The Holland Report - 2025, Week 10

Florence Luranc

Week 10

It's hard to believe, but we have only two weeks left in the 2025 legislative session. We worked our way through legislative days 32 through 34 this week with lots of committee meetings, passage of Senate bills and a special milestone for me - I carried my first general bill in the House (it passed unanimously). The week also included a highly emotional vote on SB68 relating to tort and lawsuits. For more details, read on below.

Good Bills

SB252
On Thursday I had the pleasure of carrying my first general bill in the House! SB252 is a land conveyance bill, which would allow the city of Atlanta to transfer property to Atlanta Public Schools and vice-versa. It was a treat to get to speak in the well, and I greatly appreciate all of my colleagues for giving me such enthusiastic support.
SB252 has passed out of the House

SB55
This bill phases out subminimum wage for people with disabilities, ensuring that in the future persons with disabilities are paid at the very least the federal minimum wage.
SB55 has passed out of the House

HB776 and HB777
These local bills provide homestead exemptions from Fulton County school district residents. In HB776 provides a 50% exemption for residents 70 years plus, in HB777 it is 25% for residents 65 plus.
HB776 and HB776 have passed out of the House

SB58
This bill provides that organ transplant vehicles will be licensed and operated as ambulances, making the transport of organs much more efficient.
SB58 has passed out of the House

Tort Legislation: SB68

During the past few weeks, I have received hundreds of emails, calls and texts regarding SB68, Governor Kemp's bill aimed at changing lawsuit practices in Georgia. This bill was complicated as it included several good measures but was bogged down with problematic elements. I want to support an initiative that could bring down insurance costs for Georgians. However, even Georgia's Insurance Commissioner publicly testified that there is no guarantee this bill will lower insurance costs.

Meanwhile, this bill included harmful elements making it much harder to bring claims against landowners and bad actors. We heard tearful testimony from sex trafficking victims and families of child abuse victims explaining how SB68 would make it harder to seek justice. The bill also splits trials into three phases, forcing trauma victims to repeatedly relive their experiences in providing testimony.

In the end, the House Democratic Caucus took a caucus position against the bill, and I voted no along with my caucus. The bill passed the House with a narrow margin, returned to the Senate for an "agree" vote and then went to Governor Kemp for signature.

Bills to Watch

SB36, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, is a controversial bill that was previously passed and vetoed by then-Governor Deal in 2016. The legislation is back once again, and if passed could be used to deny rights to members of the LGBTQ+ community, continue restricting reproductive rights, and use religion to discriminate others based on race, gender and sexuality without repercussions.
This week, the House Judiciary Committee heard the bill and could not get enough votes to move it out of committee. However, a motion was passed to reconsider the bill so the legislation will likely receive another committee vote next week. Interested in making your voice heard on the matter? You can call or email the members of the committee and ask them to vote NO.

Upcoming Town Hall

This session season has been flying by! We have one last Town Hall coming up here, and then session will be over.
Make sure to join us on March, 30 at 4PM.

Click Here to register for my final Town Hall.