[January 22, 2023] | We have started the 2023 legislative session. For the next three months we will work diligently to keep Georgia the best place to live, work, and play. We will meet for 40 days, but it takes three months for us to get through those 40 days. I always try in these articles to give you a different perspective than you may see in the news. On day one we elected a new Speaker, Jon Burns from Newington, which is in Southeast Georgia. Speaker Burns has been our Majority Leader for a number of years and will do an outstanding job leading 180 members with integrity as we work with the Senate and the Governor.
Jan Jones from Milton, North Fulton County was reelected Speaker Pro Tempore of the House. After Speaker Ralston's passing, Speaker Jones was the first woman to hold the position of Speaker and serve that role proudly during the interim. We also had to elect a lot of other people you wouldn't think about like our Clerk, who keeps track of all the bills and organization of what goes on behind the scenes with the bills. Bill Riley from Blue Ridge has been our Clerk for a number of years and was reelected to that position.
On the first day we were sworn, in and I was excited to have my sweetheart, Marcia, by my side with my dad, Don Jasperse's very worn Bible to be used in the solemn ceremony. I'm very lucky to have a great partner like Marcia to do this job with. There were 44 new people sworn in to the House that morning. It's exciting to see them and their families sharing this important moment in their lives. Now I just have to learn all those 44 people's names.
One very important bill we enacted in the first week was our Adjournment Resolution. This resolution defines which day we are in session and when we finish. In my years of being in the legislature and from others with longer memories, we have never had an adjournment resolution to the very last day. Everyone voted green to agree on that resolution. We will finish on Sie Die on March 31.
During the first week, the Speaker appoints the Committee on Assignments to assign all members to committees. It's a very difficult job trying to satisfy the needs of the members and balance how many people are on each committee. Offices are assigned, and people begin to move around getting set for the first week of real business.
Personally, I was selected to be the Chairman for the Transportation Committee, one of the largest and most influential committees in the House. I'm very honored to take the helm of this important Committee. So glad to be reappointed the Secretary of the influential Rules Committee. I'll take some time next week and spell out what the Rules Committee does. Committees I am on are Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Appropriations, Health, Education K-12, Higher Education, Public Safety, Regulated Industries, and Technology and Infrastructure Innovation.
I look forward to serving you under the Gold Dome. I welcome you to contact me with any questions or concerns about topics or issues that are important to you and your family. My Capitol office number is 404-656-7153. My email is rick.jasperse@house.ga.gov. I thank you for allowing me to serve as your State Representative.