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Governor warns of budget ‘holes’ after Georgia lawmakers sign off on new spending plan
Lawmakers signed off on a $32.4 billion spending plan for next year as the clock expired on the 2023 legislative session, although Gov. Brian Kemp warned of “significant holes” in the budget. “I think it’s important for me to say tonight that the recent news from the Federal Reserve and others suggest there may be […]
Sound but less fury: Georgia lawmakers leave town with betting, vouchers, med cannabis undone
The final day of the Georgia Legislative session comes with many traditions, like throwing fistfulls of paper, wearing seersucker suits in early spring and, in recent years, failing to pass a bill to allow for medical cannabis. Sine Die, pronounced “see-nay dee-ay” in Latin but “Sigh-nee Die” in Georgia, typically sees lawmakers scramble to get […]
Bipartisan bill to expand mental health services left on Georgia Legislature’s cutting room floor
Only a small portion of Georgia’s bipartisan mental health bill survived the 2023 legislative politicking. Advocates and proponents of improved access to behavioral health services in Georgia had rallied behind what was seen as the next step in reforming the state’s system, following up on the work championed last year by the late House Speaker […]
Georgia Supreme Court justices hear arguments in challenge to state’s 2019 anti-abortion law
Some Georgia Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical of the argument that the state’s six-week abortion should be tossed out because it passed while Roe v. Wade was still standing. That’s one of the key arguments plaintiffs made when they challenged the law last year in Fulton County Superior Court, where Judge Robert C. I. McBurney […]
Republican lawmakers back plan to tackle homelessness that critics say is misplaced
Lawmakers backed a plan Monday that proponents call a necessary first step toward better understanding persistent homelessness, which out-of-town legislators get an up-close view of while in downtown Atlanta for the three-month session. But critics argue the Senate bill steps on the authority of the local officials grappling with the complicated issue in their communities […]
Lawmakers skirmish over Georgia’s budget; Senate’s new volley slashes higher education spending
The state Senate’s spending plan for next year, which includes deep cuts to higher education and Georgia Public Broadcasting, easily cleared the chamber Thursday. But more changes are expected in the coming days. The Senate passed the budget Thursday with a 51-to-1 vote, with a Republican casting the lone dissenting vote. House budget writers quickly […]
Politics aside, supporters pushing expansion of Georgia’s mental health services stay optimistic
A measure designed to expand access to behavioral health treatment in Georgia has been trimmed down but remains in play for this year, even if it may take some extraordinary maneuvering to push it through the Senate at this late stage. The House bill, which builds on last year’s major mental health bill, appears to […]
Proposed bill to shield government worker information from public records narrowed to law enforcement
A Senate measure that would have limited the public’s access to personal information of politicians and government employees – like their home address – has been narrowed down to only apply to law enforcement officers. The original bill had alarmed First Amendment advocates who argued lawmakers were creating a broad public records exemption that would […]
Georgia House OKs bill to limit transgender care for minors as GOP prevails in party-line vote
Republican House lawmakers have approved a controversial measure limiting the care doctors can provide transgender patients under the age of 18. The bill was unexpectedly teed up for a vote early Thursday morning and put before lawmakers two hours later. Under it, doctors will be allowed to prescribe minors drugs that block the effects of […]
Supporters of mine near Okefenokee hint at lawsuit if Georgia lawmakers pass bill protecting swamp
Supporters of a plan to mine Trail Ridge near the Okefenokee Swamp say the local community sorely needs the economic boost. Defenders of the swamp argue it isn’t worth the risk. The two sides battling in the nearly four-year saga over whether an Alabama company should be allowed to move forward with its plans to […]
Georgia House plan to expand mental health services hits turbulence in state Senate
This story was updated at 2 p.m. Friday, March 17, 2023. This year’s House plan to build on last session’s bipartisan mental health bill is receiving a cool reception in the state Senate, where lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential cost. Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, a Marietta Republican who is leading the review of the […]
Georgia House Speaker tees up Legislature’s homestretch, drops sports betting teaser
House Speaker Jon Burns defended the push to create oversight panels for local prosecutors, touted ongoing efforts to improve access to mental health services in Georgia and seemed to crack the door back open for sports betting this session in remarks at an Atlanta Press Club event Thursday. This is Burns’ first legislative session as […]