Focusing on Expanding Pre-K Access & Increasing Number of State Troopers
ATLANTA – Today, Speaker of the House Jon Burns (R-Newington) announced he has established two bipartisan working groups in the House of Representatives – the House Working Group on Early Childhood Education and the House Working Group on Public Safety. These working groups will work over the interim between the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions to advance specific policy priorities.
“Over this legislative session, I’ve had conversations with House members on various topics and two themes having emerged – a need to better prepare children for success in the classroom from an early age and the need to recruit and retain more state law enforcement officers to keep our highways and communities safe,” said Speaker Jon Burns. “I have called on two of our House’s most experienced leaders in Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones and Chairman Bill Hitchens to lead these efforts. I expect these groups will work on their respective issues over the summer and fall to make recommendations for consideration during the 2024 legislative session.”
The House Working Group on Early Childhood Education will focus on policies to expand access to pre-Kindergarten education in Georgia as well as improve its effectiveness. This working group will be chaired by Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones (R-Milton). Prior to her election as the House’s second highest ranking official, Speaker Pro Tempore Jones served as Chairman of the K-12 Education Subcommittee of Appropriations. Other members are as follows:
- Rep. Matt Dubnik (R-Gainesville), Chairman of Education Subcommittee of Appropriations
- Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), Chairman of Education Committee
- Rep. Carl Gillard (D-Savannah), Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus
- Rep. Todd Jones (R-South Forsyth), Chairman of Technology Infrastructure & Innovation Committee
The House Working Group on Public Safety will focus on policies to recruit, retain, and reward state law enforcement officers with a particular focus on increasing the number of Georgia State Patrol Troopers. This working group will be chaired by Rep. Bill Hitchens (R-Rincon), Chairman of the Public Safety Subcommittee of Appropriations. Representative Hitchens previously served as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. Other members are as follows:
- Rep. Mandi Ballinger (R-Canton), Chairman of Juvenile Justice Committee
- Rep. J Collins (R-Villa Rica), Chairman of Public Safety Committee
- Rep. Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee), Chairman of Insurance Committee
- Rep. Brian Prince (D-Augusta), Chairman of Urban Affairs Committee
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