House floor session, March 27, 2026 (legislative day 38, part 1) Video: https://vimeo.com/1177103980 (a timestamp t plays at https://vimeo.com/1177103980#t=s) Page: https://georgiacommons.org/meetings/2026-03-27/house-floor-part-1 This is a machine transcript of the General Assembly's video, made by a speech-recognition model. It is not an official record and can mishear words, names, and numbers. Speakers are not identified. The video is the record: every timestamp links to the moment it plays. [0:09:04] Good morning. All members, all members will please come to the floor. All members. [0:09:30] All members will please come to the floor. Because the hour of convening having arrived, all members will please come to the floor and take their seats. Mr. Clerk, will you ring the bell? [0:10:45] All members would please come to the floor. All members come to the floor. [0:10:53] We're going to have the morning roll call. Morning roll call. All members present will please vote green to signify your presence in the chamber. Mr. Clerk will unlock the machines. [0:11:09] Joseph Gullett. [0:11:42] Have all members voted? All members voted? If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machines. Doorkeepers, will you please close the doors and keep them closed? [0:12:05] As is our custom, we will begin our day with scripture reading and prayer by our chaplain, after which we will pledge allegiance to the flag of our country. Our chaplain this morning will be introduced by the gentleman from the 19th house district, Chairman Joseph Gullett. Representative Gullett. [0:12:28] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, members, uh, of the house. I'm honored today to introduce today's chaplain, Pastor Tom Gray. Tom is not just a respected leader, uh, in our community, but he's a personal friend of mine, uh, and a constituent of mine, and he's just been really, really good to me, and it truly means a lot for him to be with us today. He brings a unique and well-rounded background in his ministry. He played football at Vanderbilt, where he earned both his Bachelor of Arts and his MBA. [0:12:58] He went on to coach football and teach management at the University of West Alabama before answering a deeper call into ministry. He earned his Master of Divinity from Mid-America Baptist The- Theological Seminary in Memphis. Today, Tom serves as senior pastor at Morris Hill Community Church in Powder Springs, where he faithfully leads and invests in his congregation and community. He has also taught management at Kennesaw State University. Remember I told you he was very well-rounded. In addition, he founded This Stuff Matters, a ministry that uses short, inspirational media to connect God's truth to everyday life and help people find peace and hope through his word. [0:13:38] He has a great event that I go to every year raising money for that foundation, and it's really touched me, and I know it's touched a bunch of people, uh, here in Georgia. Tom and his wife Dana, Dana's with us here today, thank you for being here, have been married 30 years, and they are blessed with three incredible children and a grandson. Tom is a man of character, conviction, and steady leadership. I'm grateful for his friendship and his willingness to be with us today, and I'm looking forward to hearing his message. Would you please join me in welcoming Pastor Tom Gray as our chaplain of the day? [0:14:10] Thank you, sir. [0:14:11] Appreciate you, Joseph. Thank you, brother. [0:14:13] Speaker Burns, thank you very much. [0:14:14] Pleasure to be here. [0:14:14] It's an honor to be here. Thank you. Well, it is an honor to be here, Speaker Burns and Representative Gullett, all the, uh, distinguished rep- representatives here in this house, and those, my fellow Georgians, fellow citizens. As I stand here in a place of political power today, for the next few moments, I'd like to take us back to a conversation that took place in a different place of political power. [0:14:46] It was a conversation that took place in the governor's palace in Jerusalem exactly one week from this day, 1,993 years ago. The governor in that case was a man named Pontius Pilate. In the midst of the conversation of which we'll read just a, a clip, he is the one who holds the authority over life and death. [0:15:15] But the accused man in front of him, whom he will soon condemn to death, isn't a governor, he is a king. Not merely the king of the Jews, not merely the king of Judea and Samaria, but the king of all kings. As the creator, he is the king of the universe. The snippet of their conversation that took place in Pilate's palace goes like this. This is from John's gospel 18:37-38. [0:15:50] Pilate says, "You are a king then?" Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born and for this reason I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to my words." [0:16:16] In one of history's most important political moments, the defining question was not policy, but it was truth. May it be so in your life. May it be so in every facet of your life. May it be so in every decision you make here for the great people of our state. Let truth reign. Let truth be the dominant concern and focal point. Truth, simply stated, is just things as they actually are, not as we might wish them to be. [0:16:53] Truth is things as they align to the creator's design, intent, and purposes. Truth is not peripheral to Jesus in this context. It is his mission. Let it be yours as well. Your leadership here isn't just about legislative decisions. It's about alignment with truth. Authority separated from truth is dangerous. [0:17:24] You, even in your position of authority, do not create truth, but you are accountable to it. May you, by God's grace, act accordingly. Every politician not grounded in and dedicated to truth becomes like Pilate. [0:17:46] Everyone not grounded and de- grounded in and dedicated to truth, like Pilate, ends up succumbing to the pressure of the mob under the stress of the demands of their duties. Every politician not grounded in truth and dedicated to it mistakenly exchanges the real transformative impact truth offers for the temporary relief political expediency provides. [0:18:17] And consequently, every politician not grounded in and dedicated to truth, like Pilate, becomes a pitiful footnote in history instead of a powerful factor for humanity. Jesus said it at the end of the little part that we read of his quote, "Everyone on the side of truth listens to me, listens to my words." In fact, when tempted in Matthew's gospel, Matthew 4:4, being tempted by Satan, Jesus said, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." [0:19:00] Our state will not thrive on politics alone, but only when those politics are founded in, grounded in, and mindful of every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Jesus is the truth and the speaker of the truth. He and his word will clearly guide great leaders through the stress, through the chaos, and through the rigorous demands of such burdensome leadership that you, like you, shoulder. [0:19:34] W- Our world is in desperate need of Jesus people, of truth people, in significant positions of leadership. We've got plenty of Pilate politicians. [0:19:52] Leaders defined and driven by the truth will do as Jesus did. They will be willing to even lay down not only their personal political ambitions, but even their lives if that's what it takes to serve humanity. Oh, please spare us, as a citizen of your great state, spare us. Don't be in the model of Pilate. Pilate didn't fail because truth was una- unavailable. He failed because the truth was difficult in the moment. [0:20:23] It's not enough to be aware of truth. It's not enough to be close to truth. It's not enough to even know and respect the truth. One must submit to the truth. I would like to plead with each of you today, if I could do it one-on-one, if I could lovingly and gracefully grab ahold of your, your shirt collar there or your jacket and look you square in the eyes, I would plead with you and say, "Would you please make your life and your position more about personal integrity before God than even policymaking?" Before you're accountable to your voters, would you live with a sense of what's true? [0:21:08] And that is that you are accountable to the truth and the author of truth. Seek it. Speak it. Stand courageously on it, no matter what the crowds are calling for. May it never be said of us that we cowardly asked like Pilate, "What is truth?" and smugly walked away. May we be men and women who recognize it, receive it, and even govern by it. [0:21:45] May the Lord bless you. I'd like to ask you to stand with me. I'd like to pray for you, [0:21:53] pray with you. Before I pray specifically, let me bless you with the blessing the Lord's given us in His Word. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Almighty God, make this room filled with men and women who seek and stand on your word, your words, the truth. [0:22:31] May you be at the forefront of their thoughts as they grapple with and process through and even argue through significant issues this day and every day. Oh God, please bless our state through leaders defined by truth. God, may you bless each one of them. May you bless the great state of Georgia. May you bless the United States of America, and I thank you, God, that you're doing that. [0:23:04] In Jesus' name, amen. Would you join me in the pledge? Ready? [0:23:10] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [0:23:26] Yes, sir. Thank you. [0:23:29] General, go on. Here. Brother Tom, thank you for those words. Doorkeepers, you may open the doors. Members, we're gonna allow you to join Brother Tom in the South Ante Room, and thank him for his, for his devotion here today and his service to us. We appreciate you being here. [0:24:57] Members, our doctor of the day is brought to us by Representative Deborah Silcox, and that doctor today is Dr. John Gleason. We appreciate Dr. Gleason being here serving us today. [0:25:18] I wanna recognize Chairman Hilton, the chairman of the Committee on Information and Audits. Chairman Hilton. [0:25:25] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Your Committee on Information and Audits has read the journal of the previous legislative day and we have found it to be correct. [0:25:32] Thank you, Chairman Hilton. Chairman Hilton, the chair of the Committee on Information and Audits, reports that the journal of the previous legislative day has been read and found to be correct. Is there any objection to dispense with the reading of the journal? Hearing none, the reading of the journal is dispensed with. Is there any objection to the confirmation of the journal? Hearing none, the journal is confirmed. Mr. Clerk, will you read the resolution establishing the order of business for the day? [0:26:00] Representative Efstration of the 104th moves filing B establishes the order of business during the first part of the period unanimous consents, introduction bills and resolutions, first reading and reference of House bills and resolutions, second reading of bills and resolutions, reports of standing committees, third reading and passage of uncontested local bills and resolutions, first reading and reference of Senate bills and resolutions, morning orders. [0:26:49] Is there any objection to the adoption of the resolution establishing the order of business for the day? Hearing none, the resolution is adopted. [0:27:08] First reading of bills and resolutions. Mr. Clerk will read. House Bill 1603 by Representative Neal, the 79th, a bill being entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to selling and other trade practices. [0:27:25] Technology and infrastructure innovation. House Bill 1604 by Representative Lim of the 98th, Lupton of the 83rd, Wilkerson of the 38th. The bill will be titled an Act to amend Code Section 20-2-161 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to quality basic education formula. Education. House Bill 1605 by Representative Hilton of the 48th, Hagan of the 156th, Cox of the 28th, O'Steen of the 169th. The bill will be titled an Act to amend Chapter 9 of Title 30 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to Georgia Achieving a Better Life Experience. [0:28:00] Public and community health. House Resolution 1886 by Representative Blackmon of the 146th, Williams of the 148th, Hitchens of the 161st. A resolution honoring the life of FHP Trooper Charles Eugene "Gene" Campbell and dedicating a road in his memory. Transportation. House Resolution 1887 by Representative Lewis-Ward of the 115th and Holly of the 116th. A resolution honoring the life of Councilman Alfonso Thomas and dedicating an intersection in his memory. [0:28:35] Transportation. House Resolution 1888 by Representative Prince of the 132nd, Newton of the 127th, Howard of the 129th, and Miles of the 126th. A resolution recognizing Mr. Don A. Grantham and dedicating an interchange in his honor. [0:28:54] Transportation. House Resolution 1889 by Representative Cannon of the 172nd, Corbett of the 174th, Ford of the 170th, Dickey of the 134th, Howard of the 71st, and others. A resolution expressing support for termed and perpetual conservation easements. Special rules. House Resolution 1890 by Representative Taylor of the 92nd. A resolution urging the Rockdale County Board of Commissioners ex- exercise the power given to them under current law. Intra-governmental coordination. [0:29:25] House- General. House Resolution 1891 by Representative Powell of the 33rd, Hawkins of the 27th, Jasperse of the 11th. A resolution creating a House Study Committee on Physicians Delegation Authority. [0:29:40] Special rules. House Resolution 1892 by Representative Bernal of the 77th, Scott of the 76th, Bell of the 75th, Flournoy of the 74th, and Schofield of the 63rd. A resolution recognizing September 2026 as Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month. Special rules. House Resolution 1893 by Representative Fincher of the 23rd, Smith of the 18th, Leverett of the 123rd, Crowe of the 118th, Silcox of the 53rd, and others. A resolution creating a House Study Committee on modernizing the discovery process through the use of new technologies. [0:30:16] Special rules. House Resolution 1894 by Representative Jasperse of the 11th, McDonald of the 26th, Hagan of the 156th, LaHood of the 175th, Cox of the 28th. A resolution creating a House Study Committee on the basic building blocks of transportation. Transportation. House Resolution 1942 by Representative Gaines of the 120th. A resolution honoring the life of Mr. Dan McGill and dedicating an intersection in his memory. Transportation. [0:30:46] House Resolution 1943 by Representative Gaines of the 120th. A resolution recognizing the Honorable Nancy Denson and dedicating an interchange in her honor. Transportation. House Resolution 1944 by Representative Moore of the 91st. A resolution designating April as Black- National Black Women's History Month. Special rules. House Resolution 1945 by Representative Davis of the 87th, Schofield of the 63rd, Scott of the 76th. A resolution creating a House Study Committee on examining the implementation, funding, and effectiveness. [0:31:21] Special rules. House Resolution 1946 by Representative Davis of the 87th, Scott of the 76th, and Schofield of the 63rd. A resolution creating a House Study Committee on constituent services. Special rules. House Resolution 1947 by Representative Blackmon of the 146th, Erwin of the 32nd, Dubnik of the 29th, Jones of the 47th, Dawson of the 65th, and others. A resolution creating a House Study Committee on education finance. Special rules. House Resolution 1948 by Representative Gambill of the 15th, Wade of the 9th, Seabaugh of the 34th, and Hong of the 103rd. [0:31:58] A resolution urging appropriate state and local authorities to transfer operation of the Georgia Capitol Museum. Special rules. Senate Bill 627 by Senator Anna Dubardey of the 31st and Bearden of the 30th. The bill will be titled an Act to provide a homestead exemption for City of Dallas ad valorem taxes. Intra-governmental coordination. That completes first readers. [0:32:34] Second reading of bills and resolutions. Mr. Clerk will read. House Bill 1596 by Representative Holcomb of the 101st, a bill relating to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. House Bill 1597 by Representative Jackson of the 68th, Mitchell of the 88th, Reese of the 140th, Clark of the 108th, Bazemore of the 69th, a bill relating to the Department of Community Affairs. House Resolution 1857 by Representative Berry of the 56th, McQueen of the 61st, Lavalle of the 59th, Reese of the 140th, and Clark of the 108th. A resolution urging the Georgia Department of Education to increase teacher compensation, establish a salary structure indexed to the cost of living to ensure competitive, sustainable wages for educators in this state. [0:33:11] House Resolution 1858 by Representative Davis of the 87th, Scott of the 76th, Schofield of the 63rd. A resolution urging Georgia's congressional delegation to pass the Essential Worker Pay Protection Act and codify permanent protections for essential federal employees during government shutdowns. House Resolution 1859 by Representative Greene of the 154th, Jones of the 47th, Bacchett of the 176th, Mathiak of the 82nd, Earhart of the 36th. A resolution urging the Capitol Arts Standards Commission and, and the governor to place a portrait of Governor Rufus Bullock on the state Capitol. House Resolution 1860 by Representative Hilton of the 48th, Dempsey of the 13th, Silcox of the 53rd, Werkheiser of the 157th, Petrea of the 166th, and others. [0:33:49] A resolution creating a House study committee on comprehensive services and long-term outcomes for individuals with disabilities. House Resolution 1861 by Representative Sanchez of the 42nd, Frye of the 122nd, Bell of the 75th. A resolution applying to the United States Congress to call a convention under Article V of the Constitution of the United States limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States to limit the influence of money in political elections on government officials. Three second readers. [0:35:14] Reports of standing committees, Mr. Clerk will read. [0:35:18] Representative Victor Anderson of the 10th District, chairman of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, committed s-submitted the following report. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Governmental Affairs has had under its consideration the following bills of the Senate, and it's instructed me to report same back to the House with the following recommendations. Senate Bill 175, do pass by committee substitute. Senate Bill 423, do pass by committee substitute. Senate Bill 437, do pass by committee substitute. Respectfully submitted, Representative Victor Anderson of the 10th District, chairman. Representative Chuck Martin of the 49th District, chairman of the Committee on Higher Education, submitted the following report. [0:35:52] Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Higher Education's had under its consideration the following bill of the Senate, and it's instructed me to report same back to the House with the following recommendations. Senate Bill 956, do pass by committee substitute. Respectfully submitted, Representative Chuck Martin of the 49th District, chairman. Representative Lauren McDonald of the 26th District, chairman of the Committee on Intergovernmental Coordination Local, submitted the following report. Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Intergovernmental Coordination Local has had under its consideration the following bills of the Senate and the House, and instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendation. [0:36:27] Senate Bill 260, do pass by committee substitute. House Bill 1404, do pass. House Bill 1560, do pass. House Bill 1568, do pass. House Bill 1569, do pass. House Bill 1587, do pass. House Bill 1588, do pass. House Bill 1594, do pass. House Bill 1595, do pass. House Bill 1599, do pass. House Bill 1600, do pass. House Bill 1558, do pass. House Bill 1562, do pass by substitute. House Bill 1563, do pass by substitute. [0:36:59] House Bill 1564, do pass. House Bill 1565, do pass. House Bill 1566, do pass. House Bill 1573, do pass. House Bill 1575, do pass. House Bill 1576, do pass. House Bill 1581, do pass. House Bill 1582, do pass. House Bill 1583, do pass. House Bill 1598, do pass. House Bill 1601, do pass. House Bill 1602, do pass. Respectfully submitted, Representative Lauren McDonald of the 26th District, chairman. [0:37:31] Representative Gunter of the 8th District, chairman of the Committee on Judiciary, submitted the following report. Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Judiciary has had under its consideration the following bill of the Senate, has instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendation. Senate Bill 463, do pass by committee substitute. Respectfully submitted, Representative Gunter of the 8th District, chairman. Representative Smith of the 18th District, chairman of the Committee on Judiciary Non-Civil, submitted the following report. Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Judiciary Non-Civil has had under its consideration the following bills of the Senate, has instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendations. [0:38:07] Senate Bill 572, do pass. Senate Bill 61, do pass by substitute. Senate Bill 398, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Representative Smith of the 18th District, chairman. Representative Clint Crowe of the 118th District, chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, submitted the following report. Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security has had under its consideration the following bills of the Senate, has instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendations. Senate Bill 482, do pass by substitute. [0:38:39] Senate Bill 586, do pass by substitute. Respectfully submitted, Representative Clint Crowe of the 118th District, chairman. Representative Scoggins of the 14th District, chairman of the Committee on Special Rules, submitted the following report. Mr. Speaker, your Committee on Special Rules has had under its consideration the following resolutions of the House, and has instructed me to report the same back to the House with the following recommendations. House Resolution 1473, do pass. House Resolution 1829, do pass. House Resolution 1831, do pass. [0:39:10] House Resolution 1832, do pass. Respectfully submitted Representative Scoggins of the 14th District, Chairman. Representative Shaw Blackmon of the 146th District, Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means submitted the following report. "Mr. Speaker, Committee on Ways and Means has had under its consideration the following bill of the Senate. It has instructed me to report same back to the House with the following recommendations. Senate Bill 382 do pass by committee substitute. Respectfully submitted, Representative Shaw Blackmon of the 146th District, Chairman." That completes the reading of the reports of standing committees. [0:41:40] Okay, members, we're ready to get started. We have a local calendar today. Local calendar. [0:41:52] We have our local calendar also has some homestead exemption bills on it. There are 15 bills on the local calendar that relate to homestead exemption and require a recorded two-thirds roll call vote for passage. For what purpose does Chairman McDonald rise? [0:42:10] I'd like to make a motion. [0:42:12] State your motion. [0:42:14] I'd like to make a motion that we recommit HB 1600 back to Intergovernmental Coordinations Committee. [0:42:24] Members, uh, I know you all heard that motion, so I'll ask the members to come to the floor. Take your seats. [0:42:35] Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to HB 1600? [0:42:40] HB 1600 by Representative Santos of the 117th City of McDonough. House Bill 1600 creates the City of McDonough Public Facilities Authority. [0:42:51] On the gentleman's motion that HB 1600 be withdrawn from the local calendar and recommitted to the Intergovernmental Coordination Committee. Is there objection? Hearing none, it is so ordered. [0:43:03] Objection. [0:43:03] There's objection. State your objection. [0:43:08] I object based on the fact that we're so close to the end of session that this is gonna jeopardize this bill making it through this year. [0:43:18] Gentleman, help out with that objection. Does he move? [0:43:24] I move. [0:43:25] Can you help me with the, where it, where it is in the process? [0:43:29] It's, it's... Yes, it's just a clerical error on our side that it will be recommitted and back on the calendar for Tuesday. [0:43:37] Could you explain that clerical error to the minority leader? [0:43:42] Yes, we just have to look at some signatures, and we will recommit it back on Tuesday. [0:43:54] We will have it back on Tuesday for passage. [0:43:59] We'll be back. [0:44:03] That's correct. [0:44:03] You withdraw your objection? [0:44:12] We'll, we'll withdraw it. [0:44:14] Withdraw. You will withdraw. [0:44:18] Lady withdraws her objection. [0:44:22] Hearing none, it is so ordered. HB 1600 goes back to the committee for a technical correction. [0:44:37] Third reading and passage of uncontested local bills. If there is no objection, we will vote on the local calendar as a whole with a recorded vote without HB 1600. Hearing none, it's so ordered. Mr. Clerk, will you read the local calendar? [0:44:55] House Bill 1404 by Representative Stevens of the 164th City of Pooler. House Bill 1560 by Representative Burns of the 160th City of Springfield. House Bill 1568 by Representative Thomas of the 21st City of Woodstock. House Bill 1569 by Representative Santos of the 117th City of McDonough. House Bill 1587 by Representative Sanchez, the 42nd Cobb County. House Bill 1588 by Representative Cummings, the 39th Cobb County. House Bill 1594 by Representative Williams, the 168th city of Riceboro. [0:45:28] House Bill 1595 by Representative Fry, the 122nd Athens-Clarke County. House Bill 1599 by Representative Jackson, the 128th city of Sandersonville, Washington County. House Bill 1558 by Representative Blais, the 67th city of Palmetto. House Bill 1562 by substitute by Representative Camp of the 135th Pike County. House Bill 1563 by substitute by Representative Camp of the 135th Pike County. House Bill 1564 by Representative Yearta of the 152nd Lee County. [0:46:02] House Bill 1565 by Representative Yearta of the 152nd Lee County. House Bill 1566 by Representative Burchetta of the 176th Ware County. House Bill 1573 by Representative Jane- Gaines of the 120th city of Statham. House Bill 1575 by Representative Sainz of the 180th city of Kingsland. House Bill 1576 by Representative Sainz of the 180th city of Kingsland. House Bill 1581 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd city of Fayetteville. [0:46:33] House Bill 1582 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd Fayette County. House Bill 1583 by Representative Bonner of the 73rd Fayette County. House Bill 1598 by Representative Hatchett of the 155th Lawrence County. House Bill 1601 by Representative Dubnik of the 29th city of Gainesville. House Bill 1602 by Representative Dubnik of the 29th city of Gainesville. [0:46:58] I'm out of c- breath, Mr. Clerk, and I wasn't even reading. [0:47:31] Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered on the local calendar? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bills? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall these bills now pass? All of those in favor of the passage of the bills on the local calendar will vote yes. All those opposed will... You will be voting on the local calendar without HB 1600. All those in favor vote yes. [0:48:01] All those opposed vote no. And Mr. Clerk will unlock the machines. [0:48:30] All members have voted. For what purpose does Representative Evans rise? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Parliamentary inquiry. State your inquiry. Mr. Speaker, isn't it true that the local calendar for today is a great example of how we, this body, can work with local governments to cut property taxes, being that there's 15 bills that are agreed upon between the representatives of that area and the counties to get significant relief in property taxes? And isn't it further true that that is the better tact when it comes to dealing with property taxes which fund local government operations? [0:49:05] I'm sure the le- learned member has her opinion on that. I have mine, too. But we'll work at it. We'll get property taxes cut any way we can, no doubt about that. We'll do it as a whole or we'll do it individually, but that is the focus of this House, is to make life more affordable for Georgians, and that helps cutting property taxes does just that. Have all members voted? All members have voted. If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine. On the local calendar without HB 1600, the yeas are 153, the nays are zero. [0:49:39] These bills, having received the requisite constitutional majority, are therefore passed. [0:50:07] Members, we have a very important morning order we will lead off with today. As yo- you all know, we've lost one of our own, so critical to our work here. So I'm gonna ask all members, cease conversation. [0:50:27] Doorkeepers, if you will ensure these doors are monitored appropriately. [0:50:36] Going to recognize [0:50:40] Chairman Lumsden and Chairman Erwin for some condolences, which you will stand. [0:50:51] Thank you for standing. Gentlemen, we'll suspend just for a moment. You have some other members that knew this gentlelady quite well and wanted to join you. S- suspend just for a moment more. [0:51:16] Gentlemen, we'll proceed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, members, for standing. Um- [0:51:24] We're here today to, um, honor the life of Ms. Shirley Spencer. Shirley has been my administrative assistant and my friend for more than 10 years. She did so many things well. She took care of things in the office that I didn't know she took care of. She just did them with a heart of love and cared for my constituents and, and for me. [0:51:54] Um, the loss, she's been my right arm for so long, I, I'm not sure how we're going to proceed. But, uh, Ms. Shirley, she was capable, she was competent, she was qualified, and she showed up every day with a loving and caring attitude and with a smile on her face, and, "What can I do for you today, Mr. Chairman?" Um, I- I- she was not only my administrative assistant, but she was my friend, and her loss is deeply felt and something, um, that no one can really replace going forward. [0:52:36] But, uh, I just wanted to convey to you what a great person she was. And I wasn't, uh, aware, but, um, a few-- just last week we were in a conversation, and, uh, something about age came up. Now, I'm not one to ask a lady about her age, but, um, uh, when I mentioned my age, um, she said, um, "Mr. Chairman, I'm a little older than you are." So, at 76 years of age, Ms. Shirley was showing up and doing the work that she apparently loved to do. [0:53:09] She loved people, and she loved helping. And I, I can't tell you, um, anything more than to say that you don't find Ms. Shirleys very often. Thank you for standing and honoring her, I think. Chris, do you have something to say? [0:53:31] This is gonna be difficult. [0:53:44] Please look, um, and smile at that picture. That smile was there every minute. It was stuck on her face. Perfectionist. She wanted to do it right. [0:54:01] I think a lot of you know in this room that we do a lot of very important things. Most important is that relationship that we bond together with. She knew that. She was easy to love. She, she was easy to include. She was easy to trust. [0:54:28] You don't expect these moments. [0:54:33] I think many of you in this room also know that the Education Committee puts a lot on an admin. We worked her very hard, and she was always up to the challenge. She was always ready to work. I wanna tell a story on Friday of last week as I left the office. [0:55:00] Those in the office know that [0:55:06] we talk a lot about fun things in my office. We talk about cartoons, and I would make statements when I was leaving, such as, "Yabba dabba doo," on a Friday afternoon. She knew exactly. She looked at me. That smile was right there. She knew what "Yabba dabba doo" meant, and she enjoyed that part of the relationship. [0:55:38] On Friday, the last thing I said to her was, "Yabba dabba doo." [0:55:51] Let me read this. This is a song. I found some words that I put her in this picture. The older I get, the more I think you only get a minute, but l- live while you're in it, 'cause it's gone in a blink, and the older I get, the truer it is. It's the people you love, not the money and stuff, that make you rich. [0:56:22] She made me rich at what I did right here and with my family. So when we visited her in the hospital and she was in peace, [0:56:38] it was easy to tell her I loved her. [0:56:43] I want you to think that. Grab life today as a chamber with exactly that, 'cause you never know when this can happen. If you would with me, let's take a moment of silence for Shirley Spencer. [0:57:08] Thank... Thank you. [0:57:11] Thank you, members. Gentlemen and members, you know, these times are always very difficult, but let's thank the good Lord for blessing us with great lives that impact our lives, that we're not unashamed to say how much we love them. Blessings to her family. And to this family, who she b- she's become so special to in the work we do here. Thank you, Ms. Shirley. We know you're in a good place now. [0:57:48] I wanna recognize Representative Inga Willis. I want you members, we just celebrated a life well-lived, now we're gonna celebrate a long life that's being well-lived. Representative Inga Willis is recognized. Gentlelady will suspend just for a minute. [0:58:12] Y'all need to pay attention to this one. Here's another life lesson right here. Representative Willis. [0:58:25] Good morning, colleagues. [0:58:26] Good morning. [0:58:27] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And now I'm emotional because we just celebrated an amazing life and its impact. Today, I rise to celebrate my father, my hero, Robert Andrew Willis, born in 1926 in Louisville, Kentucky. [0:58:54] My father fell in love with the YMCA and became an avid swimmer, which came in handy when he was drafted at 18 to serve in a segregated United States Navy, serving in World War II, ironically teaching swimming before we could even share a pool. Thank you, Dad, for when you returned to inadequate housing, inadequate voting rights, and deplorable healthcare, you dedicated a 34-year career as a civil rights federal investigator for Housing and Urban Development, overseeing discrimination cases for eight states. [0:59:30] Thank you, Dad, for restoring water service to a neglected community in Aberdeen, Mississippi in 1970. Thank you for regulating housing rights in Savannah, Georgia in 1975. We thank you for blocking an urban renewal project right here in Newnan, Georgia in 1978 when Black citizens were excluded from the planning process. We thank you and honor you for receiving the Presidential Award of Selective Service in 1982 from President Ronald Reagan. Thank you for marching on Bloody Sunday with John Lewis for our voting rights. [1:00:02] Thank you for organizing with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated to elevate the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King to the forefront of the civil rights movement. Thank you, Daddy, for being my hero. It has been a privilege to make you proud and to walk in your footsteps. We thank you for all that you have done and for marrying well- ... with your amazing wife, Diane Willis. Today, we celebrate my father. Would you join me in celebrating him? He will be 100 years of age on May 15th. [1:00:32] Celebrate you today, Daddy. Thank you. Stand up, Daddy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And in the spirit of Black history being American history, I proudly yield the will. [1:00:50] The lady's yielded the will. What a great celebration. 99 years old. Wow. Would your dad- [1:01:00] Thank you [1:01:00] ... allow me to have a photo with him? [1:01:02] Yes, sir. [1:01:02] I'd love to have y'all up here. [1:01:21] Representative Kahaian. Representative Kahaian. [1:01:28] Representative Kahaian. [1:03:05] Representative Willis is gonna take her dad out to the ante room if you'd like to take a photo with him. [1:03:55] Members, I'm going to recognize Representative Cahan now for a morning order. And I'm gonna ask you to stand with her as she recognizes some folks and offers condolences. If you'll join me in standing. [1:04:08] First, and then we'll do the back rows. [1:04:15] Lady's recognized. [1:04:17] Thank you, Speaker. Good morning, colleagues. This morning I would like to, uh, recognize and honor Reverend Lucius Edmondson. He was also known as Chaplain Luke and Brother Luke. He went to his eternal rest with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on March the 8th after 91 faithful years. He was a Marine. [1:04:40] And the founder of Team Jesus Ministries, where he dedicated his life spreading the gospel with homeless ministries, hospital and senior homes, cancer patient support, and children's ministries, and he served for more than 50 years as the Henry County Jail chaplain. He also, uh, equipped and ordained more than 200 ministers who serve and carry on his legacy across the world. So today we honor a mission fulfilled and a servant welcome home to hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." We have with us, with us in the gallery his daughter-in-law, Kathleen; President of Team Jesus Ministries, Reverend Don Coffee and his wife; and my personal friend, prison ministries director, Reverend Donna Crumbley; as well as his family watching online, wife of 69 years, Ethel; and two children, Eric and Donna; three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren. [1:05:38] So, thank you for allowing us to honor his life and service at the People's House. If you would please join me in a moment of silence. [1:05:51] Thank you. And we have a resolution here, and if you could join me in the ante room in a moment. I also have another group here today, very exciting. We're honored to welcome the Henry County Veterans Services Support Group. If you would please rise in the gallery. [1:06:09] There we are. [1:06:18] And we not only have Marines, we have Army also. [1:06:25] Now, the Henry County Veterans Soc- Support Group was founded by a man whose life has been defined by service. [1:06:37] Both in uniform [1:06:41] and beyond it. James "Jim" Dunn answered the call to serve our nation as a United States Marine. [1:06:51] And when that chaper- chapter ended, his mission did not. He saw first-hand the challenges that face veterans, and instead of sep- stepping back, he stepped up, ensuring that no veteran was left behind. Jim Dunn is joined with his wife Therese, Theresa, and two children, Michael and Melanie. Uh, Marcie and Michael and Melanie is watching online. And I would like to tell you, it's a surprise to Mr. [1:07:23] Dunn, that April 30th, Jim will be, it will be his 75th birthday. And this House hereby designates your birthday this year as Veteran Support Services Awareness Day. And we're so proud to honor you and the Veterans County, the Henry County Veteran Support Group. We're so thankful for your service, and this is your resolution. And if you could join us in the ante room, we're so proud and thankful for all of your service and all you've done for our county and beyond. Thank you. [1:07:53] I yield the well. [1:08:06] Thank you to the support group. Sir, what... Are you surprised? [1:08:12] Yeah. [1:08:13] Well, we're, we're glad to be a part of your surprise. Thank you for what you're doing for your fellow man, your veterans. It's very, very important work. Thank you for y'all's dedication. Thanks to all of you from Henry County that are here with us. [1:08:26] Representative Beckles. [1:08:32] We're going to have about 45 seconds. Can y'all comply with that? Thank you very much. Lady is recognized and friends. [1:08:42] Oops, sorry. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my honor to welcome the Consul General of India to Georgia. Your presence here reflects the deep and growing bond between our communities, a bond strengthened every day by Indian Americans who call this state home. And to country, and so much of our shared prosperity. District 96 is proud to be a part of a state that embraces these connections, and look forward to building on them together. [1:09:12] Mr. Speaker, if I may, a bit of trivia. Cricket is the number two sport in the world. India has played the West Indies 10 times in Barbados at Kensington Oval. My house, my childhood home, is 10 minutes from Kensington Oval. Welcome to the People's House. Thank you. [1:09:42] If you can meet us in the anteroom for photos. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We yield the well. [1:09:46] Thank y'all for being here. I need to learn a lot about cricket. This looks pretty interesting. [1:09:54] Representative Jason Ridley is recognized for a morning order. [1:09:59] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I got some special guests over to y'all's right. Uh, if you'll look up here, this is Murray County High School girls. They won the 2A state championship this year, the first time since 1965. And I'm glad to say my aunt, who's, uh, who's in not good health now, but she was on that team, and she watched the whole game and called afterwards, uh, to let me know. So if y'all will, make them feel welcome. Congratulations, girls. I know y'all worked hard. [1:10:36] That was a great game. I watched that one. Y'all did good. That was an awesome game. And, um, and, uh, they had your aunt on there as well, so good to have y'all. Congratulations, and I know your whole community's very, very proud of you. Way to go. You'll never forget it, will you? That's awesome. [1:10:56] Chairman Gunther [1:10:59] recognized for morning order. [1:11:06] And friends. [1:11:09] And friends. A bunch of syrup makers. [1:11:13] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A couple of quick recognitions before I get to the resolution. I have up in this, uh, uh, gallery up here and over on the side, uh, members of the Union County Chamber of Commerce, a very active chamber. Uh, if y'all would please stand. Uh, and, uh, they've been very supportive of, uh, this resolution that I'm about to do. So I wanna recognize that. Also, my son and two grandchildren on the side over here. Hey, guys. All right. Now, as to the resolution, um, this is recognizing Union County as the sorghum capital of Georgia. [1:11:51] Union County's been involved in, uh, production of sorghum syrup since the 1850s. Uh, s- the, uh, Sorghum Festival has been going on and for 57 years. It g- dates back to 1969. It still goes on. Uh, and all this is, uh, Appalachian heritage. Uh, I'm trying to read this quickly so I can get through this. Um, what this resolution does is it recognizes Union County as the sorghum capital of Georgia. Now, we had planned to put sorghum on your desk, but you will get some, uh, in the next few days when we get back here. [1:12:28] And if you don't like sorghum syrup, give it to Al Williams. He loves it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [1:12:35] Sorghum syrup. Thank you, sir. Welcome to the People's House. Appreciate that tradition. Thank y'all for being here. Representative Adeyina. Give the gentleman your attention, please. Folks, we're running close on time, and there's some of you we don't get to, so. [1:12:53] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is Haitian American Chamber of Commerce Day at the Capitol. And we have some guests in the gallery, if they could please rise. Uh, they're led by their chairman, Mr. Jacques Laurent. And I will always say to them, [1:13:14] All right. This month is selling Entrepreneur Month, uh, celebrating businesses across Georgia and making sure that they're involved and engaged in business across Georgia. Also, the Haitian team is playing in the World Cup for the second time after 52 years in Atlanta, Georgia. [1:13:34] So we're looking forward to, to engaging them. They have some special treats in room 216 between 1:00 and 3:00. So if you love Haitian food and wanna see the World Cup, come on down there. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I yield the well. [1:13:49] The gentleman yields the well. Thanks for being here. Representative Bonner, Chairman Bonner is recognized for a morning order. [1:13:59] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is Civil Air Patrol Day here at the Capitol. Um, the c- your Civil Air Patrol is made up of over 3,000 people organized in 45 squadrons across the state. In 2025 alone, they flew over 81 missions in support of our state. They are commanded by Wing Commander Colonel Michael Willis, and we have some of those members in the gallery, and they'll be visiting with you throughout the day. So if our cadets could stand up and be recognized. [1:14:31] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [1:14:34] Welcome. Good to have y'all. Civil Air Patrol's good stuff. Representative Park Cannon is recognized for a morning order and some friends. [1:14:44] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today we rise in loving memory of three individuals, Amber Nicole Thurman, Candy Miller, and Adriana Smith. They're joined by reproductive justice advocates for a day of witness and accountability for their preventable deaths, as well as many names who remain unknown. We invite you to also bear witness today by paying respect to these families by meeting with them and listening to their stories and the impact of ban of choice. They will be in Capitol Room 124 until 11:15 for visitation. [1:15:16] These families honor the life lost, near misses, and criminalization of pregnancies in Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield the well. [1:15:24] Thank you, Representative Cannon. [1:15:26] Maybe over here. [1:15:27] Over here and over there. [1:15:29] Thanks for joining us today. Representative McQueen. I think you're still up here, aren't you? [1:15:37] I am. [1:15:37] Lady wants, is going to recognize a teacher, so very important. Lady's recognized. [1:15:42] Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. You know teachers are my favorite people. Um, and- [1:15:47] Yes. And I wanted to recognize, um, one of the teachers of the year in my District 61. Um, she's up in the gallery with us today. Patty Watley- Whaley w- from A. Philip Randolph Elementary. She's our 2025-26 teacher of the year for the second time, okay? Give her a round of applause. We know there are a lot of beautiful, wonderful teachers that al- don't always get this designation, but we congratulate you, and please come to the ante room for pictures. [1:16:18] Congratulations. [1:16:51] Representative Rhonda Burnough is recognized for a morning order. [1:16:56] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today we'd like to r- recognize the winners of the US United Pageant System. If they would stand up, they're up in the gallery. [1:17:08] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield the will. [1:17:12] Thank y'all. Good to have y'all with us. Thank you, Representative Burnough. And y'all can come down when you get ready and have some pictures with Representative Burnough and some members in that ante room. [1:17:31] That concludes our morning orders. If you didn't get a morning order in today, you all have to do it at the, um, when we do our afternoon orders. [1:18:02] Representative Schofield is recognized for a morning order. [1:18:06] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This morning, and members of the House, I recognize the Bobby Dodd Institute here, known as BDI, for all the amazing work in making sure people with, uh, disabilities fear- feel included in the workforce. If you're in the gallery, please stand and let us recognize you. They're, we're in room 216. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield the will. [1:18:26] Thank you very much. Members, we are, uh, completed our morning orders. We have some guests that are on the floor with us that will be introduced in just a moment or two. [1:18:56] About ready to recognize a very distinguished member of this body. [1:19:07] So all conversations on the floor will cease. [1:19:16] All conversations. Members will please take their seats. [1:19:55] We're going to hear from a dear, dear friend, a very prominent, important Georgian, [1:20:06] who has set the standard of service to her community and to this body at a very, very high bar. [1:20:21] I have great personal admiration and respect [1:20:27] for the pro tem of this house, Jan Jones. [1:20:32] Great respect for her, for her love and devotion to her husband. Kalen, good to have you, and your family and grandchildren. I know that weighs heavily on your mind. We're gonna miss you in so many ways. I'm not sure I can count the ways right now, but I'm sure at times of need it's going to say, "Where is the pro tem?" [1:20:58] So members, I'm going to ask you to give the lady, as she approaches the well, [1:21:08] as the lady approaches the well, to, um, share with her, share with us some memories and some direction where, where she will go from here. Pro tem of this house, Representative Jan Jones. [1:21:41] Thank you. Thank you. [1:21:52] Thank you. Please be seated. [1:21:57] Thank you, members, and thank you, Mr. Speaker, for those overly kind words. Um, I just wanted to share a few things as I, um, prepare to leave the chamber. [1:22:14] Just need a second here. [1:22:19] Thank you. [1:22:20] Those are beautiful grandchildren, by the way. Did I mention that? [1:22:24] That's helpful. Thank you. [1:22:28] Members, um- [1:22:29] I apologize. [1:22:30] No, that, that does help. That helps. Um, I, I grew up a nobody from nowhere, and certainly not someone whose future might be expected to serve in the Georgia House of Representatives. I never ran for an elected position growing up, not club president, not even line leader. My people were not in politics. [1:23:01] They worked for a living. Moving from state to state as the daughter of an enlisted Air Force soldier and a mother who worked part-time teaching piano and always took us to church, I was always the new kid in town, the new kid in school. Both sets of my grandparents were small, hardscrabble farmers with very large families to feed from Laurens County. [1:23:35] And so my message to young people when I speak is always that if someone as unlikely as me can serve in the Georgia General Assembly, they can as well, or aspire to other things that maybe they haven't even imagined. And I'm thankful for my common upbringing. When you grow up with little special treatment, you learn to pull your own self up because no one is probably coming to do it for you. [1:24:09] My life experiences, um, influenced and shaped my intensity, which some of you are probably aware of, as a state representative- ... to try to create opportunities for all young people, particularly the nobodies from nowhere. Most meaningful thing we can do as state legislators is to support children with a brighter future through education and higher education opportunities. [1:24:43] When I was sworn in in 2003, I was as ignorant about being a legislator as one could possibly be. It soon became clear to others as well with my first bill. I sat down to discuss it with a longtime senator who also represented my area, and he listened, and he told me it was a good bill for me. I took it as a positive sign, and I asked him if he'd carry it in the Senate, and he responded, "Absolutely not. [1:25:17] I said it was a good bill for you, not a good bill." And unsurprisingly, I never got a hearing in the House. I learned after many missteps not to let perfect be the enemy of the good, and to forget about who had killed a proposition of mine earlier, because I'd likely need them the next year or the next day. And many of you know I'd much rather kill a bad bill than pass a good one, because it's very hard to unwind bad policy that's in law. [1:25:52] I learned to include in my deliberations the empty chair representing the quiet people we don't hear from and who don't have a paid lobbyist advocating for them in the hall. My seatmate for eight years suggested I incorporate a little humor into my comments today, and I have demurred because family and friends know my politically incorrect humor is best reserved in private. [1:26:26] Yes, I can and have said that, but not from the well. Along with other old-timers, we've watched how the House has changed to meet the times over the past 20 years. No more smoking in the ante room as the pages file by. No more 40 pages of local earmarks in the budget for band uniforms and baseball fields. No more scribbled amendments on the fly put up on the screen and designed to nullify one another. [1:27:00] And I'll be cheering you from afar as you create new state policies and chamber traditions that will better reflect our people's needs. I'm truly prash- appreciative for every single staffer in the Capitol that keeps this place running. I can't ... I have a red light that'll come on soon, so I don't have time to name them all, but Dewey did a good job of that earlier. [1:27:33] They are the glue in our offices, crafting our legislation, making the chamber operate. And my staff has made me look better than I deserve, and I wanna thank Sheena and Emily for their care and support, and Tyler, who recently moved on to greener pastures. I wanna thank the many House members, both here and no longer in the chamber, that enriched, stretched, informed, pushed- and shared life with me over these 24 years. [1:28:04] We've spent many hours together in meetings, committees, dinners, lunches, and in the chamber. And we do discuss and we fight and we mostly reconcile to try to make the state work for all our people. I'm truly grateful to each one of you, including the advocates in the hall and the squatters in my office. I value your friendship more than you know, and I believe in you, and I know you will continue to improve the lot for all of Georgia. [1:28:38] I wanna thank the, the constituents that elected me for 12 terms to represent them and their interests. They are the point, and I've tried to do right by them. I owe this entire body my gratitude for electing me to serve as speaker pro tem for 16 years. It's, it's been a privilege to serve you in that role, something I could not have imagined growing up. Speaker Burns, I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you, and I have every confidence in your leadership and ability to look at the broader picture and the entire state when evaluating a legislation and priorities. [1:29:25] You truly are a good man, Mr. Speaker. [1:29:47] I wanna thank my husband, Kalen, my children, Tram, Peyton, Shelby, and Griffin, and now their spouses, Hannah, Yusuf, Jacob, and Maddie, for your patience in sharing me with 60,000 constituents in the House of Representatives. Any regrets that I ever have as a legislator are only for the times I didn't join you or our little grandchildren, Agnes, Felix, Annika, and Mina, or missed an event, a spring break, one year even a prom on crossover night, or all the other significant and mundane moments that life in elected office can get in the way of. [1:30:33] Thank you for standing by me. [1:30:52] So I'll leave you with a visual description. As you return in future sessions, consider in your mind's eye the sense of urgency experienced by the third monkey fighting his way up the ramp to Noah's Ark. And feeling the raindrops starting to fall. Fight like the third monkey as you work on legislation and the budget to make life better for our fellow Georgians. [1:31:29] And with that, Mr. Speaker and my fellow representatives, thank you for listening. God bless you, and I yield the well. [1:32:51] Madam Speaker, you aren't done yet. We have some more work to do. [1:32:56] That's right. [1:32:57] And I know you have some more work to do here. Family, Kalen, children, grandchildren, uh, I know how important you are to your mother and to all of this entire family. Thank you for the sacrifices y'all have made for her and she for you all, because I know that her time here, you've always been present in her mind as she's done her work here, how important you all are to her, and how important a next generation is to her as well. [1:33:29] So you're gonna have fun with them, I can tell already. You may be moving around a good bit. But Madam Speaker, you've left an indelible mark on this state, I truly believe. As a member of this house and as a Georgian, I wanna s- give you personal thanks for the hard work you've put in, the dedication to your family, to this family, to the family of 11 million people that we impact every day in session and out of session. [1:34:02] So thank you again for that sacrifice. [1:34:08] Thank you for what you've done to set, again, the bar very high for all of us. We will continue to try our best to measure up to the standard you've set. We wish you the very, very best. Enjoy life. Enjoy that family. We love you very much and appreciate you very, very much. Thank you for your service, and thank you for your friendship and your leadership. Let's give her another round. [1:34:59] Members, I'm going to, uh, let us stand at ease just for a few minutes as we, uh, I know some of you would like to, uh, thank Kaylyn and the family for their support for us and for Speaker Jones, and then take some photos with them in that South Annie Room as is our custom. So, we will stand at ease just for a few minutes. [1:47:18] For what purpose does Representative Chair... Well, actually, he's not chair, he's leader. Leader Efstration rise. [1:47:24] Make a motion. [1:47:25] State your motion, sir. [1:47:26] Mr. Speaker, I move that the House recommit SB 23, SB 29, and SB 587 back to Rules. [1:47:45] Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption? [1:47:53] Senate Bill 23 by Senator Albers to be entitled An Act to Amend Article 7 of Chapter 20 of the Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, The Public Retirement System Investment Authority Law. Senate Bill 446 by Senator Dixon of the 45th to be entitled An Act to Amend Chapter 2A of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Student Scholarship Organizations. SB 587 by Senator Still of the 48th to be entitled An Act to Amend Article 1 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the general provisions regarding offenses against public health and morals. [1:48:37] We've got to re- we've got to revisit that, Mr. Clerk, if we may. [1:48:49] We're going to, uh, retract that motion and the, um, reading of the captions. I'm gonna recognize Leader Efstration for a singular motion on one bill. [1:49:02] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Senate Bill 23 be recommitted to the Rules Committee. [1:49:08] Mr. Clerk, would you read the caption to, uh, Senate Bill 23? [1:49:14] Senate Bill 23 by Senator Albers, the 56th, to be entitled An Act to Amend Article 7 of Chapter 20 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, The Public Retirement Systems Investment Authority Law. [1:49:26] On the gentleman's motion that Senate Bill 23 be withdrawn from the calendar and recommitted to the Rules Committee. Is there objection? Hearing none, it's so ordered. [1:49:36] Majority Leader's recognized for a motion. [1:49:38] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Senate Bill 29 be recommitted to the Rules Committee. [1:49:43] Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption? [1:49:46] Senate Bill 29 by Senator Williams, the 25th, to be entitled An Act to Amend Article 6A of Chapter 3 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to N- DNA sampling. [1:50:00] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. On the gentleman's motion that Senate Bill 29 be withdrawn from the calendar and recommitted to the Rules Committee. Is there objection? Hearing none, it's so ordered. Leader's recognized for a motion. [1:50:12] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I move that Senate Bill 587 be recommitted to the Rules Committee. [1:50:17] Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption? [1:50:19] Senate Bill 587 by Senator Still of the 48th, to be entitled An Act to Amend Article 1 of Chapter 12 of Title 16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding offenses against public health and morals. [1:50:31] On the gentleman's motion that Senate Bill 587 be withdrawn from the calendar and recommitted to the Rules Committee. Is there objection? Hearing none, it's so ordered. Thank you, Mr. [1:52:28] Clerk. [1:52:29] Yes. [1:52:29] Members, if you'll come to the floor, we're going to, uh, take up a Rules Calendar. [1:53:07] Chair Lady Smith, are you ready for Senate Bill 478? She is. Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to Senate Bill 478? [1:53:35] Senate Bill 478 by Senator Watson of the 11th and others to be entitled an Act to Amend Chapter 6A of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to outdoors stewardship so as to provide for a sunset. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, that committee recommends that this bill do pass by committee substitute. [1:54:01] Chair Lady Lynn Smith is recognized to speak to Senate Bill 478 and make some explanation. Lady is recognized. [1:54:11] Thank you, Mr. Speaker and members of the House. This is a phenomenal bill that I'm presenting to you today. It has a wonderful history of conserving our state of Georgia with all of these projects and land that w- that we don't want to see used elsewhere. The concept began in the early '90s, 1990s, when I was Chair of the Natural Resources. In 2005, it was gaining strength with the idea. [1:54:41] The idea is to increase shares of existing sales and use tax revenue for sporting goo- goods around the state, and then to use it for conservation. The most recent way to look at this is it was, um, part of the, of the resources that used the state of Georgia to acquire some of the r- land around the Okefenokee. These issues have to be of regional impact. There's a trigger to lower the expenditures if the economy has a downturn. [1:55:15] But we are using this, and it's been very successful in protecting the natural resources of Georgia, and it's also been a resource for our Georgia citizens to enjoy different activities. To tell you how important it was to your citizens, it passed by 83% when it was a constitutional amendment. Mr. Speaker, stand for questions. [1:55:40] Lady has no questions. [1:55:41] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [1:55:44] We do have a s- speaker on the bill, Representative Wilkerson, recognized for up to 10 minutes. [1:55:54] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Um, today I rise in support of Senate Bill 478. You know, as I was coming here today, um, I had this really big meeting with all of our county folks about local stuff, and that doesn't, you know, matter as much, but we had a conversation and we talked about the great work that we do. And, and I saw 478. Um, the great thing about 478 that the chapter will remain in effect until 2039. [1:56:27] What that means is for the next 13 years, this will be very important for us. Um, and so I just wanna say that Senate Bill four thir- 478 that came through Natural Resource and Environment is a very important bill, and I'm appreciable of us doing this. So when I have my next meeting with our local folks about local activities that this legislature's gonna deal with, I'm gonna say that we do things like 478. And, and I honestly say that, um, you know, in the next eight minutes, I just wanna say that I thank this chamber for the work that we've done with stewardship, because outdoors, I know my friend likes to joke with me that as a gentleman farmer from Cobb County, but, you know, I'm not necessarily a farmer, uh, but we do own farmland. [1:57:17] And so when we go up to Illinois, where my wife's family's from, they do corn, wheat, and bean farmers, and, and, um, they do some really good work because it's in the out- you know, being in the outdoors, there's nothing like it. Um, and so, um, I just wanna say thank you to the Natural Resources Committee for this work. And, um, I will yield to any questions if there are any. Otherwise, I will look forward to voting positively in favor of Senate Bill 478, which I do believe cleared the Senate unanimously. [1:57:51] If it did not, I apologize for that, but I'm pretty sure it did. But, um, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I will yield the will. Thank you. [1:57:59] The gentleman yields the will. Thanks for your comments. Doing some great projects around our state with these, uh, resources. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to adopting the committee substitute? Hearing none, the committee substitute is adopted. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? [1:58:29] All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no. And the clerk will unlock the machine. [1:58:56] Have all members voted? For what purpose does Representative Wade rise? [1:59:02] Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker. [1:59:05] State your inquiry. [1:59:06] Mr. Speaker, I think you've got some family friends here today, and I think it is true. I was not here, so I need verification. [1:59:13] Is it not true that you, sir, were the person that led the effort on this legislation possibly a decade ago? [1:59:21] Well, I was a part of that team. Thank you for that. [1:59:24] Appreciate you doing that, sir. [1:59:25] Along with a, uh, dear friend and a champion for good fiscal policy in Georgia, Senator Jack Hill, who put some good metrics into that original bill that still have served us well today. Thank you for that. Have all members now voted? All members voted? If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of Senate Bill 478, the yays are 163, the nays are two. This bill having received requisite constitutional majority is therefore passed. [2:00:05] Mr. Clerk, will you read the caption to Senate Bill 146? [2:00:11] Senate Bill 146 by Senator Williams. The 25th and others amending Title, an act to amend Title 31, 36, and 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated relating to health, local government, and property respectively so as to provide regulations and protections of cemeteries and burial grounds. This bill having been referred to the Committee on Regulated Industries, that committee recommends that this bill do pass. [2:00:38] Representative Jesse Petrea [2:00:45] is recognized to present Senate Bill 146. 146. The gentleman is recognized. [2:01:01] The gentleman is recognized. [2:01:03] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ladies and gentlemen, this is SB 146 by Senator Rick Williams. Uh, as, uh, most of you are aware, a funeral director from middle Georgia. This bill is really a, uh, um, a measure that really, uh, improves the process for a multitude of issues that relate to cemeteries. And, uh, I'll tell you a little story. Uh, it was interesting to me. I called Rick a year ago to get advice on an issue where, uh, a, a cemetery from long in my ancestry, Mr. [2:01:39] Speaker, uh, Burke County, Georgia, uh, where many of my ancestors are, there was an old cemetery, uh, that had been a church and had long been abandoned, but the family still visited it. It was purchased by a private landowner, who then, uh, disallowed any family members to visit that location. And, uh, when I asked him about how we handle that, he said, "Guess what? I'm working on this. [2:02:10] I've actually had other individuals in the community which have similar situations, and I'm working on this." So my friends, here's what you have. In Section 1-2, you deal with disinterment permits, which are, uh, currently handled by the Department of, uh, Public Health. They will continue to be. What this measure does is simply, uh, improve the process and the process for including descendants to make this a, uh, a better process. It also re- uh, requires a court order, uh, authorizing disinterment. [2:02:45] So, uh, you'll see through the breadth of this bill, it's making this measure more, uh, uh, appropriate for the descendants and more respectful to cemeteries. In Section 1 through 4, you deal with disturbance permits by lo- local jurisdictions. It ensures that you have, uh, uh, public hearings and so forth and, uh, much along the lines of, uh, notice given to descendants of, uh, individuals in these cemeteries. [2:03:18] Section 2-1 im- im- improves the process of establishing private cemeteries on your private property. We have the ability to do that today. It's done usually through, uh, local jurisdictions. This creates some uniform minimum requirements to doing that. You'll see as you read through there, it requires a half acre, and of course, it has to be deeded for that purpose. Still allows that completely but creates a better path to do so. And then finally, in 3 Section, uh, 3-1, uh, it, it, it, it deals with the rights of descendants to access land. [2:03:54] Going back to the issue I addressed earlier with some family that I have in Burke County, this really addresses that issue I had called him about, where there's a process through your local superior court judge to ensure that family members and descendants are able to see their, their, uh, past family members in, uh, any cemetery in this state. Mr. Speaker, that's a, uh, quick summary of a very detailed bill. I'm glad to answer any questions. [2:04:26] Gentleman has no questions. [2:04:27] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield the well. [2:04:31] Gentleman has yielded the well. Is there any objection to the previous question being ordered? Hearing none, the previous question is ordered. Is there any objection to agreeing to the report of the committee, which was favorable to the passage of the bill? Hearing none, the report of the committee is agreed to. Shall this bill now pass? All in favor of the passage of the bill will vote yes. All those opposed will vote no, and the clerk will unlock the machine. [2:05:57] Have all members voted? All members have voted. If so, Mr. Clerk will lock the machine. On the passage of Senate Bill 146, the yays are 163, the nays are two. This bill having received the requisite constitutional majority are, is therefore passed. Members, we're gonna take a break for lunch, so this House will stand in recess. Is there any announcements? [2:06:20] No, sir. [2:06:21] No announcements. This House will stand in recess until 1:00 PM sharp. [2:06:27] Announcement. [2:06:27] Well, there is an announcement. Chairman Martin. [2:06:32] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sorry to slow everybody down, but we are going to have, ask the House Higher Education Committee to come down at recess for our, uh, committee picture. [2:06:41] 1:00 PM sharp. I'll be here early. House will stand in recess.