Tillery: Week One Under the Gold Dome
Last week marked the start of the 2024 Legislative Session. Each year brings new exciting challenges and opportunities, but one thing remains the same: the 19th Senate District will always be my first priority and at the forefront of every decision I make this session.
The Georgia General Assembly officially gaveled in for the first of the 2024 Legislative Session on Monday, January 8. It was an action-packed week, during which the Georgia Senate and the House of Representatives gathered for a joint session in the House chamber to hear from Governor Brian P. Kemp on his annual State of the State Address. The Governor uses his State of the State Address to lay out his priorities for the upcoming session. Throughout his remarks, Gov. Kemp set the tone for this session, prioritizing pay raises for law enforcement officers, funding for the betterment of Georgia’s university system, and key updates to the technology of state agencies. These changes will not only retain and recruit staff across a number of state divisions, but will also give much needed modernization to state facilities for greater effectiveness across the board. I look forward to supporting the Governor’s efforts in ensuring that the needs of Georgia’s citizens are met.
This week, much of the General Assembly’s time will be devoted to Joint Hearings of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees. “Budget Week,” as we call it, is a time for the heads of Georgia’s state agencies and departments to present their budget requests to the General Assembly for review. This was also a time where we were able to address our constitutional obligation to ensure a balanced budget. These hearings are often long, but are critical in ensuring that your taxpayer dollars are spent as responsibly as possible. As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I take these budget hearings very seriously as it is my responsibility to ensure that your tax dollars are allocated fairly. I look forward to providing you with a detailed report of the budget proposals at the end of the week.
As the legislative session progresses, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you have questions regarding any legislative matters.
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)
