State Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee) has released his weekly legislative report for the first week of the 2025 Georgia General Assembly. Rep. Lumsden reported the Georgia House of Representatives started its new session with all members taking the Oath of Office. Jon Burns was re-elected as Speaker of the House, and Jan Jones was re-elected as Speaker Pro Tempore. They held a moment of silence for former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away in December 2024. The House adopted an Adjournment Resolution, setting the session calendar, which ends on April 4, 2025. Governor Brian Kemp delivered his State of the State Address, focusing on recovery from Hurricane Helene and proposing solutions for inflation and tax relief. He emphasized the need for tort reform and emphasized the importance of school safety, proposing additional funding. The House Committee on Assignments announced committee roles. The week ended with a Celebration of Service for Martin Luther King Jr. This week, the Georgia House began the state budget process. You can read Rep. Lumsden’s complete report below:
Legislative Update – Week One
On Monday, January 13, 2025, the Georgia House of Representatives convened for the first day of the 2025 legislative session, marking the start of a new biennium for the 158th Georgia General Assembly. To begin the session, all 180 House members took the Oath of Office, which was administered by Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Boggs. Following the swearing-in, our next order of business was the election of the Speaker of the House and Speaker Pro Tempore. Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) was re-elected as the 75th Speaker of the House, and Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton) was also re-elected to her respective position.
After the election of the Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore, members of the Georgia House of Representatives observed a moment of silence to honor the life and legacy of Former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away in Plains, Georgia, on December 29, 2024. As the 39th President of the United States and Georgia’s 76th Governor—the only Georgian to ever be elected president—Carter’s impact on both the state and the nation was immense. This moment of reflection symbolized the House’s collective gratitude for his life and contributions to our great state and our nation.
Also on Monday, the House voted to adopt an Adjournment Resolution, establishing the legislative calendar for the 2025 legislative session. In accordance with the State Constitution, the Georgia General Assembly is required to be in session for 40 non-consecutive legislative days. This year, Senate Resolution 6, outlines the legislative calendar, with the final day of session, or “Sine Die,” scheduled for Friday, April 4, 2025. With the calendar set, the House is ready to move forward and get to work to address the important issues facing Georgians this legislative session.
On Thursday, members of both the House and Senate gathered for a joint session in the House Chamber to hear Governor Brian Kemp deliver his annual State of the State Address. This address gave the governor the opportunity to present his assessment of the state’s current condition and outline his legislative priorities for the year ahead, which include increased funding for school safety and security, the need for tort reform legislation, expanding access to healthcare in rural areas and increased support for Georgia’s Department of Corrections. You can watch a video archive of the governor’s address here, and I will highlight some of his address.
Governor Kemp began his State of the State address by reflecting on the impact and destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Helene last September. Georgia Power reported that Hurricane Helene was the worst storm in Georgia’s history, resulting in 34 Georgians who lost their lives during the storm. The governor went on to share some of the heroic stories of first responders and neighbors alike who risked their lives to help those in need. In response to this devastation, the state prioritized funding for hard-hit areas and repurposed $100 million to the Georgia Development Authority to support the farming and timber industries. Although Georgians are still grieving and rebuilding from Helene, the legislature remains focused on prioritizing support for the hardest hit regions and communities of our resilient state.
In his address, Gov. Kemp also emphasized that while communities directly affected by Hurricane Helene still need substantial disaster relief, all Georgians, regardless of location, also need long-term solutions to offset rising costs and inflation. He noted that Georgia families have struggled in recent years, but despite record inflation, Georgia achieved success through tax cuts, gas tax suspensions, a 2024 homeowner tax relief grant and an income tax cut that saved taxpayers more than $7.6 billion. Building on previous tax cuts, he proposed an additional reduction in the state income tax rate from 5.39 percent to 5.19 percent during his address. This move would save Georgians an expected $7.5 billion over the next decade.
Also in his address, Gov. Kemp underscored his administration’s ongoing efforts to address rising insurance costs, particularly for small businesses, and the need for tort reform. He highlighted the passage of House Bill 1114, the Data Analysis for Tort Reform Act, which was signed into law last summer and enables Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner to gather data and propose reforms that are aimed at stabilizing insurance costs, expanding consumer choices and preventing carriers from leaving Georgia. The governor pointed out that some small businesses have seen their insurance premiums increase by as much as 100 percent, threatening their operations. To combat this, he announced that one of his top priorities this session is passing comprehensive tort reform legislation designed to limit civil lawsuits.
Lastly, we reflected on the tragic shooting that occurred at Apalachee High School, honoring the victims and their families, as well as the heroes who prevented the incident from becoming an even greater tragedy. Responding Sergeant Chase Boyd, Deputy Brandon King and Sheriff Jud Smith joined us in the gallery during the governor’s address while we applauded their brave actions on that day. We were also joined by several caregivers who provided mental health services in the critical days following the events at Apalachee High School. In response, Gov. Kemp touched on the $294 million that has been allocated to school safety thus far, and his budget proposal includes an additional $159 million to bolster those efforts.
Also, this week, the House Committee on Assignments completed its work and announced committee assignments for each representative. I have been reappointed to serve as Chairman of the House Insurance Committee as well as a member of the Public Safety and Homeland Security, Appropriation, Rules, Governmental Affairs and Veterans Affairs Committees for the next two years. You can learn more about these committees on the House’s public website here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/committees/house.
To end our week, my colleagues and I joined Gov. Kemp, Speaker Burns and Lt. Gov. Jones for a Celebration of Service to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This event was a powerful reminder of Dr. King’s impact on our nation and the ongoing work to advance his vision of equality, justice and service to others. The celebration not only commemorated his achievements but also encouraged all of us to engage in meaningful acts of service to strengthen our communities and uphold the values he fought for.
Next week, my legislative colleagues and I will return to the Capitol to begin the state budget process where we will hear directly from Gov. Kemp and state agency leaders as they present their budget requests to the Joint House and Senate Appropriations Committee, in an event often referred to as “budget week.” The Appropriations committees will continue meeting throughout the week, and I look forward to providing updates on the budget process as it gets underway.
Throughout our time here at the State Capitol, I look forward to continuing to work to support our community and my constituents. To follow along with important updates from the House, please see our House X (Twitter), @GaHouseHub; Instagram, @gahouseofrepresentatives and Facebook accounts for updates, legislative floor proceedings, press releases and more. To watch livestreams and keep apprised of our House committee meetings, please view the House website. Furthermore, please reach out to me with any questions and concerns you may have as we move through this legislative session. I can be reached at Eddie.Lumsden@house.ga.gov or by phone at 404-656-7850.
Thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative for the 2025-2026 legislative term.
Eddie Lumsden
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