At 11:59 p.m. on April 2, the State Senate adjourned Sine Die. This was my eighth session as a member of the Senate. I appreciate the opportunity that you have given me to represent the most scenic district in our state and I appreciate God blessing me with the health and good fortune to be present for every one of those 320 days over the past eight years. I would like to highlight some of the legislation that passed the House and Senate this year.
A “great year” for education
It was a great year for education in Georgia. After more than 30 years of partial funding, QBE was fully funded for the second year in a row. On July 1 every teacher in Georgia will receive a $3000.00 pay raise. State employees will also receive a 2% pay raise during the upcoming year. The safety of our young people is our number 1 priority. To this end, we allocated $30,000.00 to each school in Georgia to improve school safety and protect our students. House Bill 83 is a bill that will be popular with students. It requires 30 minutes of recess each day for students in grades kindergarten through the 5th grade. Students across our state need time to be outside, away from a structured learning environment.
Heartbeat bill
Georgia is a state that values the sanctity of life for all our citizens, young and old. I am pleased to report that House Bill 481, a bill that will ban abortions after a heartbeat is detected passed the House and Senate and has gone to the Governor for his signature. I believe we have a responsibilty to protect those who are not yet capable of protecting themselves. This is one of the strongest pro-life measures in America and I am proud to support it.
Historical monuments
We also passed legislation that will protect all historical monuments in our state. Our state has a great heritage and we should protect all of our history for all of our citizens. Also, House Bill 316 will bring our state to the forefront of election technology. Voters will pick their candidates on touchscreens, which are attached to printers that would print ballots for voters to review for accuracy. Then the voter will insert the ballot into a separate scanning machine for tabulation. The right for all of our citizens to vote and not have their ballot cancelled out by someone who votes illegally is a basic pillar of our democracy and is protected by this new law.
These are just a few of the session highlights. My contact information is listed below. I appreciate the opportunity to serve and encourage you to contact me when you have questions, concerns, or if I can provide assistance.
About the author: Sen. John Wilkinson serves as Chairman of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee and also as Caucus Secretary to the Majority Party. He represents the 50th Senate District which includes Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and Towns counties and portions of Hall and Jackson counties. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at [email protected].
