Show us the money! In an early morning meeting on Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee and its subcommittees unveiled the House version of the FY 2025 Budget. While there are many goodies in the $36.1 billion spending...more
3/6/2024
/ Education Reform ,
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Georgia ,
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Legislative Agendas ,
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Regulatory Reform ,
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The Georgia House went into extra innings on Friday as it worked to send as many measures as possible to the Senate on “Crossover Eve.” Next week’s deadline for legislation to cross to the opposite chamber loomed large with...more
Week one of the 2022 Legislative Session is in the books. The halls were relatively quiet on Friday as legislators filed in to receive copies of the budgets before sprinting home. ...more
1/17/2022
/ Bonds ,
Education Reform ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Juvenile Justice System ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Funding ,
State Legislatures
Just after midnight, the 2021 Legislative Session concluded with many legislative measures sneaking in under the wire—and many others lying dead on the House and Senate floors. The House and Senate compromise on the FY22...more
4/2/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
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Child Care ,
Community Development ,
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Healthcare ,
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Judges ,
Juvenile Justice System ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
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New Legislation ,
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Public Policy ,
Public Safety ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures
Although the General Assembly was in adjournment today, legislators packed the day with committee meetings to consider languishing legislation, new amendments, and hastily drawn substitutes. One of the major points of the day...more
3/25/2021
/ Charter Schools ,
Colleges ,
Educational Institutions ,
Georgia ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Mental Health ,
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Nursing Homes ,
Public Health ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures
The General Assembly kicked off the penultimate week of the 2021 Legislative Session early this morning with a number of committee meetings preceding early afternoon convenings of both chambers. Perhaps the most watched of...more
3/23/2021
/ Child Care ,
Disabilities ,
Educational Institutions ,
Federal Funding ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
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New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Scholarships ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Telehealth
There was green aplenty under the Gold Dome today, but the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow remains to be seen as Senate budget writers still deliberate the final touches on their version of the FY 2022 Budget. The House...more
3/18/2021
/ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
Budgets ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Human Trafficking ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Public Gatherings ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
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Universities
Seven legislative days remain in the 2021 Legislative Session, but you would not believe it based on House and Senate floor action today. Neither chamber held floor votes on any legislation, with the sole bill on the House...more
3/17/2021
/ Charter Schools ,
College Athletes ,
Colleges ,
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Georgia ,
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Probation ,
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School Transportation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Tuition ,
Vaccinations
Work was swift today in both chambers as lawmakers adjourned quickly in an effort to move to committee discussions on pending legislation. Deliberations are intensifying on HB 81, the proposed spending plan for the state’s FY...more
3/11/2021
/ Clinical Laboratories ,
Colleges ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
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Medicaid ,
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The General Assembly was in adjournment today, but lawmakers and lobbyists were watching attentively the action in Room 341 this morning. There, beginning at 7:30 a.m., House appropriators began slowly revealing their...more
3/5/2021
/ Charter Schools ,
Disabilities ,
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Vaccinations
Monday marked the nominal halfway point of the 2021 Legislative Session, but there is a keen awareness among lawmakers and lobbyists that more than half of the legislature’s work for the year lies in the legislative days to...more
2/23/2021
/ Budgets ,
Charter Schools ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
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Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
Legislative Day 19 felt particularly cold, wet, and sleepy as legislators wrapped up a short week that was filled to the brim with committee meetings and actions. But before most members headed for the exits, the chambers did...more
2/19/2021
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Educational Institutions ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Long Term Care Facilities ,
Lottery ,
New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
Sports Betting ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations
Education was the theme on the floors of the Georgia House and Senate today as each body approved measures impacting K-12 teachers and students around the state. The Senate signed off on two such bills, including Governor...more
2/18/2021
/ Discipline ,
Educational Institutions ,
Foster Children ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Governor Kemp ,
Legislative Agendas ,
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Public Health ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Teachers
Freezing temperatures and the threat of icy roads couldn’t keep legislators away from the Gold Dome as they kicked off yet another week of the Session. Both chambers OK’d a small slate of bills followed by a packed afternoon...more
2/17/2021
/ Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Disabilities ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
Universities ,
Vaccinations
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 ,
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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 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 ,
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New Legislation ,
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Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
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Vaccinations
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
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
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
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
As doorkeepers threw open the doors to the House and Senate at midnight, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and Speaker of the House David Ralston’s gavels fell on the 2019 Legislative Session last night, adjourning Sine Die. ...more
With midnight and adjournment Sine Die quickly approaching, legislators and lobbyists continue to work this evening to get propositions across the finish line. ...more
4/3/2019
/ Georgia ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Public Health ,
Public Schools ,
School Districts ,
State and Local Government ,
State Taxes
Today marked the 39th day of the 2019 Legislative Session, moving lawmakers one step away from the adjournment Sine Die. Some of the major news of the day was the agreement by the House and Senate on a compromise reform of...more