The Georgia General Assembly’s 2026 legislative session officially kicks off on Monday, January 12, 2026.
Last year, I introduced two bills dealing with the minimum wage in Georgia. HB 395 which raises the minimum wage to $15 for all Georgians and HB 394 which raises the minimum wage for Georgia state employees.
Although the federal minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour, the minimum wage in Georgia is $5.15 an hour. As of January 2026, 21 states have increased the minimum wage for their states, to $15 an hour or above. Unfortunately, Georgia isn’t one of them. I hope to change that this year by asking for committee hearings for these bills and by pushing these bills through the state legislature. If Georgia is the “best place to do business” as the Governor says, then a decent minimum wage should be a criterion.
Many Georgia state employees earn less than $15 an hour. These are the individuals who staff our agencies, support our schools, maintain our infrastructure, and provide essential services that millions of Georgians rely on. Yet many of them struggle to make ends meet.
When wages fall below a livable standard, it becomes increasingly difficult to recruit and keep qualified applicants for these critical roles. Georgia deserves a strong, stable, and competitive workforce—one that reflects the talent and commitment of the people we serve. Raising the minimum wage is a practical, responsible step toward achieving that goal.
This year, Georgia is operating with a $16 billion budget surplus. At a time when our state has the resources to invest in the people who keep it running, it is both reasonable and responsible to ensure that no state employee earns poverty-level wages. Using a small portion of this surplus to strengthen our workforce is not only fiscally sound—it is the right thing to do.
I look forward to working with my colleagues, community partners, and constituents like you to move these bills forward.