State Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee), released a legislative update this week concerning the 2021 General Assembly Special Legislative Session.  You can read Rep. Lumsden’s report below:

Monday, November 15, 2021, marked the start of the third week of the 2021 special session. The Georgia House of Representatives met on the House floor every day this week, including Saturday. The House Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Committee, along with other House committees, also continued to hold meetings to review legislation. After an eventful week here at the Capitol, we are quickly approaching the finish line of this special legislative session.

The House gave final approval to Senate Bill 1EX on Monday, and this bill would update the map for the 56 state Senate districts. Likewise, the state Senate recently passed the map for the 180 state House districts, House Bill 1EX, on Friday, Nov. 12. Both of these bills have been sent to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

The House and the Senate maps can be found at www.legis.ga.gov.

Since the district maps for the Georgia General Assembly have passed in both chambers, we spent the majority of this week examining proposed maps for Georgia’s U.S. Congressional districts. Like the state House and Senate maps, our 14 congressional districts will need to comply with the influx of new residents, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the traditional principles of redistricting. House and Senate leadership jointly released a proposed congressional map this week and then introduced separate bills in their respective chambers with this proposed congressional map. Subsequently, the House Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Committee held three public hearings this week to consider this map. During these hearings, the public was invited to provide their feedback about the map.

The Senate bill for the updated congressional map, Senate Bill 2EX, passed out of their chamber on Friday and was immediately transmitted to the House. The House gaveled into session Saturday morning for procedural purposes, and the House Legislative & Congressional

Reapportionment Committee also met and approved the legislation. You can view the proposed congressional map at www.legis.ga.gov.

In addition to our redistricting work this week, we also voted on two other pieces of legislation on the House floor. When the governor called us into a special session for the redistricting process, his proclamation also charged us with considering other necessary legislation. As such, we passed House Bill 7EX this week to provide an Internal Revenue Code update that corresponds with the American Rescue Plan Act. We also adopted House Resolution 3EX to ratify several executive orders that allowed the state to suspend motor and diesel fuel taxes during the petroleum shortage this summer.

My colleagues and I will return to the Gold Dome on Monday, November 22 to wrap up our business for this special session. Next week, we anticipate that the House will vote on SB 2EX on Monday, and if passed, the special session will adjourn that day. You can learn more about the redistricting process and view all of the current and proposed maps on the nonpartisan Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Office’s webpage www.legis.ga.gov. You may also contact me with your thoughts or questions at 404-656-7850 or eddie.lumsden@house.ga.gov.

As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative for House District 12.

Eddie Lumsden

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Legislative Update

Special Session

Week Four

My colleagues and I convened for the final day of the 2021 special legislative session on Monday, November 22. The last day of a legislative session is commonly referred to as “Sine Die,” which is a Latin term meaning “without assigning a day for further meeting.” On this Sine Die, the Georgia House of Representatives voted on one bill before adjourning the special session.

The House Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Committee held a public hearing over the weekend and approved Senate Bill 2EX, which would update the map for Georgia’s 14 congressional districts. After being schedule for a vote on the House floor Monday morning, the Georgia House of Representatives passed SB 2EX, and the bill will now head to the governor for his signature. SB 2EX is the last piece of legislation that the General Assembly needed to pass to complete this special session, and as such, the House adjourned the special session shortly after the bill’s passage.

All legislation related to the redistricting process that passed in the House and Senate has been sent to the governor to be signed into law. If the bills for the legislative and congressional maps are signed into law, they will be implemented by election officials for the next election cycle in November 2022. You can view the new legislative and congressional district maps on the nonpartisan Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office’s website under the “Proposed Plans” section at www.legis.ga.gov.

I will be returning to our district for the holiday season to spend time with my family ahead of the 2022 regular legislative session, which will begin on Monday, January 10, 2022. During this time back home, I will also be looking ahead to the regular session, so I encourage you to contact me regarding legislative issues that are important to you, your family and our community. You can reach my Capitol office at 404-656-7850 or eddie.lumsden@house.ga.gov. Since I will be spending more time in our district until after the New Year, you may contact me locally at 706-506-3360.

I hope you and your family have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day and holiday weekend. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative for House District 12.

Eddie Lumsden