'Lawmakers' Day 35: Senate honors Beach naming as U.S. treasurer, House OKs phone ban in K-8 schools

Tears were shed in both chambers today, but for very different reasons.

"If you look in the bottom left-hand corner [of a $100 bill], it will have the name of the Treasury of the United States at the bottom left-hand corner, and that will soon have display Brandon Beach's name on it," Lt. Gov. Burt Jones said in the Senate. "So, let's give Brandon a big round of applause."

The Senate said farewell to one of their own this morning, as Jones announced the appointment of Sen. Brandon Beach as the Trump administration's new U.S. treasurer.

"I love this institution, the Senate," Beach, an Alpharetta Republican, said. "I love this chamber. I love the people in it. And it's a great body, and it's going to be a great memory for me to know that I served in this Senate chamber."

The legislators also voted on eight House bills.

Some of the more notable bills, HB 92, which would extend the deadline that counties and municipalities can opt out or rescind an opt out of the property tax homestead exemption.

"We’ve given some more opt-in opportunities,"  Sen. Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) said. "There wasn't an opportunity to opt back in. We're letting that be done on an annual basis as of March 1. If people want to opt back in — and this year we're extending it to April 30 for those that may want to, and there's some reasons they might want to. And then they will revisit that decision if they don't have anything in place in 2027 as well."

The bill was passed 52 to 2.

House Bill 340, the Distraction Free Education Act, would ban cellphones from K through eighth grade schools during the school day, allowing each school system to set their own phone policies.

"Research shows it takes over 23 minutes to regain focus after a distraction, meaning many students never fully get engaged in their education," Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas) said. "Our teachers are seeing the impact firsthand. Over 85% of high school teachers and 68% of middle school teachers report that cellphones are a major problem in their classrooms."

The bill was also presented as a school safety issue.

"Removing phones creates a safer school environment," Anavitarte added. "In an emergency, we want our kids' full and undivided attention. Clear phone lines. No misinformation. Kids listening to teachers. Kids listening to school resource officers.

"If, God forbid, there's an incident in the school, I want my child and your child to be able to follow instructions very clearly without distraction, to get out of a building, get out of a classroom and be safe."

Despite concerns from some Democrats over parents being able to communicate with their children in an emergency, the bill was overwhelmingly passed 54 to 2.

In the House, there was tearful gratitude from a member.

"But I want to thank you," Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain) said. "This is a family in here and you won't believe the calls and texts I've had. Wow. It's amazing. And I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. If you get a chance read Jeremiah 29:11. 'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and future.'"

Smith was let go from his job at the Harris County Chamber of Commerce after voting no on the tort reform bill last week.

The House then took up several bills dealing with public safety and children.

Senate Bill 123 defines chronic absenteeism in schools and lays out a plan to address it.

"While this is not going to fix chronic absenteeism, this is a step in the right direction," Rep. Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville) said. "We're stating that if a district as a whole has a rate at 10% or higher, they have to have an attendance review team, and if an individual school has a rate of 15% or higher, they also have to have a dedicated review team. Mr. Speaker, that is the bill."

It passed 160 to 1.

Senate Bill 42, first lady Marty Kemp's 10th bill related to human trafficking, would increase penalties for sex trafficking minors. It passed unanimously.

"At least two courts in Georgia have indicated that the Georgia human trafficking statute for minors that we passed last year is similar to the pimping and pandering, a minor statute which carries a lesser sentence," Rep. Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville) said. "So, this bill will fix that in order to make sure that we have the more serious and more of a punishment for those that are sex trafficking and human trafficking our minors."

The House also passed Senate Bill 110, which would revise the definition of child neglect in Georgia code. The bill was written after a Georgia woman was arrested for child neglect, after neighbors saw her 10-year-old son walk down the road unsupervised.

"When I was growing up, my mom would send me into a store to buy something," Rep. Chuck Efstration (R-Mulberry) said. "I'd walk down the street to go to friend's house. And with what we've seen in, in, particularly in the media with the reporting around this, the concern that rises here is that parental autonomy that allows for a child to develop a sense of independence, the ability to think for themselves, to really develop and mature ... but that that may be subject to interpretation by law enforcement or authorities inconsistent with the parent's rights and responsibilities."

Despite that, there was some pushback.

"Mr. Speaker, is it not true that parents who are accused of neglect often believe that they have not been neglectful?" Rep. Tanya F. Miller (D-Atlanta) asked.

The bill passed 100 to 69.

There is no session on Wednesday as committee meetings take priority. The House and Senate both return on Thursday and Friday this week.