House Rules Committee Chairman Richard Smith (R-Columbus) convenes the first Rules Committee meeting of 2023 on Wednesday.
The Capitol was stirring well before the crack of dawn on Wednesday as House appropriators rose...more
The rain may have stopped Monday, but the flood (of legislation) came on Tuesday. With 93 bills and resolutions in the hoppers as legislators and lobbyists arrived this morning, it appears that the much-anticipated...more
Legislators returned to the State Capitol on Monday for Legislative Day 9, but lawmakers and lobbyists seemed surprisingly subdued in the face of legislative days that continue to tick away. Perhaps it was the dreary weather...more
The General Assembly adjourned for the week on Thursday, allowing legislators to return home to their districts for a three-day weekend and lobbyists to use Friday to catch up on all those emails from clients they have been...more
While the rain may have saturated the grounds on Wednesday morning, it did not slow activity at the State Capitol. The halls were packed with groups from all across Georgia as well as constitutional officers, judges, agency...more
The early days of a legislative session rarely involve much in the way of votes or floor action, and Legislative Day 6 was typical in that regard. But there is often much to be learned from listening on these “quiet” days. In...more
After a week of hearings on Governor Kemp’s proposals for the Amended FY23 and FY24 budgets, legislators returned to the State Capitol on Monday for Legislative Day 5…and more budget hearings. The House is wasting no time...more
Governor Brian Kemp, surrounded by his family, gives remarks at his Inaugural Gala at State Farm Arena on Thursday night.
After four legislative days filled with celebration, the first week of the 2023 Legislative...more
Governor Brian Kemp delivers his second inaugural address on Thursday at the Georgia State University Convocation Center.
Thursday was the Third Legislative Day for the Georgia General Assembly, but the day was all about...more
Riding high on the Bulldogs’ back-to-back National Championship earned on Monday night, legislators jubilantly returned to the state capitol for Legislative Day 2 on Wednesday. But first, lawmakers and lobbyists gathered with...more
The 2023 Session of the Georgia General Assembly convened on Monday with an uncommon air of expediency and bipartisanship. Acting with speed and efficiency that suggested many members, many of whom were dressed in Red and...more
The General Assembly adjourned its 2022 Legislative Session sine die early Tuesday morning with the traditional toss of torn pieces of paper in the air. Legislators and lobbyists alike will now try to put those pieces back...more
The General Assembly wrapped up the penultimate week of the 2022 Legislative Session on Friday with a flurry of activity. The sprint toward Sine Die has accelerated, figuratively and literally, with House members racing from...more
The Senate passed several measures today - one of which will help Georgians with the price of gas at the pumps. HB 304, authored by Representative Jodi Lott (R-Evans), moved through the Senate after a full discussion on oil...more
The Georgia House put in a full day on Thursday, taking up twelve propositions across two Rules Calendars before adjourning near 4PM. Representatives unanimously approved a bill strengthening Georgia’s Childhood Lead Exposure...more
3/4/2022
/ America Competes Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Education Reform ,
Employer Mandates ,
Federal Funding ,
General Assembly ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Low-Income Issues ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Utility ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Unemployment Benefits ,
Vaccinations
Beginning the downhill slide into the second half of the 2022 Legislative Session on Monday, the Georgia State Senate spent its morning discussing the Second Amendment while the House discussed divesting any Russian assets...more
3/1/2022
/ General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HIV ,
Housing Discrimination ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Wage and Hour
The General Assembly wrapped up its workweek on Thursday by taking up a number of weighty issues in each chamber. The House approved the much-discussed “Student Technology Protection Act” (HB 1217), legislation allowing for...more
2/25/2022
/ Adoption ,
Clean Energy ,
Eavesdropping ,
Education Reform ,
General Assembly ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lottery ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Tax Reform ,
Workers Compensation Awards
The General Assembly returned to the State Capitol for Legislative Day 19 on Twos-day (2/22/22) with multiple measures up for consideration in each chamber. The House approved a number of health-related propositions,...more
2/23/2022
/ Criminal Justice Reform ,
General Assembly ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HIV ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Vaccinations
The General Assembly marked another day off the legislative calendar on Tuesday, and opossums and raccoons moved one step closer to being knocked off any time of the year in Georgia. HB 1147, allowing year-round hunting of...more
2/16/2022
/ Bail ,
Child Abuse ,
Congressional Committees ,
General Assembly ,
Hazardous Waste ,
Hunting ,
Lead Poisoning ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Motor Vehicles ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Sales & Use Tax ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Wrongful Conviction
The General Assembly took a half day on Friday after a full week of floor debates and committee proceedings. Although the House and Senate addressed a collective six measures on their floors, legislators made quick work of...more
2/15/2022
/ Electric Vehicles ,
Farms ,
General Assembly ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Income Taxes ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Opioid ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Reform
They say Thursday is the new Friday, and the State Senate took the sentiment to heart yesterday, quickly convening, dispensing with procedural business, and adjourning into a three day weekend. The House Rules Chairman...more
2/4/2022
/ Constitutional Amendment ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
General Assembly ,
Guardianships ,
Labor Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Nurses ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Right to Repair ,
Sales & Use Tax ,
Scholarships ,
State and Local Government ,
State Constitutions ,
State Legislatures ,
Teaching Hospitals ,
Tuition
The General Assembly got back to work on Tuesday with a slate full of committee meetings to advance bills and resolutions through the legislative gauntlet. But before legislators receded into the meeting rooms in the State...more
2/2/2022
/ General Assembly ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
HIV ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Long-Term Care ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Scholarships ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Teaching Hospitals ,
Tort
There was a great deal of action under the Gold Dome on Tuesday, including the biennial “class” portrait in the House where they had their panoramic photo taken. Other notable news of the day included the Senate Republican...more
1/26/2022
/ Adjournment ,
Complaint Procedures ,
Data Security ,
Expert Testimony ,
General Assembly ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Internet ,
Labor Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Organ Donation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Social Media ,
State and Local Government ,
Substance Abuse
With many legislators rushing to appointments in Indianapolis, the first day of the 2022 Georgia Legislative Session concluded as quickly as it began–but not before Glory, Glory rang through the hallways as jarringly as the...more
Just after midnight, the 2021 Legislative Session concluded with many legislative measures sneaking in under the wire—and many others lying dead on the House and Senate floors. The House and Senate compromise on the FY22...more
4/2/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Charter Schools ,
Child Care ,
Community Development ,
Disabilities ,
District Attorneys ,
Educational Institutions ,
Federal Funding ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Judges ,
Juvenile Justice System ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Public Policy ,
Public Safety ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures