Thursday, March 29th, the Georgia General Assembly adjourned Sine Die. Of the hundreds of bills that were heard in committee, altered by the House or the Senate and passed on the floor, we worked hard to finalize pieces of legislation that would have the greatest impact on the citizens of Georgia. Many of the bills that I supported moving through the legislature made their way to the governor’s desk, and there are a few I want to point out.

Some of our most important pieces of legislation received final passage on day 40. As mentioned before, House Bill 684, or the proposed 2019 Fiscal Year Budget, has been a work in the making throughout our time under the Gold Dome. The House and Senate had differing viewpoints on some of the allocations of the funds, however its final passage through the General Assembly included the fully funded Quality Basic Education formula. This was a bipartisan effort in both chambers and I want to applaud our leadership for allocating this money to provide our students with as many educational opportunities as possible and set them up for future success.

Another major bill that received final passage last week is House Bill 673, or the Hands Free Georgia Act. This bill would prohibit drivers from holding or supporting electronic communication devices while operating a vehicle. The purpose of this bill is to help prevent accidents due to distracted driving. Under this legislation, drivers will still be able to use voice-to-text messaging and built-in navigation systems as well as back-up cameras if necessary. This bill is intended to keep our drivers and passengers as safe as possible by minimizing distractions for drivers so they can focus on the road.

House Bill 834 is another bill that passed that keeps our citizens’ safety a priority. This bill would allow individuals involved in domestic violence cases to terminate their rental agreements. This bill is a measure in ensuring that people who need to get out of abusive living conditions will not have the burden of following through with their agreement if their safety is at risk.

Lastly, another piece of legislation that came through the Judiciary Committee was House Resolution 993. This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment which, if adopted by referendum, would create a state-wide business court. I believe that this new court would be a positive stride for our criminal justice system and designate business cases to a court created specifically for them.

Though our time to vet and pass bills under the Gold Dome has come to a close for the 2018 session, I am your legislator year-round. Please don’t hesitate to call my office at (404)-463-5258 if you ever have any questions or concerns. I look forward to the findings and new legislation that will formulate from our study committees over the interim. Thank you for your all of your support, I will continue working hard to represent district 13 and be your voice in the legislature.