'Lawmakers' Day 5: A day of remembrance

Caption

A statue of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. stands at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta.

Credit: Associated Press

It was a day of remembrance on the first Friday of the 2026 session. 

Sen. Rashaun Kemp started the day in the Senate by asking for the two parties to put aside political differences and stand for a moment of silence for Renee Good, the 37-year-old woman who was fatally shot in Minnesota after an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

"As we start this session, I'm calling on all of us to set a new tone that reflects the best of Georgia, steady, thoughtful, and committed leadership to healing and not dividing," the state senator said. "So in the spirit of bipartisanship, colleagues, I am asking that we stand for a moment of silence in honor of Renee's life and to honor her family at this time."

Lawmakers and local leaders then paid tribute to 1960s civil rights leader and local son Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at a ceremony in the rotunda. 

Gov. Brian Kemp also spoke of King's contributions at Friday's capitol event. 

"It goes without saying that one of the towering figures of America's rich history is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," he said. "Because he did as much, if not more, than anyone to ensure we worked toward fulfilling those founding principles that inspired the very birth of the United States, liberty, truth, and justice for all."

Legislators won't gather again in their chambers until Monday, Jan. 26. Budget committee hearings will be held until then.

GPB's Lawmakers returns Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. on GPB TV.