The Georgia Senate is getting things rolling
It’s only week three of the 2017 legislative session, but your Senators have gotten right back to work after a week of budget hearings. Over 70 pieces of brandnew legislation have been introduced and all have been assigned to their appropriate committees.
Also this week, several committees adopted their rules in preparation to begin their important work in the legislative process. After a proposed bill has been read to the Senate, it is then assigned to a committee by the President of the Senate. The committee then vets and discusses the bill, and then gives a suggestion to the Senate: “Do Pass,” “Do Pass with Amendment,” “Do Pass with Substitute” or “Do Not Pass.” It is then up to the entire to Senate to agree or disagree with the committee’s suggestion.
While committees deliberate the bills that the President of the Senate has assigned to them, the full Senate body continues to adopt new resolutions every legislative day. For example, Senate Resolution 17 recognized Miss Georgia USA 2017, DeAnna Johnson, from Hazlehurst. On top of her pageantry, she is also a student at East Georgia State College and she placed in the top 10 of NBC’s “The Voice.”
On Wednesday, Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court P. Harris Hines spoke to a joint session of the Georgia Senate and House of Representatives for his annual State of the Judiciary address. In it, he outlined his plans for his branch of the government for this year. Justice Hines addressed the amount of people on probation in Georgia. Our state has the highest probation rate in the nation, most of whom are lowrisk, non-violent offenders. To combat this problem, he proposes moving these lowrisk offenders off the probation list once they have completed the necessary period of supervision. It was also recommended that 140 probation officers become free in the next five years to concentrate on high-level offenders. This process will eventually lead to a savings of more than $7 million.
I am honored that you have put your trust in me and I will always put your best interests at the forefront of my decision making while here at the Capitol. Please feel free to contact my office at any time to talk about pending legislation or address other concerns in our district – my door and phone lines are always open!