Mental Health Awareness + Plant Vogtle Celebration
Honoring our American Heroes
It was another great week traveling the state to honor our American heroes, share our message, and celebrate some incredible accomplishments for Georgia.
Over the weekend, we observed Memorial Day and honored our service members who paid the ultimate price while defending our freedom. I was proud to join a great group of veterans in Effingham to remember the local men and women who selflessly served our great nation. May we never forget their sacrifice.
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to share our work in the House to increase access to mental healthcare for Georgians. In the House, we passed legislation to:
Increase access to mental health treatment in rural communities
Expedite licensing for mental healthcare professionals practicing in Georgia
Fund behavioral health crisis centers across the state
Provide greater protections for mental healthcare practitioners
On Tuesday, I was honored to join our friends at Children’s Hospital of Georgia to congratulate them on their new Center for Pediatric Development, Behavioral Health, and Wellness. As we’ve witnessed a rise in childhood mental health disorders, the need for further resources to provide support for our children and their families has become abundantly clear. Currently, one in six children has a developmental disability, and one in five teens suffers from a mental health disorder. Over half of these children never receive treatment.
Here in Georgia, we’re making significant progress in addressing this critical issue—and the new pediatric mental health center in Augusta will provide much-needed treatment and support for children and families across the state.
Celebrating the Completion of Plant Vogtle
On Wednesday, state leaders from across Georgia gathered to celebrate the completion of Plant Vogtle.
This project is now the largest generator of clean energy in the nation and will provide Georgia’s businesses and families with safe, affordable, and reliable energy for an estimated 60 to 80 years. Plant Vogtle represents an incredible feat of ingenuity, partnership, and technological innovation, and I’m proud of this incredible accomplishment for our state. I look forward to continuing our work alongside Georgia’s utility providers to create sustainable energy production throughout Georgia.
I want to thank everyone for their continued support of our House members and their efforts to make our state the best place to live, work, and raise a family! It’s an honor to serve each of you, and I always look forward to speaking with you about the issues and policies that matter most.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
My best,
Speaker Jon Burns