James January-February 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 63
was proud of the
strong showing Republican candidates had in
the November elections, but I cannot say
I was surprised.
As Majority Leader of the
Georgia House of Representatives,
I’ve watched Republican members
work for years on common sense
measures in education, public
safety and tax relief. Folks
from all over the country are
moving to Georgia because
it truly is the best place to
live, work and raise a family.
Georgia voters recognize
the good work of Republicans
under the Gold Dome by electing a
solid majority of 100 Republicans in
a 180-member chamber. Thanks to
the leadership of Speaker Jon Burns,
Republican House candidates in
swing-districts across Georgia surpassed expectations. Newly elected
Republican Rep. Sandy Donatucci
even flipped a seat previously held
by a Democrat in Gwinnett County.
I expect we’ll see more kitchen
table issues that Georgians truly care
about this legislative session.
In 2025, we will consider another $1 billion tax rebate for Georgians. In recent years, Gov. Brian
Kemp and legislative leaders have
passed over $6.6 billion in tax cuts
and rebates, which has led to more
economic growth in our state and
helped Georgians through a period of
historic inflation. House Republicans
know that these taxpayers’ dollars
belong in citizens’ wallets, not government coffers.
Another hot topic this year will
be reforming how professional licenses are issued and renewed in Georgia. Over the past year, members
of the House and Senate— including
House Appropriations Chairman
Matt Hatchett-- have studied the
number of professional licenses
issued and the causes of frustrating
backlogs. Expect proposed changes
in the law to expedite the issuance of
professional licenses for Georgians.
Relief for those reeling from the
long-term damage caused by Hurricane Helene will be a top priority
for this legislative session. Georgians saw their homes and livelihoods destroyed, particularly in
rural Georgia. Georgia’s number
one industry is agribusiness, and
it is my priority to act quickly to
assist those impacted by Helene in
any way possible.
With school safety grants and
funding to local districts for school
security passed in previous sessions of the General Assembly,
we will redouble our efforts to
keep Georgia’s students safe at
school. This includes prioritizing
greater communication between
school districts to identify and
intervene when students pose a
danger to themselves and others, as well as funding grants
to harden our schools and
protect our students.
Tort reform remains an
issue of considerable discussion
at the Capitol, with concerns
about rising insurance rates and
available insurance carriers for
businesses and consumers. In
recent sessions, we have passed
legislation to improve the litigation
climate in our state to best serve
all Georgians. More work on this
is expected in 2025, with efforts to
stabilize Georgia’s insurance marketplace through lawsuit reform which
benefits all Georgians.
Along with the outstanding
results for House Republicans from
the November election came an
expectation that the General Assembly continue delivering results for all
Georgians. As House Majority Leader, our Republican Caucus intends to
do just that.
State Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Mulberry, is a former assistant district attorney who was elected to
the House in 2013 and chosen by his GOP Caucus
as Majority Leader in 2022.
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