'Lawmakers' Day 7: Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs delivers State of the Judiciary address

The House and Senate joined together to hear the Georgia Supreme Court's State of the Judiciary address.

In a joint session on Tuesday, State Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs spoke about the state of the judiciary. He credited many of the programs that he has requested in the past and that were passed by the Legislature and Kemp administration for keeping the state's judicial system "strong."

“A recent survey has demonstrated that more than half of Americans give state courts a positive job approval rating,” Boggs said.

He also warned about some new dangers the system is facing.

“For the last several years, we've all noticed an alarming increase in attacks on our courts — both attacks on decisions and even physical attacks on judges,” he said. “It seems that our entire system of justice, a bedrock of our democracy, is under attack. These threats take many forms, from threats posed by disinformation and actual violence to threats posed by citizens and even at times elected officials publicly stating their intention to not honor and abide by lawful court decisions.”

Boggs said the role of the judiciary in a healthy democracy shouldn't be politicized.

“Equally as concerning as the attacks and threats of physical violence on our judges are the purposeful and widespread efforts to transform the courts into partisan political actors,” he said. “It's hard to overstate the danger that such efforts pose to the rule of law. If left unchecked, as you know, the rule of law is the simple but powerful idea that all of us, even judges, are bound by the laws that we the people have enacted through our elected representatives. That simple idea is the bedrock of our entire democratic structure, and we cannot work without an independent judiciary that has the public's trust and confidence.

"We all recognize that the moment judges stop interpreting and applying the law as it is written and start making decisions based on our own policy preferences. Or worse yet, when the public starts believing that's what judges are doing or should be doing, our entire democratic system of government becomes irreparably damaged. Simply put, an independent judiciary with respect for the rule of law keeps us from becoming a society in which the person with the biggest stick is in charge.”

The chief justice also spoke about what the state still needs, such as: more lawyers in judicial deserts, mostly in the southern parts of the state, where 33,000 people lack access to legal counsel; increasing pay for states attorneys; and updating courtrooms with automated recording systems to address the lack of qualified court stenographers, which is currently hampering courtrooms. 

Later in the day, Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II and other Democrats announced a bill that would expand Medicaid.

“Medicaid expansion is not about work; it is about health care," Sen. David Lucas (D-Macon) said. "And that's the reason that we have put our efforts behind trying to make sure that half a million Georgians can receive health care."

Jones said four other senators have signed on to the bill, but Gov. Brian Kemp and Speaker of the House Jon Burns have said they are not open to Medicaid expansion this year.

In other news, members of the Senate received an unusual gift before they joined the House for the State of the Judiciary. While it's not uncommon for legislators to receive small gifts on the floor, usually in recognition of a group's day at the Capitol like a small toy Kia car celebrating Kia Day at the Capitol today, DeKalb County Police Chief Martha Lee Ramos gave each senator something a little different.

“I stand today to say thank you to DeKalb County for presenting all of us in this chamber with a safe storage device,” Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) said.

The county has a program that will give anyone in need of storage the device for free. Jones urged everyone to make good use of the lock boxes, designed to be used for firearm storage.

“I know there's a lot of our members in here that have safe storage devices and practice safe storage devices," he said. "And those that do, if you cannot use this device, please give it to a friend or a family member so that they can use this device. I think it's incumbent on all of us to encourage safe storage devices, particularly considering the fact that [guns are] the No. 1 cause of pediatric deaths in our great state.”

Also, lawmakers unveiled former Rep. Calvin Smyre's portrait. Smyre, often called the Dean of the House, served from 1975 to 2023.

He resigned after his nomination to serve as the Biden administration's ambassador to the Bahamas, but his confirmation hearing was never held.

On Day 8, the Asian American and Pacific-Islander caucus will host the annual Lunar New Year celebration, complete with a traditional dragon dance.

Watch Lawmakers tonight to see Rep. Long Tran (D-Dunwoody), Rep. Michelle Au (D-Johns Creek), and Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) discuss the latest on the legislative session.