Legislation focused on welfare recipients, abortion, and gun laws dominated an important week at the state capitol.

Any bills not passed in at least one chamber by Wednesday is considered dead.

With the unemployment rate in Georgia above the national average and the state ranking third in foreclosures nationwide, Democrats criticized Republicans on not focusing more on the economy.

Political analyst Dr. Charles Bullock, a professor at the University of Georgia, says while economic issues are important, social issues can be a cheaper fix.

“These kinds of issues don’t cost a whole lot of money,” says Bullock. “There’s still not much money to be spent in new initiatives so a legislator wants to go home, and point out what he or she has accomplished so these are things they can point to but don’t have a big price tag.”

Bullock says social issues engage the base of the Republican Party -- the majority in both houses of the state legislature

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