The 2024 Georgia General Assembly opens on Monday, Jan. 8, and this year should prove to be a robust session with discussion on several controversial issues that will play into the state primary.
While no state officers are on this year’s ballot, the effects of the legislature are predicted to impact the primary and general elections in November. It will be on voter’s minds as they head to the polls so their votes could be a reaction to what happens in Atlanta.
The biggest issue the Georgia General Assembly will tackle is the budget. Georgia has a $61.4 billion budget to pay for schools, healthcare, law enforcement, correctional facilities, parks, and more than 200,000 state employees.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to keep our state moving forward with the common sense conservative leadership of our legislature as we cut taxes and provide ways to help citizens as we all deal with 40 year record high inflation,” said State Rep. Matthew Gambill. “We have lowered the state income tax and this year we will accelerate the cut.”
He said Georgians have a reason to be optimistic about more state money coming back to them.
“We are also looking at the possibility of another state income tax refund which would be 3 years in a row. Property tax relief is a focus too,” he said.
Gambill had a laundry list of items he expects to tackle in the 40 days of the legislature. Issues he listed include school choice legislation, certificate of need reforms, tort reform, mental health, state employee recruitment and retention, additional support for law enforcement and healthcare workforce and fully funding the QBE education formula.
The first few days, or even weeks, of the assembly, seem inconsequential as they mostly consist of committee meetings. However, these are important days as the committee meetings are where information is gathered, testimony is given, and deals are made. Those translate into bills sent to the hopper for further consideration.
Some of the committees to watch are transportation, which always must deal with Atlanta traffic issues and the lack of major roads throughout Georgia. That is especially true of going east-west. One legislator said years ago that you can’t go sideways in Georgia. That is still mostly true.
The Senate Government Oversight Committee will meet Monday and it could have the latest revelations in 2020 and 2022 Georgia election fraud in documents released by former President Donald Trump on New Year’s Day waiting for review. The committee could, if it wanted, call in Secretary of State Brad Raffenperger and even Gov. Brian Kemp to address the document data.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee should be another interesting one to watch as Georgia’s legislators discuss expanding Medicaid. That has been a hot-button issue since the implementation of the Affordable Health Care Act since many other states have broadened health care services as a net for those caught between too poor to buy mandated health insurance and too rich to get government assistance.
Some mentioned brokering a deal over restructuring certificates-of-need, the approval for hospitals and healthcare facilities, in exchange for broadening Medicaid. The issue popped up last year but wasn’t passed.
Another controversial issue from last year that will show up again is school vouchers. Democrats and rural area politicians defeated it last year but, surprisingly, having money follow the child has the support of inner-city minorities who want more educational opportunities for their children so it could end up a racial issue.
Along with educational bills is the “Parents and Children Protection Act of 2023.” It prohibits authorities over the child, such as teachers, camp counselors, or other similar professionals, from talking to children about sensitive subjects like sex and gender. It also mandates the child’s legal name and birth gender be on school records where it can’t be modified without the parent’s consent.
Deeper in that bill is a section that focuses on what teachers or other authority figures wear in the classroom. It states “No adult acting in loco parentis shall engage in instruction, education, or training of a child while dressed in a sexually provocative manner, applying current community standards, as determined by the school, social services agency, library, camp, or similar facility or program, without the express written permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian.”
Several bills were pre-filed before the session to ensure they were heard. Several of those are aimed at reducing out-of-pocket costs for insulin users and one is to repeal the state income tax along with income tax credits.
A bill that could affect many homeowners is H.B. 854. This bill prohibits non-judicial foreclosures on mortgages. Currently, a bank or mortgage holder can foreclose on a home without bringing it before a judge. That puts the homeowner at the mercy of the bank even in situations where there shouldn’t be a foreclosure or the foreclosure happens fast. This bill would force banks and mortgage holders to get judicial approval before proceeding and that would allow the homeowner to get relief from a judge. One in five homes in Georgia is foreclosed on yearly.
One intriguing House bill, HB 858, provides for the Department of Driver Services to offer an alternative state identification to driver’s licenses. This is likely in response to the number of illegal immigrants pouring into the area. Currently, they can get driver’s licenses with documents.
Those who properly store their guns could get a tax credit under another unique bill, HB 855. It allows for a tax credit related to the expenses of having firearm safe storage devices.
Author: Melody Dareing
