This Week Under the Gold Dome

The 2016 presidential election is the most explosive campaign in recent memory. Everyone seems to have an opinion about whom should win the primaries or ultimately be president. But while this talk consumes the media, lawmaking with direct results is actually taking place. The 2016 Georgia General Assembly convened for its first day of business on January 11. As Rep. Spencer Frye always maintains, the real, significant change that is directly seen in the district began to take shape just a few days ago in Atlanta.

Rep. Frye brings his district with him whenever he arrives in Atlanta for the session. From his position as the Executive Director for the Athens Habitat for Humanity to his entrepreneurial outlook on life which allows him to look for the best ways to make real progress, Rep. Frye makes decisions with the district’s culture, values and best interest in mind. But above all, his family and the district families that he represents help guide his decisions to help create a fairer, more compassionate Georgia for all.

This week under the Gold Dome the governor delivered the State of the State. This address gives the governor the opportunity to discuss what he plans to push as an agenda for the session, and this year it also gave the governor the chance to explain some pre-Session rumors that were swirling. A huge topic for this session is education and teacher pay. Much talk had ensued concerning merit-based pay, meaning teacher pay based on student performance. Instead, raising teacher pay was discussed, and the topic of merit based pay was quickly diverted.

Rep. Frye wasted no time in uniting with other representatives to address some major issues coming up this session. Haleigh’s Hope Act, House Bill 1, was signed by the governor last session and legalized the use of medical marijuana for certain medical conditions. This session its main sponsor is attempting to create a production component in the state of Georgia. At this point, patients cannot purchase the product in the state of Georgia which makes access to the benefits much more difficult to obtain. Rep. Frye has signed on to this bill to support the efforts to make access to the benefits of the drug easier for the people who need it. Additionally, Rep. Frye is a co-signer on House Bill 746. This bill will grant employees the ability to use their earned sick leave to care for an immediate relative.

With this session expected to have an expedited pace, the weeks under the Gold Dome are sure to fly. Please keep checking in with Rep. Frye to see all that he’s doing for you, the district and the state of Georgia this session.