Evans Examiner: Week 6
We have officially reached Week 6 of the legislative session under the Gold Dome and the pace has quickened. As we approach key committee deadlines and prepare for Crossover Day on Friday, the pace on the House floor has accelerated significantly.
This is the time in the session when ideas begin to take clearer shape — some advancing forward, others slowing down after careful review. I remain focused on thoughtful policymaking that protects our communities, strengthens public education, and ensures fairness and opportunity for every family in District 57.
Community Spotlight: Bingo Night at 10th & Juniper
One of the highlights of my week was hosting Bingo Night at 10th & Juniper, a senior high-rise community here in our district. Spending time with residents, sharing laughs, and hearing their stories is one of the most rewarding parts of this job.
We played several lively (read: very lively!) rounds of bingo. It was a joyful evening filled with friendly competition and community spirit. Our seniors are the backbone of our neighborhoods, and I am always proud to show up for them right here at their home.
Bills that Passed the House this Week
Session is in full swing, so we had several bills that were up for consideration this week. Let's dive in.
HB 310 - Student Teacher Promotion Act
HB 310 establishes a program to support recruitment of teachers by providing grant funds to student teachers participating in the required student teaching component of their teacher education programs. The bill requires the Georgia Board of Education to establish rules and regulations to implement the program. I voted yes.
HB 372 - Keep Experienced Teachers in the Classroom
HB 372 extends the sunset for 4 more years for a prior law allowing retired educators to return to the classroom without jeopardizing their retirement benefits. The bill requires educators who return to work in the area of English, language arts, or writing to hold a current dyslexia or reading endorsement approved by the Professional Standards Commission (PSC). This is a great policy to allow those who still have so much to give to teach our kids and train our younger teachers. I voted yes.
Many students now enter college with college credits under their belt. This means they don’t need to pay for a certain number of college credit hours that HOPE would normally cover. HB 385 allows students to apply those extra HOPE dollars toward graduate program expenses. This is a great way to continue to reduce higher education debt for our students and keep students in state for graduate programs. I voted yes.
HB 1009 — No Cell Phones in Public Schools
Beginning July 1, 2026, students in grades K-8 are prohibited from accessing personal devices bell-to-bell, with the restriction expanding to grades 9-12 by July 1, 2027, subject to limited legal, medical, and IEP/504 exceptions. The bill mandates clear storage procedures, enforcement mechanisms, parent communication protocols, progressive discipline, and off-campus guidance, while allowing continued use of school-provided technology and making the policy non-waivable across school system types. Teachers told us they need cell phones out of classrooms and we listened. I voted yes.
HB 1023 - Weapon Detection in Public Schools
HB 1023 requires Georgia public schools to use weapon detection systems at main entrances of permanent school buildings to prevent individuals from unlawfully bringing weapons onto campus. The requirement applies to buildings owned or leased by school systems during normal school operations, with exceptions for entrances that are locked and alarmed, or only used in emergencies. School systems are authorized to use existing grants and other funding to pay for the required security measures. While I want Georgia to enact common sense gun safety legislation to reduce the amount of guns on our streets and at risk of coming onto our school campuses, this is at least an additional line of defense to stop guns before they get passed the front door. I voted yes.
HB 1193 - Georgia Early Literacy Act of 2026
HB 1193 is historic legislation that will lead to real change in our kids’ reading scores. This program was patterned after legislation in other states that led to amazing increased reading scores. Following best practices is smart policy. This legislation establishes a K-3 literacy framework by creating a state Director of Literacy and a Literacy Task Force to oversee unified district plans and instructional materials aligned with the 'science of reading.' The bill mandates full-day kindergarten, requires first-grade readiness assessments, and strengthens intervention protocols for at-risk students. To support these goals, it provides funding for literacy coaches at school and regional levels, introduces professional endorsements for educators, and ties state funding to the use of high-quality materials by the 2029-2030 school year. This integrated approach ensures statewide infrastructure, funding, and accountability to improve literacy outcomes across Georgia. I voted yes.
HB 689 - Georgia Homelessness Prevention Program
HB 689 creates a statewide homelessness prevention program under the Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless to help prevent evictions, support housing stability for low-income people, and reduce homelessness by funding rental assistance, eviction diversion services, and similar supports. It would set up an application process, minimum standards, and funding structure for organizations that provide these services. I voted yes.
HB 792 - Magistrate Court Claims
HB 792 increases the amount of magistrate court claims from $15,000 to $25,000. This will allow more citizens to resolve their legal disputes without costly extensive legal processes that usually come with superior court claims. Most magistrate court procedures are also less likely to require you to have to hire an attorney. This adjustment applies to trials where exclusive jurisdiction is not held by the superior court, with the specific provision that no prejudgment attachment shall be granted. I voted yes.
HB 1024 - Protecting Homes in Bankruptcy
Many Georgians have extensive equity in their homes, even if their finances necessitate they file for bankruptcy. HB 1024 increases the amount of real property value a debtor can protect in a bankruptcy filing from $21,500 to $50,000 for an individual. If the property is jointly lived in by spouses, the protection increases from $43,000 to $100,000. Georgia was at the bottom in the list of states for home protection in bankruptcy. We need to protect Georgians’ homes. This legislation goes a long way in that regard. I voted yes.
HB 1030 - Math Matters Act
HB 1030 defines key math terms, ensures students who excel on state tests are automatically enrolled in advanced courses with parental opt-out, and requires schools to provide extra support like tutoring. It mandates the state track advanced math enrollment by demographics, applies to all schools with no waivers, and requires teacher training programs to prepare educators to teach math effectively, support struggling students, and use data-driven, research-based instruction. I voted yes.
HB 1185 - Lawsuits & Georgia's Business Court
HB 1185 lets corporations require shareholder lawsuits and internal governance disputes to be heard exclusively in Georgia’s State-wide Business Court. It also tightens rules on derivative suits. These things are fine. Unfortunately, the bill also drastically reduces circumstances under which shareholders and limited partners can inspect the books and records of companies in which they are invested. This is not good business and even worse policy. The bill centralizes internal business litigation and makes shareholder suits harder to bring. I spoke against this bill and voted no.
👇 Watch my questioning below!
HB 1001 - Income Tax Reduction
Last year, we reduced the income tax from 5.39 to 5.19, even though we did not hit the benchmarks that requires we had set for these reductions several years ago under the same administration. This bill proposes an additional 0.2 reduction to 4.99, when we again did not hit benchmarks. The benefits flow to the top, and most every day working families are given nearly nothing except a cut in government services.
● This will cost $748m
● 40% (~$299m) goes to the top 5% ($308k household)
● 67% (~$503m) goes to households in the top 20% ($145k household)
● 4.3% (~$32.164m) goes to bottom 40% ($45.8k household)
● The median household will only receive $70 per year.
If we simply do not pass this bill, we will have sufficient funds to expand Medicaid AND provide a free breakfast and lunch to ALL children in public schools in the entire state. Instead, we give money to the wealthy that will barely notice the alleged savings and will certainly later claim that we don’t have enough money to provide basic services to those who need them. I voted no.
HB 1075 - Pimping = Felony
HB 1075 makes a conviction of Pimping a felony if the Defendant has a prior conviction for Trafficking. Under this bill, individuals convicted of pimping or pandering for the first time would face high-level misdemeanors, and judges would have the authority to suspend most of their jail time; however, repeat offenders for these same crimes would still face one to ten years in prison. I voted yes.
HB 1164 - State Board of Education Audit Committee
HB 1164 requires the State Board of Education to appoint an audit committee to routinely examine payments into the State Benefits Plan, including financial reporting, performance, and adherence to laws and policies. It adds additional reporting standards, with strict timelines when reports need to be made, to whom they need to be made, and whether such reports are public.
Concerningly, this bill creates mechanisms to terminate school charters and contracts of superintendents of districts that are high-risk. It specifies accountability procedures for schools and systems designated as high and moderate risk and gives the state auditor authority to prioritize which local school systems and state charter schools are subject to monitoring, support, and interventions. This bill would create unfunded red tape requirements for school districts without corresponding benefits. I voted no.
Honoring a Georgia Legend: Dale Murphy
They say you should never meet your heroes. I very much disagree.
I am proud to co-sponsor a resolution urging the induction of Dale Murphy into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Dale Murphy was a childhood hero of mine, and like so many Georgians, I grew up watching him represent our state with integrity, leadership, and excellence.
It was a true honor to welcome him to the Capitol this week. His impact extends far beyond baseball — he exemplifies sportsmanship, character, and community leadership. Go Braves!
Meeting Constituents
Again, I was blessed to spend time with District 57 constituents who were at the Capitol to make their voices heard about keeping our environment healthy and thriving!
Dr. Chad Pozarycki (the gentleman in glasses) is a Georgia Tech grad and has a start-up company that has created home urine analysis system for early disease prevention. Amazing!
Upcoming Legislative Town Halls — Getting Close!
Make sure your calendars are marked for my upcoming joint townhalls with State Senator Sonya Halpern. We will be discussing what has been going on in both the Senate and the House. Check out the dates and times below! RSVP is not necessary but encouraged so we can anticipate crowd size. RSVP to Elijah Johnson at elijah@staceyevans.com.
Post Crossover Day
March 11, 2026
7-8:30pm
1411 N Morningside Dr NE
Post Sine Die
April 14,2026
7-8:30pm
1411 N Morningside Dr NE
What’s next?
As we head to Crossover Day, I encourage you to stay engaged. Please continue to reach out to my office with your questions, concerns, and ideas. It is a privilege to serve you, and I remain committed to fighting for District 57 every single day. Monday is a committee workday, so stay up to date with the links below!
⚖ Tune in the Judiciary Committee Meeting at 10am - Monday
👩⚖️ Tune into the Rules Committee Meeting at 11am - Monday
📸 Watch the House Floor Chamber at 10am - Tuesday
📜 A link to the Georgia General Assembly Website
In service,
Stacey Evans