Lt. Governor Burt Jones Supports Senate Passage of PAQC Expanded Powers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, March 6, 2026

ATLANTA | Today, Lt. Governor Burt Jones issued a statement in support of Senate Bill 605 passing the Senate. Senate Bill 605 is sponsored by Senator Bill Cowsert (R - Athens) and is now headed to the Georgia House for consideration.

"Senate Bill 605 is the kind of bill we all wish we didn't need," said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. "But Fani Willis's lawfare of President Trump and his allies has highlighted why oversight by the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission is vital. This bill gives the PAQC the ability to go after DAs who refuse to be transparent, who engage in unprofessional attorney conduct, and who don't take seriously their duties to victims of crimes. I want to commend the Senate Special Committee on Investigations for their hard work to not only highlight Fani Willis's failings, but to bring forward much needed solutions."

Senate Bill 605 expands the role of the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission by giving it the authority to discipline or remove prosecutors who do not comply with the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights and the Georgia Open Records Act, who fail to comply with discovery rules in criminal cases, and who do not follow State Bar rules of professional conduct specific to Georgia prosecutors. This bill builds on the work of Senate Bill 218, which passed earlier this session. That bill gave the PAQC new investigative tools, including the ability to subpoena records kept by prosecutors under investigation.

Please follow this link for additional information on Senate Bill 605: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73715