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Hello!

The Senate held a slightly abbreviated week, meeting for only three official legislative days. However, we made good use of each second of our time with lengthy days in chamber honoring guests and passing legislation, followed by committee hearings where we dove a little deeper into specific bills and resolutions.

While the legislative machine can often take a while to get going, we have truly picked up momentum this week. I filed SB 313, a Pharmaceutical Benefit Management (PBM) reform bill, that is intended to increase prescription drug transparency, assist patients in getting prescriptions in a timely and fair manner, and will support local pharmacies. I will keep you updated on its progress.

On Tuesday, members of the University of Georgia (UGA) Chapter of the Blue Key National Honor Society visited the Senate to be recognized for their service. This outstanding group of young people has already distinguished themselves from their peers with their commitment to academic excellence and dedication to leading a life of service to others. The UGA Chapter of Blue Key has even produced two current members of our Senate body: Sen. Jack Hill and Sen. Blake Tillery. These students are always an inspiration to the Senate and show us that our future is in good hands.

We also took time last week to honor some of the bravest individuals who call Georgia home- our firefighters. It takes a truly selfless person to voluntarily put their life at risk to protect others from harm and our property from destruction. Sen. John Albers, a volunteer firefighter himself, sponsored Senate Resolution 648 to acknowledge February 4, 2020 as Firefighters Recognition Day. It was a privilege to have firefighters from across Georgia be with us at the Capitol to thank them for their bravery and dedication to our state.

While honoring deserving guests such as these is always an important part of the work we do at the Capitol, our top priority remains the budget. To respect this obligation, we made some adjustments to our legislative calendar that will allow us more time to examine budget proposals more closely. Senate Resolution 712, outlines the new schedule from legislative day 13 (February 18, 2020) until Crossover Day (March 12, 2020). This new schedule gives us next week to have conversations with the appropriate stakeholders in the budget process to ensure the final product contains input from everyone involved.

While we will not be convening for any official legislative days this week, your legislature is still working for all the people of Georgia. In the 12 legislative days to this point, we have packed in several votes in the Chamber and countless other discussions on bills in our committees.

I am looking forward to watching these conversations turn into policies that continue to make Georgia as great as it can be. If there is anything my office can ever do for you, please do not hesitate to reach out.

I remain dedicated to serving your interests as your State Senator.

Please feel free to contact me with your thoughts or concerns on pending issues, or whenever I can be of service. My legislative offices are:

301-A Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg.

Atlanta, GA 30334

Phone: (404) 656-0040

1906 Legette Drive

Bainbridge, GA 39819

Phone: (229) 243-6267

You can also stay in touch by visiting our website at http://www.senate.ga.gov/spo/en-US/SenateVideo.aspx to watch a live stream of the Senate in action, as well as archived committee meetings, and review legislation that we are considering.

Follow me on facebook for updates throughout the year.

I am honored to serve Senate District 11. Thank you for allowing me to be your Senator.

Sincerely,

Senator Dean Burke