More than 300 bills and resolutions were sent to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk after the 2021 legislative session, from a massive elections overhaul to adoption reform to the $27.2 billion state budget. He only vetoed one of them.
Voting rights groups continue to push back against the state's sweeping new election law. The measure signed by Gov. Brian Kemp passed without Democratic support, catapulting Georgia smack into the center of a brewing nationwide battle over how Americans vote. In this episode, we'll hear how the law changes the state's election system, and as calls grow louder for companies to boycott Georgia, how the controversy could affect the economy.
With a flurry of tossed papers and bleary-eyed cheers of "Sine Die!," the Georgia General Assembly ended its 2021 session early Thursday morning, capping off a busy stretch of campaigning, coronavirus and controversial decisions. After three months and 40 legislative days, Georgia lawmakers have passed a number of high-profile bills — and left many on the cutting room floor until next year.
House Bill 218 passed the Georgia Senate by a vote of 34-18 Monday. The bill allows any legal gun owner from another state to carry their weapons in Georgia, even if their home state has a different set of license standards.
Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a massive overhaul of election rules passed by the Republican-controlled Georgia legislature that enacts new limitations on mail-in voting, expands most voters' access to in-person early voting and further inflames the state's debate over voting rights.
In the final days of the 2021 legislative session, Georgia lawmakers are poised to make big changes to voting rules and procedures, though they don't yet agree on how. The latest versions of SB 202 and HB 531 share some similar language, but the combined 140 pages must be pared down before anything goes to the governor.
The House Special Committee on Election Integrity advanced a nearly 100-page voting bill that would expand early voting access, limit drop boxes, shorten runoffs and make other changes to state law.
The combination of experiences of isolation and depression during the pandemic shutdown, the revelation of suicidal thoughts by public figures such as Meghan Markle, and state leaders prioritizing mental health in the budget, is helping to remove stigma from discussions about mental health.
A two-page Senate bill dealing with absentee applications has now been substituted for a 93-page election omnibus as House and Senate leaders continue to disagree on what voting restrictions should be approved.
Thousands of children in low-income families could soon have an easier path to Medicaid in Georgia after “express lane” legislation passed the Georgia State Senate.
Crossover Day in the Georgia legislature was dominated by a tale of contrasts Monday: In the Senate, Republicans narrowly advanced a bill that would end no-excuse absentee voting, while the House unanimously approved an overhaul of the citizen's arrest statute.
It's Crossover Day for the Georgia Legislature, and the Senate will focus on voting bills in particular. It's typically the last day a bill has to pass out of one chamber to be considered for the rest of the session. Watch a Special one-hour edition of Lawmakers tonight at 7 p.m. for the latest.
