Multiple bills backed by Walker signed into law

This week marked the end of Georgia’s busy legislative season with the deadline for Gov. Brian Kemp to sign or veto bills passing Tuesday. Several pieces of legislation sponsored or backed by District 20 state Sen. Larry Walker are among the ones set to become law.  

“It was a good session,” Walker said during a phone call this week. “It was probably the busiest one I’ve had since being elected.”

Walker called his biggest accomplishment the passing of two retirement bills affecting Georgia’s sheriffs and classified staff at school systems around the state. Such legislation requires two years to approve and include statewide cost and fiscal impact studies. 

The first bill allows for cost-of-living adjustments to the retirement benefits of sheriffs. Retirees on the plan will see a 1.5 percent increase in their benefits every six months. The increases will be funded through increased enrollment fees for sheriffs participating in the plan and increased court fees for subpoenas and other notices like divorces or civil suits. 

The second law affects the retirement plan of classified school staff, such as custodians, bus drivers and nutrition workers. Walker said the current plan had strict limits on the benefits veteran employees were entitled to. For example, he said, a 20-year employee was only eligible for about $330 a month. 

The new plan allows for increased benefits and future cost of living adjustments, funded in part with $5.6 million set aside in the next state budget. 

“They are the unsung heroes of our school system,” Walker said of the classified personnel. “I very proud that we were able to do that for them.”

Other legislative victories include a package of bills aimed at eliminating or streamlining license requirements for certain industries in Georgia. Highlighting the bills is a military spouse licensing measure which allows for the easy transfer of professional licenses for people married to enlisted military personnel from other states. 

“These enlisted guys have no say in where they are stationed and don’t make much money,” Walker said. “They often need the income of their spouse. If they are a teacher, nurse, hairdresser or Realtor, this allows them to transfer that license and go straight to work.” 

Another bill allows for easy licensing of military members with medical training for civilian careers, such as EMTs, LPNs or cardiac technicians. 

“We have a massive healthcare workforce shortage,” Walker said. “We want our military to stay in Georgia or move to Georgia. We want to get them in our workforce, they make good employees and good citizens.” 

Other bills eliminate the licensing required for hair washing and makeup application services, streamline license transfers for family and marriage therapists moving to Georgia and for the state to join the Social Work Licensing Compact, an interstate agreement allowing social workers to work across state lines. 

New laws signed by the governor take effect July 1.