Look out biscuits — cornbread is making a comeback in the Georgia State Capitol. After failing to fully bake in the State Senate in 2024, legislation designating cornbread as the official state bread (HB 14) returned to the...more
2/27/2025
/ Data Centers ,
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Utilities Sector
Lawmakers and lobbyists watching the Georgia State Senate on Monday saw a lot of green and red, but it wasn’t exactly Christmas. While some state agencies and contractors stand to see a few extra greenbacks in the Senate...more
2/25/2025
/ Education Reform ,
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With fewer fireworks than many expected, Governor Brian Kemp’s comprehensive tort reform legislation achieved passage by a comfortable margin in the Georgia State Senate on Friday. Garnering a 33-21 vote mostly along party...more
2/24/2025
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Georgia ,
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Tax Reform ,
Tort
As both lobbyists and legal nerds, our ears perk up when the Georgia General Assembly takes up legislation that directly implicates the workings of the State’s criminal and civil justice systems. So, we’re listening closely...more
2/21/2025
/ Criminal Convictions ,
Criminal Justice Reform ,
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Educational Institutions ,
Georgia ,
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Tort Reform
While many lawmakers and lobbyists are characters themselves, the Gold Dome was filled with a number of other caricatures on Wednesday. Eagle-eyed onlookers spotted Scrappy the Owl as the early bird in the halls celebrating...more
2/20/2025
/ Colleges ,
Data Privacy ,
Educational Institutions ,
Georgia ,
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Students ,
Universities
The Georgia General Assembly returned in a frenzy on Tuesday with lawmakers and lobbyists rushing between back-to-back committee meetings in the morning and afternoon on a legislative day bifurcated by a 1 p.m. convening....more
2/19/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Automotive Industry ,
Disaster Relief Fund ,
Education Budget ,
Franchises ,
Georgia ,
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Tax Relief ,
Taxation
The Georgia General Assembly wrapped up its work week on Thursday and vacated the State Capitol for a four-day weekend flanked by Valentine’s Day and the holiday commonly known as President’s Day. But President’s Day is...more
2/14/2025
/ Data Privacy ,
Department of Education ,
FERPA ,
Gender Identity ,
Georgia ,
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State Legislatures
Wednesday was a rainy day outside the Georgia State Capitol, but the inside of the building was brightened considerably by a few glowing golden retrievers trotting through the halls. Several pups from Children’s Healthcare of...more
2/13/2025
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Economic Growth ,
Georgia ,
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Tax Planning ,
Tax Reform
Children and other fans of heavy machinery were delighted on Tuesday as landowners and representatives of forest industries descended on the Georgia State Capitol for Forestry Day at the Capitol. With them, they brought two...more
2/12/2025
/ Economic Development ,
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The Georgia State Capitol buzzed on Monday as power players from across the state assembled for Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) Day. Linemen, lawmakers, and electric executives all convened to celebrate the 85th...more
2/11/2025
/ Career Development ,
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Retirement Plan ,
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Tax Reform
Generally, the last day of a legislative week can end around noon. Not so for lawmakers today! It turned into a hectic day with lawmakers pushing forward the people’s business so that they could return home for a long...more
2/7/2025
/ Department of Education ,
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Transgender
As the sun appeared on the horizon on Wednesday, so too did the House’s version of the Amended FY 2025 State Budget. Synchronized perfectly with sunrise over Atlanta at 7:30 a.m., the House Appropriations subcommittees...more
2/6/2025
/ Department of Education ,
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State Grants ,
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Many of the skirmishes fought under the Gold Dome each year are turf wars, sometimes literally. A perennial favorite is the dispute over Georgia’s northern border, which Representative Martin Momtahan (R-Dallas) is seeking to...more
2/5/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Civil Rights Act ,
Department of Education ,
General Assembly ,
Georgia ,
Health Insurance ,
Insurance Regulations ,
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Open Records ,
State and Local Government ,
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Transgender
The Georgia General Assembly got off to a fast start on Monday with the State Senate taking up its first substantive measures of the session before both bodies filled the afternoon with committee hearings. But before...more
2/4/2025
/ Data Privacy ,
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Education Reform ,
Educational Institutions ,
Georgia ,
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Risk Management ,
School Safety ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Students
After weeks of talking about the concepts of a plan, Governor Brian Kemp finally pulled back the curtain on his comprehensive tort reform package on Thursday. Backed by more than a hundred citizens representing a broad...more
1/31/2025
/ Damages ,
Georgia ,
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Premises Liability ,
Property Owners ,
Public Schools ,
Sex Discrimination ,
State and Local Government ,
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Student Athletes ,
Title IX ,
Tort Reform ,
Transgender
Visitors to the Georgia State Capitol were delighted by the rhythm and artistry of a lion dance in the South Wing on Wednesday as the Asian American Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus hosted its second annual Lunar New Year...more
1/30/2025
/ Bostock v Clayton County Georgia ,
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State Legislatures
Legislators looked back on Tuesday with the unveiling of a portrait of former Representative Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus), the longtime Dean of the House who retired in 2022 after 48 years in the Georgia House of...more
Lawmakers and lobbyists trudged through fog and rain to the Georgia State Capitol on Monday for the convening of Legislative Day 6. Recovering gingerly from the debilitating dusting of snow in Atlanta last week, senators and...more
As the world reacted to the shove heard round the world, the General Assembly kept a low profile on Friday. Convening an hour earlier than the Senate, the House gaveled in and out before senators even made it to their desks....more
1/20/2025
/ Agricultural Sector ,
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Medicaid ,
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Tax Credits ,
Tax Reform
Evoking Georgians’ soft spot for the All-Star Special, Governor Brian Kemp promoted tort reform as necessary to protect Georgia businesses like Waffle House from being smothered by insurance and litigation costs during his...more
Wednesday marked “Keeping Georgia Wild Day” at the State Capitol, and while the moniker might elicit a variety of memories from lawmakers and lobbyists of shenanigans under the Gold Dome, the day’s festivities were focused on...more
1/16/2025
/ Colleges ,
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Business and community leaders from across the state made their annual pilgrimage to Atlanta on Tuesday morning for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs & Issues breakfast at the Georgia World Congress Center. Although the...more
1/16/2025
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Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker Announce Education and School Safety Priorities - In a late-afternoon press conference, Governor Kemp was joined by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Speaker of the House Jon Burns, and...more
1/14/2025
/ Education Reform ,
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Over 5.2 million Georgians went to the polls (or mailboxes or drop boxes) during the 2024 General Election, which culminated Tuesday with a decisive win for President-Elect Donald Trump. While the Republican’s win repaints...more
State Agency Seeks Feedback on Targeted Georgia Tax Incentives -
As the Georgia General Assembly works to assess the cost and effectiveness of the state's tax credits and exemptions, Georgia taxpayers have an opportunity...more
7/2/2024
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Tax Exemptions ,
Tax Incentives ,
Tax Reform