Pace of Session Heats Up
The pace of session has picked up drastically as we continue to do the people’s business. We have now completed day 20 and are half-way through the 2017 legislation session.
The Senate is halfway to fulfilling our annual constitutional requirement to pass a balanced budget with the unanimous passage of House Bill 43, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 amended budget, on Tuesday. We agreed to the House substitute and the compromises made between the two chambers.
Governor Nathan Deal signed HB 43 into law on Thursday and we will now begin work on House Bill 44, the FY 2018 general budget.
Supporting businesses, big and small, is a top priority for me each year. Friday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 2, “The FAST Act – Fairness, Accountability, Simplification, and Transparency – Empowering Our Small Businesses to Succeed.” This pro-business, pro-job creation legislation will reduce the regulatory burdens placed on Georgia’s small businesses, while simplifying the licensing processes and eliminating nuisance taxes.
Our small businesses employ millions of people throughout the state and it’s important that we don’t hold them back from success with redundant bureaucratic practices. I’m proud of the work we have done on the FAST Act as we continue to look at avenues to remove pointless constraints for our greatest drivers of job creation.
In July 2016, a Georgia Court of Appeals Judge ruled that the practice of taking a photo or video of someone’s intimate parts under or through their clothing without their consent, commonly referred to as “upskirting,” was legal in our state due to a technicality in Georgia law. To remedy this, the Senate passed SB 45 on Wednesday. This legislation criminalizes the act of “upskirting” and makes it clear any person who commits an act of this nature is breaking the law and will face conviction. I am happy we were able to pass an important piece of legislation that closes a loophole and guarantees all Georgians’ right to privacy.
The Port of Savannah is a huge economic driver in Georgia. In fact, it is the fourth largest shipping port in the United States, which means we have millions of cargo containers being moved through and around our state. Often these containers are moved by semi-trucks, which are known to cause irreparable damage to our state’s roads and highways.
In an effort to improve our Port’s efficiency and lessen the damage to our roads, the Senate passed the “Georgia Right Track Act,” a bill sponsored by Sen. David Shafer (R – Duluth). This bill would provide for state investments in railways, railroad facilities and all necessary equipment.
It also enables the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation to oversee a Georgia Freight Railroad Program. These investments and program will enhance Georgia’s transportation system and ensure that it remains safe.
If there is anything I can ever do for you, or if you have any questions or concerns regarding pending legislation, please reach out to me. I look forward to talking with you!