The 2025 Legislative Session has officially come to a close.
Let me be clear: Senate Republicans fought daily to protect your freedoms, defend your wallets, and invest in the values that make our communities strong. We passed bold, conservative legislation that prioritizes our rural towns, empowers Georgia families, and ensures that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and effectively.
Our biggest achievement was the passage of House Bill 68, the balanced Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
On Friday (April 4) the General Assembly met its constitutional duty by sending Governor Brian Kemp this historic budget.
It funds essential services and reflects our Republican commitment to conservative governance.
We’re cutting taxes, expanding school choice, and ensuring law and order in our state prisons.
We’ve invested in gang prosecution, human trafficking units, and school safety initiatives that will protect our children from real threats. This budget is more than a spending document. It’s a roadmap of Republican priorities.
School safety wasn’t just a priority, it was a mission. And we delivered. House Bill 268, “Ricky and Alyssa’s Law,” mandates panic alert systems in schools, ensures campus mapping data is available to first responders, and creates real consequences for threats against students, teachers, and school personnel. We’re also holding juveniles accountable when they commit acts of violence — because the safety of our schools will never be up for negotiation.
We didn’t stop there.
HB 268 also supports mental health programs, suicide prevention, and youth violence reduction.
We’re backing our schools with real resources, not just talk. Senate Bill 1, the “Riley Gaines Act,” is a defining victory. Named after a courageous advocate for women’s sports, SB 1 ensures biological males cannot compete in female divisions. It mandates separate locker rooms, changing areas, and overnight accommodations — because safety and fairness should never be sacrificed for woke politics.
Over half of this year’s budget is dedicated to education — because Georgia’s children deserve a bright future, and our teachers deserve real support. SR 237 pushes for stronger teacher pipelines, better training, and real mentorship. HB 37 ensures our educators understand their retirement benefits.
HB 150, the Combating Threats from China Act, brings transparency to foreign influence in our universities — because no hostile government should ever have access to our classrooms. HB 371 increases capital funding for schools and brings Georgia’s playgrounds up to modern accessibility standards — because every child deserves the chance to play and learn safely.
Senate Republicans stood firmly with veterans, law enforcement, and emergency responders.
HB 266 eliminates state taxes on military retirement income and incentivizes donations to law enforcement foundations. Additionally, HB 296 authorizes digital driver’s licenses, making compliance easier while maintaining integrity for activities like voting and firearm licenses.
We also passed SR 8 and SR 231, renaming intersections to honor fallen officers Deputy Brandon Cunningham and Officer Jeremy Labonte. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
I was proud to sponsor Senate Bill 241, which will provide for organic human reduction as a means of disposing of deceased human bodies, ensuring that the funeral industry has necessary guardrails to protect the remains of those who have passed on.
I carried several House bills and am proud to share that they have passed in the Senate. HB 78 will raise the percentage of funds allowed to be put into alternative investments for those enrolled in the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia.
Additionally, HB 153 will extend the tax exemption for maintenance and replacement parts on certain machinery used to mix or transport concrete.
The 2025 session may be over, but my service to Senate District 25 continues year-round.
Whether it’s legislation, budget priorities, or constituent needs, I’m here to serve you — every day, in every season.
Sen. Rick Williams serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Retirement. He represents the 25th Senate District, which includes Putnam, Baldwin, Butts, Jasper, and Jones counties, as well as portions of Henry and Bibb counties. He may be reached at 404-656-0052 or rick.williams@senate. ga.gov.