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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 […]
Georgia House set to vote on $32.5B 2024 spending plan, adding millions for law enforcement
House lawmakers are set to vote Thursday on a spending plan for next year that includes additional salary bumps for hard-to-fill state jobs and more money for law enforcement and behavioral health services. The proposed $32.5 billion budget cleared the committee hurdle Wednesday and is scheduled to go before the full chamber Thursday. From there, […]
Crossover Day wrap: Flurry of bills passed at pivotal deadline
Dozens of bills cleared a key legislative deadline Monday, with some controversial measures – like a ban on some gender-affirming care – squeaking by as the clock wound down. And in the House, it was notable what didn’t come up for a vote at all: sports betting. The bill likely represented the last shot this […]
School vouchers, election laws, gender-affirming care on agenda as lawmakers race to beat the clock
It’s crunch time under the Gold Dome. After a slow start, lawmakers have shifted gears in the ramp up to a key legislative deadline Monday, when a bill must clear at least one chamber to have the smoothest path to the governor’s desk. Lawmakers will weigh in on dozens of bills in a marathon day […]
New anti-abortion bills, gun safety legislation among long-shots as lawmakers reach key deadline
They can’t all be winners. Monday is Crossover Day, the deadline for bills to move from one chamber to the other without extreme legislative maneuvering. Many measures will be left in the dust when time runs out, despite the earnest efforts of politicians, advocates and lobbyists. Other bills – like proposals for more abortion restrictions […]
Georgia Senate next stop for House bill that aims to expand access to mental health services
A proposal billed as the next step toward improving access to behavioral health services in Georgia easily cleared the state House Thursday. The bipartisan measure would streamline data sharing among state agencies, study the state’s crisis bed space capacity and expand a loan repayment program meant to grow the behavioral health workforce. “We know that […]
Attacks on power substations elsewhere spur Georgia House to stiffen penalties for infrastructure sabotage
House lawmakers have approved extra prison time for anyone who intentionally attacks – physically or electronically – a utility substation or any other “vital public service.” The bill, sponsored by Elberton Republican Rep. Rob Leverett, could mean as much as an additional 10 years in prison if a prosecutor can prove the attack was carried […]