by Sen. Mike Dugan (R – Carrollton)

Another week has come and gone here at the Capitol and your legislators have been staying busy at work. The conclusion of this week marks 22 legislative days under the Gold Dome. We have been vetting legislation in committee meetings and on the Senate floor, several of which passing with an overwhelming amount of bipartisan support. In addition to the legislation brought before us, many members of our district have come to the Capitol for a visit. I always enjoy seeing members of our community in Atlanta and want to thank you all for stopping by. I encourage anyone that finds themselves near the Capitol, whether with a group or individually, to come see me, I would love to speak with you.

One visitor in particular came by to be presented with a Senate Resolution. On Wednesday, Doctor Tee Reeve of Carrollton stopped by the Senate chamber in honor of Georgia Stop the Bleed Day at the state Capitol. Georgia Stop the Bleed Day was recognized with SR 689, bringing awareness to citizens on how they can be life-savers by suppressing excessive bleeding before emergency responders arrive on the scene. Professionals trained in trauma procedures, including Dr. Reeve, visited the state Capitol to provide training to legislators, staff and citizens on how to handle situations with excessive bleeding.

In addition to the many visitors at the Capitol, 20 bills were heard on the Senate Floor this week. On Tuesday, we passed SB 17, also known as the “brunch bill.” This bill would allow local governments to decide whether or not they will allow local businesses to sell alcohol starting at 11a.m. on Sundays. This bill leaves the final say in the hands of local authorities to decide what is best for their communities and the citizens and businesses that it comprises.

On Wednesday, the Senate passed four bills that were products of the Compensation of Police and Sheriffs (COPS) Task Force that met throughout the interim. This Task Force included state legislators, leaders and law enforcement agencies that looked at studies addressing compensation, benefits and retention rates of law enforcement agencies across county and state lines.

SB 366 will require cities and counties to perform annual wage studies and report their findings to the Department of Community Affairs, where they will provide a guidance pay scale to help keep local law enforcement officers from leaving their communities to join another agency with competitive wages.

SB 367 will expand the indemnification payment to include an estate. Currently, if an officer is killed in the line of duty, their spouse will receive a payment from the state. This bill would allow family members to receive a payment if the officer was not married.

SB 368 will provide technical support to law enforcement agencies from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. This support will include training and equipment that will help these agencies keep themselves and our citizens as safe as possible.

Lastly, SB 369 will allow $5 of every pre-trial diversion fee to go towards the Peace Officers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund. All of these bills passed with bipartisan support and are steps in the right direction to help ensure that the men and women that keep our communities safe are being provided the wages and resources they need and deserve.

Also this week, the Senate passed the amended FY2018 budget. This is a huge task for our government to ensure that we are funding areas that need the most attention and using taxpayers’ dollars wisely.

Again, I want to thank everyone that stopped by the Capitol for a visit these past few weeks. I always enjoy and appreciate seeing you all and encourage anyone that has the opportunity to visit to do so. If I can ever be of any assistance to you, please contact my office. Thank you for allowing me to serve district 30, I will continue to work hard, making sure that I am keeping your best interest in mind.