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].
Sen. Gooch comments on protest in US Capitol
Featured Stories January 11, 2021ATLANTA, Ga. – Before heading to the state capitol and the start of the 156th General Assembly, Republican Senate Majority Whip Steve Gooch expressed concern about the events that took place Jan. 6 in the U.S. Capitol Building and the nation’s move toward socialism.
Five people died and more than 40 were arrested after a mob stormed the US Capitol and overran Capitol Police. While the liberal news media blamed Trump supporters, others have said it was Antifa.
Senate Majority Whip Steve Gooch
“I am really sad it happened,” Gooch said. “It was a complete disappointment and a disaster. If the people that did that were Republicans, they should be ashamed of themselves and I hope they are arrested. But we don’t know who it was. The protests we saw in Atlanta last year are not acceptable either. We should not allow people to protest with violence. They should not damage public or private property or do harm to other people.”
Republicans are still angry over the defeat of President Donald Trump in November and Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler on Jan. 5.
Gooch was one of only nine state senators to sign a petition calling for a special session of the General Assembly. The petition failed to gain enough signatures.
“I can tell you that out of Georgia’s 11 million people, there are a lot of upset folks over what is happening in this country the last 10 years,” he said. “We continue to move toward socialism and away from our conservative values and our morals. “We’ve got to find a way to get our people back on track, to get them focused on family, Christianity and doing the right thing. That job is going to take more than elected officials. It’s going to take citizens everywhere to make that change.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has joined presumptive Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in calling for extreme measures like invoking the 25th Amendment or impeachment to remove the President.
“I don’t believe either is healthy for this country,” Gooch stated. “We should just let the transition take place over the next two weeks. The President has acknowledged he will move out of the White House and guaranteed a smooth transition to the next administration.”
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
State Senate committee will meet Thursday to evaluate Georgia’s voting process
News, Press Release December 2, 2020
ATLANTA (December 1, 2020) | The leadership of the state Senate, including Senate President Pro Tempore Butch Miller (R – Gainesville), Majority Leader Mike Dugan (R – Carrollton), Majority Whip Steve Gooch (R – Dahlonega), Majority Caucus Chairman John F. Kennedy (R – Macon), Majority Caucus Vice Chairman Larry Walker (R – Perry) and Majority Caucus Secretary Dean Burke (R – Bainbridge), has worked with the Senate Committee on Government Oversight to convene to evaluate the election process to ensure the integrity of Georgia’s voting process.
The Senate Committee on Government Oversight has general jurisdiction over state government programs and policies, and Senate leadership finds it appropriate for this committee to review standing elections processes and guidance.
The committee meeting on state elections processes will convene on Thursday, December 3rd at 10:00 a.m. in Room 450 of the state Capitol.
Livestreaming will be available at: https://livestream.com/accounts/26021522/events/8730585
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Update from the Gold Dome: Sine Die
News June 30, 2020By: Sen. Steve Gooch (R — Dahlonega)
Sen. Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega)
ATLANTA — After entering into a suspension of nearly three months due to COVID-19 concerns, the Georgia General Assembly resumed its work at the Gold Dome last week, picking right up from where we left off. Upon returning, the Senate embraced many changes in an effort to mitigate the spread of this disease including new voting procedures, temperature checkpoints at Capitol entrances and reconfigured committee rooms to more effectively social distance.
Another stark difference was the absence of a friend and colleague, Sen. Jack Hill (R-Reidsville). Sen. Hill passed away during our pause in the session and his presence is missed dearly due to his years of conservative stewardship of your tax dollars as the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. As the state begins to navigate its way through an uncertain economic environment, we would do well to follow the model of fiscal responsibility established by Sen. Hill.
The first committees to resume following our pause were subcommittees of the Senate Appropriations Committee. These subcommittees were where agency heads presented their budget proposals and were available to answer questions from committee members on spending priorities. At the time these meetings were held, the state was anticipating a 14% budget cut across all agencies would be required to meet the lowered revenue estimates that resulted from businesses closing their doors throughout the peak of the COVID-19 virus. While the estimated cut was further reduced to 11% and then to 10%, these subcommittee hearings allowed department heads to find innovative methods to reduce costs, such as eliminating landline phones and reducing their physical footprint by relocating to more modest offices. In a further effort to reduce the burden places on Georgia’s hard working state employees, the legislature passed SB 416 which would reduce the salary of lawmakers by 10%.
While these proposals were a great starting point, we continued to anticipate that greater cuts would be necessary. Throughout the last two weeks, Appropriations Committee meetings continued in order to find ways to balance our budget without sacrificing important state services that countless Georgians depend on. The result is a product that makes some painful, but necessary, cuts while still ensuring the services we all depend on remain available. At around $26 billion, and just around $2.2 billion less than originally allocated by the House, this budget is large enough that all agencies will receive essential funding, while lean enough that waste has been all but eliminated. Specifically, this budget would increase rural hospital stabilization fund grants to $10 million, extend postpartum care to six months after the birth of a child, and add $400 million from the original cut made to the Quality Basic Education formula. While this budget is not what we originally intended, or hoped for, in January, this final piece of legislation is the result of tireless work of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, General Assembly staff and participation from our partners at state agencies.
While the session may be over, I remain committed to serving you in any way I can. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if you have any questions, comments or concerns about the budget or any legislation that passed this year.
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]