This week, the Georgia General Assembly was pretty quiet. This is budget week, but even with a light week, we're staying on top of what our legislators have been up to. Donna Lowry, host of GPB's Lawmakers, joins for this week's Lawmaker Huddle. Our regular segment each Friday on Morning Edition, where we cover the highlights of each week from the Gold Dome.
Just a few days into Georgia’s 2025 legislative session, proposed new limits on lawsuit awards is a priority trumpeted by business groups, some lawmakers and the governor alike as one of the top issues of the year.
Bills to define and regulate sober living housing, add funding for local peer-led support programs and better enforce healthcare parity laws are high priority for mental health stakeholders this session.
For the week ending Jan. 17, the senators worked on questioning CIA Director nominee John L. Ratcliffe about protecting U.S. elections from foreign threats, addressing the negative impacts of cutting Medicaid to senior access to prescription, supporting an amendment to improve the Laken Riley Act, and inquire about mail delays affecting veterans.
The House and Senate heard more of Kemp's legislative priorities in his annual State of the State address. Senators and the state Supreme Court justices joined the House members in anticipation of the governor's State of the State, but when one senator was barred from entering, a scuffle outside of the house took a turn.
A right-wing Republican state senator was arrested Thursday morning while attempting to enter the House chambers to attend the State of the State address by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp.
The U.S. Justice Department is suing a Georgia county, alleging that its method of electing county commissioners violates the rights of Black voters. The lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court asks a judge to stop Houston County from continuing to use countywide elections for each of its five commission seats.
Both chambers settled into the session on Day 3. Gov. Brian Kemp explained his health care legislative priorities for this session, beginning with his 2026 fiscal year budget proposal.
Gov. Brian Kemp says parents of young children would no longer have to satisfy Georgia Pathways to Coverage’s work requirement under a revised plan for the Medicaid program that will be submitted to the federal government this spring.
Asked whether state Rep. Carolyn Hugley of Columbus has the ability to be successful in her new role as leader of the Georgia House Democrats, retired state Rep. Calvin Smyre said, “I really think she is ready."
Four new senators, three Democrats and one Republican, joined the chamber as the whole Senate was sworn in. Members of the House reelected John Burns as the Speaker of the House in a 153 to 21 vote and Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones in a 158 to 19 vote.
On a day when dozens of organizations and hundreds of elected officials were to be downtown pining to be heard, the The Georgia Black Women’s Roundtable, an arm of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, wanted to make sure their voices were also heard.
