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Georgia Legislative Update – January 19, 2023

By Edward H. Lindsey Jr.
January 19, 2023
  • Dentons 50
  • Georgia
  • Local Government Solutions
  • General
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The Georgia General Assembly kicked off a new legislative session last week. As the first year of the ’23-’24 legislature, Senators and Representatives were sworn in and elected new leadership in both chambers. Governor Kemp and the other constitutional officers were sworn in on Thursday during a large joint session in Georgia State University’s new Convocation Center. With all parties ready for business, the Gold Dome began working in earnest this week focused on the state budget.

Jon Burns Elected Speaker

The Georgia House of Representative unanimously elected Jon Burns, longtime legislator from Effingham, to be the chamber’s next Speaker. Burns replaces Jan Jones who was elevated to the position temporarily after the resignation and ultimate passing of the late David Ralston. For years, Speaker Ralston was one of the state’s most powerful figures often keeping state Republicans aligned with the business community and brokering important bipartisan legislative accomplishments. Ralston was well respected and Burns has said he hopes to follow in his footsteps and govern with a similar philosophy.

Speaker Burns is a conservative legislator, but won the Republican Caucus’s nomination for Speaker over Rep. Barry Fleming of Harlem, Georgia, a much more controversial and insurgent figure in the party. Burns will likely lead the chamber with more of an emphasis on consensus than other segments of the party would prefer.

Burns is a part of a totally new slate of leadership in Georgia’s legislative chambers including Lt. Governor Burt Jones and Senate Pro-Tempore John Kennedy. With new leadership in both chambers and a commanding mandate from voters in November, Governor Kemp will likely have more influence than any legislative session under his governorship so far.

Governor Kemp’s Inauguration

Governor Kemp was inaugurated on Thursday to his second term in office alongside the state’s other constitutional officers including newly-elected Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, and Insurance Commissioner John King. King received a standing ovation when Governor Kemp pointed out that he became the first Hispanic official to be elected to a statewide office in Georgia.

In his inaugural address, Jones spoke about “small town values” helping motivate the next chapter in the “Georgia success story.”

Governor Kemp said he would spend the next four years focused on making life better for everyday Georgians instead of “pie in the sky” ideas. Instead of introducing a major policy proposal, Kemp spoke about safe streets, good jobs, and good schools. The governor talked about his work to support the electric mobility industry in Georgia and previewed his future work to build on the major announcements from Hyundai, Rivian, QCells, and others.

Governor Kemp also debuted a more national tone deriding leadership in Washington and what he called “the pundit class.” After two emphatic victories in close elections, many have wondered if Governor Kemp might harbor national aspirations.

Senate Committee Chairs

Lt. Governor Burt Jones announced the Senate’s committee chairs for the upcoming session. Senator Matt Brass of Newnan received a coveted position as Chair of the Rules Committee, the committee responsible for deciding which bills will be debated on the Senate Floor. Brass takes over the chairmanship following longtime Rules Chair Jeff Mullis’s departure. Senator Brandon Beach of Alpharetta received a prominent chairmanship as well and will preside over the Economic Development and Tourism Committee.

Below are the Senate Committee Chairs for this session:

Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee
Sen. Russ Goodman, R-Homerville

Banking and Financial Institutions Committee
Sen. Carden Summers, R-Cordele

Children and Families Committee
Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, R-Marietta*

Economic Development and Tourism Committee
Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta

Education and Youth Committee
Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Buford

Higher Education Committee
Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro

Insurance and Labor
Sen. Larry Walker, R-Perry

Interstate Cooperation Committee
Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton

Natural Resources and the Environment Committee
Sen. Lee Anderson, R-Grovetown

Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee
Sen. Shelly Echols, R-Alto

Retirement Committee
Sen. Rick Williams, R-Milledgeville

Rules Committee
Sen. Matt Brass, R-Newnan

Science and Technology Committee
Sen. Chuck Payne, R-Dalton

State and Local Governmental Operations Committee
Sen. Frank Ginn, R-Danielsville

Transportation Committee
Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming

Urban Affairs Committee
Sen. Donzella James, D-Atlanta

Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committee
Sen. Mike Dugan, R-Carrollton

*Newly created

Legislative Priorities for 2023 Session

Governor Kemp has indicated that his agenda for this session will be focused on “kitchen table issues” like tax rebates and a large one-time property tax relief payment for Georgians. Additionally, the governor will push for increased pay for public service professionals to make their jobs more competitive in the post-Covid labor market.

There have been discussions about changing the rates for Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services in Georgia to address the massive worker shortage in that industry. These discussions will likely follow up on the proposals crafted during a study committee on the issue that has been hard at work over the last year.

Lastly, there will be some conversation about legalizing sports betting in Georgia after Governor Kemp announced tepid support for the idea during his last campaign.

The Governor’s agenda will be more thoroughly laid out in his State of the State Speech before the General Assembly next Wednesday, January 25th.  Stay tuned. 

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Edward H. Lindsey Jr.

About Edward H. Lindsey Jr.

Edward Lindsey is a partner in Dentons' Public Policy practice and serves as the head of the Firm's Georgia State Government Affairs team. His focus is on advancing the public policy interests and objectives of clients in the transportation, infrastructure, health care and education sectors.

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