[February 17, 2025] | Your Georgia Capitol has been full of citizens like yourself visiting with us, letting us know their priorities or what they think about a bill in our hands. It is fun to see them, and I try to get a picture of them when I can, to put on my Facebook pages.
It is meeting-upon-meeting for us, especially me, because of the important committees that I have the opportunity to serve on. I try to get to as many as I can. One day last week I had three at the same time (Health, Public Safety, Education)... whew! That day I went to Health, because it had a bill up for debate that I have been working on, that deals with payments to our Independent Pharmacies; It passed.
We are now voting on bills on the floor. It takes a few days to get the committees working and through the process. Each week I tell you what we did in brief on a few bills. If you want a complete list, all you have to do is ask and we will send it to you weekly. All of them!
We heard and passed House Bill 216, the Richard H. Smith Georgia CHIPS Advancement in Research and Economic Development Act, which would continue his vision of making Georgia a key player in the semiconductor industry. To that end, HB 216 would create a fund to provide grant and loan programs that support workforce education and training for careers in semiconductors, microelectronics, and certain laboratories. The goal of this legislation is to build strong partnerships through education and workforce development, enabling Georgia's residents to pursue high-demand careers in the semiconductor industry, cultivating a skilled, homegrown workforce, reducing reliance on overseas production, and strengthening Georgia's position as a leader in innovation and economic growth.
We unanimously passed House Bill 105, which would increase the financial compensation, in the event of the death of state public school personnel. Consistent with one of Governor Kemp's priorities, HB 105 would raise the financial compensation for teachers from $75,000 to $150,000, bringing the indemnification in line with public safety officers killed in the line of duty. By aligning this compensation with that of public safety officers, this legislation underscores the invaluable contributions of educators. While we know that no amount of money could ever bring a loved one back, by increasing the indemnification funds, immediate family members would be guaranteed better financial security following such a devastating loss.
Don't know if you know it, but you can watch our floor session and our committee meetings online live or when you want to. It's easy; just go to Georgia General Assembly on your computer. When you open it up, you will see Under the Gold Dome. Below that will be a list of the meetings for the day and a video link to them.
I encourage you to visit me at my Georgia Capitol office or call me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the bills, the legislative process, or any other measures considered under the Gold Dome.
My Capitol office number is 404-656-7153. My email is rick.jasperse@house.ga.gov. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your State Representative.