In a flurry of activity before Sine Die on Thursday, the Senate took up the business of passing bills, with 82 pieces of legislation on their rules calendar.
The morning started on a happy note as Lt. Gov. Burt Jones showed off the trophy won by the Senate in last night’s annual inter-chamber kickball game, after two years of House victories. But a visit from Jason Riley, father of slain UGA nursing student Laken Riley, brought a more somber mood to the floor.
The House kicked off the day with a celebration for the late Speaker David Ralston’s birthday. House leaders unveiled a portrait of Ralston. Gov. Brian Kemp and former governors Nathan Deal and Sonny Perdue also praised Ralston’s legacy.
A controversial amendment introduced this week by Sen. Ben Watson (R – Savannah) during a committee meeting would ban puberty blockers for transgender minors, including those already receiving the therapy. Critics of the amendment say that it steps on parental rights.
Lawmakers argued about a familiar topic at the Georgia Capitol today as they reached the three-quarter mark in the session. The House debated an oversight board for district and other prosecuting attorneys — again.
Host of GPB's Lawmakers, Donna Lowry, talks with Morning Edition's Pamela Kirkland about Crossover Day in the Georgia legislature and the bills that Republicans and Democrats hope to push bills through their chambers before this year's deadline. Lawmakers features a special episode tonight at 7 p.m. on GPB-TV.
Both chambers moved through the rules calendar quickly to pass as many bills as possible before Crossover Day. And Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler announced her retirement.
Lawmakers remembered Laken Riley, the former University of Georgia student killed last week. The murder quickly became a politicized debate over border control and immigration over the weekend, with Republican state Sen. John Albers weighing in today, along with Democratic state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes.