This week GPB’s Pamela Kirkland and Lawmakers host Donna Lowry break down the latest action under the Gold Dome as lawmakers push through key bills in committee, including tort reform, education funding, and prison staffing. With the session winding down, they also highlight a surprising change to hunting gear regulations and preview the debates still to come.

TRANSCRIPT:

 

Pamela Kirkland: So Crossover Day is now behind us. What's still alive? What's not, as lawmakers enter this the final sprint to the finish, I guess?

Donna Lowry: Well, Pamela, there's no comparing the whirlwind workload of last week to this one. But lots of legislation moved. The work mostly occurred in committees, where each chamber has their first look at what lawmakers across the hall passed on Crossover. And then some of the issues are becoming controversial during hearings. The House is dealing with bills limiting lawsuit awards in Georgia or tort reform. And that legislation is facing more pushback in the House. We'll have to keep an eye on those bills.

Pamela Kirkland: And passing the budget is technically the only thing that the General Assembly is constitutionally mandated to do. The House rolled out its version of the state budget this week. What highlights stood out to you?

Donna Lowry: Well, under the House budget, it's Gov. Brian Kemp's $37.7 billion fiscal 2026 state budget, and it prioritizes prisons and education and education and provides $62 million for a new program called Student Support Services, plus money to hire mental health counselors for middle schoolers and high schoolers, and for districts to help low-income students, and to hire 116 literacy coaches across the state. It includes $250 million in new spending for Georgia prisons and that move is to reduce the ratio of inmates to correctional officers. And that spending plan takes effect on July 1.

Pamela Kirkland: OK. What key bills moved through on the Senate side?

Donna Lowry: Yeah. Well, that was another big one, Pamela. One was another education bill that allowed Georgia to join at least seven other states in permitting school psychologists to work in them with equivalent licensing. Of course, that's part of the school safety plan, a lot of bills that focus on school safety. And there's legislation that came out of the House by Rep. Lisa Hagan that was suggested by a 17-year-old Georgian: It would include fluorescent pink vests and not just those orange vests — orange vests that they use in hunting — but allow fluorescent pink. And that did pass.

Pamela Kirkland: I love that you get a little choice with your hunting season accessories. You want to go with your fluorescent orange? Do you want to go with the pink? You can make the decision now.

Donna Lowry: That's right. And every — and even the guys liked it.

Pamela Kirkland: There you go. And looking ahead, what issues are lawmakers focused on next week?

Donna Lowry: Well, on Wednesday they — they will begin their committee work. But the rest of the week — today they're off and they're off on Monday. And so their committee work will involve a lot more of probably some contentious bills. But in the next few weeks, that's what we're going to deal with. Whatever the House sent to the Senate or Senate sent to the House, they're going to have some debate over it. So we'll just have to wait and see.

Pamela Kirkland: Yeah, we're down to single digits when it comes to the remaining days. Thank you, Donna, and we'll see you next week.

Donna Lowry: Sounds good.

Tags: Georgia  Lawmakers