Author: harbisonadmin

Greetings from your state Capitol. It is hard to believe that we are already one third of the way through this year’s legislative session. Friday, February 21 closed our sixth week under the Gold Dome. Last week brought the passage of several bi-partisan measures within our Senate body.

We are also pleased to report that the House successfully passed House Bill 792, also known as the House version of the Amended Fiscal Year 2020 budget. This action brings us one step closer in fulfilling our only constitutional obligation of passing a balanced budget. 

We are anxious to begin reviewing their version in our Senate body, where we will either agree with their recommendations or make revisions to be discussed in further detail. Per our state Constitution, all revenue bills must originate in the House and we appreciate their diligence and hard work in working to meet session deadlines. We are also expecting their version of the full Fiscal Year 2021 budget, set to begin in July, the start of our state’s fiscal year. 

We also managed to get a number of measures passed in the Senate, including a bill which I co-sponsored in support of our Veterans. You can read more about this bill and others which were up for floor votes in my full report below. 
I will continue to update you throughout the legislative session. If you need anything at all, please let me know. Again, I thank you for your continued support and much needed prayers. It is an honor to serve you. Be blessed my friends!

Ed Harbison
Senator of the 15th

Monday, February 3, we gathered under the Gold Dome for our fourth week of the 2020 legislative session. Last week brought many committee meetings and much discussion regarding issues of importance. 

We also convened on the Senate floor for three days, where we passed several measures, including an adjournment resolution which sets our session schedule in the upcoming weeks. Also passed on the Senate floor was my bill, Senate Bill 262, which you can read more about in my detailed report below. All bills passing the Senate now move to the House for further consideration.

Last week, I also had the pleasure of being interviewed by the GPB show, Lawmakers. Lawmakers covers each session day specific to our legislative action and is a great way to keep up with daily news from under the Gold Dome. If you missed the episode, you can click here to watch!

I will continue to update you throughout the legislative session. If you need anything at all, please let me know as I am here to represent YOU. Thank you for your continued support and much needed prayers. It is an honor to serve you. Be blessed my friends!

Ed Harbison
Senator of the 15th

Friday, January 31, brought to a close the first month of the new year and the third week of our 2020 legislative session. We convened every day this week and spent a great deal of time in our respective committees to review proposed legislation.

Many of the bills reviewed in committee over the last week are those resulting in work completed by our many study committees which met during the off- session season to further explore issues of importance. Study committees such as the Georgia Commission on Freight & Logistics, the Rural Development Council, and the House Committee on Maternal Mortality brought forth legislation with recommendations on how to best implement sound policy for each respective area moving forward.

I will continue to update you throughout the legislative session and please, if you need anything at all, let me know. Thank you for your continued support and much needed prayers. It is an honor to serve you.

Ed Harbison
Senator of the 15th

Tuesday, January 21, marked the beginning of what we refer to as “Budget Week.”  Members of the House and Senate appropriations committees listened carefully as Governor Kemp presented his proposals for the 2020 amended Fiscal Year budget and the 2021 full Fiscal Year budget. State agency directors were also on hand to review their progress and make funding requests.

You can read a more detailed overview of budget week in my report below. 
I will continue to update you throughout the legislative session and please, if you need anything at all, let me know. Thank you for your continued support and much needed prayers. It is an honor to serve you.

Ed Harbison
Senator of the 15th

• Zero Based Budgeting
• Budget Report AFY 2020 / FY 2021
• Budget Process
• Budget Hearing Video Archives
• Georgia Budget and Policy Institute

Monday, January 13, was exciting, as legislators from across the state made their way to the Capitol to mark the beginning of the second half of the 155th meeting of the Georgia General Assembly. 

It was great to catch up with friends and colleagues as we began preparation for the legislative days ahead. Over the remaining days, we will introduce and discuss new bills while revisiting 2019 legislation which did not receive a floor vote prior to our day forty deadline. Therefore, we can expect last year’s hot topic items such as casino gaming, healthcare, education and tax reform to reappear.

This week will bring the conclusion of “budget week.” I will update you on all budget happenings in the weeks to come. The budget is a living document and will change numerous times before final passage.

As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your voice under the Gold Dome. It is an absolute honor to represent our district. Be on the lookout, as I will continue to update you throughout the legislative session. If you need anything at all, please reach out to me as I am here for YOU. Be blessed my friends. Until next time…

Respectfully,
Ed Harbison

Greetings from the Gold Dome!

The 2020 session is rapidly approaching as we prepare to return to Capitol Hill on January 13, 2020, marking the second year of the current session term. Given the upcoming election cycle, with primary’s taking place in May, we expect a quick but productive 40 legislative days on Capitol Hill. The two-year session cycle also means that any bills presented during the 2019 session are still available for passage during the 2020 year. The second year of any term is always hectic as we will closely monitor newly introduced legislation, while tracking last year’s bills which did not receive a final floor vote before the day 40 deadline.

Although our General Assembly is considered a “part-time” legislature, we were busy throughout the off-session season participating in numerous study committees appointed by House and Senate leadership, traveling our districts and hearing constituent concerns. Study Committee reports, required to be submitted by the end of December, are expected to result in the introduction of many bills related to healthcare, education, rural initiatives as well as ongoing discussions regarding our upcoming fiscal year budget. Georgia law also allows us to pre-file bills for the upcoming session the first week of November, meaning pre-session debate has officially begun. If you are interested in checking out what bills have been pre-filed, I encourage you to do so at the Georgia General Assembly website. Below I have outlined a few areas that will most likely be up for debate. You can read these by clicking on my full report below. 

As always, if you have concerns, questions or ideas regarding any issue, my door is open. Please feel free to contact me anytime. Be on the lookout for weekly updates beginning next week!

It is an honor to work as your voice under the Gold Dome and I will continue my service to ensure that our district receives the attention and consideration it deserves at the state level. May God bless and keep you my friends and may He continue to bless the great state of Georgia. 

Respectfully,
Ed Harbison
Senator of Georgia’s 15th District

What’s in store for 2020?