Week Nine Under the Gold Dome
Following the conclusion of Crossover Day, which marked the final opportunity for Senate and House Bills to proceed through their respective chambers, the Senate is now dedicated to refining House bills as they advance through Senate committees. It has been a busy week in committees as we’ve deliberated legislation that seeks to amplify the voices of all Georgians.
Alongside the standing committees, we also dove back into Appropriations subcommittees to further discuss the budgetary needs of various state agencies. Through these presentations and discussions, we were able to revise, adjust, and approve spending to make sure that taxpayer dollars are allocated fairly and in line with legislative priorities. As we ended the week of Appropriation Subcommittees, the FY 2025 budget was passed by the House on Thursday. The budget, House Bill 916, is now under consideration by myself and my colleagues in the Senate. I am eager to get this budget passed through the Senate and for its signage by the Governor soon.
While we have spent most of our time vetting House legislation this week, I was proud to see my legislative priorities continue to move through the House Chamber: SB 377: A bill to provide for the licensing of qualified residential treatment programs and to revise the definition of “qualified residential treatment program” to conform to federal law.
SB 377 passed through the House and is now headed to Gov. Brian P. Kemp’s desk for signage into law.
On another note, this week saw the Georgia Senate exercise its subpoena powers to uncover crucial information pertaining to the allegations directed at Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The Georgia Senate took proactive measures to investigate these claims by summoning defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant to testify before the Senate Special Committee on Investigations, upon which I serve as a member. I have full confidence in the leadership of committee chairman, Sen. Bill Cowsert, and I am proud of the valuable information we were able to glean this week for the benefit of the people of Georgia. As a legislative body, we are committed to utilizing every available resource to uncover the truth.
As always, thank you for the honor of serving you in the Senate. If you have any questions about these or other pending matters, please do not hesitate to contact my office in Atlanta via 404-656-0089.
Sen. Blake Tillery serves as Chairman for the Senate Committee on Appropriations. He represents the 19th Senate District, which includes Appling, Bacon, Jeff Davis, Long, Montgomery, Telfair, Toombs, Wayne, and Wheeler counties and a portion of Coffee County. He can be reached by email at blake. tillery@senate.ga.gov
By Sen. Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia)
