Georgia is the only state with the death penalty that requires defendants to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they are intellectually disabled to be spared execution. That could soon change.
The final day for this year’s session is April 4. Here are some major pieces of legislation to watch out for as the Gold Dome’s final countdown begins.
Many women are in prison for killing their abusive partners. Lawmakers in Georgia, Missouri, Connecticut and Massachusetts are considering bills that would require judges to give people shorter sentences if abuse drove their crime.
"We can't complain about not having affordable housing if we're not willing to take the big, bold moves it’s going to take to get us there," Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said.
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.
Georgia lawmakers are retreating from some controversial election proposals. A proposed bill would no longer allow the Donald Trump-aligned State Election Board to possibly strike thousands of challenged voters from the rolls.
A bipartisan bill to make the Ocmulgee Mounds Georgia’s first and only national park and preserve was reintroduced Wednesday after an effort in 2024 didn’t ultimately make it through Congress. Democratic Sens. Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, and Reps. Sanford Bishop (D, GA-02) and Austin Scott (R, GA-08) introduced the legislation.
Legislation seeking to give Georgians more leverage to invoke religion when disagreeing with government requirements is primed for final passage after clearing a committee Wednesday.
Sweeping changes to election rules intended to increase paper ballot options, expand the powers of the State Election Board and remove the state from a voter registration sharing database are up for debate as the 2025 legislative session nears a close.
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.
