2020 Session Week 6

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

2020 Session Week 4

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

2020 Session Week 3

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

Budget Week 2020

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

Week 1 Update for the 2020 Session

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

Preview of the 2020 Session

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?

Senator Ed Harbison Hosts International Military Students at the State Capitol

ATLANTA (October 29, 2019) | Yesterday, Sen. Ed Harbison (D – Columbus) hosted a group of students from the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) International Military Student Office (IMSO), located in Ft. Benning, Georgia. The WHINSEC IMSO serves as the headquarters for all international students from the Western Hemisphere at Fort Benning. All IMSO students learn about the different levels of the U.S. government during their stay in this country.

This program aims to help international students understand American culture, as well as the government and military operations within the state of Georgia and United States. To date, over 8,500 students from over 20 different countries have participated in the program.

“Fort Benning and the WHINSEC International Military Student Office are a wonderful resource for our nation’s military and for promoting democracy around the world,” said Sen. Harbison. “This year, many of the students in the class are from Colombia. We had an extensive conversation about governance in their home country and the role Georgia politics plays in creating policies they may have heard about in the news. I learn as much from them as they do from me and am happy we have such a productive program in our district.”

To learn more about the International Military Student Office at the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, follow this link: http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/199th/IMSO/

Senator Ed Harbison Welcomes International Military Students to the State Capitol

ATLANTA (June 12, 2019) | Sen. Ed Harbison (D – Columbus) hosted a group of students from the International Military Student Office (IMSO), located in Ft. Benning, Georgia. This is the third year in a row that student’s from the IMSO have joined Sen. Harbison at the state capitol for a tour and introduction to state politics.

“The students with the IMSO and their teachers from Fort Benning always bring a valuable perspective to me at the capitol through their thoughtful questions about our legislative process and difference in governance they see in their home countries,” said Sen. Harbison. “While they are learning about local, state and national politics and more about the United States’ role in international diplomacy, we are learning just as much from them. This is a great program and one that I am so happy we have right here in Georgia.”

The IMSO serves as the headquarters for all international students at Fort Benning. All IMSO students learn about the different levels of the U.S. government during their stay in this country. This helps to give them an understanding of our way of life, as well as the government and military operations within it. Since the program’s inception in 1950, over 8,500 students from over 100 different countries have participated in the program.

To learn more about the International Military Student Office at the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, follow this link: http://www.benning.army.mil/infantry/199th/IMSO/