Georgia House recomits HB 55 to judiciary, adopts orders and resolutions and pauses to honor victims of Washington collision

The Georgia House of Representatives conducted routine floor business, adopted its journal and order of business by unanimous consent, recommitted House Bill 55 to the Judiciary Committee and approved several privileged resolutions before pausing for tributes and prayers related to a midair collision near Reagan National Airport.

The chamber dispensed with the reading of the previous day—s journal and confirmed it by unanimous consent after the chair of the House committee on information and audits reported the journal had been reviewed and "found to be correct," the clerk said. The house then adopted a resolution establishing the order of business for the day by unanimous consent.

The clerk read dozens of bills in a first- and second-reading roll call, including proposals touching on transportation, taxation, education, public health and local government. The readings were informational; no floor debate on those bills was recorded in the transcript. Examples read into the record included measures described as amendments to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated related to vehicle dimensions and weights, county SPLOST, income taxes and student health in schools.

During morning business, a committee chair rose and moved to recommit one bill. "I move to recommit House Bill 55 to the Judiciary Committee," the chairman said. The clerk then read the bill—s caption as presented to the chamber: a measure described in the transcript as "an act to amend code section 1562 . . . relating [to] the number of judges of superior courts." On the gentleman's motion that House Bill 55 be recommitted to the Judiciary Committee, the clerk asked if there was any objection and the transcript records the clerk—s closing language ordering notice; no recorded roll-call vote or dissent appears in the transcript.

The house also read and then adopted a series of privileged resolutions by unanimous consent. The clerk listed resolutions honoring individuals and authorizing certain state property conveyances and easements; when the clerk asked whether there was any objection to adopting the privileged resolutions, the transcript records that there was none and "the resolutions are adopted."

Members paused later in the day for a series of tributes and remarks. Representative Lauren McDonald called attention to a midair collision near Reagan National Airport and asked the assembly to join her in prayer: "I ask this general assembly and all of Georgia to join me in praying for these souls lost in this devastating incident and for the families who now face unimaginable grief," she said. Representative Floyd Griffin, a former helicopter pilot, described the area near Reagan National as "dangerous flying" in his experience and likewise expressed condolences for the civilian and military families affected.

The chaplain of the day, Father Ben Day of Christ Episcopal Church in Kennesaw, opened the legislative day with scripture and a prayer that included the plea, "So may God bless you in your service, and may wisdom and grace guide your every decision for the remainder of this session." The speaker then led the pledge of allegiance.

The house concluded business on the majority leader's motion to adjourn. "I move that this house stand adjourned until 10 AM on Monday, February 3rd, 2025," Majority Leader F. Strachan said; members responded with a voice vote recorded in the transcript as in favor and the house was adjourned.

The transcript records committee reports, many bill captions read for first or second reading, memorials and recognitions for former members and community figures, and a schedule of committee meetings and constituent events; however, most measures read into the record received no floor debate or recorded roll-call votes during this session.