

     Recognize the, recognize the senator from 56.

627. 5:03:27

     Thank you, Mr. President. Will the senator yield?

628. 5:03:28

     I will.

629. 5:03:29

     Senator, based on the senator from the 19th spelling issues in the past, are you sure he'd be the right person to do this amendment?

630. 5:03:36

     That's a good question. I will say he's pretty good at spelling in Latin, I hear.

631. 5:03:40

     Fair.

632. 5:03:44

     Recognize, recognize senator from the 19th.

633. 5:03:47

     Thank you, Mr. President. Will the senator yield?

634. 5:03:49

     I will.

635. 5:03:49

     Is it not true that, uh, after the senator from, what's your district? 56. Comments that the budget now balances.

636. 5:03:58

     The senator knows of what he speaks.

637. 5:04:02

     Uh, Senator, um, as we're waiting on his amendment, we have another amendment right here, and you have no questions right now, so-

638. 5:04:09

     All right

639. 5:04:09

     ... we'll go ahead and let the senator introduce this amendment and let the senator speak to his amendment.

640. 5:04:13

     Thank you. I yield the floor.

641. 5:04:14

     Mm-hmm. Oh, senator from the 41st, for what purpose you rise?

642. 5:04:19

     Mr. President, in light of your history of being a fair and balanced, uh, arbitrator of, of questions, I would ask that you would rule on the germaneness of this amendment.

643. 5:04:31

     The one that we're about to hear right now?

644. 5:04:33

     That's correct.

645. 5:04:34

     All right. Why don't we hear it first, and then we'll rule on it. How about that?

646. 5:04:46

     Did, what happened, what happened to this amendment? She mentioned it. On the, on the, um, did you withdraw it?

647. 5:04:55

     No, I offered it. I'm about to present it.

648. 5:04:57

     Huh?

649. 5:04:57

     I'm about to present it.

650. 5:05:00

     Senator from the 37th, speak to your amendment.

651. 5:05:15

     Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen, the Senate bring before you amendment one. I'd like to thank, uh, the chair, the senator from the 42nd, and the distinguished minority leader, senator from the 22nd, who's co-signed the amendment. Uh, what this amendment does is it's, uh, r- really achieves for us legislative economy. A s- similar measure passed the House, raising the threshold for small claims court from 15,000 to 25,000. Um, a measure passed our s- Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this session, raising the threshold to 50,000.

652. 5:05:47

     Um, while I'm certainly partial to raising it from 15 to 50,000, I think is a, is an intermediate step. Raising the threshold i- in small claims court, magistrate court, which is contemplated in this bill, to 30,000 allows people to represent themselves. Many of our constituents have claims. It could be a, a roofing contractor that doesn't do you right by replacing your roof. Uh, this allows you to represent yourself in magistrate court without having to hire an attorney. Just lowers litigation costs. It allows people who've been wronged to represent themselves without having to pay $5,000, $10,000, $15,000 to get justice.

653. 5:06:19

     This $15,000 threshold, Mr. President, that's exists today was passed in the 1998 session of this legislature. Has not changed since 1998. So this, we're 28 years later. This is a small step, but I think an important step for constituents. I'd be glad to take questions.

654. 5:06:34

     Do you have any questions?

655. 5:06:39

     Thank you, Mr. President. Urge your support of, uh, amendment one.

656. 5:07:39

     Senator from the 41st, on your question about germaneness, uh, it is not germane

657. 5:07:47

     based on the technical, uh, written, uh, the caption. If the senator wants to f- uh, correct that caption, he is, he's willing to. But as it sits on what your question is,

658. 5:08:41

     it is not germane.

659. 5:08:44

     Thank you, M- We appreciate your favorable consideration.

660. 5:08:49

     Senator, uh, Secretary read the s- amendment number two.

661. 5:08:54

     Mr. President, Senator Tillery of the 19th and others offers the following amendment to House Bill 999 by replacing Frary with Fieri on line 14. Mr. President, that completes the order.

662. 5:09:04

     We have to really switch it all. Did you figure it out?

663. 5:09:08

     I don't know, but they told him. They're telling him.

664. 5:09:09

     It's Latin. It's just Latin.

665. 5:09:11

     Oh.

666. 5:09:12

     It's a misspelling of Latin.

667. 5:09:14

     Where?

668. 5:09:16

     Fieri. It's like a, it's a Rick.

669. 5:09:19

     Bring it down to the senator from the 19th.

670. 5:09:23

     Okay. All right. Ready to get done?

671. 5:09:31

     That's our last bill.

672. 5:09:33

     Thank you, members of the Senate. Um, Latin was one of the original languages, so I'm speaking for a little bit of time till the senator from the 37th can get ready. So we're gonna talk about Latin. I actually had Latin at Georgia Law, or actually Georgia undergrad. It was a really hard language. I took three years of Latin, and the reason I took those years is because I really don't think I got a great education in Spanish, and if I'd done the Spanish classes at the University of Georgia, they would've made me take accelerated ones because when I took the, took Spanish in high school.

673. 5:10:07

     So taking Latin was one of the options, and one of my favorite movies is Tombstone.

674. 5:10:12

     Hold on one second, sir. Hold on. I, I apologize. Senator.

675. 5:10:15

     Yes, sir.

676. 5:10:15

     Please give the senator your attention.

677. 5:10:18

     Mr. President, I, I don't care if they listen that much on this one, As the senator from the 37 drafts. But my favorite movie was Tombstone, still is, and if you know, there's a famous scene where Johnny Ringo and Doc Holliday mouth off at each other in Latin. And at the time when I was at the University of Georgia in 2003 as a freshman, I, uh, it's the first time you actually had DVDs that had subtitles on it. So I went home from my first day of class in Latin with my Latin book and started translating that word fight back and forth between Johnny Ringo and, uh, Doc Holliday.

678. 5:10:54

     And I got to the last line, and I realized that if I finished translating that entire segment, that I would have no reason to complete the remaining five semesters that the University of Georgia required me to do in Latin. So I immediately stopped and waited till my last semester to finish that, and hope the senator from the 37th's writing faster over there. And, uh, that was my introduction to Latin. It was a great, great lesson, great class. I can still say a few things in Latin.

679. 5:11:24

     Anytime Caesar comes to town, most people call me first. I can read most buildings.

680. 5:11:31

     Caesar comes to town?

681. 5:11:32

     Would love to take questions or anything else at this point in time.

682. 5:11:35

     I think, I think you've made it obvious you wanna filibuster a little longer, so we'll let him take questions.

683. 5:11:39

     Yeah.

684. 5:11:40

     Questions from the 14th.

685. 5:11:42

     Thank you, Mr. President. Senator yield?

686. 5:11:43

     I do.

687. 5:11:44

     Senator, I noticed your amendment, it's a spelling issue, I think, primarily, and on line one, this amendment talks about Fieri. Is this, is this amendment about any particular guy, or is it more like any class of litigant that comes before magistrate courts?

688. 5:11:59

     I'm gonna let that one bake a little longer.

689. 5:12:01

     Okay. That makes sense. Senator further yield?

690. 5:12:04

     Yes, sir. That went over most of y'all's heads.

691. 5:12:07

     Um, this, uh, from one attorney to another, I know both of us litigate. One of the things you often hear from judges is that they don't want briefs that are filled overly with Latin or with legal terms of art. I think part of what they're trying to get at is that they want legal writing to be accessible to the general public. Do you have an opinion on the use of Latin terms in legal writing, or how do, how do you see that trend advancing in the next few years?

692. 5:12:32

     I think what, sometimes we're able to use Latin terms to sum up what would take a, a English sentence. So it is sometimes simpler to write. Uh, my briefs are very, very simple. I try to write like the common man. Same way that, uh, I think most people try to talk in this room, make sure everybody can understand what they're doing. I think when we do it that way, it creates better legislation, better law, probably creates better briefs as well.

693. 5:12:54

     Senator, further yield?

694. 5:12:56

     Yes, sir.

695. 5:12:57

     Um, maybe, we're enjoying this the same amount, by the way, Senator.

696. 5:13:00

     Okay.

697. 5:13:00

     Um-

698. 5:13:01

     Making sure that was clear.

699. 5:13:02

     When you, when you put Latin phrases in briefs-

700. 5:13:05

     Yeah

701. 5:13:05

     ... there's a split between practicing attorneys on whether to italicize the Latin phrases in briefs or to leave them in plain text. What's typically your practice?

702. 5:13:14

     Uh, I, I usually put them in italics. I think that's, that's better.

703. 5:13:19

     Okay. Well, that, and that's one of many ways that you and I differ, uh, Senator. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

704. 5:13:24

     Thank you.

705. 5:13:25

     Recognize Senator from the 6th.

706. 5:13:28

     Thank you, Mr. President. Senator, do you yield?

707. 5:13:30

     I yield to today's champion.

708. 5:13:33

     I feel like a champion. Thank you for that. Senator, do you see any irony in you delaying for a senator who has the nickname The Human Rain Delay?

709. 5:13:45

     I think you just made it to the front of the desk, so I'll yield the well. I hope you have a great afternoon.

710. 5:13:55

     We have another late arriving, arriving amendment here. Stand at ease.

711. 5:14:04

     Secretary read amendment number three.

712. 5:14:48

     Mr. President, Senator Setzler of the 37th and sen- Senator Setzler of the 37th offers the following amendment to H- House Bill 999, amendment three, by inserting on line one after court to provide for limitations on the amount of controversy that may be considered by magistrate court, adding a new Section 3 by amending Paragraph 5 of Subsection A of Code Section 15-10-2 by striking does not exceed $15,000 and replacing with does not exceed $30,000. Renumbering Section 3 as Section 4. Mr. President, that completes the order.

713. 5:15:21

     Senator from the 37th, would you like to speak to your amendment?

714. 5:15:32

     Mr.

715. 5:15:36

     President, members of the Senate, I'd like to thank, uh, Senate staff. Uh, the substance of this amendment's exactly what we described before. It raises the threshold, uh, for magistrate/small claims court from 15,000 to 30,000. The difference in this amendment from amendment one is it, it clarifies in the header of the bill, in the upper language, it clarifies, um, the applicability. Um, oftentimes when we make floor amendments, we're not making changes to that part of the, of the, the amendment. But, uh, to be very, um, attentive to every detail, staff asked me to make that change, um, to, to make sure procedurally this is postured properly.

716. 5:16:14

     But, but, but otherwise, the, the substance of this is, um, to be able to represent yourself in small claims court, the, the, the claim can be no higher than $15,000. That was set in the 1998 General Assembly. This simply raises it to 30. Um, our com- judiciary committee passed 50 earlier this year. Um, the House passed 25 earlier this year. This, this moves in the direction of the House but sets it at 30, and I think it's a good compromise, and I appreciate staff's attentiveness to the details. That's the only change in this amendment.

717. 5:16:45

     That's, that's why I was trying to write that and make sure he dotted every I and crossed every T.

718. 5:16:51

     You have no questions, Senator.

719. 5:16:52

     Thank you, Mr. President.

720. 5:16:53

     Recognize Senator from the 46th.

721. 5:17:15

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise to oppose the amendment that increases the jurisdictional limit of the magistrate courts. This is one of the difficulties of doing things on the fly. Uh, this was not in the bill that was on our rules calendar. When we discussed our bills in caucus this morning, it wasn't mentioned in any way that this would be coming. So I have had insufficient time to prepare any corrective amendments that I think would make this make more sense.

722. 5:17:46

     Let me just tell you a few reasons why this is a problem. Number one, our Constitution guarantees us the right to a trial by jury. When you're having damages awarded for you or against you, typically you're entitled to a jury trial. We create an exception for these very small claims, and that's why some people call magistrates courts small claims courts. 15,000 fits that category. When you get to 30, you are above the amount that we require you to have insurance.

723. 5:18:19

     A lot of my world deals with automobile wreck cases, and when you buy automobile insurance in Georgia, you're required by law to have up to 25,000 per person. This now exceeds that, so you're gonna be asking people to potentially be paying damages out of their pocket without the right to a jury trial. Another thing that's important to know here is the magistrate court judges do not support this legislation. I went to their breakfast this year. I discussed with the head of their organization and several magistrate judges, "What do you guys think about this bill?" And every one of them said, "We do not support this bill.

724. 5:18:57

     We were not consulted on this bill. We don't think it's appropriate to raise our jurisdictional limit." Same thing with the state court judges, because cases above 15,000 are now generally going to state court or superior court. Neither state court judges nor superior court judges support this bill. It's going to take cases away from them at the front side. We just appointed or approved local legislation naming a serious number of new state court judges that now is a waste of county taxpayer money in some cases when they're not needed.

725. 5:19:32

     We're also adding new superior court judges. None of these other judges, including the ones, court this affects, support this change in jurisdictional limit. The final thing that I think is crucial is in magistrate court Because they are small claims and not complex and not a great amount of money at risk, we do not allow what's referred to as discovery. Discovery is a fancy word for trial preparation, taking depositions of parties to find out what the other side is gonna say in court, what their claims are, what your defenses might be.

726. 5:20:07

     You're not allowed to obtain documents, to subpoena or request production of documents. So somebody could be theoretically suing you on a contract, you can't even get copies of their invoices. They could be suing you for injuries in an automobile collision and you don't get copies of their medical bills and records, or whether they had previous injuries that might... This is flying by the seat of your pants. This is quick for us to be doing without making some changes. I would suggest some of those changes, uh, to allow discovery if you're asking for a significant amount of money.

727. 5:20:40

     I'm not comfortable with this significant of a change in the law without the, uh, judicial system buying into it and without it being very well thought out before we go there. For that reason, I oppose any of these amendments that seek to increase that jurisdictional limit. I yield the will.

728. 5:20:57

     Senator's yielded. Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure? Recognize the senator from the 42nd.

729. 5:21:13

     Thank you, Mr. President. I was gonna do this as a question. I know everybody's tired and this is a little bit of a lawyer debate, but I wanna point something out. It's very important. The magistrate court is our small claims court. It's the people's court. The benefit of magistrate court is it's a faster way to get your case resolved and you don't have to have a lawyer, including if you're a small business. You don't have to pay a lawyer if you're going to magistrate court. The good thing is, if you don't like what happens in magistrate court, if you're brought into this court because a jurisdiction is raised up, there's something called a de novo appeal.

730. 5:21:43

     Probably Latin, won't get into that, senator, uh, for the 19th. But de novo appeal means you can have a right if it doesn't go like you want in small claims court to take your case automatically by right to state or superior court. When you do that, you can request discovery, you can request jury trial. So to make it clear, this amendment, if it passes, doesn't limit anybody's right to have their day in court. It instead helps our small businesses and helps individuals who don't wanna go pay a lawyer. So it's kind of a anti-lawyer bill and gives them a chance to resolve their cases in this court and is something that hopefully our judges will like because you'll hopefully see less cases having to go and clog up the dockets in state and superior court.

731. 5:22:23

     So I ask for your support of the amendment. Happy to take any questions.

732. 5:22:28

     I have a couple questions, Senator. Recognize the senator from the 37th.

733. 5:22:33

     Uh, gentleman yield.

734. 5:22:34

     Yes, sir.

735. 5:22:35

     Appreciate the, the Senate Judiciary Chairman again. This, this past judiciary committee this year, not at the $30,000 threshold, but the $50,000 threshold, did it not?

736. 5:22:43

     That's right.

737. 5:22:44

     Yes, sir. Uh, isn't it true that, that this passed the main floor of the House earlier this session at, at $25,000?

738. 5:22:50

     That's correct.

739. 5:22:51

     That there's a... Isn't it true there's a recognition that $15,000 with inflation over 28 years is too low? Isn't that generally recognized?

740. 5:22:59

     That's correct. And I've had people actually come to me that are business owners that have to then hire a lawyer because they have a case that goes to state court when they wished they could've gone to small claim court, and the lawyer would've lost out, but they could avoid having to pay for an attorney.

741. 5:23:13

     Yeah. Gentleman, further yield?

742. 5:23:14

     Yes.

743. 5:23:15

     Isn't it further true, um, it's, um, many individual magistrate court judges may strongly support this, but they're, they're not looking to speak against their association. This is not something that was debated by their judicial council before session, but this is something that legislators, isn't it true, um, saw as something, again, to your point, that for individuals to be able to represent themselves, even an LLC, even if someone owns, isn't it true, a, a, a home as an LLC, as a rental home, you can't represent yourself i- in, in a court setting.

744. 5:23:48

     You have to ha- have to hire an attorney 'cause as an LLC you're required, you can't represent yourself pro se as a, as an individual. Isn't that true?

745. 5:23:54

     That's correct.

746. 5:23:55

     So th- this would allow a, a case 25,000, 28,000 to be, be represented, uh, whereas right now the threshold would be only 15.

747. 5:24:03

     That's right.

748. 5:24:04

     Thank you, sir.

749. 5:24:04

     Thank you.

750. 5:24:06

     Recognize the senator from the 14th.

751. 5:24:08

     Thank you, Mr. President. Does the senator yield?

752. 5:24:09

     Yes.

753. 5:24:10

     Uh, Senator, isn't it true that even though the Civil Practice Act does not apply in magistrate courts, meaning the discovery that the senator from Athens was referring to, isn't it true that there is a subpoena, uh, that you can still issue in order to obtain documents in a mandatory way so you can litigate your case in magistrate court if you so choose? Is that right?

754. 5:24:27

     Yes. You can still send subpoenas to get documents or bring witnesses to the small claims court, to magistrate court.

755. 5:24:32

     Thank you. Senator, you yield for one final question?

756. 5:24:34

     Yes.

757. 5:24:34

     Uh, Senator, is it also not true that, and given the inflation point that the sponsor of the amendment just raised, is it not true that there are many law firms, including solo practitioners, uh, who charge rates in the realm of $500 or more per hour who simply can't really afford to take cases like this and the clients can't really afford to hire lawyers in the 30 to $50,000 range because it's just not economical for them to do that given that if a lawyer spends a reasonable amount of time on a case, let's say 50 hours, and that's at $500 an hour, already that lawyer fee is 25 grand and that's basically the entire value of the case.

758. 5:25:11

     Is it not true that increasing this thrush- threshold allows cases to be litigated that never would be litigated in state court because of how prohibitive the costs are?

759. 5:25:19

     That's correct.

760. 5:25:20

     Okay. Thank you, Senator.

761. 5:25:20

     Thank you.

762. 5:25:22

     Recognize the senator from the 1st.

763. 5:25:26

     Uh, will the senator yield?

764. 5:25:27

     Yes, sir.

765. 5:25:27

     Just help me understand this. So this is a bill that we did in judiciary, except it had a 50,000 threshold.

766. 5:25:36

     That's right.

767. 5:25:36

     And was, and is on the yellow sheet, of which I would've picked because it's a really good bill. I- is... That's what we're doing, right?

768. 5:25:44

     Yeah. We're actually going a little less than that. We're going at 30.

769. 5:25:47

     Yeah.

770. 5:25:47

     So, that's right.

771. 5:25:47

     We're going down to 30. Okay. Thank you. And it, it, it, it may make the magistrate judges work a little bit harder now that it's gone up a little bit higher

772. 5:25:57

     Yeah, and I, and to be fair, I don't think I've heard any opposition for any magistrate court judges and that's been stated, but I haven't heard any opposition. I know there, to be fair, there were some state superior court judges that had questions. They don't know how many cases will come on appeal, and so they don't know how many cases will now that would have gone to their court may go to magistrate court, may come on appeal, but either way, they'll probably get fewer cases. More stuff will get resolved below them. But we're elected to represent people, and while we have to understand the concerns of judges and lawyers, obviously, but we, we wanna make sure people can get their cases adjudicated.

773. 5:26:28

     You know, I, I, I think you actually covered that really well. You, you were much more eloquent about that. So, um, that, that's, that's very good. And can you refresh my memory again, how long has it been since we increased this from $10,000? The senator from the 37th used the number earlier. When was it? 1998. 1998. 1998. Wow. So that's- You may say where I was ... So it's been $10,000 since 1998 and hadn't changed, and we're not taking up to his 50,000, we're taking up to 35,000. Right. That hasn't changed since we were both in eighth grade, believe it or not.

774. 5:27:01

     I, I really appreciate that and I'll, uh, I'll end my questions there. I think I should probably yield the will. You think I should? All right, I'll yield the will. Senator is yielding. Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measures?

775. 5:27:19

     Chair hears none. Is there objections to the previous question being ordered? Chair hears none. The previous question is ordered. Question is on ...

776. 5:27:34

     Oh, yeah, senator from the 50th, would, would you like closed debate? You're good? Thank you. Appreciate that. All right, the question is on amendment number two, which was just correcting a spelling am- error. Is there, is there objection? Objection. Amendment number two is adopted. Question is on, now is on amendment number three, authored by the senator from the 37th. Is there objection- Object! ... on amendment number three? There's objection from the senator from the 46th. We'll put it on the boards. All those in favor of the amendment number three will vote yay.

777. 5:28:06

     All opposed, nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

778. 5:28:12

     Green, green.

779. 5:28:16

     All the lawyers and the doctors got together. What's it matter? I've been on, I've been a part of this dance. It may

780. 5:28:28

     You got that whole row in front

781. 5:28:45

     of

782. 5:29:10

     you. On the adoption of amendment number three, the Senate votes 44 yays and 6 nays. So the amendment is adopted.

783. 5:29:28

     Is there objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which is favorable to the passage of the bill? Chair hears none. The report of the committee is agreed to. Is there objection to the main question being ordered? Chair hears none. The main question is ordered. The question is on the passage of the bill as amended. All those in favor of the bill will vote yay. Opposed, nay. Secretary will unlock the machine.

784. 5:30:15

     I mean, this is, especially such a small business. This is, I don't understand how this is seen as a, you know, job-rushing force. This is, it is-

785. 5:30:30

     No matter, no matter how baseless it may be on your belief, you can still be approached.

786. 5:30:48

     On the passage of the bill, the yays are 46, the nays are 4. This bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed as amended.

787. 5:30:59

     Secretary read House Bill 376.

788. 5:31:09

     House Bill 376 by Representatives Hilton of the 48th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the imposition, rate, computation, exemptions, and credits for state income tax so as to increase the amount of tax credits available for the rehabilitation of certified structures, to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date and applicability to repeal conflicting laws for other purposes. Mr. President, the Committee of the Senate on Economic Development and Tourism recommends that this bill do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Senator Echols of the 45th District, Chairman.

789. 5:31:39

     Mr. President, the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism offers the following substitute to Senate- to House Bill 376, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to the imposition, rate, computation, exemptions, and credits for state income tax so as to revise the tax credit for the rehabilitation of certified structures, to increase the amount of expenditures required for certain certified structures to qualify, to provide for credit amounts and limits, to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date and applicability to repeal conflicting laws and for other purposes. Mr. President, that completes the order.

790. 5:32:17

     Recognize senator from the third.

791. 5:32:35

     Thank you, Mr. President. Um, colleagues of the Senate, I rise to bring you House Bill 376. Finally something that we can all agree on. A tax-

792. 5:32:53

     A, a tax credit. And you know, we do, in the legislature we grant tax preferences for things that we want for our state, for things that we think make our state better. Uh, usually there's a financial angle. Um, we grant tax credits to create jobs for our constituents. And then occasionally we'll grant a tax credit to benefit our culture and our state.

793. 5:33:24

     We try to, um, provide support for the arts. We, um, certainly try to provide tax preference support for education. And every now and then we get a credit that does both, that has an econo- positive economic impact, and it also has a cultural impact. So with this tax credit, uh, ladies and gentlemen, we get a two-fer, because it does both. We are truly blessed in this state to have a multitude of historic, beautiful structures all over this state.

794. 5:34:04

     And this vehicle that we use to incentivize the rehabilitation, uh, and the, the, um, preservation of those structures, um, the, excuse me , the historic rehabilita- re- rehab tax credit is basically, right now it's dead because it's out of money. We're totally used up. So tha- what this bill does is that it provides for more credits for the remaining three years of the bill, and it also, it enhances the incentive to do rehab in rural areas.

795. 5:34:46

     Um, there are historic rehab projects in our state that are in rural areas, that are in urban and suburban areas. There are projects in North Georgia and South Georgia and Middle Georgia. There are pro- projects in virt- virtually every single legislative, uh, district that we have. From a return on investment standpoint, outside of the cultural impact on our state, from 2020 to 2025, there have been 295 certif- 295 certified projects utilizing this tax credit, incentivizing $803,000, $803 million in direct private investment.

796. 5:35:36

     Um, in fiscal year '25, this tax credit had a leverage ratio of one to six. That means for every dollar that we left on the table as a tax incentive, um, we got $6 of private investment, which to me seems a pretty good deal. And then finally, our own Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts has reviewed this credit and tells us that for every dollar of incentive that we provide, we get $3.08 in state economic growth.

797. 5:36:13

     Again, another good bargain. So just quickly reviewing the bill by lines, what it does, um, line 20. Um, oh, by the way, this legislation only has an impact on the non-residential portion of the historic rehab tax credit. It has no effect whatsoever on residential. Line 20, uh, changes the minimum required investment. It's increased from 5,000 to 25,000.

798. 5:36:47

     Um, line 30 to 31, the credits that have already been approved and reserved, um, will remain, the credit will remain at 25% of, uh, qualified expense. These are projects that were approved prior to January 1, '26. Line 30 to 32, the Department of Revenue has changed the word issued to the word approved. Lines 32 to 36, the rural area credits, areas that have, um, populations, counties that have populations of 50,000 or less, have been increased to 30% of, um, qualified expenses, and the credits in other areas that aren't rural will go down to 20%.

799. 5:37:38

     And obviously this is to be sure the program's reaching all parts of our state. The, um, line 45, the maximum per project cap is increased from 10 million to 15 million, and that's because the per, the caps that are in this legislation now were set 10 years ago, and I think we all know what's happened with inflation, and particularly with construction costs in that time. And I'll note that to be eligible to get 15 million, um, up to 15 million in credits, a builder has to create 200 permanent jobs or $5 million in payroll and spend 50 to 75 million specifically on qualified rehab expenses.

800. 5:38:25

     And I will tell you that the process of qualifying for those credits is closely policed by DCA and the DOR. Line 52, this is probably the main part of this bill. The 30 million, present $30 million cap is changed to 60 million, which is quite an increase, 100%. It's doubling the cap. But in conversations with the people who are involved in this, I'm told that they believe that the demand for this is probably somewhere in the $85 million range.

801. 5:38:57

     So there's, there's still plenty of, of work to be done. And then, um, I will note that the program does sunset, uh, at the end of '29. In lines 56, 57, the, um, we corrected the dates. Um, this would be effective, uh, passed on July 1, '26, applicable to the tax years of January 1st, '26 and after. And finally, the last thing I'll tell you is the best example that I can give you of why this is a good thing comes from my hometown, my home county, Glenn County.

802. 5:39:36

     If you go to Glenn County and you go to Jekyll Island, and I'm sure probably everybody in this room has been to Jekyll Island. If you have seen the Jekyll Island Club, it's a beautiful hotel, a beautiful Victorian brick structure that was constructed at the turn of the 20th century for the members of the Jekyll Island Club, those elite millionaires from the Northeast that used to come down in, uh, in winter on Jekyll.

803. 5:40:09

     Um, this, when they left Jekyll and sold Jekyll, this building just kind of languished. It was, most of my life it was just almost in ruins. And in the '80s, a group of v- of, um, um, people with vision took advantage of what was then a very substantial federal tax credit of, I believe, about 25%. They put together some capital and they rehabbed the Jekyll Island Club.

804. 5:40:42

     So for the last 40 years, it has been one of the preeminent places to vacation in Southeast Georgia and on the, the, the Eastern Coast, quite frankly. And I will tell you, having been involved in the re- um, rehabilitation of Jekyll Island, this structure, this hotel has been the linchpin of, of, of the improvements that are made on Jekyll. The difference, if you went there 20 years ago, 25 years ago, and you go there now, and you can, you can credit what was done to the Jekyll Island Club for a lot of that.

805. 5:41:22

     And then if you go off the Jekyll I- off of Jekyll Island and across the causeway to the city of Brunswick, I will tell you that, uh, Brunswick is a little peninsula town and, uh, it backs up to the Brunswick River. And on the southwest corner of Brunswick, there is, there was built the Oglethorpe Hotel, and it was also built at the turn of the 20th century, and it was another absolutely beautiful Victorian structure.

806. 5:41:55

     It had turrets, it had verandas, it was built of brick. It was one of the preeminent places to stay, um, in Southeast Georgia. And, and I remember it as a small child very vaguely, but I'll tell you that it was torn down in 1959 or 1960. I'm not quite sure when. But, and I can't help but think, and then it was torn down and a Holiday Inn was built, and that Holiday Inn has been torn down for years.

807. 5:42:27

     So r- what is there right now is just ground, nothing. So had there been tax credits available at the time to preserve this beautiful landmark, then, um, we would have, you know, the, a, a companion to the Jekyll Island Club in Glenn County, and the, uh, development of the city of Brunswick would be probably 20 years ahead of where it is right now. So, um, I recommend this highly to you. I ask for favorable consideration.

808. 5:42:58

     And Mr. President, I'll yield for questions.

809. 5:43:04

     Recognize senator from 56.

810. 5:43:09

     Thank you, Mr. President. Does the senator yield?

811. 5:43:11

     I certainly to my friend from 56.

812. 5:43:13

     Senator, isn't it true that we've been measuring tax credits for a long time, and this is one of the very few that actually provide a return on investment back to Georgia?

813. 5:43:22

     Uh, that isn't, that is true. Um, senators, I, I think I said to some of you this morning, if I had my way, um, if I was in charge, I'd probably get rid of all of our tax credits in one fell swoop, and then I would pick the ones that mean the most to the state of Georgia, and I can assure you this would be one that I picked.

814. 5:43:42

     Thank you, Senator. You further yield?

815. 5:43:43

     I will.

816. 5:43:44

     Isn't it true that both times it just was measured, the return on investment was more than three to one on every state tax dollars and we should all support it?

817. 5:43:51

     That is absolutely true.

818. 5:43:53

     Thank you, Senator.

819. 5:43:54

     Thank you.

820. 5:43:55

     Recognize senator from the fourth. Your light's on. Oh, you won't speak to it. Okay. Recognize senator from 36.

821. 5:44:04

     Thank you, Mr. President. Does the senator yield?

822. 5:44:06

     I will to my friend from the 36.

823. 5:44:08

     I- isn't it true, I, um, concur strongly with your description of the transformation of the Jekyll Island, uh, c- Club and, on the, the history that's there, and it's a beautiful spot. Uh, a- a- and, and there's the other point that I think to underscore is that i- i- i- isn't it true that we've been- That we're right now, there's no more money available. Uh, it's all been committed, uh, and, uh, the rest of the projects are, are just-

824. 5:44:37

     Our return on investment, because I'm looking at the 2022 report that says that we spent 32.3 million and we got back 6.2 million. So it looks to me like it's an, a negative of 26 million in return to the state revenue.

825. 5:44:55

     Um, to my good friend from 52nd, I'm not the author of this bill. Um, but the information that I have-

826. 5:45:09

     Right here

827. 5:45:09

     ... um, from, from based on, um, uh, an audit done by our own Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts cites that, um, for every dollar in incentive, that every dollar we left on the table, that we got $3.08 in quote, "State economic growth."

828. 5:45:31

     So, so that would be, if the senator would yield further.

829. 5:45:33

     I will.

830. 5:45:34

     So that would be, uh, economic activity as opposed to return on investment to the state, which is less than 20 cents on the dollar. Um, would the senator agree that if we give a $500 rebate to people, that we also get a lot of economic activity and spread it out to everyone?

831. 5:45:55

     I'm sure the senator, uh, knows from what he speaks, but I'm gonna s- I'm gonna stand by my numbers.

832. 5:46:03

     I, I appreciate your work in the Senate. Thank you.

833. 5:46:05

     Thank you very much. Appreciate you.

834. 5:46:08

     Recognize the senator from the 20th, the pro tem.

835. 5:46:14

     Thank you, Mr. President. Would the senator yield for a question or two?

836. 5:46:18

     I certainly will.

837. 5:46:18

     Senator, isn't this true that this, uh, support that we give for historic tax credits has helped transform downtown Perry and revitalized downtown Perry, downtown Dublin, downtown Rome, downtown Hawkinsville. I could go on and on. Um, I think this is one of the, isn't it true that I, I believe this is one of the better measures we, we've passed and we need to support this?

838. 5:46:50

     I certainly agree with that, Senator. Um, I've got, um, you don't have this, but I've got a map of Georgia with, um, projects from '25, '24, '23, '21, and they're indicated little stars and it's all over the state, every corner of the state. So I agree with you. Thank you.

839. 5:47:13

     You, you do have one more question. Senator from the 37th.

840. 5:47:18

     Does Senator yield?

841. 5:47:19

     I will.

842. 5:47:20

     Appreciate your, um, appreciate your efforts on this. Isn't it true that, uh, for historic properties, um, particularly those that are registered on the National Register, but, um, there are limitations in what building owners can do, isn't it true? They've, there, there are certain requirements on what has to be done to, with historic treatments for certain buildings. Isn't that true?

843. 5:47:43

     Um, yes, Senator, it is true. I can tell you that in my experience in a previous life as somebody who financed rehab projects, um, I can assure you, I mean, it's a labor of love and it's a labor of money. Because when you take an old building and you tear into a wall, you don't know what you're gonna find until you get there. Usually the estimate of expenses, uh, the, the real number ends up being more than the estimate. So it takes patience, it takes capital, and it takes some love.

844. 5:48:18

     And, uh, this chamber, isn't it true, doesn't like unfunded mandates. This doesn't come close to touching all of the, the requirements we put on, on historic properties across the state in terms of rehabilitation and preservation. This, this just allows us, isn't it true, in a couple cases to lean in and treat these properties right and do right by them historically, whereas otherwise they may just languish and fall into disrepair and never be able to be rehabbed if, if, if these project weren't in place.

845. 5:48:43

     Absolutely. And then so these buildings can be not only enjoyed by us currently, by future generations, our children and grandchildren.

846. 5:48:52

     Thank you,

847. 5:48:55

     sir.

848. 5:48:56

     You have no further questions?

849. 5:48:57

     Thank you.

850. 5:48:57

     You have no further questions?

851. 5:48:58

     I yield the will.

852. 5:49:01

     Recognize the senator from the 13th.

853. 5:49:08

     Cordele's finest. Watermelon capital of the world.

854. 5:49:15

     I put on a cool jacket for day 40. Senators, uh, thank you, Mr. President. Senators, or in my district, we have lots of small towns. They were built probably around the turn of the century, literally the 1900s, 1900 to 1910. And I'm gonna tell you something. We don't have the Jekyll Island, and we don't have Atlanta, and we don't have, you know, the, the, the, the Alfredos of the world, you know, those places that obviously new, beautiful, shiny material and buildings out there.

855. 5:49:50

     Without this kind of bill, we can't see any kind of economic growth in our communities or urban renewal or whatever you want to call it to make these buildings, bring these buildings back up to par where they want to be. Personally, I think we should have doubled the number in the bill because there's not enough money there to go around with all these 159 counties and everybody wanting to do it. But at least it gives somebody an incentive to go and enhance their building. And that's what you got to do. 'Cause I'm gonna tell you something. What's happening right now is if you don't put this kind of stuff out there to help these folks, all these buildings get turned into warehouses.

856. 5:50:26

     That's what they are. And why would I fix up my building-

857. 5:50:30

     In downtown. Well, these two over here are warehouses. 'Cause I can't rent my building. It doesn't help me. But if I give them an incentive to fix up the buildings around me, and there's a, there's a formula and there's a guidebook to get these people to where they need to be to put the money in there and get the return back, then it's a win-win-win situation, folks. And that's what we do when we give tax credits. Now, all the other tax credits we're talking about cutting and getting rid of, that, yes, they may be, some of those may need to be s- slashed and removed.

858. 5:51:00

     This is a good one. This one should be doubled, but I'm definitely supporting the bill. And I thank the senator from the third for bringing this bill here, and I appreciate his effort on that. Please vote for it. I yield the will, Mr. President. Recognize senator from the first, and then you'll be next, senator from the fourth.

859. 5:51:26

     Thank you, Mr. President. I'll be brief. Um, these historic tax credits certainly benefit, as the president pro tem said, as he, as he quoted, you know, downtown Perry, Dublin, Rome, and Hawkinsville. Um, but let me tell you what it's done in my community. Uh, Savannah, Georgia, known for its history, our first city founded in 1733. We had the first electric power plant in the state of Georgia. It was used up till about, I don't know, 50, 75 years or so ago and was unused, totally unused down on, uh, our river, and it was, um, you know, a structure.

860. 5:52:05

     That dang phone bothered me. Sorry about that. Uh, it was a structure that had fallen into disrepair and vines were growing all in and out of it. It was dangerous, but you know you could look at the bones of that building and tell that it was a beautiful building. Well, the practical thing to do would've been do what? Tear it down and build Plant Riverside. But the fact is, is that we used this historic tax credit and refurbished those, that beautiful structure and made a beautiful end to an area of River Street that had not been used in decades.

861. 5:52:45

     It also revitalized that area to the point that it extended a road. It brought structure and sidewalks down there and made it livable and, uh, made it so that it was a beautiful area to, to visit. So it is something that, and if, and let me just sort of answer your question or the senator from the 52's question relating to growth and activity. I don't know exactly how they calculate that, but I do know this for a fact: you are required to employ over 200 people in your project.

862. 5:53:22

     Well, guess what? They sort of over-delivered with at least 700 employees, and yes, they are now paying taxes on, they're paying income taxes, they're paying sale taxes, and they're doing all of that. So yes, that is growth and activity, but that to me is what those historic tax credits are doing, saving history and employing a tremendous amount of people. Thank you.

863. 5:53:55

     My man from Statesboro gonna bring it home. This bill's got a lot of trouble now. You know that, don't you?

864. 5:54:07

     Thank you, Senator. This is a great tax- this is a great bill. I, I support it very much. And I can look at our community and look at our downtown and how vibrant our downtown has become. Several years ago, nobody wanted to go downtown, and now because of this tax credit and other investments, mainly this tax credit, it has brought our town back to life. When Joy and I go, go out to dinner on Friday or Saturday night, we always ride through downtown and just amazed at the cars that are now downtown either shopping or at the restaurants. I, I can name several buildings that have been restored as a result of this in Statesboro, but one that comes to mind first of all is a, a building by the name of Norris, the old Norris Hotel that was, uh, vacant probably 35, 40 years.

865. 5:54:50

     I don't ever remember it having anybody in it. And it was renovated. Um, it actually was our first hospital in Statesboro. And it was renovated and, um, now it's become a very nice luxury apartment. We, uh, talked to our, um, executive director of Downtown Development Authority earlier today, and he said we got, you know, most of y'all that, that are familiar with downtown, a lot of time the most pretty build- prettiest building in downtown is, is, is the Coca-Cola Bottling Company building, which is now vacant. And that is on our list of rehabilitation.

866. 5:55:21

     And then we got a couple other buildings. So thank you, Senator, from the third for bringing this bill. This is a great bill. We need to preserve history. History is something that, uh, that is very precious to all of us. So thank you, Senator. And I would yield the will.

867. 5:55:40

     Thank you, Senator. Does any other senator wish to speak for or against the measure?

868. 5:55:47

     Chair hears none. Is there objection to the previous question being ordered? Chair hears none. Previous question is ordered. Questions on the adoption of the committee substitute. Is there objection to the adoption of 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. Questions on the passage of the bill by substitute. All those in favor will vote yay. All opposed, nay. Secretary, unlock the machine.

869. 5:56:42

     Senators from the 27th, what purpose do you rise? On the passage of the bill, the yeas are 46, the nays are two. This bill, having received the requisite constitutional majority, is therefore passed by substitute. Recognize the senator from the 6th. Recognize the senator from the 6th.

870. 5:57:00

     Thank you,

871. 5:57:06

     sir. Mr.

872. 5:57:49

     President, I move that the Senate agree to the House substitute to SB 220 as amended by amendment one.

873. 5:57:58

     Secretary, read the caption.

874. 5:58:11

     Senate Bill 220 by Senators Brass of the 6th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend various provisions of the OCGA so as to rename low-THC oil as medical cannabis to amend Chapter 12 of Title 16, Article 2 of Chapter 13 of Title 16, and Article 1 of Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the OCGA relating to offenses against the public health and morals, regulation of controlled substances, and general provisions relative to the Department of Public Health respectively, so as to clarify and revise criminal penalties, to provide for related matters, to repeal conflicting laws for other purposes.

875. 5:58:51

     Mr. President, the House offers the following substitute to Senate Bill 220, a bill to be entitled an act to amend various provisions of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated so as to rename low-THC oil as medical cannabis to amend Chapter 12 of Title 16, Article 2 of Chapter 13 of Title 16, and Article 1 of Chapter 2A of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to offenses against the public health and morals, regulation of controlled substances, and general provisions relative to the Department of Public Health respectively, so as to clarify and revise criminal penalties relating to medical cannabis, cannabis and for other purposes.

876. 5:59:24

     Mr. President, Senator Brass of the 6th District offers the following amendment. Amendment 1, amend the House substitute to Senate Bill 220 by replacing lines 49, 493 through 496 with the following, "intractable pain or lupus." Mr. President, Senator Brass of the 6th District offers the following amendment. Amendment 1A, amend the amendment to the House substitute to Senate Bill 220 by adding after line four the following, by replacing lines f- 540 through 543 with the following, "The department shall issue an electronic registration card, physical registration card, or both at the sole election of each patient or caregiver provided, however, that the issuance of electronic registration cards shall be subject to appropriations.

877. 6:00:03

     Electronic registration cards shall allow for immediate purchase of a medical cannabis or products upon receipt of an eligible application for a registration card." Mr. President, that completes the order.

878. 6:00:14

     Very nice, senator from the 6th. Speak to the bill.

879. 6:00:25

     Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen, bring back to you SB 220 that we passed out of this chamber last year, and, um, I'm gonna r- just review the facts of what has changed from that bill in the House version to, uh, from our version. And, you know, I, I'm not gonna sit here and try to persuade you one way or another. I know each and every one of you is gonna vote the way you want to vote, and there's probably nothing I can say or do in this world to make you change your mind.

880. 6:00:58

     So I do think it's important that we are educated in the changes in this bill and the changes in a program which, in my mind, was designed to fail. The program that we set up six years ago was designed to fail, and it is failing the very patients that that system was set up to protect and help. And so these changes are needed.

881. 6:01:28

     First big change, this does permit vaporization of medical cannabis, including oils and raw plant material. If you'll remember in the original 220, it was just in the oils. This now allows the raw plant material. Uh, their reasoning there is with the oils, you have a lot of additives in there, and the plant is natural and is less harmful. Uh, th- they did add, the House did add that any of these illnesses, no matter which one you have, you still have to be over 21.

882. 6:02:03

     That was not in, in the original 220, so I applaud them for that change. They also added a change that it had to be in a private setting. You'll see that on li- on page 17, lines 400 through 415. Again, have to be over 21, has to be in a private setting. Number two, there's a now possession limit. The posses- well, there was one anyway. There was, we had it at 20 fluid ounces. That was the current version. That was the current law.

883. 6:02:34

     They are now changing it to 1,200 milligrams cumulative THC. Right now, you can have a product, these patients can have a product with 1,200 milligrams in it But they, it is limited to twenty fluid ounces. We are simply converting from fluid ounces to milligrams. It being a medicine, it's important that we, we have, uh, the proper dosages, and it's hard to have proper dosages when you're talking about a percent when no other medicine out there talks in percentages.

884. 6:03:12

     That goes to the-- it eliminates the five percent THC cap, and it does establish that twelve hundred milligram, milligram per package limit. This, again, it allows for consistent dosage comparison across product types. It modernizes product definition to accommodate new forms. This excludes hemp and cannabis infused foods. Under expanding qualifying conditions, you'll remember, um, we, at the request of DPH and the Composite Medical Board, we added lupus, and we, uh, we changed the name of Crohn's disease to inflammable bowel syndrome.

885. 6:03:58

     Irritable. No, it's inflammable. Inflammatory bowel tool, whatever. You got it. IBS. IBS, much better. So it changes that. Now, they did add severe arthritis and severe insomnia, and I will come back to that because that is part of one of the amendments. Under improving patient care, we're allowing the caregiver, uh, to-- the, the caregiver's expanded to include designated adults without requiring guardianship in healthcare institutions where a patient receives care.

886. 6:04:41

     So in some of our nursing homes, you have, uh, people that cannot get out of the bed that qualify under the-- have one of these qualifying conditions, and it is important that their caregiver be able to get this for their patients. There is an anti-burden clause. DPH is, is now barred from excessive fees or unduly burdensome rules on card issuance. This is to keep, help keep costs down for our patients. Uh, there is a provision on electronic cards at the patient's election.

887. 6:05:18

     Um, a-again, I will get to that, and that's in amendment one A. I will come back to that one. Um, we are on the cards. If you have a condition that is irreversible or incurable, instead of having to come back every single year and get a new card, we're giving them a five-year card for those types of patients and those types of patients only. And then it establishes a medical judgment standard. The ph-physician must find benefits outweigh potential health risk.

888. 6:05:49

     You'll see that on page nineteen, lines four sixty-five through four sixty-eight. On the, um, on page thirteen, lines three oh eight through three twelve, you'll see some language that replaces the thousand foot setback, and it's, it is now in line with our liquor law standards. So we have setbacks with our, our liquor stores out there and our bars and feel like the dispensaries should match up with that and not some ha- have some arbitrary number that we made up seven years ago.

889. 6:06:25

     We're strengthening transparency and oversight. Uh, the commission public awareness mandate allows outreach to patients, law enforcement, and providers. Uh, we currently have an advertising blanket ban. Uh, we're allowing limited informational communication safeguards against unsupported medical claims, false statements, and of course, child targeted content. And then we're saying that the physician must maintain a principal practice in Georgia.

890. 6:06:58

     This eliminates FDA waiver requiring patients to state benefits are unknown. You'll see those on pages twenty-one and twenty-three in lines five oh three and five sixty-six through five sixty s- sixty-nine. Now, to the amendments. To me, one of the most important things we have done in our law is that we have required DPH and the Composite Medical Board to tell us when we should add an illness to our list.

891. 6:07:32

     And let me tell you why that's important. Number one, it takes it out of political hands, and it puts it in medical hands. And for those of you out there that are against recreational marijuana, myself included, what we learned during the study committee when we set this up back in twenty nineteen is, you know, we were told by, by the people that did not want the program, all states that start with medical marijuana, they-- it leads to, it leads to recreational.

892. 6:08:04

     So I asked the question, why? And then I looked at why. And in all those states, what you saw was you saw the, the, the list of illnesses, the qualifying conditions, it grew, it grew, it grew until everyone could get a card, and at that point, you might as well make it recreational. This state does it different. We have put it in medical hands to where the program-- we have a tight lock around those qualifying conditions, and we are taking m- advice from medical experts to understand when we are going to add a condition.

893. 6:08:46

     That is why I offered amendment one It takes away the, uh, the house ad of severe insomnia and severe arthritis. And, uh, again, I, I truly believe in what we did, uh, and when we put that into statute. I believe we actually did it in 2018, the year before we passed, um, and b- before we passed the law that, that put in this program. Now, going on to amendment 1A.

894. 6:09:16

     1A is around those electronic cards, and, um, we are simply saying there is a cost involved with that with DPH. I'm told it's somewhere in the neighborhood of $650,000 for the initial software to get that program up. And so we, I'm simply just adding a clause. The only part of this I'm changing is I'm saying that portion of this bill is subject to appropriations. With that, Mr. President, I'll yield for questions.

895. 6:09:47

     You have no questions, Senator. Awesome. Well, I urge your favorable support for SB 220. Recognize Senator of the 13th.

896. 6:10:16

     Thank you, Mr. President. Okay, can everybody hear me? Because I'm gonna get real quiet, I'm gonna say it real quiet. THC. THC. Did it scare anybody? It seem like there's some in this room that's scared of THC. Let's, let's try another word here. How about Tramadol? How about other, uh, hard drugs like oxycodone, OxyContin, those type things?

897. 6:10:47

     I mean, does that scare anybody? 'Cause m- m- people that I know literally are hooked on it because they have pains, they have all kind of things that goes on in their body. But when we say the word THC, you know why folks don't like that? Well, it works from what I found out. I have a person in my family that suffers greatly from migraines. Greatly. I mean, we're talking about I carried this person to every witch doctor in the dang country to try to do something about migraines.

898. 6:11:17

     You know what helps her migraines? The gummies THC helps her migraines. Okay, now here we go now. Let's talk about this a little, let's get, let's go a little deeper here, here. Big Pharma doesn't want this.

899. 6:11:31

     Did you hear me? Big Pharma doesn't want this. They don't control this. It's not one of their drugs that they hook everybody on and get you all tied up where you're gonna be on the drugs the rest of your life. So Big Pharma obviously is, uh, is not, uh, uh, against THC. They're against this kind of stuff. I greatly appreciate the work that Senator from the 6 has done on this because when I first came in this body in 2019, I stood before you all and I told you, "I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. Never have, never did, never will." I'm a teetotaler.

900. 6:12:03

     I'm the cheap date. When the lobbyists take me out, I'm the cheap date. Okay? I don't have all the, the excess on my bill out there. I'm just wanting a little meal, let's go home, that type thing. I'm the cheap date. But we don't ever wanna talk about banning things that cause trouble. Let's talk about banning alcohol. It's been legally killing people for 200 years. But I guarantee you that vote would fail in here and it would fail miserably. It would fail across the hall, and it would fail miserably.

901. 6:12:34

     You know why? 'Cause everybody likes their alcohol. Everybody wants their little high, little buzz, whatever you get off the alcohol. They wanna feel good about it, okay? But it's, has it destroyed families? Absolutely. Do drugs destroy a family? Absolutely. But when drugs are controlled like we're doing here, you're giving families what we promised them that we would give them. And I stood before you on sign and die about four years ago, and we lost by one vote working on this program because we told these people, these folks went out and bought a license that the State of Georgia sold them for some enormous amount, and they spent millions, and I use that word with a S, millions with an S, to build these facilities to do exactly what we put in law to ask them to do.

902. 6:13:30

     All the cameras, all the studies, all the security, et cetera, to build these facilities to have to do and produce this THC that we want to get to people. Now, you know why our, our registry is so low in Georgia and other states it's so high? Because we give them some old oil

903. 6:13:52

     to put under their tongue. Nobody wants oil under their tongue. They want a gummy or they want to vape it in some form or fashion to get the, the results that what it gives you. Now, I'll be, I'll be quite candid with you. I can sit down with you and tell you stories of folks in college that would get absolutely, positively drunk. You take 10 people, line them up on the wall and get them drunk, eight of them wanna fight you. You hear me? Eight of them wanna fight you. You take 10 people and get them a little THC, a little high, all they want do is sit there and sing Kumbaya, eat a sandwich, think about sleep, or the other S word, okay?

904. 6:14:33

     That's all they wanna do. They don't go home, they don't beat mama. They don't go home, they don't beat the children. They don't go home and do any of that kind of stuff. They just go home happy. Can I get an amen? You see what I'm saying? I mean, that's where we're at in this world, folks, and we keep-

905. 6:14:51

     Trying to push this bad thing called THC under the rug and act like it's not happening. Do y'all know what the black market for marijuana is in Atlanta? I live over in a little place where I live up here called Centennial Park. You can't hardly walk outside without getting high.

906. 6:15:12

     I mean, real high. I mean, real high, Senator. Yeah, the, the smell is everywhere. I went to dinner the other night in a nice little place called, uh, House. When I stepped out of my car, what the first thing I smell? Full-blown weed in here. You know why we have full-blown weed in Atlanta and around? Because we don't offer an alternative. Now let's talk about the alternative for a minute. If you go out and you buy these drugs on the street, guess what? Your chances of dying are there because someone laced the drug with that little word that starts with an F.

907. 6:15:49

     Everybody know what that word is? Fentanyl.

908. 6:15:52

     Fentanyl. Okay, they laced this drug. Now, let's look at it on the, on this side. If this passes and we get quality control that we have put in place, now stay with me on this, guess what? If someone dies on that drug, it's got a track record, it follows, it's got a QR code, it's got all the things to go back to know where this came from. So guess what we're doing? We're making it safe for people.

909. 6:16:24

     We're making it safe for people to get their drugs, like going to your pharmacy and getting your Oxycontin. You hope and pray you're getting a true, real drug that's been prescribed to you. Same thing you'll get here if they have a medical card and they go and do the work that they're supposed to do to get things done. Now, one more thing I want to point out to you here. It is so easy to vote no.

910. 6:16:55

     When I first came in this body, everybody said, "Now if you don't, you ain't sure about something, and you just, you really have an issue with it, just vote no. It's a safe vote." Yes is a vote that you need to be thinking about at all times because when you vote yes, you're, you're sitting there and saying, "I am committed to making it better. I want to make it better because I'm willing to vote yes, and I'm willing to vote yes because I think it's better for people out there." I witnessed eight or 10, well it's been longer than that, a young lady that had epilepty- epilepsy, what do you want to call it?

911. 6:17:31

     And with just a little THC, it stopped. It stopped. All the powerful drugs that big pharma could give this young lady did not stop it, but this did. Now, am I against recreational marijuana, as the senator from the 6th said? Absolutely. You know why? We can't hardly figure out how to do it on this thing. How are we ever going to figure out how to do it on recreational marijuana? Okay? You can't figure it out because, you know, it always involves what? What does the senator right there from the 26th say?

912. 6:18:04

     All about the money. All about the money. Can I get an amen, boss? All about the money. Okay. Here we are right here. We've been debating this since 2019, I know. I know we've been debating it since 2019 because that's when I came in in mid-session, and I could have easily voted no. Once again, I don't do drugs. Don't drink, don't smoke. I can vote no. I can ban alcohol right now. Okay? I can vote to do it right now, and I don't have...

913. 6:18:36

     I'd go home and sleep good about it. But I know what things have to be done, the way things have to be done, and there is a method to all madness. Okay, guys? There's a method here, and the method is put it in law, codify it, make it where we can track it, stand up, vote for what's right, give people what they want, stop the black market out there, and give them quality THC that it can help with their aches and pains. And I doubt very seriously there's many people in here that don't have aches and pains.

914. 6:19:08

     There you go. I doubt very seriously. And aches and pains don't have to have Oxycontin, oxycodone, tramadol, all these incredible drugs that are out there to get you where you need to be when you can take a little THC that's very well monitored and hopefully give you a chance to have a better life. You know, here, here, you know, folks, I will say this and I will sit down and I'll, I'll, I'll, I'll yield to the anybody else who wants to talk.

915. 6:19:41

     I appreciate these people that went out and spent millions of dollars to do what the state told them to do. They followed all the laws. They met all the requirements. You know why? Had they not done that, would have, they would have not gotten their license. So they met all the laws, they did all the stuff, and then guess what we told them? "You can't sell your product." If we'd have told any other industry this, we'd have had lawsuits out the yin yang.

916. 6:20:13

     They'd have been on us all over the place with lawsuits if we'd have said, "Spend millions, but you can't sell your products." Folks, we have a chance here to make it right. I'm asking you to do what's right and vote yes, support this bill, allow it to be controlled. Allow it to have, allow it to help people that need help. Please vote yes on this bill and the senator from the 6th, two amendments. Mr.

917. 6:20:43

     President, if there are no questions, I yield the well.

918. 6:20:47

     You have one question, Senator.

919. 6:20:48

     Let's bring it on.

920. 6:20:50

     Senator from the 33rd, do you have a question?

921. 6:20:56

     Thank you, Mr. President. Would the senator yield? You need some THC? Yes, I yield. I'm just an old boy from Mayretta, Georgia, and I just want to know, how do you spell THC? I believe it's capital T, capital H, and capital C. Thank you, sir. Mr. Bradley, yield and wait. Recognize Senator, Senator from, from the 37th.

922. 6:21:35

     Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, Senate, this is a serious policy. I know it's, the hour is late and people are thinking about committee hearings and what's next. I just want to share, um, I've got grave concerns about where we're going as a state with THC. Uh, the, what was, what was raised earlier by some of our members, this program wasn't set up to fail. This program was set up to be something fundamentally different than what it is. This program started in 2015 with the Haley's Hope Act.

923. 6:22:05

     In fact, I was a member of the House of Representatives, as some of you were here, and we passed a bill after a couple years debate, um, that looked to address a medical condition. There was a young lady from Middle Georgia who was wheelchair-bound, and her parents actually wheeled her into the back of the House chambers, um, because she was suffering with such debilitating seizures that the pharmacological chemical traits that existed in low-THC oil was a game-changer for her life.

924. 6:22:41

     Now, the, when I talk about the pharmacological value, I, we have not as a nation done the kind of research, um, that's got our hands around all the different constituent parts and pieces of low-THC oil that help solve those kinds of conditions. But we became convinced as a legislature that the cannabinoids, the CBD, T- with trace amounts of THC could solve those conditions because those conditions are very serious, and it's something we recognized in our hearts and our brains we needed to do.

925. 6:23:11

     You know, most things that we abuse in our culture, be it alcohol or be it other naturally occurring substances, come not from the substances it's created in nature, but by the way we can change and abuse it as persons. Now, if you think about the hemp, the cannabis plant that's naturally occurring in nature before they started to be bred and, and, and prepared and, and, and, and, and, and cultivated for higher THC content for the high value that it gets, naturally occurring, um, the THC content in naturally occurring hemp and cannabis is about .3% by weight.

926. 6:23:54

     Some is as high as .5%. When we passed Haley's Hope Act in 2015, what we passed in that statute was, was allowing low-THC oil that was .5%, one half of 1%, one part in 200 THC by weight, because we recognized it was the pharmacological value of these cannabinoids and the hundreds of different substances that was actually being, uh, ma-making a difference in the lives of these patients, and that's why we did this. We did not set this program up to fail. We set this program up to do something fundamentally different than what the bill before us, 220, does.

927. 6:24:29

     What 220 does, friends, and let's be very clear about this, and there's differences in policy. I don't expect every senator to see things exactly as I see things, but the people of Georgia need to understand what this bill is, is allowing substances to be vaped, freebased, taken right, d- ingested right into your lungs of up to 90% THC. Almost pure THC. Again, it's not for the pharmacological effect of the cannabinoids and the oils and the CBD, all these things that we started this process in 2015 to do.

928. 6:25:08

     That was for what I g- what, what I call the pharmacological effect, the, the drug effect, the effect of, of, of how a substance works within a human body to heal conditions. What THC does, THC is an hallucinogen. THC gives the high that the senator, my, my friend from the 13th was talking about. It's, it's, in fact, it's con- it's considered by many much more desirable than the high that, that comes from alcohol. That's what we're here for. What's before us is a bill that gets people high on THC.

929. 6:25:39

     That's what this is about. This legislature started this for the purpose of solving intractable conditions that modern medicine couldn't solve for people. Seizures that kids had multiple times an hour that couldn't be solved by modern medicine. We saw some traction. We saw some progress with what we did in 2015. What's before us today, though, uh, citizens of Georgia, members, is a bill about getting people high. Now, we use a series of, of conditions.

930. 6:26:09

     There's a whole laundry list of things in here, um, from PTSD to different kinds of pain to different kinds of s- uh, different kinds of conditions. I'm not callous to, to the hard conditions folks face in their lives. But let's be very clear. The bill before us today, 220, is a bill about lifting the, the, the THC percentage in a substance and making it unlimited. You can have as concentrated THC as you want, and you can vape it, take it right into your lungs, the same process of ingesting, uh, into your lungs as, as the smoking process.

931. 6:26:47

     It's not smoking as we understand it, but it's the same process. Come, comes right into your lungs in a vapor form, very bioavailable, and it gets people high very quickly and very powerfully. That's what this bill's about. So I just want members of, pe-people in Georgia to understand this is not a bill about low THC oil. This is not the bill that we started with in 20-2015. This bill is about using a medically vetted process, meaning you go to a doctor that is in the business of prescribing people marijuana, getting a card, and unlike any other prescription, you're not f- you're not getting a prescription filled by the doctor.

932. 6:27:23

     This is not a case where a doctor prescribes you so many pills or so many doses. This is a card that you get, and when you get it, you go into the THC store. You go into the marijuana store, as it were, and you get as much of this stuff as you want to buy because you've got the card to purchase unlimited amounts. Now, you've got these limitations. You've got this 12,000 milligram limit. But friends, that is, that, that is multiple, multiple, multiple doses. That's, that's a, that's a tremendous amount of quantity here.

933. 6:27:53

     What we're doing in this bill is we're saying if you go and get the doctor that does this to give you this card, regulatory agencies don't have anything to say about it. It's the doctor gives you the card. You go into the, as, as some of our members have said, you go into the THC candy store and you buy the products that you want. And it's not about low THC oil for pharmacological benefit. It's about the THC to get you high. And we can call this medical marijuana. You can call it what you want to call it. But friends, that's what we're debating here.

934. 6:28:25

     Giving people the ability to take a card and go get concentrated 90% THC to, to, to take into their lungs through a vaping process.

935. 6:28:37

     That's what this is about. Now, you can call that recreational. You can call it medicinal, but you can f- you can't fool the words on the page. That's what we're debating, friends. It's, on that basis, I disagree with 220 as it's being presented. I'll support the, uh, senator from 29th's amendment to put some more controls on this. Um, but I want us to understand what we're talking about here. Um, this is not low THC oil to solve the problems of, of, of little girls that have serious medical conditions that modern medical science can't otherwise solve.

936. 6:29:09

     This is something very different. It's about getting people high on THC with concentrated, um, THC into their lungs. That's a very different proposition than what most folks think about being medicinal marijuana. That, Mr. President, urge your support of the, uh, senator for 29th's amendment.

937. 6:29:27

     Recognize the senator from the first.

938. 6:29:39

     Thank you, Mr. President. I'll tell you my thoughts on this is that a no vote on this is a vote for recreational marijuana. And let me tell you, I, I'm against recreational marijuana. I hate the smell of recreational marijuana when I'm driving, you know, in any area or it comes in with patients with all over their clothes. I mean, I, I, I don't like it. So in my opinion, if we don't continue to improve this legislation and improve what we have passed, we're going down the slippery slope of recreational marijuana, which I am against.

939. 6:30:24

     To me, that's the big picture. Let's talk a little bit about the small picture. The small picture is if you turn to line 504, you'll see what's aimed at the physician in New York State who happened to have a license in Georgia registered over 4,000 patients here in the state of Georgia. That line or lines eliminates that. So I want to be clear on that. The physician in New York will not be able to do telemedicine and register a crazy amount of patients.

940. 6:31:02

     It says the principal place of practice is located in the state. Pretty simple and straightforward. And let's discuss a little bit about how we got here. We got here because the facts are is that CBD oil published in the New England Journal of Medicine, our journal that is the most reputable, though crazy liberal when it comes to editorial, the facts that they do are good. Good articles showing the Epidiolex, which was the brand, but it's CBD oil works for seizures.

941. 6:31:42

     We had anecdotal evidence by a physician and his child that actually moved to Colorado so they could get the CBD oil with some THC in it. And that's what worked for them and that's what we went with initially with the percentages. What this does, this brings us into modern healthcare. Instead of doing a percentage, we're doing milligrams. It makes it much more easily determined and amount done like we do in the usual practice of medicine.

942. 6:32:18

     Milligrams, grams, and that's what we do. The vaping aspect of this is another way to deliver. We deliver vaping now. What is an inhaler that you use for asthma? That's a vaping aspect of that. You're inhaling it into your lungs. You treat that way. There are other medicines that we also prescribe that way, but we also prescribe on the skin. We prescribe intravenously. We prescribe intramuscularly.

943. 6:32:50

     We obviously prescribe orally. We prescribe suppositories. There are multiple different ways that we prescribe. It is one way to deliver medicine. And then lastly, I wanted to bring up the issue of the diagnoses. The senator from the sixth is, is absolutely correct. The danger that we have here in the legislature, whether the Senate or over across the hall, is us legislators adding on diagnoses and adding on diagnoses.

944. 6:33:22

     It makes it so that it's becomes laughable like it was in California, that everybody had a card. And that's why we've changed the name to make it medical cannabis, to reflect what we're hopefully doing. And that's why we're taking it out of our-- It is taken out of our hands and placed with the composite board and the Department of Public Health. That's where it should be. And the senator from the sixth who is carrying this has also fine-tuned it further.

945. 6:33:53

     Actually, it's the gentleman in the back, and we're all working together on this. But if you'll turn to the diagnoses, you'll see that, uh, we did s- uh, correct that to inflammatory bowel disease instead of just Crohn's. It's gonna include ulcerative colitis also and having a little trouble finding the page there. Uh, but we've also ended end-stage diseases, 'cause if you look at it, if you got Alzheimer's, if you got Parkinson's, uh, you got other illnesses, those generally have symptoms at their beginning. By the time you make the diagnoses, it's important to give and relieve suffering.

946. 6:34:29

     And then we took out the insomnia, uh, and one other diagnosis and kicked that back to Department of Public Health. Let me l- let me leave you with this. What did President Trump do? What have other presidents flirted with? Obama, Biden, and Trump is again, by executive order, he has asked the DEA and FDA to take this from Schedule I to Schedule III, if I remember correctly. And so not even Schedule II, but Schedule III so that it can be studied, so that we can have other articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine like this, and we can actually determine objectively which diagnoses, which symptoms, and where we can treat it.

947. 6:35:16

     That's it. Uh, I just wanted to clarify those things. Mr. President, I'll be happy to answer or any ti- entertain any questions if there are any.

948. 6:35:24

     No questions, Senator.

949. 6:35:25

     Thank you, Mr. President. I'll yield the will.

950. 6:35:28

     Recognize the senator from the twenty-ninth to speak to the measure.

951. 6:35:42

     Friends, I stand up here today and I ask you to do two things. I'm asking you to vote against the amendment, I'm asking you to vote against the bill. We passed this out last year. I didn't vote for it then. We sent it over to the House, and the House does what the House does. They get clever. Let me tell you what I'm not here to do. I'm not here if you're locked down on a vote, you vote how you wanna vote. I'm not here to entertain you. I'm not looking for your laughs.

952. 6:36:13

     I'm not looking for your hallelujahs from the back of the room. I sat next to the senator in the sixth when we passed out oil for these children that the gentleman from the thirty-seventh talked about. He and I were lobbied by a family out of Troup County, and their son had severe issues.

953. 6:36:38

     And that bill voted out by very narrow margins, maybe one or two votes.

954. 6:36:47

     And when I got back home, I met with businesses around Columbus, and they asked me, "What was the toughest bill you had this session?" And they thought it would be the heartbeat bill. And I told them, "No, it wasn't. It was the bill over the cannabis oil." And they asked me why. And so I told them what I said in the well the night I gave that vote.

955. 6:37:15

     I dealt with marijuana my entire career.

956. 6:37:21

     And I said, "I know what will happen." I've seen it happen in Colorado. I've seen it happen in Washington State. I've seen it happen in California. I've seen it happen in other places here in the United States and places around the world. I said, "In a couple of years, we're gonna have adults who claim they have PTSD," and I'm gonna tell you right now,

957. 6:37:44

     don't try to explain to me what PTSD is. Okay?

958. 6:37:51

     And they're gonna claim to have these other things. I had a friend who worked on eyes his entire career, and he used to laugh when people talked about marijuana relieving pressure of glaucoma. He said, "Randy, they would have to smoke so much that they would pass out from lack of air before they ever felt any relief for glaucoma." But that was another one of the lies that was spread around the world. And I said, "Everybody will come forth with those types of ailments, and they'll be crawling over sick children in order to get this done." And look, I'm not speaking disparaging against senator from the sixth.

959. 6:38:28

     He and I have been friends longer than I've been friends with anybody in this chamber, and he and I have been very honest with each other about the way we feel on-- about this particular issue. He's always been respectful and honest with me, and I think I have been the same way with him. But I wanna tell you something. The senator from the thirteenth says it's all about money, and he's absolutely right. But I'm afraid he's a little confused on who's after the money. I think what happened was, is somebody seen an opportunity when we passed that oil legislation.

960. 6:39:03

     They saw an opportunity that was visited in California, that was visited in Colorado, that was visited in Washington State. And they invested money speculating what they could do, and they invested money in taking people to dinner to tell them what they think they should do.

961. 6:39:26

     And obviously, they've done well in marketing this. My friend from the first is a dear friend of mine,

962. 6:39:38

     and he used the term modern healthcare. He and I will disagree on that. Um, if that's the case, then when I go buy the creatine at the health food store, I'm participating in modern healthcare, but I'm not because the creatine I get is not approved by the FDA. I do all my research and, and find the best product that I think will accomplish what my old joints need and, and that's what I purchase.

963. 6:40:09

     And several people have said this is not recreational marijuana. I'm gonna be perfectly clear. This is recreational marijuana. When you're vaping flower, when you're using almost a hundred percent THC, and, and if you've never seen a hundred percent THC, it comes in many forms. They call it tar, glass, other things, things you don't normally recognize because it's not a green flowering plant. It comes from that. And the senator from the 37th was absolutely correct.

964. 6:40:41

     I've been to the grow houses in Colorado, and you have to move the male plants and the female plants together at a certain time to get the THC levels higher in the plant, and then you move them away and it's, it's-- believe it or not, it's, it's the sex of plants that gets the THC up to where it gets, and I saw buds that looked like blown glass, some of the most beautiful things you'd ever seen.

965. 6:41:08

     And Big Pharma is gonna be a part of this, just like the tobacco companies have transferred their resources in Colorado and California and Washington State over to make money off of marijuana. And, and again, let's be clear on that point. You can call it cannabis. They go through the legislation that came up from the House, and they want to change the name from the oil. Every- nobody wants to use the M word because they know the M word is bad.

966. 6:41:41

     It's marijuana, people. You know, you can talk about industrial hemp all day long till cows come home, but we're talking about marijuana. Big Pharma's gonna be involved. Big Tobacco's gonna be involved. Heard an argument comparing it to oxy. You know, oxycodone's used in hospitals every day. It's prescribed every day to people who don't get addicted to it and who don't abuse it. A House member was quoted as saying, "Hey, this is natural.

967. 6:42:15

     It's just natural. What's the big deal?" You know what else is natural? Poppies are natural. You get heroin from poppies, but it's natural. The coca plant is natural. It's where you get cocaine. So let's just kick the tires off this thing and let's go make it all medicinal. We have Epidiolex. It's a prescription drug. It's FDA approved.

968. 6:42:47

     That comes from the cannabis plant that can be used for many of the things that individuals want to claim that recreational marijuana or whatever you feel the bill that came over has in there claims to solve. And insomnia, I almost wonder if insomnia was put in there just so we could make an amendment to take insomnia out because, you know, there's some pretty clever people in this building. Senator from the 19th has proven that to us on more than one occasion.

969. 6:43:22

     So understand what you're, what you're voting on today in the amendment

970. 6:43:32

     and in the underlying bill is you're voting for recreational marijuana. What I would rather you do is vote this down, vote in amendment number two, and let's send it back across, and let's have a conversation about what it really is because I've heard from doctors, we've heard from entrepreneurs in this department, such as senator from the 6th, physicians, senator from the 1st, and

971. 6:44:07

     I guess a- another entrepreneur from the 13th.

972. 6:44:12

     And while they're all my friends, they were never with me when we were carrying kids out of apartments where moms and dads couldn't pay for their energy because they spent their money on drugs, and I always find it interesting, or I found it interesting about the setback so that people that wanna sell it have the same setback as liquor stores. Go to the poorest neighborhood in Atlanta, go to public housing, and see how far it is from the closest liquor store.

973. 6:44:43

     It's gonna be really close. Business owners found out a long time ago, if you can get people trapped in one area and you put a substance out there and get them hooked on it, you're gonna get their money because that's what it's about, right? People talk about the effects of THC, and I can come up here and whisper it or yell it. It doesn't matter. The studies are out there. The impact of THC and its causes related to psychosis, especially in young males and the impact it has on people with schizophrenia, people that are already mentally ill.

974. 6:45:26

     So while we get up here and high five and slap each other on the back and say we're investing $409 million into a mental health hospital, you better plan on investing into a whole lot more in the future because offering up this drug to individuals and telling them it's gonna make them better is not gonna do that. We're gonna have bigger jails full of much more sad people, and we're gonna have mental health hospitals full of people whose conditions are aggravated by the use of marijuana.

975. 6:46:08

     That is what we're gonna do. They're not gonna end up in prison because people that possess small amounts of marijuana don't go to prison. They go to jail for a little while, then they get back out on the street and they continue to chase the dragon until they die, and they'll move from marijuana to other things.

976. 6:46:32

     Good friend of mine stood in the well and compared it to alcohol. Says, "Hey, if we get rid of this, if we don't do this, we need to get rid of alcohol." I've offered to meet him at the hopper three or four times with a bill that he authors to get rid of alcohol, and I'm still waiting on the call. I'll meet him there and I'll sign on to it, and we'll run it up the flagpole and see where it goes. I'll do the same thing with tobacco or anything else. This isn't a and/or choice and all this other kind of stuff. This isn't, "Hey, if Johnny jumps off the bridge, you're gonna jump off the bridge, too." What this is all the things we stand up here and talk about, affordability, poverty, segregation of society, the haves and the have-nots.

977. 6:47:16

     What you want to give them to solve their problem is recreational marijuana?

978. 6:47:25

     This isn't personal.

979. 6:47:29

     What this is, is experience. I've seen the absolute devastation caused by marijuana and all the other illegal drugs out there, and just because you may consider it the lesser of the illegal drugs or you may consider it the gateway drug,

980. 6:47:48

     it's devastating. We talk about developing a workforce. Do you know any trucking company that's going to hire somebody that tests positive for THC? Do you know any restaurant that wants anybody that tests positive for THC working around the grill? Do you know if Uber or Lyft or anybody else wants somebody that tests positive for THC picking one of us up and driving us around?

981. 6:48:19

     This is not the solution. What it is, is we did something, as the senator from the 37th talked about and as the senator from the 6th and I did sitting next to each other a few years ago, to help children, and a group of people saw an opportunity.

982. 6:48:39

     And the thing about it is I w- I can't blame them for seeing the opportunity because government does what government does over and over and over and over and over and over again. We allow ourselves to be convinced by people in the hall that because there's something in a small segment of society, we need to open it up to everybody and give everybody the opportunity, and what we do is we create absolute chaos.

983. 6:49:10

     And listen, several years ago, inadvertently, we started the butterfly effect, and we are here today paying for that sin.

984. 6:49:24

     And in all sincerity, everybody knows how I'm gonna vote, but I promise you I will not stop fighting this for as long as there's breath in my body and I will lay my head on the pillow every night with a clear conscience knowing that I am right.

985. 6:49:46

     Because I'm gonna tell you, until you go to those neighborhoods, until you walk into those houses, until you see children cry 'cause you're taking dad to jail or you're taking mom to jail and you sit out there waiting for DFCS for five hours to come pick the children up, and it's because of marijuana, it's because of alcohol, and these all things are together. They're not separate. They all travel together. Then you don't appreciate when we're sitting up here going through a budget process, you don't ever question why we're spending so much money to help people whose damage we are complicit in causing.

986. 6:50:35

     The appropriations chair said the other day to remind everybody that many people don't realize that every piece of legislation that passes out of here has a cost, and he was talking about fiscal.

987. 6:50:51

     Well, believe me when I tell you this, when this legislation passes out of here, there will be a cost. It will be physical, it will be mental, and it will be fiscal.

988. 6:51:07

     All I can do is ask that you vote no on the amendment, that you vote no on the underlying bill, that you consider amendment number two-

989. 6:51:23

     And that we move beyond this, stop building the plane once in the air, and take a measured, calculated approach to how we deal with this. And with that, Mr. President, unless there are any questions, I would yield the well.

990. 6:51:43

     Thank you. Recognize the senator from the 17th to speak to the bill.

991. 6:52:13

     Well, thank you very much, Mr. President. I'll try to be brief. I just rise today to support SB220. I have lived long enough to understand that sick days may come to all of us. This bill give patient access to medical cannabis. Patients need to be free of pain. They need some re- relief from pain.

992. 6:52:43

     This bill expands qualifying health conditions, and whether you have cancer or sickle cell, lupus, Parkinson disease, or any disease that can compromise your immune system, and I put arthritis in there too, the pain is still there. Patients just want to be free of pain. For example, uh, years you might have worked as a secretary or a director of a department, but you still could type 50-plus words per minute.

993. 6:53:20

     But now with arthritis, sometimes you cannot even open a bottle of water. So whether that is from severe arthritis or is from chemotherapy, the pain is still there. And then for example, if a person cannot walk from the parking garage to the Capitol without pain or even stopping two or three times, or taking 10 to 12 minutes longer to do it, it's still pain.

994. 6:53:58

     And I think that we need to pass this bill and pass this bill now. I know what I'm voting on today. I have sense enough to know

995. 6:54:13

     how to vote, so I am voting yes to give thousands of people relief from pain naturally. So I urge you today, colleagues, to join me in voting yes for SB220. Thank you very much, Mr. President, I yield the well.

996. 6:54:36

     Recognize the senator from the 34th.

997. 6:54:57

     Thank you, Mr. President. I rise in support of Senate Bill 220.

998. 6:55:08

     My colleague from the 29th says that

999. 6:55:16

     in reference to PTSD. I know what PTSD looks like because I retired with 90% PTSD

1000. 6:55:30

      after three conflicts,

1001. 6:55:36

      three knee replacements, my back being injured.

1002. 6:55:44

      Twice a year I had to get nerves in my back burnt, and I choose not to indulge in,

1003. 6:55:58

      um, miracle-- um, medicine marijuana. But like my colleague from the 13th, I know what Tramadol and opioids look like, pain management look like, along with a lot of other veterans. That's the reason why I support Senate Bill 220.

1004. 6:56:24

      Do I use medicine marijuana? No, I do not, because I want to be a champion and be the voice of the veterans. But I see every day when I go to the VA a lot of veterans in pain. That's the reason why I support this bill.

1005. 6:56:50

      Wounds have no face.

1006. 6:56:55

      I'm in pain almost every day. Just like yesterday I got a call, they said I had to have a- another foot surgery, but I walk around and smile.

1007. 6:57:10

      So I'll leave it at that and just say I'm in support of Senate Bill 220, and I urge you to not only think about yourself, but think about your constituents and how they must feel.

1008. 6:57:30

      And I do understand about the smell of not only marijuana, but cigars, cigarettes, and all the other things that have smell.

1009. 6:57:47

      Thank you, and I yield the will.

1010. 6:57:57

      Recognize Senator from 56.

1011. 6:58:09

      Thank you, Mr. President. Uh, good afternoon. Much has been said, and I'm not sure if anybody's changed their vote since the senator from the 6 came up here. If you are on the edge, though, I just wanna share a couple things. There's a reason why your sheriffs and most of your law enforcement are against this. Because they're the ones on the streets who are gonna have to deal with the outcome. Decisions we make here ultimately are not implemented by us.

1012. 6:58:40

      They're implemented somewhere out in your districts, and the good and the bad will come back to roost. Senator from the 37th gave a great background on how this all started. It was all to help children with epilepsy with Epidiolex, which by the way, was a actual prescription you could get prescribed by a doctor and dispensed at a pharmacy. The very next year, though, they came back and said, "Well, we can't ser- save our children unless we can grow marijuana." But I asked him, I said, "But you can get a prescription for Epidiolex." They said, "No, that, that, that's not the same." We've changed the percentages so much that what people were using and smoking in the 1960s is, in some cases, 30 times greater than we're giving today.

1013. 6:59:39

      And we keep using the word medicine and prescribing. This is not medicine. It is not scheduled as medicine. We can call it that, but it's just simply not true.

1014. 6:59:53

      It's a drug, and this drug has caused a lot of harm. Some people love it, some people don't. But at the end of the day, we're basically gonna get this to legalized marijuana, and I agree what the senator of 29 said. Have you been to Denver, Colorado? I'd encourage you to go. Have you been to the other states that have gone this far? The outcomes are not good. But again, don't take my word for it.

1015. 7:00:25

      Please, when we're out of session, go visit these places and see 'em for yourself. Nowhere in time that legalizing more drugs did it bring goodness to society, and I certainly hope we will vote down this amendment and bill today. Thank you.

1016. 7:00:51

      Senator from 6, would you like to close?

1017. 7:01:05

      Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, as I stated in my opening,

1018. 7:01:12

      there's no convincing you one way or another.

1019. 7:01:18

      But there are a few things that have been said that I, I, I do think need attention. Senator from the 37th stated that we lack research, and he is exactly right. With it being Schedule 1, no research can be done. And so to the President Trump's credit, he's recommended that we move it to Schedule 3, and when that happens, we can have the proper research. We are in total agreement there. I do think we need more research.

1020. 7:01:52

      I'll skip his comment on freebasing, 'cause I, I associate that with a spoon. Um, one thing I do wanna note, 'cause the, the senator from the 37th also stated that you can essentially buy as much as you want.

1021. 7:02:09

      Under current law, under our current system, at 5% oil, you can actually possess up to 28,000 milligrams, you can have that in your possession. That's what 20 fluid ounces of 5% oil is eq- equates to 28,000 milligrams. This bill takes it down, the House took it down, it's $1,200 per do- or 1,200 milligrams per dose, and you can have up to, up to 10 packages.

1022. 7:02:44

      1,200 milligrams per package, you can have up to 10 packages. So it actually takes it from 28,000 milligrams in your possession down to 12. I will say I b- I have a little reservation about that for some of our rural patients that have to travel long distances, but I'm okay. I mean, that's a 56% reduction in what you can have in possession. The senator from the 56 stated, you know, our law enforcement's gonna have trouble enforcing, and I've actually spoke with the sheriff earlier, um, ab- around that.

1023. 7:03:20

      And, you know, my question to that sheriff was, "Well, well, Sheriff, if you pull somebody over and they've got 5% oil on 'em, are you gonna test it? Is it, is it at seven? Is it at four?"

1024. 7:03:36

      He doesn't know. So putting it in milligrams actually in my opinion should help with the enforcement of it 'cause it's very clear. In order to possess you have to have a card which means you have one of 17 qualifying conditions. It's gotta be less than 12,000 milligrams on you at one time and if you happen to have any sort of vaping with you at the time, which you're not supposed to have because this bill says you have to remain in private.

1025. 7:04:14

      Well, if you are caught vaping for whatever reason, uh, and I did misstate earlier that you had to be 21 years old. Actually, the way the House wrote the law, the bill, you actually have to be 22.

1026. 7:04:31

      So you cannot vape if you're 21 years or younger.

1027. 7:04:39

      The senator from the 56th just stated this is not a medicine. Senator, you tell that to the mother that we heard from whose child was having over 100 seizures a day and after trying the oil went to one a week. You tell me that's not a medicine. Tell me you wouldn't do that for your child. I would.

1028. 7:05:06

      And then we've heard from my friends

1029. 7:05:11

      this is recreational, this is a recreational marijuana bill. So let's talk about that. If you wanna get high under this bill, you're gonna need to go get cancer or have seizures, MS, IBD, mitochondrial disease, Parkinson's, sickle cell, Tourette's, autism, but you gotta be at least 18. EB, Alzheimer's, HIV, peripheral neuropathy, PTSD, or lupus.

1030. 7:05:47

      You go get one of those, then you go see a doctor and you let that doctor say that this could help you. Then you go to DPH and you get your card. Then you drive however far you gotta drive to go to a dispensary

1031. 7:06:11

      and you spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars to only get 12,000 milligrams and then you go home and then you get high. That's what you're saying. But I've got another idea if you wanna get high. Just walk across the street and go into the gas station and buy a THC drink and get high. Go to your local brewery and go get high.

1032. 7:06:43

      Walk to about any street corner in Atlanta and buy a bag of weed and get high, and guess what? You can do that for about 20 bucks.

1033. 7:06:54

      So why go through all this? Why, why contract one of 17 illnesses and then go through all of that so you can get high?

1034. 7:07:10

      Ladies and gentlemen,

1035. 7:07:14

      you know how you're gonna vote. I yield the will.

1036. 7:07:21

      The senator has yielded. Okay, so the, the motion was agree to SB 220 as amended, so we're gonna take up amendment 1A. Is there objection to amendment 1A?

1037. 7:07:40

      Yes.

1038. 7:07:41

      All right, we have objection to amendment 1A from the senator from the 29th.

1039. 7:07:47

      All those in favor of 1A will vote yay. All opposed nay. Secretary will lock the machine.

1040. 7:09:00

      On the adoption of 1A, the yays are 36, the nays are 15, and this amendment has been adopted.

1041. 7:09:10

      Senator from the 37th, your light's on.

1042. 7:09:21

      All right, so now the question is the motion to agree as amended Senate Bill 220. All those in favor of that motion will vote yay. All opposed nay. Secretary will lock the machine.

1043. 7:10:41

      On the motion to agree as amended on the substitution of SB 220, the yays are 38 and the nays are 14 and this has passed.

1044. 7:11:10

      Recognize the senator from the 52nd.

1045. 7:11:12

      Thank you, Mr. President. Pursuant to Senate Rule 7-110B, I give notice on the next legislative day I intend to move that the Senate consider House action on House Bill 1199.

1046. 7:11:25

      Secretary, read the caption.

1047. 7:11:27

      House Bill 1199 by Representatives Carson of the 46th and others, a bill to be entitled an act to amend Code Section 48-1-202 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to definitions regarding revenue and taxation so as to revise the definition of the terms Internal Revenue Code and Internal Revenue Code of 1986, to incorporate certain provisions of federal law into Georgia law, to provide for related matters, to provide for an effective date and applicability, to repeal conflicting laws, and for other purposes. Mr. President, I complete the order.

1048. 7:11:53

      Thank you, Senator, for the notice. Recognize the Majority Leader.

1049. 7:12:00

      Yes, sir.

1050. 7:12:00

      Mr. President, I'm still coming down off that high.

1051. 7:12:06

      I move that the Senate stand adjourned till 10:00 AM, Thursday, March 19th.

1052. 7:12:11

      All right. The Majority Leader has moved that the Senate stand adjourned till 10:00 AM on Thursday. Secretary, read the announcements.

1053. 7:12:21

      The Rules Committee will meet upon adjournment in room 450 of the Capitol. The Public Safety Committee will meet in room 450 of the Capitol at 5:30 PM. The Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee will meet in room 307 of the CLOB at 6:30 PM. The Finance Committee will meet in room Mezzanine 1 at 7:30 PM. The Health and Human Services Committee will meet in room 450 of the Capitol at 8:30 PM. Mr. President, may I please see order?

1054. 7:12:47

      All right. Any other announcements? Y'all please go to your committee meetings. We're in the home stretch now. So this, this-

1055. 7:12:56

      Wait

1056. 7:12:57

      ... this is when you earn your keep, Senator.

1057. 7:13:00

      Wait.

1058. 7:13:02

      All those in favor of the motion to adjourn by the Majority Leader, signify by saying aye. Aye. All those opposed, no. No. Ayes clearly have it. Y'all have a good night.

1059. 7:13:29

      Thank you, Mr. President. Bye-bye.