For the next 40 legislative days, the Georgia Legislature will begin sponsoring bills, assigning them to committees, posting them to the calendar, passing them, voting on them, and ultimately creating laws for all Georgians. Whether the people of Georgia, with a population of 11 million and growing, like or understand the laws is why coverage of what takes place under the Gold Dome is important for readers.
On Tuesday, January 13, the second day of the Georgia General Assembly, Dr. Jimmy Elder, pastor of First Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, offered the morning prayer that day. Elder preached about confronting people with kindness in the wake of ICE protests taking place around the country.
The first reading of bills took place at 10:30 a.m. and finished at 10:37 a.m. The second reading began at 10:40 a.m. There were six afternoon orders on the schedule, one of which honored the life of the late Alphonso Thomas, a Stockbridge councilman who passed away late last year.
Wednesday was also Korean American Day. Korean American lawmakers acknowledged the annual celebration and received applause from their contemporaries. Downstairs near the south steps, a college fair for independent colleges in Georgia was taking place. Schools like Spelman College, Young Harris College, Piedmont University, and Toccoa Falls College, to name a few, had tables set up for prospective students.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is scheduled to discuss the state’s business successes during 2025 and budget reserves during the annual Eggs and Issues breakfast on Wednesday, January 14.
On Monday, January 12, the Georgia General Assembly, which consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate, gathered under the Gold Dome to begin the 2026 session. Some of the priorities Speaker of the House Jon Burns listed in an email to the press were as follows: property tax reform, housing affordability, increased access to affordable healthcare, and strengthening literacy throughout the state.
Housing affordability has been a top concern for the State Representatives currently running for governor. Rep. Derrick Jackson (D-97) and Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-68) attended a Democratic gubernatorial forum in Savannah on Thursday, January 8, and said as much during their time on stage at Jonesville Baptist Church.
Three new members of the House Representatives, Akbar Ali (District 106), Eric Gisler (121), and Bill Fincher (District 23), were recognized at the start of the session.
A 40-day calendar was not unanimously approved by the House, but was adopted by a majority vote. Romman was one of the representatives who was allowed to pose a question on making the calendar more accepting of religious holidays and observances. She did not vote in favor of the 40-day calendar.
A 40-day calendar was not unanimously approved by the House, but was adopted by a majority vote. Romman was one of the representatives who was allowed to pose a question on making the calendar more accepting of religious holidays and observances. She did not vote in favor of the 40-day calendar.
A 40-day calendar was not unanimously approved by the House, but was adopted by a majority vote. Romman was one of the representatives who was allowed to pose a question on making the calendar more accepting of religious holidays and observances. She did not vote in favor of the 40-day calendar.
Eliminating the state income tax and increasing the literacy rate among Georgia’s children are among the House’s priorities, according to Burns.
Regarding the latter, for example, only 32% of Black fourth graders in this state are reading at proficiency or above, while 43% of white and 53% of Asian peers, according to data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Monday was a busy day in the people’s house. Along with the first day of the session, people from all walks of life took to the Capitol’s south steps to state their case for what they believe is important to their fellow Georgians.
Black women took advantage of the large amount of press and legislative leadership in the building by holding a press conference on the south steps. Georgia Black Women’s Roundtable’s “Black Women U3: United, Unapologetic, Unstoppable took place at 11:30 a.m., after the session began.
A “Pack the Capitol” event was held in the lobby of the State Capitol. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) hosted it, and it was the first public demonstration to display the collective power of the people, according to a release by the organization. The rally began at 10:00 a.m.
Meanwhile, Reproductive Freedom for All Georgia set up a table inside room 216. Meanwhile, Reproductive Freedom for All Georgia set up a table inside room 216. On the south steps, members of the Georgia Majority for Gun Safety wore bright orange shirts and held signs calling for common-sense gun control.
The first House session of the year also began at 10:00 a.m. and ended at 11:30 a.m. The Senate Ethics Committee will meet at 2:00 p.m.
Grace Towns Hamilton, the first Black woman elected to the Georgia House of Representatives, also has her portrait inside the Capitol. Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
On Tuesday, Governor Brian Kemp is scheduled to address the General Assembly about the state’s budget for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The meeting will take place in room 341 and will be available for public viewing via the House broadcast YouTube page.
On Wednesday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, one of the many people running for the Governor’s office, and Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King will make their pitches to the budget committee at 1 and 1:30 p.m. And on Thursday, Attorney General Chris Carr, who is also running for governor, spoke to the budget committee on behalf of the state’s Department of Law.
