I’m Senator Billy Hickman, your senator for the 4th Senate District. As committee hearings and votes continue, we get closer to Crossover Day. Crossover Day, the last day that a bill must pass out of its original legislative body to be considered by the other, will be next Thursday.
This week, we celebrated the achievements of our literary organizations, which work hard to make a difference in our state. On Monday, I invited Malcolm Mitchell, a former UGA and NFL football player, literacy advocate, and Georgia Reads Coach, to talk to the Senate about his work. Malcolm is a dedicated champion for childhood literacy, reaching all 50 states and 17 countries with his Share the Magic Foundation.
In line with this, we celebrated Georgia Reads Day under the Gold Dome on Tuesday. We recognized the 10 recipients of the Georgia Reads Community Award and the Georgia READ Bowl student winners. I want to thank again the Georgia Council on Literacy for their dedication to improving the literacy rate in our state and providing a solid foundation for lifelong learning for our children.
On the legislative side, Senate Republicans passed Senate Bill 28, the “Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025.” This act works similarly to the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Highlights of SB 28 include requiring state agencies to review their rules every four years and directing them to reduce compliance burdens on small businesses.
It also requires agencies to provide an economic impact analysis to the General Assembly for any proposed rule that will cost more than $1 million over five years. Last, it would allow legislators to request a small business impact analysis to determine the economic costs and benefits of our proposed legislation. This bill is crucial in allowing our local businesses to run smoothly and are not held up by unnecessary bureaucratic red tape.
On Wednesday, we unanimously passed Senate Bill 123 to address chronic absenteeism in our schools. Chronic absenteeism occurs when a student misses more than 10% of the school year. In the 4th Senate District, Bulloch County has an absenteeism rate of 22.6%, or one in five students. Chatham County has a rate of 27.9%, or almost one in three students..
In a 180-day school year, these students miss over three weeks. Parents don’t know how to help their children, meaning they fall further behind. SB 123 asks schools to adopt policies to target chronic absenteeism instead of suspending those students to address the root of the issue and help our students get back on track.
Lastly, we passed House Bill 67, the Amended Budget for the 2025 Fiscal Year on Wednesday. Following last year's budget surplus, the Senate has recommended a return of $250 to individual taxpayers and $500 to married couples, in addition to continuing with Georgia’s income tax reductions.
The $750 million provided to hurricane relief is essential in helping us recover following the generational Hurricane Helene. A personal highlight for me is the $6.1 million allocated to funding literacy coaches for the bottom 25% of schools. This is essential in helping our children get ahead.
It’s an honor to serve you and be your voice at the Capitol. I appreciate your support, and as always, God bless you and the great state of Georgia!
