It may not be shooting fish in a barrel, but nabbing catfish with a bow and arrow will soon be legal if one Georgia legislator has his way. Representative Jason Ridley (R-Chatsworth) introduced House Bill 1173 on Thursday,...more
It was dogs, docs, and dollars under the Georgia Gold Dome on Wednesday. At the Capitol, Legislative Day 16 marked the convergence of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) Awareness Day, Physicians...more
Although advocates in the halls hoped for a calm, low-key start to the legislative work week on Tuesday, legislators in the Georgia House and Senate had other plans. After pausing on Monday to memorialize the late House Rules...more
All bets were off in the Georgia State Senate on Thursday as the upper chamber took up SB 386, authorizing sports wagering in the state to be overseen by the Georgia Lottery Corporation. The bill originally allowed for sports...more
This year’s edition of tort reform arrived under the Georgia Gold Dome on Wednesday, bringing plaintiffs’ lawyers and civil defense attorneys to the battle lines while onlookers quietly asked Siri, “what is tort reform?” The...more
2/1/2024
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The Georgia State Capitol took on a somber tone Tuesday as legislators paused to mourn one of their own. Representative Richard Smith, chairman of the House Rules Committee, passed away unexpectedly in the early morning hours...more
The Georgia State Capitol neared capacity on Monday as two considerable constituent groups crowded the hallways and galleries. Local government officials donned red scarves and converged for the Georgia Municipal...more
Earlier last week, we speculated that a dog-and-cat fight could be brewing between the Georgia House and Senate, but an intrachamber kerfuffle might actually be on the rise. Two bills introduced in the House on Friday may...more
Activity under the Gold Dome on Thursday revolved around one of the most anticipated legislative measures of the 2024 legislative session. After stalling in a Senate committee last year, House Bill 30, which establishes a...more
The Georgia State Senate has gone to the dogs — purebred dogs, to be exact. The upper chamber adopted Senate Resolution 344 on Tuesday, recognizing May 1, 2024, as Purebred Dog Day in Georgia. No word yet on whether the House...more
Nothing is ever black and white on Capitol Hill — not even red lights and stop signs. House Bill 978, the latest exception-to-the-rule legislation, was introduced today, allowing bicyclists approaching a stop sign to “act in...more
The General Assembly was back in action on Monday, and a cooperative spirit was in the air. After a week together in Joint Appropriations hearings, the House and Senate returned to their respective chambers — to take up a...more
Friday marked Legislative Day 5. The House and Senate convened at 9:00 a.m. and adjourned by 10:00 a.m. That’s about it. We call it “burning a day.”...more
After a slow trickle of policy and budget teases in recent days, Governor Brian Kemp opened the floodgates on Thursday, washing lawmakers and lobbyists over with his legislative proposals for the 2024 session....more
Hundreds of lawmakers, lobbyists, and businesspeople from around the state gathered before dawn on Wednesday for breakfast with a side of politics on the field of Mercedes Benz Stadium. This year’s edition of the Georgia...more
The House and Senate were ships passing in the storm on Tuesday as the Senate kept its customary 10:00 a.m. convening while the House delayed its start until 1:00 p.m. on account of the inclement weather across Georgia. With...more
As the day dawned on this second Monday of January, the Georgia State Capitol felt strangely fresh and new. Perhaps it was the updated paint and lighting throughout the building, the result of a months-long refurbishment of...more
Legislative Day 40 might best be described as organized chaos — without the organization. Wednesday under the Gold Dome was a case in point. Legislators and lobbyists scrambled between the chambers trying to get their bills...more
In the final sprint towards Sine Die on Wednesday, faces are beginning to look drawn and weary. But, if one listens closely, you can faintly hear, “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches,” as...more
The end is near! And like holiday decorations in your local big box store, it seems like the end of the legislative session comes earlier each year. Thursday marked Legislative Day 38 under the Gold Dome, but it had some of...more
¡Feliz Navidad! As one Senator said in a committee meeting on Wednesday. Indeed, it was Christmastime for many under the gold dome as committees took one last opportunity to create their own festive holiday trees full of...more
The “crush” is on! Last-minute committee meetings are being held as lawmakers take their final shots at pushing through their bills. While some efforts find success, there are also a few casualties and cases of forlorn...more
Monday was photo day for the Georgia House of Representatives. Time for the biennial panoramic photo of all members present and on their best behavior at their desks in the House chamber. It was a rare moment of calm and...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
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