Week 2 Legislative Update 2023
This week the General Assembly was not in session to allow the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to hold AFY23 and FY24 budget hearings. With Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia) and newly selected House Appropriations Chairman Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin) at the helm, Governor Kemp kicked off the three days of hearings on Tuesday morning with a presentation of his administration’s budget recommendations for the upcoming fiscal year. Each state agency head went on to present its budget requests to the Appropriations Committees and answer questions from committee members.
Today Governor Kemp announced his 2023-2024 Administration Floor Leaders. These members work closely with the governor’s administration and are responsible for carrying his legislative initiatives.
2023-2024 Senate Floor Leaders
Senator Bo Hatchett, Senate District 50
Senator Mike Hodges, Senate District 3
2023-2024 House of Representatives Floor Leaders
Representative Lauren McDonald, House District 26
Representative Soo Hong, House District 103
Representative Will Wade, House District 9
Representative Matthew Gambill, House District 15
This week Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) announced committee leadership appointments for the 2023-2024 legislative session, which are as follows:
- Agriculture & Consumer Affairs
- Chairman: Rep. Robert Dickey (R-Musella)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Joe Campbell (R-Camilla)
- Appropriations
- Chairman: Rep. Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin)
- Banks & Banking
- Chairman: Rep. Noel Williams (R-Cordele)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Will Wade (R-Dawsonville)
- Budget & Fiscal Affairs Oversight
- Chairman: Rep. Steven Meeks (R-Screven)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Spencer Frye (D-Athens)
- Code Revision
- Chairman: Rep. Bill Yearta (R-Sylvester)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Joseph Gullett (R-Dallas)
- Creative Arts & Entertainment
- Chairman: Rep. Kasey Carpenter (R-Dalton)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners)
- Defense & Veterans Affairs
- Chairman: Rep. Josh Bonner (R-Fayetteville)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. David Clark (R-Buford)
- Economic Development & Tourism
- Chairman: Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville)
- Education
- Chairman: Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Scott Hilton (R-Peachtree Corners)
- Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications
- Chairman: Rep. Don Parsons (R-Marietta)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Matt Barton (R-Calhoun)
- Ethics
- Chairman: Rep. Buddy DeLoach (R-Townsend)
- Game, Fish & Parks
- Chairman: Rep. Trey Rhodes (R-Greensboro)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Emory Dunahoo (R-Gillsville)
- Governmental Affairs
- Chairman: Rep. John LaHood (R-Valdosta)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Victor Anderson (R-Cornelia)
- Health
- Chairman: Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Mark Newton (R-Augusta)
- Higher Education
- Chairman: Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Mitchell Scoggins (R-Cartersville)
- Human Relations & Aging
- Chairman: Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Mike Cameron (R-Rossville)
- Industry & Labor
- Chairman: Rep. Bill Werkheiser (R-Glennville)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Devan Seabaugh (R-Marietta)
- Information & Audits
- Chairman: Rep. Steve Tarvin (R-Chickamauga)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Ginny Ehrhart (R-Marietta)
- Insurance
- Chairman: Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Noel Williams (R-Cordele)
- Interstate Cooperation
- Chairman: Rep. Mark Newton (R-Augusta)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Martin Momtahan (R-Dallas)
- Intragovernmental Coordination
- Chairman: Rep. Beth Camp (R-Concord)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Victor Anderson (R-Cornelia)
- Judiciary
- Chairman: Rep. Stan Gunter (R-Blairsville)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Matt Reeves (R-Duluth)
- Judiciary (Non-Civil)
- Chairman: Rep. Tyler Paul Smith (R-Bremen)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs)
- Juvenile Justice
- Chairman: Rep. Mandi Ballinger (R-Canton)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. David Jenkins (R-Grantville)
- MARTOC
- Chairman: Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs)
- Motor Vehicles
- Chairman: Rep. John Corbett (R-Lake Park)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Matt Barton (R-Calhoun)
- Natural Resources & Environment
- Chairman: Rep. Lynn Smith (R-Newnan)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain)
- Public Health
- Chairman: Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon)
- Public Safety & Homeland Security
- Chairman: Rep. J Collins (R-Villa Rica)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Clint Crowe (R-Jackson)
- Reapportionment & Redistricting
- Chairman: Rep. Rob Leverett (R-Elberton)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville)
- Regulated Industries
- Chairman: Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon)
- Retirement
- Chairman: Rep. John Carson (R-Marietta)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Lehman Franklin (R-Statesboro)
- Rules
- Chairman: Rep. Richard Smith (R-Columbus)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Mandi Ballinger (R-Canton)
- Small Business Development
- Chairman: Rep. Mike Cheokas (R-Americus)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Rey Martinez (R-Loganville)
- Special Rules
- Chairman: Rep. Steven Sainz (R-St. Marys)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Bethany Ballard (R-Warner Robins)
- State Planning & Community Affairs
- Chairman: Rep. Karen Mathiak (R-Griffin)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Patty Bentley (D-Butler)
- State Properties
- Chairman: Rep. Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Ken Vance (R-Baldwin)
- Technology & Infrastructure Innovation
- Chairman: Rep. Todd Jones (R-South Forsyth)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Brad Thomas (R-Holly Springs)
- Transportation
- Chairman: Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Leesa Hagan (R-Lyons)
- Urban Affairs
- Chairman: Rep. Brian Prince (D-Augusta)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon)
- Ways & Means
- Chairman: Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Clint Crowe (R-Jackson)
Leadership of the House subcommittees of Appropriations is as follows:
- Economic Development
- Chairman: Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Gerald Greene (R-Cuthbert)
- Education
- Chairman: Rep. Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Leesa Hagan (R-Lyons)
- General Government
- Chairman: Rep. Marcus Weidower (R-Watkinsville)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Bill Yearta (R-Sylvester)
- Health
- Chairman: Rep. Darlene Taylor (R-Thomasville)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Devan Seabaugh (R-Marietta)
- Higher Education
- Chairman: Rep. David Knight (R-Griffin)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens)
- Human Resources
- Chairman: Rep. Katie Dempsey (R-Rome)
- Vice Chairman: Karen Mathiak (R-Griffin)
- Public Safety
- Chairman: Rep. Bill Hitchens (R-Rincon)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Danny Mathis (R-Cochran)
- Transportation & Infrastructure
- Chairman: Rep. Clay Pirkle (R-Ashburn)
- Vice Chairman: Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain)
Last week, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones announced leadership position for Senate committees. This week, all Senate committee assignments were announced—each committee’s makeup for 2023-2024 can be found on the Senate website.
The legislature typically sets its 40-day calendar in a number of smaller sections, so it came as a surprise to many when the House and Senate released the full legislative calendar for the 2023 session. Crossover Day, the day by which legislators must pass their bills out of the chamber in which they originated, is slated for March 6 this year. The General Assembly is set to adjourn Sine Die for the year on March 29, which will be the 40th and final legislative day.
The House and Senate will gavel back in on Monday, January 23 for Legislative Day 5 and will be in session Monday through Thursday of next week.