[February 20, 2023] | The Georgia House of Representatives kicked off the fifth week of the 2023 legislative session. It has been great to see so many folks in the State Capitol this year. Since Covid occurred, this is the busiest the building has been.
Important this week to be talked about in committee will be Online Sports Gambling, Increased Truck Weights, and a number of Healthcare bills. More bills made their way out of their respective committees and onto the House floor for a vote, and we saw the passage of several House bills that would impact Georgians. I will describe a few below.
My colleagues and I overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation this week to protect our critical infrastructure overseen by the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA), including the Port of Savannah. House Bill 35 could give the GPA's security employees the ability to preserve and protect its properties, projects, and certain areas surrounding its campuses.
This legislation would also support the surrounding communities by allowing local law enforcement to dedicate less resources to this state authority's operations and easing some of the burden on local law enforcement that comes with having such a successful port system.
We passed House Bill 52 on the House floor this week to update several other transportation and infrastructure laws. First, to protect the privacy of Georgians, this bill would exempt the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) from open records when a driver's data on public roadways reveals their vehicle information or other personally identifiable information. This provision would ensure that no one could use the Open Records Act in an attempt to obtain an individual's personal information from this agency.
Additionally, under this bill, the state would be able to provide permits to mobile home manufacturers to transport units that are up to 84 feet in length; Georgia is home to nine mobile home manufacturing facilities, and by allowing the transportation of these longer units, this industry could remain on par with our neighboring states.
While we were in the House Chamber this week, my colleagues and I took time to honor Mr. Louis Graziano on his incredible bravery as a U.S. soldier in World War II. Born in 1923, Mr. Graziano is the last surviving World War II veteran to witness Germany's surrender. Mr. Graziano was a master sergeant and fought in the third wave of the Omaha Beach invasion on D-Day.
After D-Day, he also fought in the Battle of the Bulge, where he almost lost his feet to frostbite, and he took part in the June 6th invasion of Normandy in 1944. He then served at the Special Headquarters Command in Reims, France, where he witnessed Germany sign the surrender document and then took the Germans to meet General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mr. Graziano's visit to the State Capitol coincided with his 100th birthday, and I was inspired to meet this American hero and hear his incredible story.
We are halfway through the 40-day legislative session. Boy! Has the building been crowded! As your representative, it is extremely important for me to hear which issues are significant to you and your family. If you find yourself in Atlanta during the legislative session, please feel free to schedule a visit to my Capitol office or call my Capitol office at 404-656-7153, or email me at rick.jasperse@house.ga.gov.
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your State Representative.