Dear Friend,
This upcoming Tuesday will be the 19th day of the Legislative Session which means we are nearly halfway through. Last week alone, the Senate passed 15 bills and resolutions.
When I ran for Senate, I made a commitment to support our men and women in law enforcement, crack down on crime, and do everything I could to make our state a safer place. This week the Senate worked on three public safety bills:
SB 84 - expands membership eligibility for the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefits Fund to certain certified communications officers. Passed 52 to 2.
SB 461 - revises the list of offenses bailable only before a superior court to include human trafficking. Passed 54 to 0.
SB 360 "Colton's Law" - increases penalties against a person convicted for cruelty to a disabled minor in the first or second degree to a minimum of ten years. Passed 49 to 0.
It is no secret that big tech giants like Facebook and Twitter have become too powerful and abuse that power to silence Conservatives. After all, if they can silence the President of the United States, just imagine what they can do to control everyday Americans' right to free speech. That is why we are prioritizing SB 393 which would prohibit social media platforms from censoring content based on the author's viewpoint.
Stacey Abrams and her liberal machine want the government to mandate masks for Georgians and their children in school. This picture shows the hypocrisy of the left and their mantra of "rules for thee but not for me".
I am glad Governor Kemp introduced legislation that would give parents the right to decide whether or not their children wear masks at school. I look forward to working with the Governor's team and my colleagues in the legislature to get this commonsense legislation passed.
Earlier this month, Senate Republicans passed a bill to create a statue of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the Georgia Capitol. I am proud to honor this outstanding Georgian who represents our state so well.
Bulloch County received some great news this week when it was announced that Aspen Aerogels, a technology leader in aerogel-based sustainability and electrification solutions, plans to construct an advanced manufacturing facility at Bulloch County's Southern Gateway Commerce Park. They plan to invest a minimum $325 million and to create more than 250 advanced manufacturing jobs. Many thanks to all the partners involved in this deal that will have a major impact on our community!
One of my favorite things during session is when friends and neighbors from home visit at the Capitol. I had a great time showing these 4-H'ers around the Senate Chamber and really enjoyed their thoughtful questions. Let me know if you are in Atlanta!
This week we will convene for only two legislative days but will be plenty busy with committee work.
For daily updates, I encourage you to visit my Senate website where you can learn more about the legislation that I am working on.
If you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to me at billy.hickman@senate.ga.gov or 912-682-5819.
Thank you and God bless you,
Senator Billy Hickman
