COLUMN: Hickman: Special Legislative Session Update

By: Sen. Billy Hickman (R-Statesboro)

This past week, I returned to the State Capitol alongside my legislative colleagues, following Governor Brian P. Kemp's call to convene our General Assembly for a special legislative session.

The governor's proclamation directed lawmakers to consider several specific issues, including congressional and legislative redistricting, election administration and local taxation. During the session, the General Assembly also addressed the temporary suspension of the state's motor fuel and diesel taxes.

We arrived at the State Capitol intent on following through on every piece of the governor's proclamation, including redistricting. However, given the ongoing status of our state's election cycle and legal developments following the United States Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais decision, our state is in a unique position. Any changes we make to Georgia's congressional or legislative districts will not take effect until the 2028 election cycle, and we want to take this additional time to approach redistricting the same way that we have before: thoughtfully, transparently, and with ample input from all Georgians.

Meanwhile, the Senate expanded affordability with the passage of House Resolution 3EX. This legislation ratified the motor fuel and diesel fuel tax suspension enacted by Gov. Kemp. Childcare, groceries and gasoline have become increasingly expensive, forcing hardworking Georgians to dip into their savings and make sacrifices at the kitchen table. I was proud to support Gov. Kemp's actions to save Georgians millions at the pump this summer and ease the financial burdens on families and businesses across our state.

We also achieved a major win for Georgia voters with the passage of Senate Bill 3EX. The legislation creates the Election Equipment Specification and Standards Committee, which will evaluate and recommend new election equipment designed for hand-marked paper ballots. In our commitment to secure Georgia's elections, it is crucial that Georgia's voting methods remain reliable, efficient and cost-effective.

Additionally, the Senate Committee on Education and Youth and the House Education Committee held a joint meeting to discuss the implementation of House Bill 1193, the Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026. It was encouraging to hear from the Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Strategy, the Professional Standards Commission, Georgia Southern University, the Georgia Regional Educational Service Agency and the Georgia Department of Education as they shared updates on the work being done to place literacy coaches in every elementary school across our state. Efforts like these will help guarantee Georgia students have the strong reading foundation they need to succeed.

Lastly, Senate Republicans sought to bring hardworking Georgians meaningful property tax relief. We introduced several local bills that would have allowed voters to decide whether they wanted to offset their property taxes through a homestead exemption funded by a Local Homestead Option Sales Tax (LHOST). Rather than mandate changes to local taxation, we believe these decisions should be made by the local residents who would be affected. Unfortunately, Democrats in the House and Senate opposed every LHOST measure, preventing those questions from ever reaching local voters.

For many Georgians, homeownership remains a central part of the American Dream, yet achieving and maintaining it is becoming increasingly difficult. As housing costs and everyday expenses continue to rise, taxpayers deserve relief wherever it can be responsibly provided. It's a shame that these proposals fell short this session due to partisan politics. Georgia Senate Republicans are responsible for building one of the strongest state budgets in the country, and we will keep working to expand financially responsible homeownership opportunities to help Georgia families build a stronger financial future.

Although the special session has concluded, my commitment to serving you throughout the legislative interim remains the same. America 250 is approaching, and I hope you enjoy this summer alongside friends and family.

As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns. Thank you for the honor of serving Senate District 4.

# # # #

Sen. Billy Hickman serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Youth. He represents the 4^th Senate District, which includes Bulloch, Candler, Effingham and Evans counties, as well as a portion of Chatham County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 463-1371 or by email at [email protected].

For all media inquiries, please reach out to [email protected].