By Kirsten J. Barnes
Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus), who represents Georgia House District 141, characterized this year’s Legislative Session as “fast and furious.”
“We did some good things. We did some things that were disappointing, but all and all it was a pretty good session. The biggest disappointment was the fact that vouchers were approved by the legislature,” said Hugley. “We have long held the belief that vouchers take away from our public schools.”
However, the legislature fully funded the education funding formula.
“Our teachers got raises and we did some salary adjustments for other personnel in our schools,” Hugley said. “There was a pay raise for nutrition and transportation workers.”
Also, teachers were given paid family medical leave when they had children.
“Before this passed, they had to use their own time that they had earned and saved,” she said.
Hugley sits on the Banks & Banking, Insurance (Secretary), Rules, Urban Affairs, and Appropriation committees said.
“We passed a $36.1 billion budget this year, which was 11 percent more than it was in the previous year,” Hugley said. “Georgia continues to have a strong economy.”
She sponsored 19 pieces of legislation this session, including seven bills and 12 resolutions recognizing various individuals from her district in Columbus. Three of her bills were passed by both houses and sent to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature.
“This year I sponsored a couple of pieces of local legislation to allow our courts to run more efficiently and get the technology upgrades they need to offer services to the community,” Hugley said.
HB1282 authorizes the assessment and collection of a technology fee by the Probate Court of Muscogee County not to exceed $10 for the filing of each civil action with the court. The fee will be used to purchase, lease, install, and maintain computer hardware and software, along with audio-visual, imaging, scanning, facsimile, communications, projection, recording, and printing equipment. It can also be used to digitize and archive court records.
HB121 authorizes the clerk of the Recorder’s Court of Columbus, Ga., to assess a fee of no more than $10, allowing this office to use the fee for the purposes of the Probate Court.
“I also sponsored a piece of legislation to allow the school board to fill vacancies using the same process as the city council,” she said.
HB1280 clarifies how the Muscogee County School District fills its vacancies and reads as follows: “In the event that a vacancy occurs on the board of education, the remaining board members by majority vote shall appoint a qualified person to complete the unexpired term of office in which the vacancy occurs. Upon the death, retirement, or resignation of any board member, the board chairperson shall appoint a committee of three board members to nominate a replacement to serve the remainder of the unexpired term. In the event that the chairperson of the board has died, retired, or resigned, the vice chairperson shall appoint such a committee and assume the chairperson’s duties. A three-member committee required by this paragraph shall make its recommendation to the board at the board’s next regular meeting.”
“We were sad because we lost our friend and colleague Richard Smith. So, we sponsored legislation to honor him with an interchange.
HR 1164 honors the life of the Honorable Richard H. Smith by dedicating and inscribing an interchange in his memory. Before being elected to the General Assembly, he served as interim city manager for the Columbus Consolidated Government, Columbus City Councilor and founding board member of the Chattahoochee Valley Community Foundation.
The interchange will be Interstate 185 and U.S. 27-Althernate/Manchester Expressway and will be named the Honorable Richard H. Smith Memorial Interchange.
Another of Hugley’s resolutions honored Maretta Mitchell Taylor with an interchange,
“She represented this area before I came to the general assembly, so we thought it was fitting to name an interchange in the area. We don’t have any interchanges named for women as you go up I-85 in this area so she will be the first one,” Hugley said. “It was my honor to serve with her and learn from her during my time when I first became a member.”
HR938 recognizes Rep. Maretta Mitchell Taylor as well with an interchange in her honor.
Taylor was the first African American woman elected to House District 94 for the Georgia House of Representatives and served on the Muscogee County Election and Voter Registration Board.
The interchange will be located at Interstate 85 and Buena Vista Road Interchange in Muscogee County.