Donna Lowry recaps the end of Georgia’s 2025 legislative session, concerns over the state budget amid federal funding cuts, and the swearing-in of Georgia’s first female labor commissioner.
A proposed last-minute attempt to limit the public’s access to police reports and communications with state lawmakers was abandoned Friday as quickly as it emerged.
The last day of the 40-day legislative session, when the House and Senate usually crank out legislation right up until midnight and celebrate at the end of the night by throwing torn-up pieces of paper into the air, ended with a whimper.
On the April 4 edition: Authorities give details on Bartow County ICE raids; Rivian resumes new plant construction plans; Gov. Brian Kemp signs the 'religious freedom' bill into law
As Sine Die arrives, legislators face a packed agenda—including the 2026 state budget—after late-night sessions and surprise protests. From a heated debate over gender-affirming care in prisons to election law changes and efforts to ban DEI programs in schools, tensions run high. Plus, the team celebrates a milestone for longtime GPB photojournalist Wesley Nichols.
In the Senate, almost 90 bills and resolutions were posted on their rules calendar as legislators hustled to pass as much legislation as they can in the last two days of the session. In the House, members approved Senate Bill 17, or Ricky and Alyssa's Law, named after two school shooting victims.
Georgia’s legislative session is wrapping up, but not without a few surprises. GPB’s Donna Lowry and Pamela Kirkland break down the unexpected last-minute salary raises for top state officials, a revived push to ban DEI policies in schools, and bipartisan support for protecting IVF. Plus, a longtime state senator gets a big new role in Washington.
On Thursday at the Capitol, both chambers stayed busy as the countdown until Sine Die is on. In the House, members debated Senate Bill 9, which would criminalize artificial intelligence videos designed to interfere with elections. The Senate took up HB 428, which would codify into law access to in vitro fertilization.
The Senate said farewell to one of their own this morning, after Sen. Brandon Beach's appointment as the Trump administration's new U.S. treasurer. The House took up several bills dealing with public safety and children.
