By: Sen. Mike Dugan (R – Carrollton)

Much progress was made during a busy fourth week of the 2023 Georgia Legislative Session. The Georgia Senate continued to assign newly introduced bills to committees and several of those committees met to begin hearing legislation and public testimony throughout days 9-12 of session.

The State House had a productive week, passing House Bill 18, known as the Amended Budget for the 2023 Fiscal Year (AFY23), out of the House. This budget totals about $36 billion and, specifically, includes several of Gov. Brian Kemp’s budgetary priorities. Notably, it includes $1 billion to reimburse Georgia’s property owners for property taxes, as well as $28 million for school safety improvements. HB 18 has been sent to the Senate for consideration. Senate Appropriations Subcommittees will begin meeting on Tuesday of next week to further analyze the budget before it is sent on to the full Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration. I am honored to be serving on the Appropriations Subcommittees on Criminal Justice and Public Safety in addition to Health and Human Development.

On Tuesday, the State Senate welcomed KIA Motors to the State Capitol. My colleague, Sen. Randy Robertson (R – Cataula) sponsored Senate Resolution 54, which recognized January 31, 2023 as “Kia Day” at the State Capitol, The Georgia Senate invited KIA Motors leadership to commemorate the occasion on the Senate floor. KIA Motors’ commitment to bringing economic development to our state has resulted in a flourishing industry that provides ample support to Georgia’s growing economy. Located in West Point Georgia, KIA’s manufacturing plant has assembled over 4,000,000 vehicles and brought almost 3,000 jobs to our state. Thanks to companies like KIA, Georgia is a leader of change in the global automotive industry. We appreciate companies both large and small who continue to push Georgia forward as the best state in the nation to conduct business.

We also passed the first of many bills of the 2023 Legislative Session on Wednesday. Senate Bill 11, also known as the “Georgia Fights Terrorism Act” sponsored by Senator John Albers (R – Roswell) expands the jurisdiction of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as it relates to cases of terrorism. SB 11 passed by substitute with a bipartisan vote of 49-3. I applaud this legislative body continuing to pave the way for public safety in Georgia as this sector of policy is of the utmost importance. I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation with Sen. Albers and I look forward to providing you with updates as this legislation progresses through the State House.

In addition, I introduced Senate Resolution 80 to honor the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. This agreement represented a landmark breakthrough that provided Ireland with a political framework to address its future and SR 80 commends this framework for lasting peace in Northern Ireland. The Irish culture is near to my heart, and I appreciate the Georgia Senate body for honoring this important milestone in the effort of diplomatic support. SR 80 was read and adopted on February 2, 2023 before the Georgia Senate body.

As we look to the legislative days 13-16 of the 2023 Georgia Legislative session I assure you that we are keeping the interest of Georgia’s citizens in mind through each decision that is made. I look forward to working with my colleagues as this session progresses through the coming weeks. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about matters relating to the Georgia Senate, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office.