Dear Cherokee County Constituents,

I am looking forward to representing Cherokee County in the Georgia State Senate for the 2023-2024 term. A little background information about me — I'm a retired orthopedic surgeon, serving 12 years as president of a surgical group. Since being elected to the Senate in 2017, I've worked a lot on health care and insurance issues as well as supporting those in uniform including first responders, active duty military, and veterans. I serve in the Georgia State Defense Force's 132nd Medical Unit, which supports the National Guard.

Additionally, I'm a Rotarian and serve on the board of the Resurgens Charitable Foundation. I have been chair of the Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security Committee and a member of the Health and Human Services, Insurance and Labor, Judiciary, and Appropriations Committees. I also serve on the Commission on Family Violence; I'm a liaison to the Commission on the Holocaust; and I represent Dobbins on the Georgia Joint Defense Commission.

The legislative session began January 9 and will go until March 29. The early part of the session is mostly ceremonial and involves swearing in all the legislators and setting up rules. This session started off a little slow due to the Georgia Bulldogs' successful season and the inauguration of our governor and constitutional officers. Committees and offices were then assigned.

Throughout the session, many bills will be introduced, and committees will meet. Each bill that is heard and approved in a committee goes to the Rules Committee before receiving a floor vote in the originating chamber, which then "crosses over" and starts the process in the other chamber. Bills that pass by day 40 are sent to the governor for his signature.

Also, Georgia's Constitution requires us to pass a balanced budget. This is a lengthy process that involves a lot of negotiation between the House and Senate.

If you'd like to track the session's progress, visit Legis.Ga.gov. You can search legislators, see committee information, and track legislation by either the bill number or keyword. All meetings are live-streamed and archived, so they can be viewed at any time.

The Capitol is open to the public and is well worth a visit. All you need is a photo ID. There is also a Page Program, which is an exclusive opportunity for Georgia's students between 12 and 18 years of age to visit the State Capitol and serve the members of the House of Representatives. This program must be set up in advance, and each legislator gets a limited number of pages. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have a child who is interested.

For more information, please visit SenatorKayKirkpatrick.com. Also, feel free to contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 404-656-3932 if you have specific concerns.

Sincerely,

State Senator Kay Kirkpatrick, MD