'Lawmakers' Day 40: House on FY 2026 budget, Senate on DEI programs in state schools on Sine Die

On Friday at the Capitol, lawmakers fulfilled their preeminent obligation on Day 40, but there was still much to be done in the final hours of Sine Die.

The day kicked off with a bill signing by Gov. Brian Kemp.

"And today I signed SB 36, also known as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act or RFRA, ensuring that once again at the state level that Georgians are protected, including Georgians of faith," he said.

In the House, members got to work agreeing to Senate changes made to House bills.

They gave final approval to a bill requiring colleges to disclose funds accepted from foreign countries of concern.

Members also approved fluorescent pink hunting garments, infrastructure for vertiports, and increased indemnification funds for school resource officers.

After lunch, the House took up the only bill it is constitutionally required to pass, the fiscal year 2026 budget.

The House and Senate's compromise on House Bill 68 included big wins for the state prison system.

"The Department of Correction receives an infusion of $200 million over the current budget," Rep. Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin) said. "This is $75 million more than the governor's original recommendations, but the House and the Senate agree on staffing and safety increases.

"However, the House went further and wanted to recognize the increased cost for food and health care in the base budget," he added. "But ultimately, we recognize that some of these additions are a multi-year process and can be adjusted next year."

HB 68 also funds the Georgia Promise Scholarship, about $141 million or 1% of Quality Basic Education funding.

"I know many of you have been receiving updates on the number of applications and know that of the 10,000 applications started, 5,100 have been deemed eligible for the scholarship to date, and that's as of today," Hatchett said. "This full funding allows for more than 21,000 students the opportunity to participate in the program."

The budget also allocates $15 million for school districts with a significant number of students in poverty, and keeps funding mental health initiatives for students.

"Funding for the new student support services program at DOE is preserved, albeit at a slightly lower number," Hatchett said. "This includes nearly $20 million for mental health support grants for middle and high schools, and $2.3 million to provide funds for school systems that, due to their size, do not earn full funding for a school social worker."

Medical programs in rural Georgia and grants for timber farmers also made the final cut of the budget.

The bill passed 170 to 5.

The Senate spent over an hour during this morning's points of personal privilege speeches as multiple Democrats angrily decried the banning of DEI programs in the state schools and colleges with HB 127.

"The legislation passed late Wednesday night, gutted original language increasing teacher sick leave days.

Democrats used Friday's anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination as a reminder of the importance of having those programs.

"I hope this body will take a different approach to solving problems and selling different disagreements today, a better one than what we saw on Wednesday as Republicans in this body couldn't even bring the fight to us properly and cut and run instead of allowing us to represent those voices that we represent back home and stay here," Sen. Nikki Merritt (D-Grayson) said. "If you're going to put a bad bill here, stay here and fight us on it, even if it took all night.

"Today we should carry the spirit of Dr. King and keep his legacy in mind as we bear the task of making decisions that will impact 11 million people who live in this state, people I love in a state that I love," she added. "And I'm very disappointed by what has been happening this session."

Democrats at times were unable to contain their anger over the issue.

"Many of you are pretty good people; I came to know most of you," Sen. Gail Davenport (D-Jonesboro) said. "You have a pretty good heart, but some of you are just racist. And you need to stop it."

They then debated two House bills that dealt with speed cameras at schools.

HB 651 would regulate the use of cameras and how revenues earned from speed camera citations are used.

The second bill, HB 225 would eliminate the speed cameras altogether.

"It repeals all laws relating to the enforcement of speeding violations in school zones through the use of certain devices and prohibits certain contracts for the enforcement of speeding violation in school zones through the use of certain devices," Sen. Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) said. "What it does is it sets a sunset on the use of these types of devices here in the state of Georgia.

"And if you are looking at the legislation as amended, if you go to line 91, it says 'no contract shall be entered into or renewed by local governing body or law enforcement agency for the enforcement of speeding violations in a school zone through the use of an automated traffic enforcement safety device owner after July 1, 2027.'"

Both bills were passed and sent back to the House.

The Senate also passed the FY 2026 budget, agreeing to the changes worked out in the conference committee, 54 to 1.

Also Friday, new commissioner of labor Barbara Rivera-Holmes was sworn in.

Lawmakers worked late in the night to pass the remaining legislation in the 2025 legislative session. To catch all the Lawmakers episodes of the 2025 legislative session, click here. And for more GPB coverage of politics, read here.