Legislative Day 40 might best be described as organized chaos — without the organization. Wednesday under the Gold Dome was a case in point. Legislators and lobbyists scrambled between the chambers trying to get their bills...more
In the final sprint towards Sine Die on Wednesday, faces are beginning to look drawn and weary. But, if one listens closely, you can faintly hear, “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches,” as...more
The end is near! And like holiday decorations in your local big box store, it seems like the end of the legislative session comes earlier each year. Thursday marked Legislative Day 38 under the Gold Dome, but it had some of...more
¡Feliz Navidad! As one Senator said in a committee meeting on Wednesday. Indeed, it was Christmastime for many under the gold dome as committees took one last opportunity to create their own festive holiday trees full of...more
The “crush” is on! Last-minute committee meetings are being held as lawmakers take their final shots at pushing through their bills. While some efforts find success, there are also a few casualties and cases of forlorn...more
Monday was photo day for the Georgia House of Representatives. Time for the biennial panoramic photo of all members present and on their best behavior at their desks in the House chamber. It was a rare moment of calm and...more
Thursday was a short but difficult day for many under the Gold Dome. In addition to a closed-circuit video outage that forced lobbyists and onlookers from the halls of the House and Senate galleries to keep track of floor...more
It’s the Ides of March, and there is plenty of treachery (and perhaps some debt collection) under the Gold Dome in these waning days of the 2023 Legislative Session. Bills are becoming Christmas trees, legislators are trading...more
Tuesday was Pi Day, and Georgia taxpayers moved one step closer to getting a slice of the state’s budget pie under the Gold Dome on Tuesday. HB 162, a $1 billion income tax relief measure promoted by Governor Kemp, achieved...more
Although the weather cooled down outside the State Capitol on Monday, legislative activity continued to heat up in the run toward adjournment sine die. With just over two weeks until the legislature calls it quits for the...more
The House signed off on its version of the FY24 State Budget on Thursday afternoon, but the Senate didn’t wait on their colleagues to vote before questioning their allocations. Appropriators in the Upper Chamber met...more
Wednesday was a big day under the Gold Dome — a big budget day, to be exact. After tying up the loose ends on the Amended FY23 Budget on Monday, House appropriators rolled out their take on the FY24 spending plan in meetings...more
The General Assembly was in recovery mode on Tuesday, regrouping after a late night in the State Capitol on Crossover Day. And there was a lot to recover from after the House passed 51 measures on Legislative Day 28, just...more
Legislators and lobbyists were dealt a double whammy for Legislative Day 28: the chaos of Crossover Day combined with a case of the Mondays. Indeed, all under the Gold Dome were subjected to the whiplash of a sudden...more
The Senate set an ambitious agenda for Thursday, placing 27 measures on a Rules Calendar front loaded with some of the most contentious issues of the session. Among the first six bills up for consideration were propositions...more
March came in like a lion under the Gold Dome on Wednesday. Before proceeding to committee meetings, the House put in a full day on the floor, passing 19 measures including a host of education bills. Legislation advancing to...more
Members of the public flooded the State Capitol again on Tuesday. The day’s most visible group was Mothers Demand Action, members of which crowded the halls in a sea of red as they advocated lawmakers for gun control...more
With a week remaining before Crossover Day, activity hit a fever pitch in the Capitol on Monday. The House and Senate floors were both active with debate of weighty measures like Governor Kemp’s “Safe Schools Act” (HB 147)...more
The Georgia General Assembly worked diligently Thursday by debating and passing many measures, some of which help the State spend much of the surplus collected over the past several years. In the House, members approved HB...more
Five legislative days remain until Crossover Day, but the hoppers are still overflowing with new legislation and legislators’ hopes that their big ideas will run a sprint from first readers to the floor. While the prospect of...more
House Committee meeting notices fill the announcement board outside the clerk’s office early Tuesday.
With less than two weeks remaining until Crossover Day, skates were needed to get between committee meetings today as...more
The Georgia General Assembly closed out the first half of its 2023 Legislative Session on Thursday, but veterans know well that it is not all downhill from here. Like a marathon, the second half of the session always seems...more
As the halfway mark of the 2023 legislative session nears, floor activity is picking up in the Georgia General Assembly. On Wednesday, each chamber took up several consequential measures. In the House, lawmakers approved...more
Pink ties and red dresses abounded in the State Capitol on Tuesday as legislators and lobbyists celebrated Valentine’s Day engaging in the romance of the legislative process. Despite the exchange of chocolates and cards,...more
While the 2023 Legislative Session has had a somewhat breezy start over the last month, lawmakers returned to the State Capitol on Monday to meet a gale-force flurry of legislative activity. With Rules Calendars in both...more