Week Three Recap
On Monday, I met with Ron Stephens (R – Savannah), Chairman of the Economic Development & Tourism committee, to discuss HB 158. This bill would allow for up to two destination resorts in Georgia, and has been a hotly contested conversation topic. I wanted to meet with Chairman Stephens to be sure that I have a firm understanding on what the bill will do (and will not do). More details are sure to come in the near future.
As part of “Golf Day at the Capitol”, I was honored to share the day with Matthew Collins, General Manager of the Chattahoochee Country Club.
Tuesday was a special day for me, as the Governor and First Lady hosted the freshmen legislators for breakfast at the Governor’s mansion. Here, we heard an update on many issues at hand from the Governor, and received a brief history lesson on the mansion from Mrs. Deal. Quite an honor to sit with our state’s leader to be able to ask questions and have open dialog.
Once the House convened for the day’s session, we honored the two Peach County Sheriff’s deputies who were killed in the line of duty. This was a reminder for everyone in attendance that the men and women of law enforcement put on the badge each day to protect us all. These deputies were honored by the chaplain from their Sheriff’s office through a moving tribute, followed by brief comments by their family members. A tough day for everyone in attendance.
Wednesday morning afforded me the opportunity to spend time with Dr. Bud Peterson, Georgia Tech’s president, as well as with the Georgia Tech Student Government Association as they were at the Capitol. I gave the SGA leadership a tour of the House floor, the third floor of the Capitol and showed them to the gallery, where they watched the morning’s proceedings. Quite an honor to be a Yellow Jacket!
Dr. Ryan Vaughn and Dr. Heather McGee were accompanied by their families for Georgia Dental Association day at the Capitol, where they were fortunate enough to get audience with the Governor.
After session ended, I attended the Higher Education committee meeting. With a standing room only crowd, the committee heard from numerous students from various private colleges and universities in Georgia. After they spoke, the committee had earnest discussion surround HB 37 related to the prevention of a college / university declaring themselves as a sanctuary campuses. Ultimately, the committee voted to support this bill.
Thursday saw many new bills introduced and read for the first time, meaning that next week will be quite the busy week. We adjourned until Tuesday, sending our well wishes to the Falcons!