This Week in the Senate January 11-14, 2021 The Senate Convenes in 2021 On Monday, January 11, 2021, the first session of the Georgia Senate 156th Georgia General Assembly officially began. While every session brings with it new faces, new Press Office Staff chairmen and new legislative priorities, we had a few Andrew Allison additional changes that made Senate proceedings Director look a little different this year. Specifically, Georgia, and the world as a whole, is continuing to grapple Kessarin Horvath with the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to mitigate Senior Communications Associate potential risks associated with the virus around our legislative session, General Assembly members and Kami Briden staff are being tested at the Capitol twice a week and Communications Associate a robust contact tracing program has been imple- mented when positive cases arise. Additionally, our Emma Johnson committee rooms have been socially distanced and members are required to wear Communications Associate masks while in the Senate Chamber or during committee hearings. Even with these new precautions in place, the Senate will not be deterred in carrying out the Cameren Rogers people’s work. 2021 Communications Aide This year, the Senate welcomed a total of eleven new members who will be ex- Maia Shulte periencing their first legislative session. They are: Senators Jason Anavitarte (R – 2021 Communications Aide Dallas), Michelle Au (D – Johns Creek), Max Burns (R – Sylvania), Clint Dixon (R – Gwinett), Russ Goodman (R – Cogdell), Sonya Halpern (D – Atlanta), Bo Sascha Stryker Hatchett (R – Cornelia), Billy Hickman (R – Statesboro), Kim Jackson (D – Stone 2021 Communications Aide Mountain), Sheila McNeill (R – Brunswick), and Nikki Merritt (D – Greyson). I congratulate and welcome each of my new colleagues on their selections to the Senate and I look forward to seeing all they will accomplish. On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp delivered his annual State of the State Address. His message was one of resilience and strength, even in the face of adversity. While the Edited by: COVID-19 pandemic has impacted economic activity across the state, we are on Steve Tippins, Chief of Staff track to bounce back and rebound stronger than ever. Specifically, no new budget Senate President Pro Tempore Office cuts will be necessary and Gov. Kemp has called for more than $647 million in the [email protected] Amended Fiscal Year 2021 budget for K-12 education, which will fully fund en- 321 State Capitol Building rollment growth. Gov. Kemp also elaborated on his plans for increased broadband 404.656.6578 internet access, an enhanced freight transportation network and expanding access 201 Coverdell Legislative Office Building to medical care. These proposals, and more, will be analyzed in more detail next 18 Capitol Square S.W. week when joint meetings of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees Atlanta, GA 30303 will convene to hear from the heads of Georgia’s departments and state agencies to p: 404.656.0028 determine their current budgetary needs, as well as what their projected finances will be in the next fiscal year. These hearings will provide us with the data we need in order to craft our AFY21 and FY22 budgets before we adjourn Sine Die. I look FOLLOW US forward to providing you with updates on the budget in the coming weeks. fb.com/GeorgiaStateSenate As we head into the rest of the session, please know that you can contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have. We are gearing up to tackle a wide variety of legislative proposals and would love to have your input as these bills begin to make their way through the legislative process. @gasenatepress Senator Butch Miller @gasenatepress President Pro Tempore, Georgia Senate GeorgiaStateSenate MONDAY, JANUARY 11 Senate Votes to Adopt Senate Rules for 2021-2022 General Assembly Senate Resolution 4, sponsored by Sen. Butch Miller (R – Gainesville), codifies the Senate rules for the 2021- 2022 Georgia General Assembly and discusses the new COVID-19 precautions put in place this session. SR 4 passed with a vote of 53 to 0. – SR 4 Sen. Butch Miller Elected President Pro Tempore of the Senate Sen. Butch Miller (R – Gainesville) was unanimously elected to serve as the Senate President Pro Tempore for the 156th Georgia General Assembly. This will be Sen. Miller’s third session as the President Pro Tempore, after having first been elected in 2018 for the second session of the 154th Georgia General Assembly. Former Senator and Current Georgia Supreme Court Justice Charles Bethel Swears in Senators Georgia Supreme Court Justice Charles Bethel administered the oath of office to all 56 senators elected to the 156th Georgia General Assembly. Of the 56, 11 were newly elected senators. TUESDAY, JANUARY 12 Senate Adopts Adjournment Resolution House Resolution 10, carried by Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega), outlines legislative days one through five for the 2021 legislative session. The schedule is as follows: January 11th, legislative day 1; January 12th, legislative day 2; January 13th, legislative day 3; January 14th, legislative day 4; January 26th, legislative day 5. – HR 10 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13 2021 Session Committee Assignments Announced Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan and the Senate Committee on Assignments announced the 2021 Senate Committee assign- ments. For a full list of committee assignments, please visit: https://www.legis.ga.gov/committees/senate THURSDAY, JANUARY 14 Governor Kemp Delivers the State of the State Address Governor Brian P. Kemp delivered his third annual State of the State address in which he highlighted his prior- ities for the 2021 Legislative Session and reflected on the challenges that 2020 brought to the state of Georgia. He began by discussing the impact of COVID-19 on the state, thanking healthcare workers for their sacrifices in keeping Georgians safe and discussing Operation Warp Speed’s goals to increase the rate of vaccinations. Additionally, he discussed several priorities for the upcoming legislative year. This includes a stress on funding education, restoring $647 million to local school systems and giving teachers and employees a one-time $1,000 bonus, as well as increased spending on rural broadband access and healthcare, such as $329 million for Medic- aid and $76 million for Georgia Pathways and Access. You can watch the full address here: https://livestream. com/accounts/25225474/events/8824297/videos/216035151 Budget hearings will be held on TUESDAY, JANUARY 19 - FRIDAY, JANUARY 22 in Room 341 of the Georgia State Capitol. You can watch online here: https://livestream.com/accounts/25225474/events/8824293 The Georgia Senate will reconvene at 10:00 a.m. on TUESDAY, JANUARY 26..