Rep Alan Powell: 2023 Legislative Newsletter – Week Four

By State Representative Alan Powell, HD 33

The Georgia House of Representatives returned to the Gold Dome for the third week of the 2023 legislative session on Monday, January 23.

The week brought more exciting and important work as the House met for four legislative days. We voted on our first set of local bills of the session, and several House committees held their first meetings to adopt rules and discuss the goals of the committee.

We convened on Wednesday for Gov. Kemp’s fifth annual State of the State address, which provides an opportunity for our governor to present his assessment on the current condition of our state government, as well as present his legislative priorities for the year ahead.

Some of his major priorities include investing in our classrooms, workforce, public safety, and health care.

My colleagues and I welcomed two special groups in the House Chamber: The Consul General of the Republic of Korea, Yoonjoo Park, joined us in honor of Korean American Day and provided special remarks to highlight the strong bond of friendship between his nation and the state of Georgia.

We also held Georgia National Guard Day at the Capitol on Thursday and Brigadier General John Gentry commended the House for its continued support over the years.

As we continue through the session, I anticipate a few hot topics of interest to the people of our great state:

• Electrification of Transportation – Legislation relative to EV charging station supply and demand
• Medical Cannabis – The actions/inactions of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission prompted legal action in the Court of Appeals and any legislative or court-ordered fix causes concern to me.
• Gambling – We continue to hear from citizens and groups interested in gambling in some form. 68% to 73% of those polled want the right to vote on the issue. Any legislation to legalize gambling will require a Constitutional Amendment. Sports betting placed lower in the polls than casino gambling or horseracing by 10-12 points.
• Oversight of all state agencies for any deficiencies and/or inefficiencies in their operations. We will be looking at a few agencies in particular in relation to their bureaucratic shortfalls.
• Tax incentives and credits – There will continue to be legislation for economic growth and to have certain industries continue to do business in Georgia.
• Election Reform – Legislation to continue to enhance election laws. I have introduced HB 17: Elections; sealing of ballots in secure containers – to ensure ballots are sealed in secure containers and to provide a chain of custody documentation and procedures.
• Criminal Justice – Gov. Kemp and First Lady Kemp announced their support for increasing penalties for organizations that fail to provide resources on how to spot human trafficking and what actions to take to stop it.

I will be working with the two House Judicial Committees to enhance laws dealing with sexual predators and the grooming of young children.

As we move through the session, I encourage you to visit me at my capitol office or call me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the state budget bills, the legislative process, or any other measures considered under the Gold Dome.

My capitol office number is 404-463-3793. My email is [email protected]. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative.