Tillery: A Strong End to the 2025 Legislative Session

The 2025 Legislative Session has officially come to a close. Let me be clear: Senate Republicans fought daily to protect your freedoms, defend your wallets and invest in the values that make our communities strong.

Our biggest achievement was the passage of House Bill 68, the balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026. On Friday, the General Assembly met its constitutional duty by sending Governor Brian Kemp this historic budget.

We are fully funding the Georgia Promise Scholarship, expanding school choice initiatives so all families can do what is best for their kids. We are also spending taxpayer dollars wisely by using cash, rather than bonds, to pay for our initiatives, resulting in no additional debt. HB 68 further includes investments in gang prosecution, human trafficking units, and law and order in our state prisons to improve safeguards for our communities. This budget is more than a spending document. It’s a roadmap of Republican priorities.

This year, Senate Republicans advanced key priorities to benefit every hardworking Georgian. Through HB 112, we secured tax rebates of up to $500 for Georgia families. HB 111 reduces the income tax rate, letting you keep more of what you earn. With SB 1 and SB 17, we defended female athletes and protected our students. With SB 68 and SB 69, we passed longoverdue reforms to rein in abusive lawsuits targeting our job creators. And when disaster struck, the General Assembly passed over $100 million in aid for those affected by Hurricane Helene.

Other legislation of note includes: HB 268 – “Ricky and Alyssa’s Law” mandates panic alert systems in schools, ensures campus mapping data is available to first responders, and creates real consequences for threats against students, teachers, and school personnel. It also holds juveniles accountable when they commit acts of violence and supports mental health programs, suicide prevention and youth violence reduction.

Senate Bill 1 – Named after a courageous advocate for women’s sports, the “Riley Gaines Act” ensures biological males cannot compete in female divisions. It mandates separate locker rooms, changing areas, and overnight accommodations, because safety and fairness should never be sacrificed for woke politics.

HB 511 – Encourages responsible storm preparation by providing tax incentives for catastrophe savings accounts.

SR 237 – Pushes for stronger teacher pipelines, better training and real mentorship.

HB 150 – The Combating Threats from China Act brings transparency to foreign influence in our universities because no hostile government should ever have access to our classrooms.

HB 371 – Increases capital funding for schools, bringing Georgia’s playgrounds up to modern accessibility standards. Every child deserves the chance to play and learn safely.

SB 259 – “Ridge’s Law” allows families to obtain second opinions when child abuse is alleged, a crucial check against unjust state interference.

HB 582 – The Georgia Survivor Justice Act gives victims of domestic violence a voice in court when they act in selfdefense. Survivors deserve to be supported when they take a stand against abuse.

HB 266 – Eliminates state taxes on military retirement income and incentivizes donations to law enforcement foundations.

I carried HB 199,

protecting our judges’ addresses and phone numbers. The integrity of our courts depends on our judiciary’s ability to make independent decisions, especially in an era when private information is weaponized online to pressure public officials.

The 2025 Session may be over, but my service to Senate District 19 continues year-round. Whether it’s legislation, budget priorities or constituent needs, I’m here to serve you. Let’s keep Georgia strong, safe and free.

Sen. Blake Tillery serves as Chairman of 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, as well as a portion of Coffee County. He can be reached at 404.656.5038 or by email at Blake.Tillery@senate.ga.gov.