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Blake Tillery
REPUBLICAN
Blake Tillery is running for Georgia State Senator, District 19.
Personal background
Blake earned his bachelor's degree in international affairs from the University of Georgia and his law degree at the University of Georgia School of Law. He is from South Georgia, where he resides with his wife and their son. He and his family are members of Grace Community Presbyterian Church.
Professional background
Blake has experience as an attorney. He was also the Chairman of the Toombs County Commission and served on the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Regional Commission.
Political background
Blake Tillery is the state senator for State Senate District 19. He was elected in 2016.
Economy
Supports tax relief for Georgians and fiscal transparency, endorsing tax cuts for individuals and married couples, and mandating fees like the scrap tire fee be used solely for their intended purposes, such as funding waste management and children's services.
Supports regional collaboration to boost warehousing and distribution growth near Savannah and Brunswick ports through infrastructure development, regulatory reduction, cross-county cooperation, state incentives, workforce education, and maintaining quality of life.
Supported legislative measures to protect businesses from COVID-19 liability claims, ensuring economic stability and safe operations, by extending legal safeguards until June 2022 through House Bill 112.
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Energy & the Environment
Supports Senate Bill 119, which allows for "controlled burning of leaves, yard debris, or hand-piled vegetation without first having to call the forestry department for a permit, provided the burning is done at daytime, and safe distances from residences and woodlands."
Wants to improve, "quality infrastructure (power plants, water, natural gas, schools and roads)."
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Healthcare
Plans to enhance public health systems by leveraging additional federal funds for epidemiology, lab capacity, and COVID-19 vaccine readiness, to improve vaccine distribution and scheduling, addressing public concerns, and ensuring efficient protection against the virus.
Opposes abortion and supports the Fetal Heartbeat bill, which makes abortion illegal as early as six weeks into the pregnancy.
Acknowledges that "healthcare costs are rising and that it’s hard on working families, and plans to "keep those costs low and create the best healthcare system possible."
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Voting & Elections
Supported Senate Bill 241's election reforms, including absentee ballot regulation, ID requirements, and enhanced security, to ensure fair and legal voting processes.
Supports the Election Integrity Act of 2021, opposing claims of racism while emphasizing fairness in campaign contributions and non-partisan distribution of resources like water at polling stations.
Supported Senate Bill 188, mandating the Secretary of State to create a public election results system and requiring counties to report total ballots at poll closing for immediate availability and transparency.
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Public Safety
Supports shortening probation for qualified individuals, citing high reoffense rates within three years and the strain on Georgia's system due to the nation's highest per capita probation population, ultimately hoping to save taxpayer money.
Opposes gun control, and endorsed Senate Bill 319 for constitutional carry.
Supports allocating existing funds for a 10% salary increase for correction and juvenile detention officers, aiming to decrease attrition and turnover, and providing $1.3 million in federal funds to county jails for pandemic response and prevention in state prisons.
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Education
Supports the establishment of a 5-year pilot program, enabling students over 16 years of age to earn high school diplomas while obtaining technical degrees.
Supports legislation enhancing educational resources for diverse students, including extending HOPE Scholarship eligibility for disabled students, broadening scholarships for special needs, and waiving tuition for foster and adopted children in Georgia's technical colleges.
Supports revising Georgia's high school graduation criteria to include mandatory financial literacy.
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