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Request a DemoFreshman Rep. Lehman Franklin on getting three bills through the Legislature and his call to service
It can be difficult for any legislator to get one bill through, let alone three, especially if you’re a freshman in the Georgia Statehouse, but that’s exactly what Republican Rep. Lehman Franklin did this year.
The 48-year-old Statesboro native was among 53 newly sworn-in legislators in January, and he did not waste any time getting down to work. His three House bills — 285 (public employees’ retirement), 302 (stalking law) and 480 (workers' comp) — passed before “Crossover Day” on March 6, the last chance many bills had to survive. And an amazing feat for a freshman legislator.
Franklin’s journey to the Statehouse took him from Statesboro to The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, where he earned a bachelor’s in business administration. He returned to Statesboro to earn his master’s at Georgia Southern.
He then spent four years in Argentina as a missionary, later helping to establish Marine Reach Ministries in Europe, which led to four years as the marine captain and ministry director aboard a 140-foot sailboat with a crew of 30 in the Mediterranean Sea.
After his return to Georgia, Franklin began working at his family’s business — Franklin Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Toyota. Today he is general manager of Franklin Toyota, as well as vice president of the Franklin Automotive Group.
But it wasn’t long before the call to service rang again. When Jan Tankersley, R-Brooklet, announced her retirement in early 2022, Franklin jumped, running unopposed for her District 160 seat.
“For me [service is] just simply what you’re supposed to do, so when the opportunity came up to serve in the Georgia House, it just seemed like the obvious next step,” he said.
House Speaker Jon Burns appointed Franklin to the House Retirement Committee, of which he’s vice chairman; the Economic Development and Tourism Committee; and the Interstate Cooperation Committee.
about franklin's bills
- HB 285: An amendment to the Public Retirement Systems Investment Authority Law, raising the limit of the total percentage of funds that the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia may invest in alternative investments to 10% from 5%. It passed the House 171-0.
- HB 302: The bill concerning stalking allows courts to grant a protective order on a permanent basis rather than just temporary, as needed. It passed the House 172-0.
- HB 480: The workers’ compensation law increases the maximum weekly benefits for people injured or disabled as a result of workplace accidents and increases the total compensation payable to a surviving spouse or sole dependent of a worker killed on the job. It passed the House 154-15 and the Senate 52-3.
He lives in Stilson with wife Lorie, and 20 chickens, three dogs, five horses, two goats and several honeybee hives.
State Affairs recently asked Franklin about his first legislative session and getting those three bills passed, as well as his call to service and what life is like on the farm.
The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q. Did your work as a missionary influence your decision to run for Georgia House, and how has it influenced your work there?
A. Yes, but it’s all ultimately rooted in a sense of service that started from watching the men and women in my community give and serve from my youth. I grew up with an understanding that serving others was of the highest value and that who we are and all we have should be dedicated, to some extent, for this purpose. I focused on servant leadership at The Citadel, followed by working in a service-oriented business, the hospitality industry, and ultimately to serving others in missions and as a missionary. For me it’s just simply what you’re supposed to do, so when the opportunity came up to serve in the Georgia House, it just seemed like the obvious next step. As far as the influence of my work as a representative, I would say that central theme is 100% on my mind daily in all I do.
Q. Tell me about your relationship with Rep. Butch Parrish. He appears in many of your photos. Do you consider him a mentor?
A. Butch is a great man and I hold him in very high regard. We are fortunate to have a very strong delegation and regional representation. Bill Hitchens, Jon Burns, Ron Stephens, Jesse Petrea, Leesa Hagan, Billy Hickman, Max Burns, Blake Tillery, are all great people and I believe we are all very close and truly have Georgia’s best interest in all we do. I am fortunate to have such strong leadership so close to me and find that I call on many of these individuals often for various issues.
Q. What did you do to prepare for such a successful first year? You got three bills through, and that's rather unheard of for a freshman legislator.
A. Well, as far as preparing beforehand, I tried to read up and educate myself on practices, processes, and issues as best I could, but there is really nothing like the learning process of actually being there. I was determined to go into the session with a learning attitude and just observe those who had been there for a long time and ask questions from those whom I thought I could learn from. I think it was Reagan, or maybe it was Truman, who said, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” [Editor’s note: It was Truman.] I think there is a lot of truth in that, and fortunately for Georgia, we have many leaders who think this way. I believe with my bills, I didn’t come in with an agenda or even anything particular I wanted to push through. All three of my bills came from the request of constituents and I think that is what, in the end, really made the difference.
Q. You're well-known in the local business world. Tell me about your management style and how that plays into getting the job done at the Statehouse.
A. You have to follow before you can lead; servant leadership is the best leadership, knowing who you are and who your God is, train and lead others to be able to do more (be more) than you can do (be), knowing that you’re in the position you’re in because of others who came before you. Character matters, ideas matter — and have consequences. I could go on but all these things build on what kind of a leader one is and how that individual manages others.
Q. You have quite the menagerie of animals at home! Tell me about a typical day off at the Franklin farm.
A. Our home is a very peaceful place and there is always work to be done there. I actually really enjoy getting outside and doing some of the random chores that are needed to be done. Feeding the animals, maintaining the fencing, clearing and mowing parts of the property, keeping the equipment serviced. There is a never-ending list of chores, but, for me, it’s great to get into something and just let your mind go. In the evenings, watching the animals, having a fire, just listening to the environment around you … there’s a lot of peace in that. My wife and I have to travel often but we truly love it when we get to get back home.
Q. Finally, looking ahead ... the next several months will fly by, and before we know it, it'll be Jan. 8. What's next on your legislative agenda?
A. I’m just truly thankful for the opportunity to serve my community and hope to do it to the best of my ability. If there is any agenda, it would be to listen to my constituents and find ways, solve problems, create solutions to make their lives better than before.
THE lehman franklin files
- Title: State representative, R-Statesboro
- Age: 48
- Birthplace: Savannah
- Hometown: Statesboro
- Education: Bachelor’s in business administration from The Citadel; master’s in business administration from Georgia Southern University
- Career: Vice president at Franklin Automotive Group; automobile dealer for Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Buick, and Toyota.
- Hobbies: Anything on or near saltwater
- Family: Wife, Lorie
Jackie Winchester is production editor at State Affairs. Reach her on Twitter @jacwinchester or by email at [email protected].
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House speaker Jon Burns hires new communications director
House speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, announced today that he has hired a new communications director. Kayla Roberson, who has served as press secretary at the Georgia Chamber for the past year or so, will now oversee all external communications, media relations and strategic messaging for Burns.
“I’m excited to welcome Kayla to our team,” Burns said in a statement. “Kayla has an excellent background, deep skill set and strong work ethic, and we’re excited to have her on board to continue getting our message out and sharing the House’s priorities ahead of and into the next session.”
A double major in political science and journalism at the University of Georgia, where she graduated in 2022, Roberson interned for U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Republican in north Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, and worked as a consultant for GOP political candidates before joining the Georgia Chamber.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to work under the leadership of speaker Burns,” Roberson told State Affairs. “Whether it’s improving education opportunities, putting money back in the pockets of hardworking Georgians, creating jobs or supporting our rural communities, speaker Burns always prioritizes doing what is best, and what is right, for Georgia.”
Political strategist Stephen Lawson, who has held the top communications role for the speaker since last December, announced he’s joining Dentons, where starting today he’ll lead the global law firm’s public affairs efforts.
Have questions or comments? Contact Jill Jordan Sieder on X @journalistajill or at [email protected].
Global bird flu disrupts Georgia exports, costing chicken producers millions
ATLANTA — A global bird flu that has rapidly spread from birds to dairy cows, milk supplies and humans has cost untold millions of dollars in lost export business in Georgia, the nation’s leading poultry producer, officials with the state Department of Agriculture and poultry industry said.
Georgia has had only three reported cases of H5N1 avian influenza since it reemerged in 2022. The last of those cases was resolved in November 2023 but ramifications of those outbreaks continue to have a big effect on the state’s ability to export chicken and chicken parts, such as chicken feet, to different countries, including China, one of Georgia’s biggest export markets for chicken feet.
In 2022, frozen chicken feet, for example, accounted for more than 85% of all U.S. poultry exported to China, according to Farm Progress, publisher of 22 farming and ranching magazines.
The $30 billion poultry industry is Georgia’s largest segment in its No. 1 industry — agriculture.
China has also placed a ban on the import of chicken products from 41 other American states. The ban on Georgia products went into effect Nov. 21, 2023. Efforts to reach the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. were unsuccessful.
Georgia Poultry Federation President Mike Giles estimates the state’s loss at “well into the millions of dollars.”
“It’s a significant amount in a significant export market for us,” he said. “Poultry paws [feet] immediately lose value because of the loss of demand.”
The ban has forced Georgia poultry producers to find alternative markets for their products that would normally be headed to China.
“Some are sold domestically, some are frozen and stored, hopefully to find markets later on, and some go to other countries,” Giles said.
This isn’t the first time China has banned U.S.-produced poultry products due to a bird flu outbreak. The country instituted a ban in January 2015 which lasted until November 2019 — even though U.S. poultry products were deemed free of the disease by August 2017.
After that ban was lifted, China’s appetite for American-produced chicken products became voracious.
In 2022, U.S. producers shipped nearly $6 billion in poultry meat and related products (excluding eggs) to over 130 countries. China has emerged as the second largest destination for U.S. poultry exports, increasing from $10 million in 2019 to a record $1.1 billion in 2022, according to Southern Ag Today.
Chicken paws, for instance, are eaten in many Asian countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea.They can also be found on Chinese dim sum menus throughout the U.S. and are also popular in Jamaica, Trinidad, Russia and Ukraine in everything from soups and curries to fried snacks.
Three Georgia counties have reported H5N1 outbreaks since 2022. The most recent case was late last year. Henry, Sumter and Toombs counties each reported one case of H5N1 bird flu. Those outbreaks are resolved, poultry and state agriculture officials say.
“When HPAI cases are found in any state, that state is given a designation that could lead to foreign countries halting trade on poultry products from that state,” Georgia Department of Agriculture spokesman Matthew Agvent told State Affairs.
Not since 2016 has the United States experienced such a fast-moving case of the H5N1 avian influenza. In the last two months, the virus has spread in parts of the United States from birds to dairy cows, some milk supplies and humans. Two people — a Texas dairy worker and a prison inmate in Colorado who was killing infected birds at a poultry farm — are reported to have caught the virus, according to news reports. The outbreak is the largest in recent history, impacting both domestic poultry and livestock as well as wild birds and some mammal species.
State officials are continuing to monitor the national outbreak and its impact on Georgia.
Georgia’s poultry & egg industry: At A Glance
Annual economic impact: $30.2 billion
Percentage of the Agriculture industry: 58% *
Jobs: 87,900
Counties involved in poultry & egg production: 3 out of 4
National ranking in chicken broiler production: No. 1
Daily production of table eggs: 7.8 million
Daily production of hatching eggs: 6.5 million
Pounds of chicken produced daily: 30.2 million
Pounds of chicken produced annually: 8 billion
Number of chicken broilers processed each day: 5 million
Counties involved in poultry & egg production: 3 out of 4
Source: Georgia Poultry Federation; The Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development, University of Georgia, Ag Snapshots 2024; Georgia Poultry Federation.
Have questions? Contact Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
Is it safe to eat chicken and eggs and drink milk? Answers to your most pressing questions about the latest bird flu outbreak
A two-year-old strain of bird flu has heightened concerns in Georgia and the rest of the country after the virus recently spread to dairy cows. Here’s what you need to know about the virus and its impact on Georgia and the rest of the country. What are the symptoms of this flu in humans? Eye …
Kemp signs bills on education, health care, taxes
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a slew of bills over the past week or so, including the private school voucher bill long sought by Republicans and a bill that will ease regulations over the construction and expansion of medical facilities in rural areas.
His bill-signing events were clustered into themes: education, health care, military members, human trafficking and Georgia’s coastal communities.
Education
Among the education-related bills Kemp signed was Senate Bill 233, also known as the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, which provides the families of Georgia students enrolled in underperforming school districts with $6,500 scholarships that can be used toward private school or homeschooling expenses, including tuition, fees, textbooks and tutoring.
“Georgia is affording greater choice to families as to how and where they receive their education, while also continuing our efforts to strengthen public schools, support teachers, and secure our classrooms,” Kemp said, and thanked leadership in the House and Senate for prioritizing passage of the bill, which had failed in a close vote in 2023.
Democrats and many public education advocates who opposed the bill argued it will drain resources from public schools and primarily benefit students from wealthy families.
Kemp also signed Senate Bill 351, sponsored by nine Republican senators, which will require social media companies, as of July 1, 2025, to verify their users are at least 16 years old unless they receive approval from a parent.
House Bill 409, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, directs school systems to consider not having bus stops where a student would have to cross a roadway with a speed limit of 40 mph or greater. The bill also increases the penalty for passing a stopped school bus to $1,000 from $250.
Kemp noted that Ashley Pierce, the mother of Addy Pierce, an 8-year-old who was fatally struck by a motorist as she boarded her school bus, “passionately advocated for and was instrumental in the passage of this legislation.”
Senate Bill 395, sponsored by Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Gwinnett, states that no school visitor or personnel can be prohibited from possessing an opioid reversal drug such as Narcan and directs schools to maintain a supply. It also allows opioid antagonists to be sold in vending machines and directs certain government buildings to maintain a supply of at least three doses.
Senate Bill 464, also sponsored by Dixon, creates the School Supplies for Teachers Program to financially and technically support teachers purchasing school supplies online. It also creates an executive committee of five voting members within the Georgia Council on Literacy and limits the number of approved literacy screeners to five, one of whom must be available to schools for free.
Health care
The governor chose his hometown of Athens as the venue to sign several bills aimed at improving health care in rural and underserved communities.
Among them was House Bill 1339, sponsored by Rep. Butch Parrish, R-Swainsboro, which revises the Certificate of Need process by which the state determines if and how new medical facilities can be built or expanded. The bill provides for several new exemptions, including psychiatric or substance abuse inpatient programs, basic perinatal services in rural counties, birthing centers and new general acute hospitals in rural counties. It also raises the total limit on tax credits for donations to rural hospital organizations to $100 million from $75 million.
Senate Bill 480, sponsored by Sen. Mike Hodges, R-Brunswick, establishes student loan repayments for mental health and substance use professionals serving underserved youth in the state or in unserved geographic areas disproportionately impacted by social determinants of health.
House Bill 872, sponsored by Rep. Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, expands cancelable loans for certain health care professionals to dental students who agree to practice in rural areas.
Senate Bill 293, sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah, chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, reorganizes county boards of public health and opens the qualifications for the CEO of each county board of health to include either licensed physicians or people with a master’s degree in public health or a related field.
Military members and veterans
Kemp on Wednesday focused on bills to improve military recruitment and provide more work opportunities for veterans and military family members.
House Bill 880, sponsored by Rep. Bethany Ballard, R-Warner Robins, allows spouses of military service members to work under a license they hold in good standing in another state while under the supervision of an existing Georgia medical facility or provider.
Senate Bill 449, sponsored by Sen. Larry Walker, allows military medical personnel to practice for 12 months while a license application is pending, including working as a certified nursing aide, certified emergency medical technician, paramedic or licensed practical nurse. The bill also creates a new advanced practice registered nurse license and makes it a misdemeanor to practice advanced nursing without a license.
Human trafficking
The governor on Wednesday was accompanied by first lady Marty Kemp and other members of the GRACE Commission for the signing of an anti-human trafficking package. It includes Senate Bill 370, which adds certain businesses to the list of organizations that must post human trafficking notices, including convenience stores, body art studios, businesses that employ licensed massage therapists and manufacturing facilities.
Sponsored by Sen. Mike Hodges, R-Brunswick, the bill also allows the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy to initiate inspections of massage therapy businesses and educational programs without notice and requires massage therapy board members to complete yearly human trafficking awareness training.
House Bill 993, sponsored by Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, creates the felony offense of grooming of a minor and creates new penalties for offenses relating to visual mediums depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
House Bill 1201, sponsored by Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, allows human trafficking survivors who received first offender or conditional discharge status to vacate that status for certain crimes, as long as the crime was a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking.
Coastal communities
Earlier today in Brunswick, Kemp signed legislation impacting Georgia coastal communities, including House Bill 244, which amends the laws around how wild game can be hunted and how seafood dealers operate, and House Bill 1341, which designates white shrimp as the state’s official crustacean.
Taxes
Earlier this month Kemp signed several bills related to taxation, including House Bill 1015, sponsored by Rep. Lauren McDonald, R-Cumming, which lowers the state income tax for tax year 2024 to 5.39%, accelerating a multiyear drop in state income taxes that started at 5.75% in 2023 and will continue through 2029.
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget estimates the tax cut acceleration will save Georgia taxpayers approximately $1.1 billion in calendar year 2024 and about $3 billion over the next 10 years.
Kemp also signed House Bill 1021, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, which increases the state’s income tax dependent exemption to $4,000 from $3,000.
House Bill 581, sponsored by Reps. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, and Clint Crowe, R-Jackson, enables a constitutional amendment (House Resolution 1022) to let voters decide whether counties can provide a statewide homestead valuation freeze, which limits the increase in property values to the inflation rate.
The governor has until May 7 to sign or veto bills passed during the legislative session that ended on March 28. Those he takes no action on will automatically become law.
Legislation signed by Kemp is posted on the governor’s website.
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Have questions, comments or tips on education in Georgia? Contact Jill Jordan Sieder on X @journalistajill or at [email protected].
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