Whereas on January 28, 2024, the Libertarian Party of Georgia adopted A Resolution to Call for Defend the Guard Legislation at its regular annual convention; and,
Whereas on February 12, 2024, the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Georgia adopted A Resolution to Support the Defend the Guard Act; and,
Whereas on March 28, 2024, the Georgia General Assembly adjourned sine die without passing the Defend the Guard Act; and,
Whereas on July 31, 2024, two Georgia Army National Guard soldiers were killed while deployed overseas in Iraq; and,
Whereas on September 24, 2024, Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order 09.24.24.01 declaring a State of Emergency due to Tropical Storm Helene in which five hundred Georgia National Guard troops were called up to State Active Duty; and,
Whereas on September 27, 2024, Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order 09.27.24.01 in which an additional one thousand Georgia National Guard troops were called up to State Active Duty in response to Tropical Storm Helene; and,
Whereas on September 30, 2024, Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order 09.30.24.01 in which an additional one thousand Georgia National Guard troops were called up to State Active Duty in response to Tropical Storm Helene; and,
Whereas these two thousand five hundred Georgia National Guard troops cleared roads, delivered supplies, operated distribution sites, facilitated communications, and provided other assistance during the State of Emergency; and,
Whereas Georgia National Guard troops who are in Georgia are able to offer assistance to their communities during emergencies while Georgia National Guard troops stationed overseas are not; and,
Whereas on January 30, 2025, Senate Bill 62, also known as the Defend the Guard Act, was introduced for the 2025 – 2026 biennium of the Georgia General Assembly; and,
Whereas the Defend the Guard Act as introduced would amend Title 38, Chapter 2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated to state that the Georgia National Guard and any member thereof shall not be released from the state into active duty combat or combat support operations unless the United States Congress has passed an official declaration of war or has taken an official action pursuant to Article I, Section 8, Clause 15 of the United States Constitution to explicitly call forth the Georgia National Guard and any member thereof for the enumerated purposes to expressly execute the laws of the union, repel an invasion, or suppress an insurrection;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the Libertarian Party of Georgia supports the passage of the Defend the Guard Act during the 2025 – 2026 biennium of the Georgia General Assembly.
