Week five of the Legislative Session proved to be my busiest to date. I dropped two pieces of legislation this week.

My first bill, Senate Bill 95, relates to local governments and to change the terms for utility contracts. Under the current law, municipalities cannot negotiate contracts longer than 10 years. My bill would allow them to negotiate contracts up to 20 years. Not only will this directly affect The Ray, a solar project in West Point, but it lays the groundwork for rural broadband expansion and renewable energy sources throughout District 29 as municipalities seek to work with contractors.

My second bill, Senate Bill 96, deals with the erection and maintenance of whistle posts by railroad companies at private grade crossings. Railroad crossings are a public safety concern and with the expansion of the Savannah Port and rail shipping in Georgia, making public and private rail crossings safer must be a priority.

Senate Bill 16 - Interstate Medical

Licensure Compact

We passed Senate Bill 16 on Monday, which would make Georgia part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. States that participate in the Compact are able to share information regarding doctors’ disciplinary records and background checks, allowing for an expedited licensure process when moving to another Compact participating state. This is great news in terms of our efforts to combat doctor shortages in Georgia, especially within rural counties. And with more doctors, we can grow our telemedicine industry, which will make healthcare more accessible to rural Georgians by allowing them to video-chat with a doctor rather than traveling miles to a hospital.
Senate Bill 38 - Filing Fees

On Wednesday, we passed Senate Bill 38, which would prohibit a clerk or electronic filing service manager from charging a fee for the filing of a leave of absence of conflict notice in a superior or state court. It would also prohibit those same entities from charging a fee to the state, its agents or political subdivisions for the filing of superior and state court documents. Clerks and filing services would be able to recover the cost of the fees from available grant money. Additionally, there is a provision within the bill that would allow clerks to assign a separate case number and require that a separate case entry be given for post-judgement proceedings 30 days post-dismissal or judgment.
Public Safety

As always, it was great welcome Georgia's Fraternal Order of Police President, Jamie Stienberg, to the Capitol last week. It was a pleasure to bring him to the floor with Senator Tyler Harper to meet Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan.

Senate Bill 6 - Contraband

This first bill passed on Thursday is both important to my values and those of my constituents. Senate Bill 6 addresses a very real problem within our incarceration facilities - the issue of contraband.

Contraband is any outside item that an inmate is prohibited from having in their possession, which includes items like cell phones, weapons or drugs. SB 6 would make it a criminal offense to use a drone to transport contraband over a state prison or jail. It would also make it a criminal offense to use the drone to record or photograph inmates without permission from officials. As a former law enforcement officer, I know the threat posed by the prevalence of contraband within our jails and prisons. According to the Georgia Department of Corrections, in 2016 officers seized 22,326 cell phones from all 67 Georgia correctional facilities. If there are this many cell phones brought into jails and prisons as contraband, just imagine the amount of dangerous drugs and weapons that prisoners are able to bring into the facilities. I was happy to see this bill passed unanimously by the Senate, and I hope it will move swiftly through the House so we can quickly tackle this issue.

The Osborne's Farewell Tour

On Thursday, we said "See ya later!" to Theresa's sister, Caroline, her husband, Oakie, and our niece and nephew, Skye and Cinco. The Osborne's are being stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. We are grateful for their service to our Nation! It was hard to see them go, but welcoming them to the Capitol was a real treat. Skye was especially excited to see "Pete" at work and get one of Senator Steve Gooch's Valentines treats. Our prayers and gratitude are with Oakie and Caroline and their family!
Voters Rights Caucus Welcomes SOS Brad Raffensperger

Secretary of State Brad Raffesperger met with the Voters Rights Caucus last week to answer questions and go over options for new voter machines in Georgia. It was a packed room and a lot of information to take in over the course of the hour we had with our SOS. I was honored to be promoted from 3rd Vice Chair to Co-Chair with Representative Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus).
Blake Spratlin - Meriwether County

Theresa and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Blake Spratlin in Meriwether County early last week. Blake was a student at Flint River Academy where he played football. Our newsfeed was filled with the grief of our friends and neighbors. We send our heartfelt prayers and love to the Spratlin family, as well as Flint River Academy.
UnPlanned

On Tuesday, we were invited to a private screening of a new film set to premiere in March. UnPlanned is the true story of Abby Johnson, a young woman who went from working for the nation’s largest abortion provider to becoming an outspoken pro-life activist. The production team, as well as some of the film's stars, joined us for the screening. They were recently told the film would be rated R because of the ultrasound footage of a baby being murdered.

UnPlanned was one of the most profound and moving experiences Theresa and I have experienced. Our hope and prayer is that millions will watch and hearts will be changed.

Celebrating KIA!

We are so glad that Kia Motors Manufacturing of Georgia in West Point is in District 29! We want to celebrate the launch of the Kia Telluride. The Kia facility in West Point opened almost 10 years ago and has produced over 2,000,000 vehicles! Last week marked the first time a Kia vehicle has been designed in the U.S. for the U.S. market and manufactured exclusively in the US. Congratulations to the 3,000 hard working Georgians who make the Telluride, joining the Sorento and Optima rolling off the line in West Point. If you haven't seen the commercial below, you are missing out!

Capitol Visitors

Visits from folks at home is truly the highlight of each day! Please come visit and make sure you let us know you are coming.

Interstate 14

Frank Lumpkin stopped by the Capitol last week to continue to promote and advocate for Interstate 14. I was so pleased to introduce Frank to the Lt. Governor and claim him as one of District 29's blossoming young visionaries.

The President's Theatre - Manchester, Georgia

It was an honor to be at the Re-Opening of the President's Theater in Manchester on Saturday evening. Our community owes a debt of gratitude to Joan Caldwell and her team. This is the beginning of something big in Meriwether County! Theresa is also thrilled to share that she will be on the Inaugural Executive Board. She is so excited to help grow the vision and share the story of the President's Theater.

Valentine's Day!

The Legislative Session doesn't slow down, even for Valentine's Day. Legislative Spouses are treated to a special lunch (mainly to help keep the elected spouses out of trouble). But, I still wanted to spend a special evening with my Valentine. Waffle House was pretty special! We went A L L out and celebrated with one of our favorite meals.