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
/ General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Governor Kemp ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Nursing Homes ,
Public Health ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Tax Credits ,
Teachers
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
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Insurance Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations
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
/ Charter Schools ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Vaccinations
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
/ Charter Schools ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Gambling ,
Gaming ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Governor Kemp ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Public Schools ,
Small Business ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Teachers
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
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disabilities ,
Foster Children ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
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
After a week of public budget hearings (and almost certainly a weekend of budget negotiations behind closed doors), the General Assembly reconvened today and pushed the Amended FY21 spending plan a bit further along its fast...more
The General Assembly’s Appropriations Committees resumed today on their work around the Governor’s recommendations for FY 2021 Amended and FY 2022 budgets. Today’s focal points were the state’s health and human services’...more
1/22/2021
/ Appropriation ,
Budgets ,
Child Care ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disabilities ,
General Assembly ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Legislative Committees ,
Medicaid ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Vaccinations
Amidst a transition of power in our nation's Capital, the Georgia General Assembly continued its review of Governor Kemp’s budget recommendations for FY 2021 Amended and FY 2022. The focus for much of the day was on safety...more
1/21/2021
/ Appropriation ,
Budgets ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
General Assembly ,
Governor Kemp ,
Juvenile Justice System ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Public Health Emergency ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees convened jointly to begin their review of Governor Kemp’s proposals for the Amended FY21 and FY22 State Budgets revealed last week. With most members participating remotely via...more
The General Assembly closed the first week of its 2021 Legislative Session with a look ahead at Governor Kemp’s plans for the State’s budgets and his expected legislative initiatives. Before a joint session of the House and...more
1/15/2021
/ Budgets ,
Disabilities ,
Elder Care ,
General Assembly ,
Governor Kemp ,
Grants ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Public Policy ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government
It’s become tradition for lawmakers and lobbyists that the first Wednesday of each new legislative session start with an early morning surrounded by hundreds of their closest friends at the Georgia World Congress Center...more
1/14/2021
/ Board of Education ,
Board of Elections ,
Budgets ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Elections ,
Governor Kemp ,
Legislative Agendas ,
School Districts ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Substance Abuse
Tuesday marked the second day of the new legislative session and the opening day for first reading of legislation and assignment to committee. Among the ten bills and resolutions read and referred, the first of the thousands...more
It’s the second Monday in January, and the Georgia General Assembly opened its 2021 Session today with socially distanced ceremony, saliva testing, and other start-of-session housekeeping. Akin to “syllabus day” at the...more
In the longest legislative session in Georgia history – caused by the long COVID pause from mid-March to mid-June – lawmakers handled a number of thorny and difficult issues, including the passage of a...more
8/21/2020
/ Appropriation ,
Budgets ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
General Assembly ,
Governor Kemp ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Liability ,
Public Health Emergency ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures
In the waning hours of the General Assembly’s legislative session on June 26, 2020, the Georgia State Senate agreed to the Georgia House of Representative’s proposal to provide substantial liability limitation to businesses...more
Legislative Day 40 (Sine Die) - After weeks of rumors of an abbreviated conclusion to the 2020 Legislative Session and a final several days with rumblings that adjournment sine die was imminent, the General Assembly defaulted...more
Legislative Day 39 - With one legislative day remaining, the General Assembly kicked in high gear today to wrap up consideration of legislation for the 2020 Legislative Session. ...more
Legislative Day 38 — June 24, 2020 - With only two legislative days remaining in the 2020 Legislative Session, floor activity in the House and Senate hit a fever pitch as legislators jockeyed to get their measures amended,...more
Stars aligned in the Capitol today as the House and Senate reached agreement on the most closely watched issue during the reconvening of the 2020 Legislative Session. After announcement late yesterday of a compromise to HB...more