The Georgia General Assembly approved a sixth judge for the Augusta Judicial Circuit and a handful of other items closely watched by the area this year.
The circuit has been “under-judged,” according to state criteria, since the legislature agreed in 2021 to Columbia County removing itself to form its own circuit. The move took three of the Augusta Circuit’s judge to Columbia County, where they lived, and left Augusta with five judges doing the work of nearly seven.
An earlier 2023 effort to add the judge passed, but failed to secure funding in the budget approved by legislators. This time, the judgeship is funded, according to Rep. Mark Newton, R-Augusta, one of the bill’s House sponsors.
Senate Bill 145, sponsored by the two senators who represent parts of Richmond County – Max Burns and Harold Jones II – as well as Grovetown Rep. Lee Anderson passed both chambers as of March 18. It received funding, $225,847, in the state budget.
The bill creates a sixth judgeship, effective Jan. 1, 2026, with the first judge to be appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp. The second judge will be elected to a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2029.
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Other bills that passed
A handful of other local bills and bills with local interest passed both chambers as of Friday, when the session ended, while some did not. The ones that passed will become law unless Gov. Brian Kemp vetoes them.
House Bill 850, which passed both chambers as of Wednesday, creates a 3.2% cap on property assessments used to calculate an Augusta homeowner’s tax bill.
The bill is the substitute the Augusta Commission sought to replace the exemption created by House Bill 581, which the commission opted out of.
House Bill 58, whose primary sponsors included area Republican state Reps. Gary Richardson, Rob Leverett, Rob Clifton and Newton, bans the use of drones within 400 feet of or above a ticketed entertainment event. Kemp signed the bill April 1.
House Bill 498, sponsored by the five House members representing Richmond County, passed both chambers. The “Garden City Charm and Tourism Act” raises Augusta’s accommodations excise tax to 8%.
House Bill 837, sponsored by Augusta’s House delegation, authorizes Richmond County Probate Court to collect a “technology fee” to pay for technology and services used by the court.
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Bills of interest
The state budget, House Bill 68, approved Friday includes up to $141 million for the Promise Scholarship school voucher program, enough for about 21,000 vouchers.
Area private schools have signaled they are open to families wishing to remove their children from public schools.
House Bills 783 and 784, which increase the homestead exemption amounts for Columbia County school and county taxes, has passed both chambers.
House Bill 136, sponsored by Newton, creates tax credits for parents of children under age 6, for employers that provide child care payments and for organizations that support foster children or youth aging out of the foster system. It passed both chambers Friday.
Senate Bill 36, the Georgia Religious Freedom Act Restoration Act, was signed into law by Kemp last week.
The bill says local and state governments cannot “substantially burden” a person’s exercise of religious freedom without a “compelling governmental interest.”
House Bill 127, sponsored by Burns in the Senate, banned diversity, equity and inclusion programs and policies in public schools and universities. It failed to reach a final House vote Friday.
Senate Bill 74, sponsored by Burns, criminalized librarians for failing to remove materials that may be considered harmful to minors. It did not make it out of the House.
