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Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Jeff Mullis

Update from the Gold Dome

The Georgia General Assembly got off to a delayed start this week when then threat of severe winter weather closed Capitol Hill offices on Monday. Although Monday wasn’t an official legislative day, it did impact the time legislators and staff members need to properly prepare for the week. Many of us still spent the day at home reviewing bills or completing other legislative tasks.

I was pleased to see the Georgia Senate approve two bills this week that will create and enhance the educational and work opportunities available to our military service men and women. These individuals make great sacrifices in order to keep our nation safe, and it is important that we do everything possible to support their career goals both in and outside of the military. Senate Bill 18 will allow practical military work skills or experience to be accepted by the Technical College System of Georgia as academic credit. This means that valuable experience in highly skilled military jobs will help our soldiers be able to reach their educational goals more quickly and efficiently.

Senate Bill 58 is a bill that will create the Georgia Leadership and Service Admissions Act. This Act will give each legislator the ability to recommend one student each year for admission to a school within the University System of Georgia, as long as the student meets HOPE scholarship requirements and commits to serving in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) throughout their term of enrollment.

Other bills the Georgia Senate took action on this week include:

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Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Greg Kirk

Week 6 Updates from the Capitol

Bouts of snow flurries and ice came and went this week, but it didn’t stop the Senate from staying on track and completing Legislative Days 16 through 19. We are right on track and quickly moving through legislation. This week we passed several important bills that will now move on to the House.

On Tuesday, I had the tremendous honor of introducing one of my good friends, Rev. Bud Womack, as Chaplain of the Day. Rev. Womack spoke inspiring words reminding us that while we have important jobs here at the Capitol, it is important to take a step back and enjoy the small things in life.

Under current state law, probate courts and superior courts split the jurisdiction for game and fish violations. Georgia probate courts currently have jurisdiction of misdemeanor game and fish violations, but with the passage of SB 62, certain limitations will be removed granting probate courts full jurisdiction over these violations.

College educations are becoming more and more vital as young people enter the work force, but as they become more expensive, young adults are going straight into the workforce and returning to school later in life. This is why the Senate came together and unanimously passed SB 18, a bill that will allow the Technical College System of Georgia to accept prior work experience and skills learned through the military for academic credit. The brave men and women who serve and protect our country deserve to be credited for the knowledge they acquired through their service.

In addition to helping those who have already served in the United States Military, we passed SB 58, a bill that will support the dreams of high school students who wish to obtain military training while earning a college degree. SB 58 will allow each member of the General Assembly, the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor to give a recommendation to one high school senior each year to use for admission to an ROTC program at any institution in the University System of Georgia. This opportunity will provide exceptional students with proven leadership abilities to become involved in a program that will teach them skills they cannot gain from a traditional college program.

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Your Washington Desk

From U.S. Johnny Isakson 

Senator Isakson: “It is Time to Destroy ISIL”

Isakson urges Congress to pass stronger authorization of military force against ISIL

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today joined CNBC’s “Squawk Box” to discuss the president’s request to authorize the use of military force against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, and its affiliates that would allow the president and our military to do everything necessary to destroy the terrorist group.

“We need to have unfettered authority to go after ISIL, and do whatever it takes to wipe them out,” Isakson, a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said during today’s interview. “You can’t negotiate with somebody who will cut your head off or burn somebody alive. It’s time we took them out and destroyed them. If we don’t, we’re going to have to deal with them in a bigger fashion later on.”

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Your Georgia Desk

From Senator John Albers 

Week 5: Education Initiatives for Bettering Georgia

This time last year we were recovering from the effects of “snowmageddon,” the storm that shut down Atlanta. This week, we were threatened by forecasts of sleet, snow and ice, but that didn’t slow us down. We are continuing to pick up the pace as we move closer to the end of the 153^rdLegislative Session and I look forward to keeping you updated as we move along.

This week we passed several pieces of legislation designed to benefit and protect the service men, women and animals who serve in our nations’ military and our state’s police force. On Tuesday, we unanimously passed Senate Bill 18, a bill that will allow the Technical College System of Georgia to accept previous military work experience for academic credit. The brave men and women who serve and protect our country deserve to be credited for the knowledge they acquired through their service.

In addition to helping those who have already served in the United States Military, we passed SB 58, a bill that will support the dreams of high school students who wish to obtain military training while earning a college degree. SB 58 will create the Georgia Leadership and Service Act, a bill designed to encourage exceptional high school seniors who show leadership capabilities to join the ROTC program at any institution in the University System of Georgia. This bill will allow every member of the General Assembly, the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor to recommend a student, who meets the requirements, for admission into an ROTC program.

Not only do we need to ensure that the men and women who serve our country are protected under the law, but we also need to ensure that the service animals who serve our country are protected to the same degree. Friday, the Senate passed SB 72, a piece of legislation that will establish new crimes and punishments for an individual found guilty of harming or killing a police animal while it is performing its duties.

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Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Bill Heath 

Almost Halfway Home

This week’s newsletter is going to be more about the bills that passed the Senate this week. Last week, “the pace had picked up,” and the Senate is now moving bills through with some speed; passing 8 Senate Bills and agreeing to minor changes in the Senate’s version of the amended budget.

Here’s a brief summary of the bills that will now pass over to the House for their consideration:

Senate Bill 18 establishes policies for the Technical College System of Georgia to grant academic college-level credit for learning from military service, prior work experience or self-study.

Senate Bill 62 removes limitations on probate courts so that they now have jurisdiction over all fish and game violations. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division has historically filed these offenses with probate courts.

Senate Bill 58, called the “Georgia Leadership and Service Admission Act,” will allow every member of the Georgia General Assembly, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to recommend a student who meets HOPE Scholarship requirements to a college in the Board of Regents system if that student agrees to participate in Reserve Officer’s Training Corps while enrolled in college.

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Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Michael Williams

Updates from the Capitol

Bouts of snow flurries and ice came and went this week, but that didn’t stop the Senate from staying on track and completing Legislative Days 16 through 19. We are right on track and moving quickly. This week we passed several important bills that will impact people all over our great state.

College educations are becoming more and more vital as young people enter the work force, but as they become more expensive, young adults are going straight into the workforce and returning to school later in life. This is one reason the Senate came together and unanimously passed SB 18, a bill that will allow the Technical College System of Georgia to accept prior work experience and skills learned through military service for academic credit. The brave men and women who serve and protect our country deserve to be credited for the knowledge and leadership skills they acquired from their service.

In addition to helping those who have already served in the United States Military, we passed SB 58, a bill that will support the dreams of high school students who wish to obtain military training while earning a college degree. SB 58 will allow each member of the General Assembly, along with the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor to designate one high school senior each year who will receive a written letter of recommendation to use for admission to an ROTC program at any institution in the University System of Georgia. This opportunity will provide exceptional students with proven leadership abilities to become involved in a program that will teach them skills they cannot gain from a traditional college program.

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Your Washington Desk 

Via The Times of Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US Senator David Perdue in Jerusalem on February 18, 2015.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said Israel is aware of the details of the negotiations between Iran and world powers on its nuclear program, as reports surfaced indicating that the US was leaving Jerusalem out of the loop on the ongoing talks.

European officials confirmed that the US State Department cautioned them against providing Israel with sensitive information on the current round of negotiations with Iran over its alleged nuclear weapons program, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The account came amid vehement denials by the White House and State Department that they had stopped updating Jerusalem on the progress in the talks, even though Netanyahu hinted Monday that Israel was indeed not being fully apprised.

In a meeting with US Senator David Perdue (R-Georgia) on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel knows the contours of the agreement emerging from the talks, warning that it is “a bad deal, a dangerous deal.”

“While Islamic State butchers the innocent, the Islamic Republic of Iran is relentlessly pursuing nuclear weapons with the express purpose of destroying the State of Israel. The P5+1’s latest proposal won’t stop them,” Netanyahu said.Continue Reading..

Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Bruce Thompson

Sen. Bruce Thompson Introduces a Bill to Stop Smoking In a Car with Kids

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Your Georgia Desk

From The Senate Press Office and Senator P.K. Martin

Senate in a Minute: Day 17

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Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Bruce Thompson

Update from the Gold Dome

Work in the Senate has definitely picked up steam this week. On Wednesday, the Senate passed our version of the fiscal year 2015 amended budget in House Bill 75. There are very few differences in the budget proposals from the Governor that have now been vetted by the House and Senate. Some of the highlights include an additional $126.2 million to account for midterm enrollment growth in our K-12 education system and $2.4 million for enrollment growth in charter systems.

All three versions of the budget include an additional $4.9 million to fund clinical trials for children with medication resistant epilepsy, $515,000 to establish the Georgia Film Academy to train students for jobs in the booming Georgia film industry and $6.2 million in state and federal funds to hire 103 additional Child Protective Services caseworkers. Another important line item is the $20 million allocated for deal closing initiatives to encourage companies to relocate to Georgia. The amended budget is a testament to the sound fiscal policies of our state that make Georgia the number one state to do business.

On Thursday, the Senate made a bold and decisive step towards ending child sex trafficking in Georgia. It is a sad fact that criminals have had far too easy a time abducting, victimizing and selling children as part of an underground sex trade. Through the great work of my Senate colleague Sen. Renee Unterman, the Senate passed Senate Resolution 7 and Senate Bill 8 with bipartisan support.

Senate Bill 8 creates the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Fund and Commission, increases the legal punishments for perpetrators of childhood sexual abuse and adds more protections for victims of these despicable situations. These legal protections range from increases on the statute of limitations for civil claims against sex traffickers to the forfeiting of cars used to operate these illegal businesses. The bill also requires convicted sex traffickers to be listed on the sexual offender registry.

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