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This Week in the Senate

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This Week in the Senate This Week in the Senate February 1 - 5 , 2021 Senate Holds First Votes of the Georgia Senate Session This week, the Senate successfully completed legis- Press Office Staff lative days nine through twelve. While the last few weeks laid the groundwork for the rest of session, Andrew Allison rubber has finally started to meet the road. Commit- Director tees have settled into the routine of holding hearings and passing legislation, and our Appropriations sub- Kessarin Horvath committees finalized their recommendations for our Communications Specialist amended budget. The Senate also passed its first four pieces of legislation this week, but we have dozens Kami Briden more on the horizon, and the legislative machine Senior Communications Associate shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Cameren Rogers On Monday, the Senate approved Senate Bill 6, sponsored by Sen. John Albers (R 2021 Communications Aide – Roswell), which would allow the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Committee and Ways and Means to request an analysis of up to five Maia Schulte tax credits to determine their return on investment to the state. While many of our 2021 Communications Aide tax credits are important tools for generating economic activity state-wide, we need to guard against wasteful spending on unproductive tax credits. I am happy to say Sascha Stryker that this bill passed unanimously and has been sent to the House for consideration. 2021 Communications Aide As you know, during a typical legislation, we have the opportunity to invite special guests from across the state to the Capitol to be formally recognized for their con- tributions to Georgia. COVID-19 safety protocols have made that impossible this year, but we still found some time on Tuesday to show our appreciation for some Edited by: of our state’s most selfless citizens. Senate Resolution 6 was read and adopted on Steve Tippins, Chief of Staff Tuesday, which honors Firefighters Recognition Day at the state Capitol. This day, Senate President Pro Tempore Office and every day, we appreciate the fine work of our firefighters and everyone involved [email protected] in the public safety community. I hope that we will be able to thank you in person 321 State Capitol Building next year. 404.656.6578 201 Coverdell Legislative Office Building While we were kept busy passing bills and resolutions in the Senate Chamber, the 18 Capitol Square S.W. most significant action of the week occurred in the Senate Appropriations Com- Atlanta, GA 30303 mittee. After weeks of studying the Amended Budget for the remainder of the p: 404.656.0028 2021 Fiscal Year and hearing the financial needs from our state agencies, the Senate Appropriations Committee successfully passed the AFY21 budget out of commit- tee. This budget was the culmination of weeks of careful, deliberate planning and would not have been possible without the hard work of Chairman Blake Tillery (R – Vidalia) and the countless hours put in by the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office. The AFY21 budget’s final hurdle will be receiving a vote on the floor of the FOLLOW US Senate and then, after ironing out a few final discrepancies between the Senate and House versions of the bill, on to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. fb.com/GeorgiaStateSenate Next week, along with the AFY21 budget, we look to pass numerous other bills and resolutions here in the Senate. With a constitutional limit of 40 legislative days, only 28 now remain to finish our business here under the Gold Dome. If you ever @gasenatepress have any questions, comments or concerns about any of the pieces of legislation currently under consideration by the General Assembly, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office. @gasenatepress Senator Butch Miller GeorgiaStateSenate President Pro Tempore, Georgia Senate MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 The Tax Credit Return on Investment Act of 2021 Sen. John Albers (R – Roswell) sponsored Senate Bill 6, which would allow the chairpersons of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee to request up to five economic analyses each of a particular tax credit. SB 6 outlines the information to be inlcuded in these analyses and would require them to be conducted by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, who may have them independently contracted. SB 6 passed with a vote of 51 to 0. – SB 6 Creating the Columbia Judicial Circuit Senate Bill 9, sponsored by Sen. Lee Anderson (R – Grovetown), would create a new judicial circuit for the state of Georgia, to be known as the Columbia Judicial Circuit. SB 9 would establish the framework for the new Circuit and clarifies that it will be housed in Columbia County. SB 9 passed with a vote of 51 to 0. – SB 9 Appointing Matthew Mashburn to State Election Board Sen. Bill Cowsert (R – Athens) sponsored Senate Resolution 30, which would appoint Matthew Mashburn to the State Election Board. SR 30 passed with a vote of 49 to 1. – SR 30 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 Senate Celebrates Firefighters Recognition Day Sen. John Albers (R – Roswell) sponsored Senate Resolution 47, acknowledging February 2, 2021, as Firefighters Rec- ognition Day at the state Capitol. The resolution honored and commended the over 30,000 brave men and women who compose Georgia’s fire departments for their service, dedication and sacrifice. – SR 47 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 Committees Continue to Meet Senate committees continued to hold meetings, many for the first time this session. A full list of the committee meetings schedule can be viewed here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/schedule/senate. To view livestreams of previous committee meetings, you can view our video archive here: https://livestream.com/accounts/26021522. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 Revising the Child Advocate Advisory Committee Senate Bill 20, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Payne (R – Dalton), would add three positions to the Child Advocate Advisory Committee. These postions must include a current or former foster parent, one former foster child and one individual that has served at least three years as a court appointed special advocate. These positions would be appointed by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House, re- spectively. SB 20 passed with a vote of 48 to 0. – SB 20 The Georgia Senate will reconvene at 10:00 a.m. on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8..
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