SINE DIE! Jam-packed final day of session awaits lawmakers
A look at what's in store for lawmakers on Sine Die
Happy Sine Die!
We are nearing the checkered flag on another 40-day session of the Georgia General Assembly. State lawmakers are set to wrap up work for the year at around midnight on Wednesday. But if you thought that the final day of the 2023 session was going to be a sleepy day for lawmakers, think again. There are still several big-ticket items that must be hashed out before that final gavel comes down. Here’s a brief overview of some bills to watch.
The state budget: Though the legislature was not in session on Tuesday, several last-minute negotiations were taking place behind the scenes in hopes of reaching an agreement on the FY2024 budget. Both the House and the Senate have competing versions, but the sticking point seems to be cuts to higher education and Georgia Public Broadcasting. The state budget is the only item that the legislature is constitutionally required to take up every year. Failure to agree on a budget would mean that the legislature will have to return for a special session later this spring.
Sports betting: After years of defeats, supporters of sports betting grew optimistic when a handful of lawmakers hijacked a soapbox derby bill and replaced it with sports betting language. But it does not appear to have the votes to pass in the Senate, because you have conservative Republicans who oppose it for religious reasons and vengeful Democrats who refuse to give Republican leaders the votes they will need after they passed a bill limiting healthcare access for transgender children. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has been lobbying skeptical Republicans, but his office lashed out at Democrats for opposing it.
Private school vouchers: A bill that will allow vouchers for families in private schools gained new steam this week when it picked up support from Gov. Brian Kemp. SB 233 will provide a $6,500 annual allowance for families in private schools. Supporters believe that the bill will expand school choice, but it has attracted fierce opposition from public school systems. It cleared the Senate earlier this month on a party-line vote and is now one of many Senate bills awaiting a vote in the House.
Mental health: House lawmakers moved to honor the legacy of the late former House Speaker David Ralston by passing another sweeping mental health overhaul. But after overwhelmingly passing the House, a standoff between House and Senate leaders has thrown the issue up in the air. A House version seeks to recruit more mental health care employees, while a Senate version does little to address mental health patients who have criminal and medical backgrounds.
Anti-Semitism: A House bill that would create a state definition of anti-Semitism had been bottled up in the Senate, but most of the bill’s language was attached to an existing bill. Supporters say that a state definition is necessary amid an alarming rise in hate crimes and threats targeting the Jewish community. HB 144 would provide Jewish Georgians with protection under the state’s new hate crimes statute.