LG office, Senate Dems clash over sports betting as session winds down
The 2023 session ends on Wednesday
Happy Sine Die Eve!
The 2023 session of the Georgia General Assembly is set to end on Wednesday, but not before lawmakers rush to vote on a ton of bills remaining on the agenda.
With just one day left, several hot-button issues remain up for debate. Among them is an issue that has been debated in the legislature for several years now: sports betting.
Time and time again, lawmakers have tried and failed to pass a constitutional amendment legalizing sports betting. And for a while, it seemed like this session would be more of the same after Senators defeated a similar measure.
But supporters of the practice grew optimistic after some lawmakers gutted a soapbox derby bill and replaced it with language that would allow for the legalization of sports betting without asking voters to weigh in. (The soapbox bill has since been restored.)
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns have both signaled that they would welcome floor votes on the issue if it were to come up. But it still faces an uphill battle, particularly in the Senate.
This is because some of the chamber’s most conservative members remain opposed to the idea for religious reasons. And Democrats have been whipping votes against the bill as retaliation after Republicans passed legislation that limits healthcare access for transgender children.
The LG’s office is fuming. “Democrats like to talk about the lack of funding for education in our state,” said a Jones spokeswoman. “But when they get the opportunity to support an actual funding increase, they lock down against it. The irony is rich.”
Senate Democrats responded early Tuesday morning. “The real irony is that Republicans have actively worked against Democrats to take money out of public education this session (vouchers, increase in SSO credits, etc),” they said. “Yet they blame Democrats for a failed, last minute attempt to pass sports betting.”
It’s not the only issue in a race against the clock as the session winds down. Lawmakers still have not agreed on a final version of the state budget. They must also address bills dealing with mental health, private school vouchers, local prosecutor oversight and anti-Semitism.