Sightseers’ Delight: Georgia Edition

Earlier this week, Georgia Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, filed Senate Resolution 563, a resolution urging Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to comply with multiple requests by the U.S. Department of Justice to securely produce Georgia’s complete voter roll, in compliance with Georgia’s obligations under the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1960.

State Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, announced today that she will continue her work in the Georgia House of Representatives rather than run for the open 14th Congressional District seat, which Marjorie Taylor Greene previously held

Georgia Speaker of the House Jon Burns, R-Newington, has proposed placing a literacy coach in every elementary school across the state.

Georgia Sen. John Albers, R–Roswell, introduced Senate Bill 392, the Waste Reduction Act of 2026, also known as the Zero-Based Budgeting Act. Under zero-based budgeting, every dollar of government spending must be justified from the ground up during each budget cycle. Rather than assuming prior-year spending automatically continues, agencies must clearly demonstrate why programs are needed and how taxpayer dollars will be used.

On Thursday, Jan. 15, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp will deliver his final State of the State address before a joint session of the Georgia General Assembly.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has joined a 20-state coalition in sending a formal comment letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the updated definition of Waters of the United States. The longstanding WOTUS controversy has placed undue regulatory burdens on Georgia’s farmers, landowners, and businesses, often subjecting routine land-use activities to costly federal permitting processes.

Georgia Sen. Larry Walker III, R–Perry, was unanimously elected by his colleagues to serve as president pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate. In his role as President Pro Tempore, Walker will preside over Senate sessions in the absence of the lieutenant governor and work closely with Senate leadership to guide legislative operations and ensure an efficient, orderly legislative process under the Gold Dome.

Georgia Rep. Yasmin Neal, D-Jonesboro, plans to introduce legislation in the upcoming 2026 legislative session that would establish a tax credit for independent filmmakers in Georgia.

“Establishing a tax credit for independent filmmakers would lower the barrier to entry for Georgia-based and small-budget filmmakers and content creators,” Neal said in a release. “By properly defining and recognizing independent filmmakers in statute and establishing an appropriate spending threshold, this legislation would ensure they have full access to Georgia’s film tax credits – an opportunity that independent filmmakers were left out of under prior law. I look forward to formally introducing the legislation during the upcoming legislative session and I am excited to support and uplift Georgia’s independent film community.”

Neal said additional details regarding the proposed legislation are forthcoming.

Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, R-Georgia, today introduced a resolution condemning recent anti-American remarks made by Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Illinois, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, who said that she is “a proud Guatemalan before I’m an American.” The resolution states that elected officials are expected to serve the American people, not foreign governments, and that comments of such character call into question a member’s ability to fulfill their oath of office.

On Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., the Senate Study Committee on Eliminating Georgia’s Income Tax, chaired by Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, will hold its first hearing.