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ATLANTA - We are officially more than halfway through the 2024 Legislative Session. I am proud to share that we are delivering for Georgians by cutting red tape, maintaining our conservative budget, protecting law enforcement officers, and fighting back against crime. While we have enjoyed a robust first half of the legislative session, plenty of meaningful work lies ahead before the conclusion of the legislative session.

I continued my hard work throughout this past week, drafting and advocating on behalf of numerous pieces of legislation designed to benefit you. Specifically, I am happy to report that my own Senate Bill 381, the Assuring Quality in Government Act, is awaiting selection by the Senate Rules Committee for placement on the Senate floor. This bill will provide that certain state offices provide callers with the opportunity to complete an automated satisfaction survey. As state legislators, we are first accountable to the people. I was also pleased to introduce Senate Bill 501, titled the Foundations of Law Act. The bill would authorize public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. This recognizes the 10 Commandments as a document of both great religious and historical significance to our nation, and that we must continue to instill strong morals in our future generations.

My Republican colleagues and I joined Governor Brian P. Kemp on the North Steps of the State Capitol to officially announce that the Georgia National Guard would be sending additional troops to help fortify our country’s southern border. Under the leadership of our current President, our southern border is a growing disaster. Our federal lawmakers continue to look the other way and take no action, while southern states are further flooded with illegal immigrants. At the same time, lethal drugs are pouring across our border every day, leading to drug overdoses and eternally broken families. Many who come across our border illegally are small children who are at risk of being trafficked by predators. While Georgia does not touch our nation’s northern or southern borders, every state under Joe Biden’s America is now what I would consider a border state. Governor Kemp and myself understand that these open border policies must be stopped, and I am thankful that our caucus chose to stand for further border control across the United States.

Additionally, this week I introduced Senate Bill 511, the Combating Threats from China Act. This bill obliges the University System of Georgia to publicly report any funding received from the Chinese Communist Party or related groups. This legislation will expose the growing influence of China in our higher education system and will secure the integrity of our educational institutions.

As always, I want to invite students between the ages of 12 and 18 to serve as a Capitol Page. This program encourages Georgia’s next generation of great leaders to participate in the legislative process by providing a front-row seat to a day’s work in the Georgia Senate. Many of our current legislators participated in this program and first became interested in serving Georgia citizens because of their time spent as a Capitol Page. I encourage any students interested in the legislative process who want to spend a day at our Capitol to apply for our program using the link: https://www.legis.ga.gov/senate/staffing.

Please never hesitate to contact my office if I can assist with legislative matters. I hope to see you under the Gold Dome soon as the 2024 Legislative Session continues.

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Sen. Marty Harbin serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Oversight. He represents the 16th Senate District which includes Lamar, Spalding and Pike counties and a portion Fayette County. He may be reached at 404.656.0078 or by email at marty.harbin@senate.ga.gov.