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
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta therapy dog Uno reacts to a long week at the Capitol while colleague Reggie looks on.
Thursday was Congenital Heart Defect Day at the State Capitol, an opportunity for Children’s...more
The State Capitol was bursting at the seams on Wednesday as what seemed like the majority of Georgia’s ten million citizens crowded into the people’s house for various “days at the capitol.” Legislative Day 15 for the General...more
The General Assembly pivoted from honoring a brave World War II veteran on Monday to recognizing an Atlanta Brave on Tuesday. Joined by his parents, 2022 National League Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II was feted on the...more
Legislators were back in action early Monday, kicking off a day full of committee meetings with an eye-opener convening of the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee. A 90-minute discussion of Georgia’s Criminal Code set the...more
We’re not sure what the groundhog did, but the #GoldDomeReport team is hoping for an early spring and an end to dreary winter days like Thursday in Atlanta. Despite the overcast skies, work continued under the Gold Dome, the...more
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
Yesterday (and in early voting over the last three weeks), nearly 4 million Georgians cast ballots to decide the makeup of their congressional delegation and leadership under the Gold Dome. This morning, we get an...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
Legislative Day 40 continues as this Report goes live, and the day has already been a historic one! Most notably, HB 1013, Speaker David Ralston’s (R-Blue Ridge) Mental Health Parity Act legislation was signed by Governor...more
The traditional hurry-up-and-wait of Legislative Day 40 started early on Friday, with legislators working in fits and starts on the next to last legislative day. Brinkmanship abounded as legislative leaders waited on their...more
Day 38 began early with a Senate Rules Committee Meeting to add HB 1013, Speaker Ralston’s Mental Health Parity Bill, to the calendar. It was not until the third House Rules Committee meeting that action in both chambers...more