During my time in office, I have been honored to hold several key leadership roles including:
- Chairman of the K-12 Education Budget Committee: 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
- Chairman of the K-12 Education Policy Committee: 2021 & 2022
- Secretary of Appropriations: 2020 & 2021
- Deputy Whip: 2018 & 2019
- Current member of the following committees: Agriculture & Consumer Affairs; Appropriations; Education; Game, Fish & Parks; Higher Education; Judiciary Juvenile; and Regulated Industries.
As Chairman of the House Education Budget Committee, I have:
- Fully funded Quality Basic Education (QBE) for seven consecutive years; this has resulted in the most funding ever for K-12 education in Georgia.
- Provided multiple pay raises to teachers and other workers in our public school systems.
- Delivered more than $500 million in school safety & security funding over the last five years
- Developed a comprehensive $100M+ per year plan to address elementary school literacy rates
- Promoted learning by eliminating cell phone usage at school in the classroom in grades K-12
I have also helped to accomplish the following during my 10 years as your Representative:
- Passed the two largest State income tax cuts in Georgia history, putting much needed money in the pockets of hard working Georgians; lowered the rate from 6 percent to 5.19 percent, with the rate going down to 4.99 percent in 2026.
- Voted to lower the individual income tax rate from 4.99% to 3.99% in years to come; increases the personal exemption for dependents from $4,000 to $6,000; raised the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly from $24,000 to $36,000; increased the standard deduction for single filers from $12,000 to $18,000.
- Excluded $70,000 of retirement income for retirees 65 or older per eligible taxpayer.
- Refunded $10 BILLION to the pockets of Georgia taxpayers through income tax rate reductions, property tax relief, suspension of the gas tax, and tax rebates.
- Sponsored a bill to eliminate homestead property taxes for all Georgians.
- Passed a bill to require clarity and transparency in healthcare billing.
- Co-sponsored a bill that makes a life changing investment in the way mental health is treated so that everyone has access to mental health services.
- Passed multiple pieces of legislation to protect Second Amendment rights, including Constitutional Carry.
- Passed pro-business legislation to keep Georgia the #1 state in the nation in which to do business; Georgia has been named the number one state in which to do business for 12 consecutive years by an independent rating agency (Site Selection magazine).
- Passed a balanced budget every year, while also increasing the State’s savings account to more than $16B.
- Made responsible decisions about the State’s debt, which resulted in a top credit rating for Georgia as well as a AAA bond rating from all the rating agencies for more than two decades.
- Provided multiple pay raises to all state employees, including teachers.
- Provided the largest pay raise in Georgia history to law enforcement and other first responders.
- Passed multiple pieces of legislation and secured increased funding to combat maternal mortality.
- Eliminated special institution fees at Georgia’s public colleges and universities, thus lowering cost of tuition for Georgia families by $230 million per year.
I have worked under the Gold Dome to help secure funding for local Hall County initiatives, including:
- Funding for creation of the Graduate Medical Education program at Northeast Georgia Medical Center to expand medical residency opportunities to ensure doctors who train here, stay here.
- Funding to expand the downtown Gainesville public library building (130k+ annual visitors).
- Funding for renovation of old Lanier Tech campus to become a part of University of North Georgia – Gainesville campus.
- Funding for a fifth and sixth Hall County Superior Court judge.
- Sponsoring legislation to create inclusive playgrounds at elementary schools, making sure students of all abilities can experience play.
- Creating local law enforcement foundations so that you can receive a tax credit for backing the badge.
- Securing funding for accountability drug court and veteran court programs.
- Helping domestic violence centers statewide (and in Hall County) receive funding to care for victims.
I’m an active participant under the Gold Dome to promote a proactive approach to making the state a better place to live, work and raise a family, including:
- Overhauling the Georgia adoption code and foster care system to make it easier for loving families to care for children.
- Expanding the medical cannabis oil program to aid families in need.
- Passage of multiple bills to combat the opioid epidemic.
- Provided pay raises to law enforcement and always backing the badge.
- Supported criminal justice reform efforts.
