State employees and teachers paid parental leave passes General Assembly
News, Press Release, State & National March 29, 2021
ATLANTA – Speaker David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) and State Representative Houston Gaines (R-Athens) announced that House Bill 146 received final passage in the General Assembly today. House Bill 146 provides three weeks of paid parental leave as a new benefit to full-time state employees and teachers. This is the Georgia’s first paid parental leave benefit for state employees and teachers.
“This paid parental leave benefit speaks to our hardworking state employees and teachers and tells them that we value their contributions and the sacrifices they make to serve our citizens,” said Speaker David Ralston. “I commend Representative Gaines for taking the lead on this important initiative which demonstrates our unyielding commitment to families and giving children the best possible start in Georgia.”
This new paid parental leave benefit would provide some 245,000 state employees and teachers with three weeks of paid leave upon the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. It applies to all employees with six months of creditable service regardless of the employee’s gender. It is limited to once in any 12-month period. This benefit does not impact the employee’s accrued leave or rights under any family medical leave policy.
“I am proud that this legislation received such overwhelming bipartisan support in the General Assembly,” said Rep. Houston Gaines. “We know this benefit will make a difference in the lives of young families across our state. This is a pro-family, pro-jobs bill that will set the right example in the nation’s #1 state for business.”
Co-sponsors of House Bill 146 included Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta), Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton), Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville), Rep. Bonnie Rich (R-Suwanee), and Rep. Terry England (R-Auburn). House Bill 146 was carried in the State Senate by President Pro Tempore Butch Miller (R-Gainesville).
Speaker David Ralston announced a paid parental leave benefit for employees of the Georgia House of Representatives in July 2019. That benefit went into effect in January 2020. The State Senate implemented a similar policy at that time.
House Bill 146 now goes to Governor Brian Kemp for his consideration. More information about House Bill 146 may be found here.
Update from the Gold Dome: Week Eleven
Press Release March 29, 2021
By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega)
We have just completed our penultimate week of the 2021 legislative session. All committees have wrapped up their work and have passed out all legislation that will have the opportunity to become law this year.
Our days this week were lengthy and included a considerable amount of time dedicated to finalizing legislation in committees and even more time spent on the Senate floor passing amended versions of House Bills and agreeing or disagreeing to changes the House made to Senate Bills. Our pace is likely to only increase, however, as we only have two legislative days remaining until Sine Die.
Of particular significance this week was the Senate’s passage of House Bill 81, the 2022 General Budget (FY22). The FY22 budget totals just over $27 billion, signifying the strength and resilience of our economy over the past year and how, under the leadership of Gov. Brian Kemp, our state’s economy has continued to grow during the pandemic.
After passing the Senate on Tuesday, the bill was assigned to a conference committee where members of the House and Senate met in order to iron out any final remaining disparities between the two chamber’s versions of the budget. We expect the conference committee reports to be placed on our desks early next week where we will finally send the FY22 budget on to the governor for his signature.
On Thursday, the Senate agreed with the House on Senate Bill 202, a comprehensive update on Georgia’s elections laws and procedures. This legislation combines bi-partisan ideas to make our elections more secure and improve overall voter confidence in the election process. These changes include ensuring that ballot drop boxes are kept in secure indoor locations, expanding weekend voting hours to include at least two Saturdays, and additional security measures on ballots such as requiring the name and designation of the precinct printed at the top. Every legal vote cast in Georgia deserves to be counted and these new updates ensure that both the distribution and tabulation of ballots is as secure as possible.
Earlier this week, Gov. Kemp announced that starting March 25, any adult over the age of sixteen, regardless of their medical history or place of employment, will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This is an incredible step forward as our state continues to lead the way for the nation on how to safely reopen, while at the same time ensuring that all citizens have the ability to receive the vaccine in a timely manner. I encourage all Georgians to visit www.myvaccinegeorgia.com to make their plans to get vaccinated as quickly as possible. The faster we all become vaccinated, the faster we can return to normalcy.
On Friday, the Rules Committee met to outline the legislation we will take up for our final two legislative days. All told, we have placed 64 pieces of legislation on the calendar for Monday, signaling that our final days will be long. However, each bill we plan to hear represents an important priority for Georgians across the state and we will work well into the evening to ensure that those measures which pass scrutiny by the Senate body clear the final hurdle to be sent to the Governor for consideration. If you have any questions or concerns about any of the bills or resolutions we are poised to take up, I encourage you to reach out to me or my office.
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Sen. Steve Gooch serves as Majority Whip of the Senate Majority Caucus. He represents the 51st Senate District which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Union and White counties and portions of Forsyth and Pickens counties. He may be reached at 404.656.9221 or via email at [email protected]
Sen. Gooch reviews first week of Gen. Assembly
News, Press Release January 18, 2021
PRESS RELEASE
By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega)
ATANTA — On Monday, Jan. 11, members of the Senate and the House officially gaveled in to begin the 2021 Legislative Session. The new session brings with it many familiar motions and procedures, including formally electing our President Pro Tempore, Secretary of the Senate, and Sergeant at Arms. All members of the General Assembly, both new and returning, were also officially sworn in to begin their new terms in office. In the Senate, we have eleven members who will be experiencing their first session with us and I am looking forward to getting to know them all as work to make Georgia as great as it can be.
While there were many similarities between this session and others I have experienced, new protocols have been introduced as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has drastically changed the way we do business at the Capitol. To start, all members of the General Assembly and Capitol staff are required to undergo COVID-19 testing twice a week. For those who test positive, a robust contact tracing program has been implemented to mitigate exposure of the virus. Additionally, seating in our committee rooms has been spaced out in order to socially distance committee members and new procedures have been introduced to promote fewer crowds on the Senate floor. I’m happy to report that testing and tracing has been working as intended and we are confident these measures will reduce the risk of an outbreak while we are in session.
Importantly, we are continuously working to get the COVID-19 vaccine to those in the most need. First, it is important to note that there are currently two different COVID-19 vaccines available in Georgia: Pfizer and Moderna. Both are proven to be effective and require two doses, but they differ in that Pfizer requires the doses being administered three weeks apart and Moderna requires 28 days. Right now, Georgia is receiving 120,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine each week and they are being deployed in three different phases. We are currently in the first (Phase 1), and doses are being administered to healthcare workers, employees and residents of long-term care facilities, first responders, and adults aged 65 and above. We will then move to the next phase which will include non-healthcare essential workers, followed by the final phase which will include those between the ages of 16-64 with preexisting medical conditions. If you fall into any of the groups that make up Phase 1, I encourage you to find a COVID-19 Vaccination Site near you and follow additional guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health’s website.
On Thursday, we heard the annual State of the State Address delivered by Governor Brian Kemp. This speech highlighted a few of the Governor’s main budget priorities for the upcoming budget cycle, with a particular emphasis being placed on areas impacted by COVID-19. Specifically, the Governor is proposing $1.2 billion over the next few years to public education and $1,000 to go towards educators to ensure schools can reopen safely. Additionally, the Governor called for increased investment in rural broadband infrastructure, to expand high-speed internet access to communities such as ours.
Next week, these proposals will be examined in closer detail when members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees will meet to examine the state’s current and projected budgetary needs. “Budget Week” is one of the most important times of any legislative session, perhaps none more important than the one we are about to witness. If you ever have any questions about any of the legislative proposals we take up, progress on COVID-19 vaccinations or any budgetary items, please feel free to contact my office.
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Sen. Steve Gooch serves as the Senate Majority Whip. He represents the 51st Senate District which includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, Union and White counties and portions of Forsyth and Pickens counties. He may be reached at 404.656.9221 or via email at [email protected].