UNDER THE GOLD DOME

WEEK 1

Swearing In Ceremonies

On Monday, January 9, 2023, the Georgia General Assembly convened for the first day of the 157th Legislative Session. We had the honor of being sworn in by Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Boggs. Our first order of business was to elect a Speaker of the House and Speaker Pro Tempore who will guide our chamber over the next two years, and we also voted on legislation (SR 6) that sets our legislative calendar for this session.

Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington, pictured below) was elected to serve as the 75th Speaker of the House of Representatives by acclamation. Additionally, Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton) was re-elected to her respective position by acclamation. Following the death of Speaker David Ralston in November 2022, Pro Tem Jones served as the 74th Speaker of the House for the remainder of the 2021-2022 legislative term, making her the first female Speaker of the House in state history.

We have an aggressive schedule this year before "Sine Die" on March 29 and much work to accomplish before session ends this spring. You can find a copy of the full legislative calendar here.

Governor Kemp's Inauguration

Later in the week, the House and Senate convened for a joint legislative session for the inauguration of Governor Brian Kemp for his second term in office. Citizens from across the state gathered as the governor took the oath of office at the Georgia State Convocation Center in Atlanta. During this joint session, Governor Kemp also administered the oath of office to Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and other statewide constitutional officers who were elected this past fall. In his inaugural address, the governor discussed his goals for his next term in office and reflected on the recent accomplishments of our state, which has emerged from the global pandemic stronger than ever due to the resilience of our citizens and the leadership of all of our elected officials. During his address, the governor also announced his goal to partner with the Georgia General Assembly this session to create better schools, safer streets, good paying jobs, and greater economic opportunities. 

Dawgs Win! 

I would be remiss if I did not congratulate the University of Georgia Bulldogs on their back-to-back College Football Playoff National Championship title this week. These elite national champions represented Georgia well as they dominated the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in Los Angeles. This incredible victory has been tempered with sadness following the loss of Offensive Lineman Devin Willock and staffer Chandler LeCroy. They will be missed by the UGA football family, and we pray for their friends and families.

 Looking Ahead 

Before leaving the Capitol on Friday, my colleagues and I received the governor’s budget books, which includes his budget recommendations. We will review these recommendations over the weekend, and the House and Senate Appropriations committees will hear directly from the governor to discuss his recommendations on Tuesday morning. The Appropriations committees will continue to meet throughout next week to discuss budget requests from our state agency heads, and I look forward to sharing updates with you. 

The House website, www.legis.ga.gov/house, has a number of publicly available resources to help you stay up-to-date on the work we are doing at the Capitol. You can watch a live stream of the House floor proceedings, view live and archived committee meetings, and review proposed legislation that comes before the House.

As we move through the legislative session, I encourage you to reach out to me with your thoughts and opinions about legislation, including the state budget. Your feedback is crucial to developing good, sound policies for our state, and I look forward to discussing my legislative goals for this session with you. I can be reached at bethany.ballard@house.ga.gov.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative for the 2023-2024 legislative term.