GERALD GREENE: State legislature kicks off 2024 session

The 157th Georgia General Assembly convened for the 2024 legislative session on Jan. 8, which marked the start of the second year of our biennial General Assembly.

With only 40 legislative days to accomplish the people’s business, my colleagues and I did not waste any time at the State Capitol this week. In addition to convening in the House Chamber each day of the first week, our House committees also began holding meetings to consider legislation that carried over from the 2023 legislative session, as well as new legislation that has been introduced. Also this week, many of my colleagues and I attended the Georgia Chamber’s annual Eggs & Issues legislative event, and Gov. Brian Kemp presented his annual State of the State address before a joint session of the House and Senate.

Before discussing his priorities for the session, the governor reflected on the progress our state has experienced since his last address. Over the past year, Georgia’s government has provided nearly $5 billion of direct relief to taxpayers in the form of tax refunds, gas tax suspensions and homestead tax exemptions. The governor applauded the state’s work to maintain a AAA bond rating, while simultaneously creating more than 171,000 new jobs and approximately $74.5 billion of investment over the past five years.

To build off this job growth and economic prosperity, the governor announced plans to speed up the implementation of the largest tax cut in state history. This proposed tax cut would decrease our state income tax to 5.39 percent starting this year and represent a savings of $3 billion for Georgia taxpayers over the next decade.

In his address, Gov. Kemp discussed his desire to prioritize school safety across the state. The governor remarked that since 2019, Georgia’s government has allotted $185 million to all Georgia schools to help ensure the highest level of safety. To build on that investment, the governor is proposing a permanent appropriation in the state budget for school security, including $104 million, specifically for school safety improvements.

Not only is school safety a primary issue for the governor, but public safety also remains a top priority. The governor emphasized the importance of supporting our law enforcement as the put their lives on the line every day to protect our own. Last year, the governor signed a budget that included a $6,000 pay raise for all state law enforcement officers, and this year, the governor intends to work with the General Assembly to once again provide a pay raise for state law enforcement officers. To that end, the governor announced his budget proposal includes a request for a $3,000 pay raise for State Patrol officers, as well as Georgia’s correctional officers and other state law enforcement agencies.

The governor also plans to continue efforts to combat human trafficking in Georgia. Under the leadership of First Lady Marty Kemp and the GRACE Commission, eight pieces of legislation that target traffickers, while also supporting victims, have been signed into law. These efforts have enabled Georgia’s GBI HEAT unit to investigate 369 cases of human trafficking since its creation.

The governor went on to outline his priorities surrounding health care, recapping the strides made to lower health care costs, expand access and incentivize more health care providers to give care. Since the passage of the Patients First Act in 2019, 87 percent of Georgia counties now have three or more health care insurance carriers, whereas before 2019, no Georgia county had more than two. To build on this achievement, the governor is proposing a total increase of $205 million for DBHDD and other entities that address mental health in our state. With these appropriations, Georgia will be spending $1.6 billion on mental health care — more than ever before.

Finally, Gov. Kemp discussed his plans to bolster retention and recruitment efforts across the state by proposing pay increases for all state employees and teachers. In his remarks, the governor highlighted the importance of maintaining an efficient state government while staying ahead of Georgia’s continued economic growth. Georgia’s state workers and teachers would see a 4 percent pay increase under the governor’s proposal. In addition to supporting Georgia’s current employees, the governor intends to allocate $500 million to shore up the state retiree fund, ensuring our state keeps its promise to our retirees and maintains solid financial footing.

In addition to hearing Gov. Kemp’s State of the State address on Thursday, the House voted to adopt an adjournment resolution, House Resolution 779, to set our calendar for this legislative session. Each session comprises 40 non-consecutive days, and this year’s calendar sets our final day of session as March 28.

Now that the 2024 legislative session has begun, I will spend most of my time over the next few months at the State Capitol. We have begun work on the state budget. Before leaving the Capitol for the weekend, my colleagues and I received the governor’s budget books, which include his budget recommendations for the amended and full fiscal year budgets. The Appropriations committees will continue to meet throughout next week to discuss budget requests from our state agency heads.

As our House committee meetings get under way throughout the session, interested persons can attend these meetings in person or watch live streams of all official House committee and subcommittee meetings on the House website. You can always find the meeting schedule and live streams at https://www.legis.ga.gov/schedule/house.

I welcome you to reach out to me with your thoughts and opinions on issues or policies as we move throughout the 2024 session. You can reach my Capitol office at (404) 656-9210, or you may email me directly at [email protected]. Thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative for House District 154.

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