Monday marked the nominal halfway point of the 2021 Legislative Session, but there is a keen awareness among lawmakers and lobbyists that more than half of the legislature’s work for the year lies in the legislative days to...more
2/23/2021
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Legislative Day 19 felt particularly cold, wet, and sleepy as legislators wrapped up a short week that was filled to the brim with committee meetings and actions. But before most members headed for the exits, the chambers did...more
2/19/2021
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Education was the theme on the floors of the Georgia House and Senate today as each body approved measures impacting K-12 teachers and students around the state. The Senate signed off on two such bills, including Governor...more
2/18/2021
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Freezing temperatures and the threat of icy roads couldn’t keep legislators away from the Gold Dome as they kicked off yet another week of the Session. Both chambers OK’d a small slate of bills followed by a packed afternoon...more
2/17/2021
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The early morning began with Subcommittees of the House Appropriations Committee looking in earnest at the development of a spending plan for the state’s FY 2022. This work follows the news from earlier in the week of the...more
The Georgia General Assembly is over halfway to Crossover Day, and new legislation continues to fill the hoppers each day. In these first 15 days of the 2021 Legislative Session, lawmakers have introduced 746 propositions —...more
2/11/2021
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Legislative Day 14 was a bit like Christmas for lawmakers and lobbyists under the Gold Dome. Everyone got something — a Senate vote on the Amended FY21 Budget (which now proceeds to the House for reconciliation), a House vote...more
2/10/2021
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The Super Bowl festivities of yesterday seemed like a decade ago as the General Assembly got down to business today with a large number of new bills entering the legislative process. Convening for Legislative Day 13, however,...more
The big news today was the movement on the FY 2021 Amended Budget as the Senate Appropriations Committee moved its version on HB 80 forward this morning. This spending plan for the state includes much of what was proposed by...more
2/5/2021
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While the House and Senate floors remain quiet, the afternoons under the Gold Dome most decidedly are not. Committee meetings abound, and lawmakers and lobbyists alike are confounded by the complexities of trying to attend...more
Today, one needed to have his or her skates on (or the ability to click a mouse quickly) to catch all the action as House and Senate committees began hearing bills and resolutions. Gaming was in particular focus today, with...more
2/3/2021
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After a marathon of Senate budget subcommittee meetings to close last week, the General Assembly reconvened with a bit of lethargy. Although the Senate did take up three propositions that each earned easy passage, the House...more
Before the crack of the dawn, legislators were under the Gold Dome to continue their work for the people of Georgia. The Senate Appropriations Human Development Subcommittee kicked off discussions with a hearing at 6:30 a.m....more
2/1/2021
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Vaccinations
Topics of conversation today under the Gold Dome covered a variety of policies from vaccine availability and distribution, to the FY 2021 Amended Budget, and casinos and horse racing. Georgia schools are pressing for vaccines...more
Lawmakers returned to the Capitol despite the downpour of rain and quickly got down to work for the people of Georgia. The first task tackled was the House Appropriations Committee taking action on its complete...more
Today was all about the numbers - State spending and revenue as well as the increasing count of Georgians diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. The House Appropriations Committee voted out its version of HB 793, the state’s...more
3/11/2020
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Teachers
As skies cleared over the Gold Dome this evening, legislators and lobbyists rode floods of rainwater and legislation out of the building and into a three-day respite from the 2020 Legislative Session....more
Despite the pouring rain (again), lawmakers convened today for Legislative Day 24. Committee meetings began bright and early in an effort to move proposals forward in advance of the looming Crossover Day....more
Roadrunners, Hawks, Mariners, and other big-headed mascots flocked to the Capitol atrium today for Georgia State College Day at the Capitol, and House and Senate members also had education on their minds. ...more
While the weather outside is merely drizzly, March came in like a lion through the halls of the State Capitol today. The Senate Appropriations Committee brought the building to life this morning by unveiling its take on the...more
With visions of getting out of Atlanta and back to their home districts before traffic set in, legislators worked quickly today to put a cap on a full legislative week. ...more
Today marks Legislative Day 20, the halfway point for the 2020 Legislative Session! Rumors are that the House and Senate are much closer on finalizing their budget plans for the remaining portion of this fiscal year and the...more
After hearing a State of the Judiciary Address from Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton focused on improving access to justice across the state and increasing cybersecurity in the courts, legislators embarked on...more
The Georgia House and Senate chambers were abuzz today as skies cleared and legislators continued to settle into a steady pace of floor action. ...more
Spring cleaning came early under the Gold Dome today with House members approving a new regulatory regime for trauma scene cleanup practitioners (HB 417) while concerned citizens of Juliette, Georgia, flooded the halls with...more