'Lawmakers': Japanese Consulate, Maternal Health Day, Fani Willis controversy up front on Day 7

Caption

Japanese Consul General Mio Maeda speaks during Japan Day at the Georgia Capitol on Jan. 23, 2024. Gov. Brian Kemp read a proclamation recognizing 50 years of the Japanese Consulate in Atlanta.

Credit: GPB

Much of the day’s legislative business took place outside of the chambers, including lawmakers acknowledging Japan as a long-term international partner. 

Jan. 23, 2024, was Japan Day at the Capitol.

Japanese businesses who set up shop around Georgia brought products to the Gold Dome.  

And Gov. Brian Kemp celebrated 50 years of friendship between Georgia and the Japanese Consulate in Atlanta, presenting the Japanese Consul General Mio Maeda with a proclamation. 

Maternal Health Awareness Day

Lawmakers in both chambers also acknowledged Maternal Health Awareness Day. 

Rep. Lauren Daniel (R-Locust Grove), who has brought her baby to the Georgia House every day this session, fired back at Democrats who say Republicans are unwilling to hear fixes for the maternal mortality crisis.

Sen. Tonya Anderson (D-Lithonia) also called attention to the issue in the senate. 

Fani Willis controversy continues

Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) introduced Senate Resolution 465 during the Senate rules meeting. 

The resolution will enpanel a Senate special committee to look at Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ alleged mishandling of state money during her indictment of former president Trump. 

"As we know, the state funds around $30 million to the prosecuting attorney’s council. And about $3 million of that goes to Fulton County," he said. "And so, what a lot of my constituents have been asking about is 'How has that money been spent? Is there anything that needs to happen with state law? Was there a conflict of interest here?' There are a lot questions, Mr. Chairman, that are out there in the public and we are merely going to empower this committee to have those questions answered. And then the committee will be able to, as to as you see in the final ‘whereas,' we’ll be able to make recommendations as it relates to legislation that we may need to take as a body to ensure cases are prosecuted in the state of Georgia as they should be.” 

GPB asked the senator why not leave it to the court system already dealing with the issue, or even the proposed prosecuting attorneys’ oversight commission? 

Dolezal answered, "That is a commission that is going to have disciplinary power. Our intent with this committee is not to discipline. It’s to get a fact pattern so that we can investigate our expenditures at the state level, and our state laws to see what may or may not be adjusted.”

Dolezal said the formation of the committee is not political retaliation against Willis. 

“As you can see, when we dropped this, it was after all of these facts came to life… this is not something we did a year ago or six months ago," he said. "This is something that is a response to questions from constituents around the expenditure of state funds. The potential conflict of interests as it relates to the selection of who was going to work on this case, and how we, as the state, may need to respond to that.” 

Dolezal said he expects the resolution to be voted on the Senate floor within the next two weeks, and committee members will be selected quickly after that.  

The resolution was passed 10 to 3.  

Wednesday, on Day 8, we’ll hear from Speaker of the House Jon Burns on a major tax announcement. 
 

Watch Lawmakers  

Join host Donna Lowry and capitol reporter Sarah Kallis at 7 p.m. on GPB-TV for the 54th season of GPB's Lawmakers.