Looks like we've got a few people missing here today, Senator.

All right, well, we'll we'll be ready to come to order as soon as.

As soon as soon as the rest of everybody else decides to come to work today.

Senator.

It was a slow day at the Capitol.

As both chambers get over their crossover hangover from Friday night.

Good evening, and welcome to Lawmakers.

I'm Donna in Atlanta.

It's day 29 of the legislative session.

And now the bills have crossed over from one chamber to the other.

The process of looking at legislation approved on the other side of the building begins tonight on the show.

We'll talk about some of that legislation, including education bills on financial literacy and school discipline.

We will also look at legislation focused on the homeless population in Georgia, and a bill that a legislator who recently passed, championed for years.

It finally made it out of one chamber.

But first Capitol correspondent Sarah Kallis offers a wrap up of the day under the Gold dome.

Hi, Donna.

It was a quiet day at the Capitol.

Perhaps a bit of crossover day hangover as both chambers recovered from their late night on Friday.

The Senate started at 1:00 P.M.

With no legislation on the rules calendar.

We'll be ready to come to order as soon as the.

As soon as soon as the rest of everybody else decides to come to work today, Senator.

And began with the usual daily business, such as points of personal privilege.

Gas prices soar in Georgia following Israeli strikes on Iranian oil.

This was just today in the headlines.

Gas prices rising across Georgia as Middle East tensions push.

Oil prices past $100 today.

This was just for today.

And as I brought to your attention a week ago, Atlanta gas prices rise amid rise amid Iran conflict.

And they'll likely rise even more.

Democrat Nikki Merritt took to the well to request that Governor Brian Kemp suspends the state's fuel tax due to the armed conflict with Iran.

I'm asking today of Governor Kemp, and we have done this before to suspend the state gas tax again so that we can give families immediate relief as prices continue to surge and they will continue to surge as long as this war keeps going on.

And a tribute to the veterans of the Vietnam War by someone who experienced it firsthand.

We should never forget the men and women who fought for our country, and especially the Vietnam War.

The Vietnam War was the first time that Marines and sailors and airmen and sailors came back home to these shores and were ignored or even put down by our own members here in the citizenry of our country.

When I got back from Vietnam the last time I was told to take your uniform off and don't wear it because you would be met with hostility out in San Francisco.

After I landed at Treasure Island the last time.

The tribute included the chamber's Sergeant at Arms, Robert Brown, who also fought in Vietnam.

The Senate then voted on a House substitution to a bill that was passed last year.

SB 179.

The bill requires that the transcripts and disciplinary records of a student switching schools be transferred to the new school within five days before signing day last year, the House added a clause that would require computer science classes be taught as a core class by 2031.

Since the bill didn't make its way back before the deadline, the bill's author amended it again.

This language has to do with civics organizations.

The Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the Boys and Girls Club of America, and then also there's the Future Farmers of America, the American Legion and the Red Cross and other similar organizations.

This would allow them access to schools to teach civics, to promote their organization.

The new version was passed 48-3 and was again sent back to the house.

It was a sleepy day in the house as well.

They started at 1:00 P.M.

And members held a moment of silence for the seven U.S.

Troops killed in the Middle East since the start of U.S.

Strikes.

Let's also remember today in our prayers ongoing, the families of the of the loved ones, of the service members that were killed overseas seven of them at this point.

So let's keep them in our prayers and their families as well.

And as we remember their service to our country.

Members took up one measure, HR 948, which would create a study committee on pharmacy benefit managers and consumer access to prescription medicine.

After playing years of whack a mole with a pharmacy benefit managers, I think it's just about time that we study the issue and got into it a little bit.

We're going to see if we can find out exactly what employers are being billed versus what they're paying on these self-insurance plans.

We're going to look a little bit into reverse engineering so that we can get to the bottom of where things are going and how that affects your own taxpayers health insurance plans and their rates.

It passed unanimously.

Also today, lawmakers acknowledged contributions women have made to Georgia for International Women's Day, which fell on Sunday this year.

It's important to us to make sure that a lot of you as unsung heroes get your due right.

So many of you work so hard with your head down and people don't just act as if that's what you're supposed to do.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis also spoke at the event, and took the opportunity to blast the Republican state Senate investigation into her office and her indictment against President Donald Trump.

See, they got to keep my name in their mouth for people to even know who they are.

See, these want to be leaders.

They have no ideas for Georgians, no plans to make Georgians lives better.

They want to show you that they are powerful and strong by coming after me.

Let me tell you what they ended up showing in December that they're stupid, that they're weak.

If the legislators need a bit of pick me up today, they can walk outside and hit up the visiting varsity food truck for a chili dog and frosted orange before heading over to the James Sloppy Floyd building across the street from the Capitol to check out the Capitol art exhibit.

The artwork comes from students from across the state and is presented by the Georgia Art Education Association.

It's so important for our students to have their artwork here at the Capitol, because they have a chance for to show their work to legislators, legislators, so that they can see how important arts education is in our schools.

It's a visual for the legislators, and they get to meet these students.

Governor Kemp may tour the exhibit later this week.

The pace is expected to pick up again tomorrow on day 30, as the countdown to the final days of this year's session starts.

That's my Capitol report, Donna.

Thanks, Sarah.

In this segment, we take you into Georgia schools to learn more about legislation to help improve the lives of students and teachers.

Joining me is Republican Senator Chuck Payne of Dalton.

He chairs the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military and Homeland Security.

He is vice chair of both the Education and Youth and Science and Technology committees.

Also here is Democratic Representative Miriam Paris of Macon.

Her committees include appropriations, education and Economic Development and Tourism.

Welcome to Lawmakers to both of you first timers here.

Yes we are.

Well, I'm going to make you feel good.

You want to come back?

Okay.

So we're going to start with you, Chairman Pain.

SB 557 says student discipline policies can no longer be waived by school systems.

So let's talk about the problems that led to this legislation.

Well, the problems are school comment ratings and understanding that, this discipline is education.

And we're neglecting that discipline.

I was a juvenile probation officer for 30 years, and the behavior of kids is not always systemic of who they are or their ability to learn.

And so it's just to make sure that we're giving these kids that have those behavioral issues or had them in the past, literally, you're not plagued in the classroom and be able to advance their education.

There because of your background.

You felt some kind of personal this was personal for you making making sure you take care of these kids so they don't end up where, as with you, as a juvenile.

Well, for 30 years, as a state juvenile probation officer, I just literally had a passion for kids.

No matter in understanding where they came from.

And I was always the one that would if if someone's angry, I would always look for the thorn in the poll.

You know what's making what's what's causing this?

Where did it come from?

And and a lot of those kids, you know, if you start looking at their background and you start looking where they've come from, it's just a cry out for help.

And so we should not hold those when they have behavioral issues against them in their climate rating for schools.

Okay.

We'll get into details in a second.

Representative Parrish, you are a co-sponsor of a bill.

And as chairman bill your bill.

But it is a bill that passed on crossover day that would expand financial literacy education in Georgia.

So what led to that bill?

So, you know, a lot of our ideas come from the grassroots, right?

A lot of times you have citizens that come up and speak to us about various bills, things that they feel like need to happen in Georgia.

And one of my dear friends said to me, you know what?

I think we need financial literacy in the schools.

The economy is changing.

Currency is changing at a rapid rate.

Children don't see us spending money, cash.

They see cards, they see phones and such.

And so I just really thought that it was a great idea.

And I introduced HB 674 last year.

We did get a hearing on it, but we didn't get, you know get get to crossover day.

So when I spoke with Chairman Irwin, who's the education chair, he's spoke to me about chairman Bill, which was HB 11 14, and he asked that we merge the two because chairman Bill was dealing with financial literacy for high schoolers.

But I felt like we need to we need to get to children when they're very young.

Right.

Because if you talk to a little 5-year-old and you've got six pennies in one hand and a dime in another hand, you ask them, which one do you want?

They're going to say the six pennies, right?

Right.

Because they don't know that a dime is two nickels.

It's ten pennies and such.

So we're just really thought that it would be something that we could do for the children to make it where their financial lives would be much easier.

And you're right, they don't see coins much at all.

And pretty soon they won't even know what pennies are.

That's right.

They will.

Not have a clue what they are.

Amazing to think about that.

All right, Chairman Payne, let's get back to five, five, seven, which would allow teachers or school employees who are victims of physical violence by a student or a parent to transfer to another school in the district.

So tell us about this.

It's making sure that if teachers have been assaulted or threatened in the classroom, that they if they if they feel like it's to the point where they feel unsafe and they should not be in an unsafe work environment, that allows them the opportunity to transfer or change locations without any penalties or being held against them for leaving that classroom.

It's a shame.

It's at that point.

Yeah.

It really is.

But at the same time, you know, like I said, these a lot of these kids, they don't they just don't.

They're still kids.

And that's why I've always stressed that discipline is education.

And that's the one element that I as a juvenile probation officer, I just I told people I was not a formal educator, but I was an educator.

And my discipline that I was teaching for 30 years was the cornerstone of all education.

And that's self-discipline.

Yeah.

So your bill has passed over into the House or where is it right now?

Right now, the bill is still in committee.

And so we're but it actually it didn't make it out before crossover.

But we're hoping to maybe look at somewhere we can move it.

Okay.

We're always talking about how these bills will show up somewhere else.

So we'll see.

We'll keep up with that one.

That's the sausage making.. The sausage making.

Yes, sir.

Let's let's talk about your bill.

What specifically would do when when it comes to financial literacy.

So like I said chairman, your bill was dealing with from eighth grade to 12th, and I really felt like we needed to expand that or widen the scope of it.

Right.

Starting in first grade however, we were able to get kindergarten.

Wow.

Yeah.

And and and match all the way up to his eighth grade bill.

So now it would go from kindergarten throughout high school.

They'll be learning about financial literacy.

You know, it's better when we teach a man to fish than to give him one.

Right?

So for me, if I had had the financial literacy taught to me when I was young, I think I'd be doing a lot of different things right now.

I'm grateful for what I'm doing right now, don't get me wrong.

But it's just important, you know, money.

When you think about money, you think about the word currency.

You know, that's something that's always moving.

And if we don't have a clear understanding of that, then this is what runs people into financial ruin, right?

It runs them into bankruptcy.

It runs them into just all kinds of various negative situations within their family.

One of the main reasons for divorce is finances and the misplacement of those things, you know?

So I really feel like it's an important bill for generations to come.

We want them to have a better shot at life than we've had.

And I'm thinking that financial literacy is a is a big part of that.

It will be lifelong learning for them.

Yes.

There's things they'll keep with them.

Well, thank you for that.

Well, Chairman Payne in the Senate, you're carrying a bill that would put 17 year olds in the juvenile court system.

But it this is a bill that passed in the House, and you're carrying it in the House on behalf of the late, Representative Mandi Ballinger, who passed away last year.

And I spoke to Representative Camp earlier this year earlier today, who is actually sponsoring this bill?

So let's hear from her.

HB 1061 is the Mandi Ballinger act.

And what it does is it creates the organizational committee required to raising the age.

So 17 year olds can be processed in the juvenile court system for nonviolent offenses.

So that's pretty much what the bill does.

We haven't changed any code sections yet because there are a lot of mechanics.

Transportation is a mechanic.

We've got to work out.

Do we have capacity at our youth detention centers?

Do we have the right programs in place for 17 year olds?

As far as job training or getting their geds and also kind of retooling the way that we've done it for a long time.

But this is the way it's done.

And 45 other states successfully.

And I'm looking forward to Georgia being the 46th.

She did fight for it for a long time.

What was different this year?

Well, this year we I think just the name, I think it made a big difference to people knowing how much it meant to Chairman Ballenger.

But I think separating out the code change and the organizational aspect, we were able to get a number of organizations on board or at least neutral, that in the past had been objectionable.

And I think that helped a great deal.

We have a wonderful sponsor that's going to be carrying it in the Senate.

I have full faith that Chairman Payne is going to get it through judiciary.

So I'm feeling.

Very well.

We want to thank Representative Beth Camp for that because she really, really had a personal relationship also with Representative Mandi Ballinger.

So tell us a little bit more about the bill.

Well, this bill is it's a great bill because it establishes 12 parameter entities and state government and the courts and education that basically gives them a date just to get it done by and gets those 12 entities to sit down and look at how we can make this successful in the transition from moving these kids.

And if I can talk just a little bit about why it's important, it's because I've 30 years as a juvenile probation officer, these 17 year olds that are getting prosecuted and charged in Superior Court when they're really not of age to have full understanding of the law and what their choices have been.

And we're prosecuting these kids, and it's something that's on their record forever and just, you know, and to me, it's just giving these kids the opportunity to be understand that they're not fully developed.

17-years-old.

And my case in point is that is, 17 years.

If you get charged with a crime at 17, you get your court date and you will stand before a jury of your peers.

No, it's not a jury of your peers because you're not old enough to serve on that jury.

And there is in lies the reason why those kids should not be prosecuted as adults, because they're not old enough of age to know the consequences of their choices.

Wow.

So when you say that a group has to get together, that was one of the tough things that Representative Ballenger had trying to get all the different resources that help these students, students, these children.

So talk about that a little.

Bit.

Yeah.

Well, just if I can just run over the list, it's the chairperson of the House Committee on Judiciary, judiciary, Juvenile, the chairperson of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Commissioner of the Juvenile Justice, or his or her designee, the president of the Georgia Sheriffs Association, the executive director of the Administrative Office of the courts, the Executive Director of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council.

The Executive director of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the executive director of the Criminal Justice Coordinator Council, the director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, the president of the Council of Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Court Judges, and the Executive Director of the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

And it's just to bring those entities to the table and see, you know, what can we do to keep these kids from, especially those minor that are not major?

You know, you still have the the what we call the seven deadly sins, the ones that are anybody over the age of 13 is going to be charged and prosecuted as an adult.

But at least this gives the opportunity to take those minor ones back off and pull them back into the juvenile court.

So we're not giving these kids a record before they've even gotten out of the gate.

Yeah.

So this is finally a chance.

And it was unanimous.

You voted for this in the House.

I did I did vote for it.

I thought that the bill was was hitting all of the right notes.

It takes, takes into account the nonviolent crimes.

And when you think about 17 year olds, their brains have not even fully developed at that point to make critical decisions.

Right.

And so it's it's somewhat unjust of us to hold them to that high of a standard.

They are children and they are still being very impressed by their peers.

And we need to take those things into account before we just send them, you know, down the road.

That may not that will eventually prove to be more detriment to them than it would.

Good.

Yeah.

I think the main thing was what you said about them not being able to have a jury of their peers because there's.

There's a reason they're not of age to serve on that jury.

And that is the very same reason they're not of age to know the consequences of their choices and decisions.

Okay.

Well, we'll we will be keeping up with this bill and let people know.

Thank you both for coming.

Thank you.

You made it through it, huh?

You made it was okay.

All right.

Yeah.

Coming up, we'll talk about legislation dealing with homelessness.

And another piece of legislation dealing with using lyrics and other creative expression as evidence in trials.

A member of the Georgia House joins us.

When Lawmakers returns.

Stay with us.

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Welcome back to Lawmakers.

I'm Donna Lowry, one of our topics tonight is homelessness.

Here is some background on Georgia's unhoused population.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports more than 12,000 Georgians experienced experience homelessness on any given night.

The number went up nearly 21% 2017-2023.

The Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts says subpopulations of the homeless include individuals with mental health, families with children, victims of domestic violence, veterans and youth.

Most homeless individuals are concentrated in metro areas, especially around Atlanta, through rural counties also have, but they do.

They also have high per capita homelessness rates.

Well, joining us to discuss that topic and more is Republican Representative Kasey Carpenter of Dalton.

He chairs the House Creative Arts and Entertainment Committee.

He's vice chairman of appropriations and secretary of the Higher Education Committee.

Welcome to Lawmakers.

Again.

Thanks for joining us.

Always a pleasure to be here with you.

So let's start start with your bill on homelessness.

So what led you to to talk about this?

And you're from the Dalton area.

Is that an issue there?

We do have an issue.

I think a lot of places have seen.

I think looking at your numbers online, as rents have risen crazy across the state in the nation, this is just a big problem.

And so yes, it's a it's obviously a huge problem in the metro area around the capital.

But my kids are in Athens at UGA.

They have a problem as well.

So it's a statewide issue.

And the cost of living inflation has driven a lot of folks to the streets, unfortunately.

Yeah.

So I heard you talking at the hearing about this.

You're on appropriations and you talked about that.

That's when you really learned a lot about some of the you got some of the insight into all of this.

Yeah.

And so what really threw the red flag up was last year, I think in September, the state ran out of federal money that was allocated to to the state through DCA to prevent homelessness.

And so there was no way there was no mechanism and there was no money to backfill the prevention side of it.

I know you guys have talked about the budget this year, and there is money in there for homeless homelessness.

There was $40 million in it and another ten for veterans in the supplemental budget.

But there's still no money in it for for prevention.

And I'm a big believer that you get much better bang for your buck on the front side.

Dealing with an issue before it happens, especially in the realm of dealing with with families and kids and unstable households.

Yeah.

So this bill is about prevention.

Let's talk about it a little bit.

It creates a mechanism under DCA to under the Housing Trust Fund to, to to address it and to kind of fill in where the feds had left off, if you will.

And so it just provides us a mechanism to do that.

And when you say and basically they would just go into the programs that most people already know in their own communities that address this issue and issue grants to those communities.

And a lot of the conversation is making sure that, you know, the locals have skin in the game.

The private sector has skin in the game.

So you can really stretch those dollars because we know there's not enough, not enough money out there to to to fix this issue.

Yeah.

When you say Department of the DCA is the Department of Community Development, community Affairs I guess.

Yes, ma'am.

So and that's who received the fund and the amended budget for for homelessness.

So there is a pot that money is given to different communities based on their needs.

That's right.

It's and and so the money that's there now is to get people off the street.

My bill discusses catching it before they end up on the street.

Right.

So and so grant money, let's say.

And a lot of people do this in their own world.

Like in my business, I have some people that need to borrow $100 so they can pay their rent so they don't get evicted, stuff like that.

And so you can spend 100 or 200 or 300 on the front side to keep people in their housing, or we can wait till they get evicted and then it's two or $3,000 to get them off the street or more.

And so and then the mental anguish of, of, the mental health of leaving, leaving home and living on the street.

So if we can get it on the front side, it's a whole lot, it's a whole lot cheaper for society to do it.

So it's the difference between getting a little bit of money to keep you where you are, as opposed to having them end up.

And the reality is, the apartment association landlords, they want something they want.

We had a lady come to committee and talk about that.

She runs an apartment complex down in Clayton County, and they have a fund set up for that.

And they've shown over time that it's actually works better for their for their for their revenue and their profit.

If they run this program.

Okay.

I want to get something else.

And you are also sponsor of the bill that would prevent prosecutors from using lyrics or other artistic expressions as evidence in trials.

And you filed this after the trial of rapper Young Thug in Fulton County.

Prosecutors used his lyrics as evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

In the end, he pled guilty to a lesser charge.

But talk about that bill a little bit.

Yeah, it got held up in the in house rules.

Again, I'm not sure if it'll get out.

But you know, as a as a big fan of country music growing up love Johnny Cash, love Willie Nelson.

They said a lot of things that could be used against him in court.

Had they been arrested.

So it was just about allowing artists to be creative, express theirself, not use it against them.

And making sure that if you're going to present it as evidence, you present it before the jury's there to make sure that it's okay to use in front of the jury so you don't taint the jury.

So.

So what is the response been?

I mean, you said you're still working to move it along.

Yeah.

I mean, it just it's been getting hung up, but that's you know, that happens.

That happens.

A lot of my legislation actually.

I don't think that happens to a lot.

Oh yeah.

Yes it does.

You know, no doubt about it.

That's all right.

I mean, there's still good conversations to have, right?

Right.

It's bipartisan stuff, you know, First Amendment rights should be for everybody.

So yeah, I mean, I enjoy carrying tough stuff.

Yeah.

And so you've been doing this for, what, three or four years?

Well.

Two terms.

Yeah.

You've been trying to get this through.

And people are still making rap albums and making music and doing creative dance, whatever.

Yeah.

How was Crossover Day for you?

It was good.

It was a long day, right?

Yeah, it was a long day.

We had some stuff that we left on the.

I say we left a little meat on the bone, but it happens sometimes.

But we're working hard.

I mean, we really are.

It's just it's just a real battle out there.

It's almost over too.

Can't wait.

All right.

Ready to get home?

Start cooking.

All right, then.

He's in the restaurant business.

For those who don't know.

Okay, that does it today for Lawmakers.

We'll be back tomorrow on day 30 with a show devoted to A.I.

The legislation that falls all under artificial intelligence and technology.

And we'll have a video of the kickball tournament that the House versus the Senate that took place today.

So have a good night.

We won baby.