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District 180 Highlights
I was proud to lead and sponsor several key pieces of legislation that are now eligible to become law during this session.
HB 206 - CPACE Financing:
This will make it easier for large-scale community developments like the Gilman Paper Mill Re-Development to build with lower-interest private market loans. This will help communities like ours continue to grow responsibly and provide quality employment opportunities in the private market.
HB 1341 - Shrimp State Symbol:
This bill recognizes the Georgia Wild White Shrimp as our official state frustration. It highlights the benefits of a key coastal Georgia product while educating consumers on the harms of lower-quality farm-raised products coming from Asian markets.
HR 1019 - Protect America Borders:
This bill empowers our Governor to take all necessary actions to combat the growing southern border crisis. Directly after this bill was signed, Governor Kemp sent Georgia National Guard Troops to assist in the Texas-led border security campaign "Operation Lone Star."
Local Legislation
HB 1489 - Repeal of the Camden County Spaceport Authority:
A complete sunset of the spaceport authority. A necessary step was taken after a clear referendum of Camden voters decided that local tax funds should not be used to purchase spaceport-related land. I have been proud to protect local taxpayers from incurring debt in this project by limiting the original Spaceport Authority legislation by not allowing the authority to have bonding power, thus not having the power to incur debt.
HB 1455 - Saint Marys Seniors:
This bill increases the municipal property tax homestead exemption for City of St. Marys seniors, an important way to assist many individuals on fixed incomes to combat our historically high inflation rate.
General Policies
Fighting Inflation & Cutting Taxes In response to the financial strain faced by Georgians, we've successfully delivered over $5 billion in tax relief in the past two years. Noteworthy efforts include accelerating the income tax cut to 5.39%, potentially going below 5%, and aligning the corporate tax rate to provide significant savings for businesses. We've increased the child tax deduction by $1,000, doubled the homestead exemption, and proposed a referendum to cap property tax assessments' growth to the inflation rate.
Combating Illegal Immigration Following the tragic murder of Laken Riley, we've intensified our efforts to combat illegal immigration. Our measures include imposing severe penalties on local governments adopting sanctuary policies, mandating sheriffs to collaborate with ICE, and prohibiting foreign adversaries from purchasing Georgian farmland. These steps, along with supporting Gov. Kemp's deployment of the National Guard to assist Texas, reaffirm our commitment to our state's safety and sovereignty.
Keeping Communities Safe Despite opposition, House Republicans have championed public safety by backing law enforcement, enforcing stricter bail conditions for violent crimes, and instituting oversight for prosecutors. We've also increased penalties for dangerous crimes, including "swatting" and drive-by shootings, and introduced measures to protect property owners from squatters and fraudulent activities.
Strengthening Election Integrity Our legislative actions have fortified the integrity, transparency, and accountability of our elections. We've implemented measures against fraud, enhanced ballot security features, and tightened the chain of custody for ballots. By requiring a statewide system for ballot inspection and removing the Secretary of State from the State Elections Board, we've taken significant steps to safeguard our electoral process.
Investing in Educational Opportunities This year, we've made historic investments in education, with initiatives like the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, providing $6,500 per student to families in failing school districts. Teacher pay has substantially increased, making Georgia a regional leader in teacher compensation. Additionally, we've secured annual funding for school security, emphasizing the safety and well-being of our students.
Link to Join Our Team
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