Although the House and Senate each had robust Rules and committee calendars for Legislative Day 36, all eyes were looking towards signals to a compromise on the FY 2021 State Budget....more
It may have been Saturday and the first day of summer, but it was also Legislative Day 35 under the Gold Dome. In a rare weekend convening that was the result of the House and Senate failing to agree on an adjournment...more
While families around the state prepare to celebrate Father’s Day weekend, members of the Georgia General Assembly continue to work into the evening and are slated for a rare Saturday session day tomorrow. Because the House...more
What a day under the Gold Dome! The budget, hate crimes legislation, tobacco tax increase efforts, CON amendments, etc. All of these issues are enormous decisions to be made by lawmakers. The day kicked off early as...more
The Senate dominated the news today as they unveiled both their take on the state’s FY 2021 budget (which was laden with cuts to align with decimated state revenues resulting from the COVID-19 shutdown) and the first public...more
Today, the General Assembly reconvened for its 31st Legislative Day (the second legislative day of the COVID era), and the environment remains both strange and amusing. While the people watching is supreme (and included one...more
Lawmakers began early, and in earnest, this morning in an effort to complete the 2020 Legislative Session, primarily to write a FY 2021 budget as constitutionally required. While many lawmakers and lobbyists donned masks to...more
The House and Senate Appropriations Committees reconvened on Monday for another special Joint Meeting in light of the COVID-19 budget environment. During Monday’s meeting, members of the committees heard from representatives...more
Following last week’s virtual meeting to hear presentations from Georgia’s State Fiscal Economist and Director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, the Joint Appropriations Committee met again today for those...more
In the General Assembly’s first attempt at a virtual committee meeting, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Terry England (R-Auburn) and newly minted Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia)...more
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, over thirty-five states have issued executive orders requiring citizens to stay home and shuttering non-essential businesses. On April 2, Georgia became the next state to take that step...more
Although there is rarely a shortage of rumors echoing through the halls of the State Capitol, there have never been as many as during the Crossover Day that continues as we publish. ...more
It felt as if Crossover Day came early under the Gold Dome as legislators rushed to vote on a number of weighty issues today, some of which were the products of months of discussion while others appeared in only the last few...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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Mental Health ,
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Pharmacies ,
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State Budgets ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Credits ,
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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
Seizing the opportunity to get out and enjoy an increasingly rare sunny day in Atlanta, both the House and Senate convened and moved quickly through their agendas today. The House passed both HB 487 and HB 780 unanimously...more
The cold rain in Atlanta threw no cold water on legislative action today as the General Assembly convened for Legislative Day 15. The House and Senate each took up a handful of measures on their respective floors, including...more