Tillery: Week 9 Under the Gold Dome

With Crossover Day behind us, the Senate is now turning to House bills and the General Budget. We are also working to make sure state rules do not place unnecessary burdens on local communities. This week, I voted to pass House Bill 244, which will allow smaller local governments with annual spending under $2.5 million to complete a simpler audit process. Many small towns must now complete full audits every year, which can be costly and difficult for places with limited staff. This bill keeps local governments accountable while giving them more flexibility to focus on serving their residents.

Protecting your finances is another priority we addressed this week. The Senate passed House Bill 945, which strengthens protections against financial scams. Sadly, many seniors and vulnerable adults are being targeted. This bill allows banks to place a temporary 15day hold on certain transactions if they believe someone is being financially exploited. Banks are often the first to spot suspicious activity, and this law will help them stop scams before someone loses their savings.

We also took a step to help more children find permanent homes. The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 771, which creates a study committee on the cost of adoption. For many families, adoption can be very expensive. This group will look for ways to lower those costs so more children can grow up in safe, loving homes.

We had many guests, families and school groups from Jeff Davis, Wheeler, Toombs, and Wayne Counties to the Capitol this week. We also met with three Cabinet Secretaries regarding their agencies’ impact on Georgia. USDA Secretary Rollins announced a $531 million block grant to support Georgia farmers, ranchers and foresters as they recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

Next week, we will finalize the Senate’s imprints on the FY 2027 Budget. We will focus on NOW/COMP waivers, state retirees and on further reducing taxes for Georgians. I expect we may also double down on our commitment to public safety through mental health. We funded the state’s first mental health hospital to stop our jails from being our mental health centers in the amended budget, and we have more work to do to fully address this.

As always, hearing from you is one of the most important parts of my job. If you have questions, concerns or ideas, please contact my office. It is an honor to serve you under the Gold Dome.

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, Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Wayne and Wheeler counties, as well as a portion of Coffee County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 656-5038 or by email at Blake.Tillery@senate.ga.gov.

By Sen. Blake Tillery (R- Vidalia) Vldalla) Blake