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Senate elects leaders, adopts rules and calendar in organizational session
Summary
On the first day of the 158th General Assembly the Georgia Senate unanimously elected John F. Kennedy as president pro tem, named James Tripp secretary and Robert Brown sergeant at arms, and adopted rules and a 40‑day legislative calendar.
The Georgia Senate on Monday completed its organizational business for the 158th General Assembly, electing leaders and adopting chamber rules and a session calendar.
Senators unanimously re-elected Sen. John F. Kennedy, R‑18th, as president pro tempore after a nomination by the majority leader and a second from the minority side; the secretary of the senate cast the vote for the body as requested by unanimous consent. Kennedy offered brief remarks after his election, thanking colleagues and staff for their work over the prior biennium.
The chamber also elected James Tripp as secretary of the senate. Tripp, who had served as deputy secretary and reading clerk in recent sessions, was confirmed unanimously and sworn in on the floor. The Senate re-elected Robert Brown as sergeant at arms by unanimous consent as well.
The Senate adopted several housekeeping resolutions by recorded votes or unanimous consent. SR 1 (notification to the House) and SR 2 (notification to the governor) were adopted without objection. Senate Resolution 3, the rules of the Senate, passed after a roll-call vote (55 yeas, 1 nay); the sponsor described the changes as largely housekeeping: ordering bill notebooks numerically on desks, tighter guidance for interim special committees, and minor modernization and spelling corrections.
Senate Resolution 4, covering officials, employees and committee staffing, was approved unanimously (56-0) and allows payroll and regular compensation for staff doing Senate work. The chamber also adopted the adjournment and session calendar in SR 6, establishing crossover and other schedule dates for the 40‑day session and setting the scheduled sine die for Friday, April 4.
Votes at a glance: John F. Kennedy elected president pro tem (unanimous); James Tripp elected secretary of the senate (unanimous); Robert Brown elected sergeant at arms (unanimous); SR 1 adopted (no objection); SR 2 adopted (no objection); SR 3 (rules) adopted 55-1; SR 4 adopted 56-0; SR 6 (calendar) adopted 56-0. (SR 5, reauthorizing the Special Committee on Investigations, was debated separately and adopted 33-23.)
The lieutenant governor presided at the opening and read ceremonial items including the secretary of state’s certification of the election results. Judge Trent Brown administered the oath to newly seated senators and later administered the oath for the secretary of the senate.
Ending: With officers in place and rules adopted, the Senate recessed and set its next convening for 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, to begin substantive floor work and committee hearings.
