Sen. Brandon Beach to Chair Transportation Committee

State Senator Brandon Beach of Alpharetta, a rumored CD6 candidate and longtime supporter of expanded transit options north of Atlanta, has been named Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Pair that with Speaker Ralston’s interest in a body for “state transit governance and funding” and you’ll notice a new strength for transit proponents. Senator Beach’s press release is below the fold.

Starting Off Strong for 2017

By: Sen. Brandon Beach (R – Alpharetta)

In just our first week, your Senate under the Gold Dome is off to a terrific start. Senators have been sworn in and assigned to their committees. I am honored to serve as chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. In this position, I will have the ability to ensure that Georgia’s roads and highways are safe, and that our public transportation runs smoothly. In addition, I am looking forward to serving as a member of the Senate Economic Development and Tourism, Higher Education and Science and Technology Committees.

Also this week, our Governor, Nathan Deal, issued his seventh annual State of the State address, in which he discussed the highlights of his budget proposal for the 2018 fiscal year with the General Assembly and the people of Georgia. Governor Deal emphasized the importance of our education system by reminding us of the number of failing schools in Georgia. Over 100 of Georgia’s elementary schools, which serve about 89,000 students, have been given a failing grade. With that in mind, Governor Deal, in his 2018 fiscal year budget proposal, has recommended an increase in K-12 public school funding by $2 billion, representing half of Georgia’s revenue growth. He also built in a two percent salary increase to the pay scale of all state teacher positions to reward them for their dedication to our youth. And, while this is a wonderful step forward, Governor Deal was right when he said we can’t just pour money into a problem and hope it goes away. This legislative session, we must work as a General Assembly to create a working solution to improve our schools.

In his address, Governor Deal also celebrated the commencement of the construction of the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, which will provide training towards the defense of our cyber infrastructure. The center is designed to promote the modernization of Georgia’s cyber security, since, as Governor Deal put it, a cyber-attack is inevitable; 90% of entities with a digital infrastructure have at least one vulnerability where malicious hacking can occur. This center is a tremendous endeavor, and will help cement Georgia as the Silicon Valley of the South.

It is an honor to serve the 21st Senate District under the Gold Dome. I encourage you to continue to reach out to my office with any concerns or comments so that I can better serve you, my constituents. Thank you all for your continued faith in me, and for your efforts at home to continue making Georgia the great state that it is.