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Request a DemoGeorgia Sine Die 2023: A recap
If you missed all the action Wednesday - or Sine Die, the 40th and final day of Georgia's 2023 legislative session - check out our blog below.
Sine Die ("sigh-knee dye") went by in a blur under the Gold Dome of the Statehouse as the General Assembly worked to get their lingering bills passed and others defeated. Bills not passed or signed by the governor this go-round could have a second chance at life when the Legislature returns Jan. 8, 2024. (As they were fond of saying on "Game of Thrones," what is dead may never die.)
Among the bills that didn't come up Wednesday, even though lawmakers went a half-hour past the midnight deadline, were food insecurity, anti-Semitism and sports betting.
The controversial school voucher bill (SB 233) went down in a round of cheers in the House, but it was close (85-89). Lawmakers tried to resuscitate it by voting yes to reconsider, but the bill was never brought up again. Gov. Brian Kemp walked in just as the bill was defeated. He thanked the House for their hard work during the session before heading to Senate chambers.
Medical marijuana (HB 196) was another hot topic and took up a good deal of precious time in the last hour. The bill would have handed oversight to Ag Commissioner Tyler Harper and his department, but as senior investigative reporter Tammy Joyner (@lvjoyner) tweeted, it "went up in smoke."
Jill Jordan Sieder (@journalistajill) was closely watching a bill (HB 188) that would change how sex offenders are monitored and sentenced. It was a bill Rep. Steven Sainz, R-St. Mary's, had been trying to get pushed through for years — and it finally succeeded.
Here are the bills we were watching for you during Wednesday's marathon:
SB 97/HB 196 - Medical marijuana
SB 157 - Occupational licenses for convicted felons
SB 177 - Food insecurity
SB 233 - School vouchers
HB 144 - Antisemitism hate crimes
HB 188 - Ankle monitors for sex offenders
HB 237 - Sports betting
HB 520 - Mental health
For more on these bills, read Jill's preview story posted Tuesday: Last day, last chance this legislative session for a host of bills
This live blog has ended.
12:20 a.m. Thanks for following our live blog. (And many blessings to the Statehouse cleaning crew!)
Just a note before closing: Some notable bills that didn't make it on Sine Die include school vouchers, sports betting, anti-Semitism protections, mental health and medical marijuana expansion. We likely haven't seen the last of these.
12:19 a.m. That's a wrap!
12:17 a.m. You can hear this picture!
12:16 a.m. Sine Die, indeed.
12:05 a.m. It's Thursday, folks. (And Opening Day for Major League Baseball!)
11:59 p.m. With minutes to spare, the House votes 170-3 to adopt the Conference Committee Report for HB 19, the $32.4 billion FY 2024 budget.
"The last person I want to thank, I can't thank in person. He was a father figure to me. I loved him. I thank him for teaching me how to persevere. He's looking down on us."
- House Appropriations Chairman Matt Hatchett, speaking about late Speaker David Ralston
11:38 p.m.
11:33 p.m.: Less than a half hour remains and the state budget may be the end of it.
"This House does not play politics with the budget."
- Rep. Matt Hatchett, the chamber's chief budget negotiator
"Where is a Red Bull when I need it?"
- Tammy Joyner, State Affairs senior investigative reporter
11:30 p.m. Amendment voting for HB 353 was a mixed bag - 2 & 3 failed, 4 passed and 1 is "moot." The bill went on to pass by substitute, 50-5. It's headed back to the House.
The House is now taking up HB 19 - the budget.
11:25 p.m. As a reminder, HB 353 is a lottery bill.
11:22 p.m. The Senate a little bit ago passed HB 249 to expand the need-based financial aid program.
11:20 p.m. The House has reconvened with 40 minutes to go.
11:15 p.m. Same time next year?
10:55 p.m. HB 353 is on the Senate floor. The “Georgia Lottery for Education Act” would amend various portions of Title 50, related to coin-operated amusement machines, non-cash awards, and provide for a system for handling certain disputes that may arise. Amendments are being discussed.
The House stands at ease until 11:10.
HB 196, the medical marijuana bill, went up in the smoke in the Senate. It's back to the House.
10:50 p.m. We're coming into the home stretch, folks. Stay tuned. The last hour is always the one to watch.
Sen. Bill Cowsert moves to disagree to the House amendment to the Senate substitute to House Bill 196 #gapol #SineDie https://t.co/T3OVCy6mAH
— State Affairs Georgia (@StateAffairsGA) March 30, 2023
10:33 p.m. It has been a long day.
ICYMI: Ag Commissioner Tyler Harper chatted with Tammy earlier this month. Read the Q&A here.
10:30 p.m. About that school voucher bill...
10:22 p.m. Meanwhile, in the House chamber... (you can read HB 76 for yourself here)
10:20 p.m. A motion to table HB 196 failed 22-30.
10 p.m. Back to HB 196 in the Senate chamber, medical cannabis.
Our story from May 2022:
9:50 p.m. SB 23 passes; streamlines data related to mental health care among agencies statewide.
9:46 p.m.
9:40 p.m.
9:38 p.m. HB 88 - "The Coleman-Baker Act" passed by substitute unanimously. It revises the definition of "cold case" to include homicides committed more than three years prior rather than six and gives families the right to ask for cold cases to be reopened. It will also make it easier for cold case victims' families to get death certificates. GBI reports it's tracking more than 100 unsolved homicide cases.
9:28 p.m. The Senate reconvened and immediately (and unanimously) passed HB 139, which would restrict the disclosure of certain identifiable information of nonsworn employees of a law enforcement agency who are witnesses in felony and misdemeanor criminal cases.
9:24 p.m. Sine Die is a family affair.
9:15 p.m. The House Rules committee is meeting again in a few minutes, and the House is in recess until 9:30. The Senate also stands at ease.
9:10 p.m. Kemp is now in the Senate chamber after thanking the House for their session work.
9 p.m. Gov. Kemp walked into the House chambers just as the voucher bill was defeated amid raucous cheering. He is expected to make some remarks.
8:50 p.m. The school voucher bill failed by a narrow margin of 89-85. An immediate motion to reconsider passed 98-73, so there could be another vote on SB 233. When that will happen is anybody's guess.
8:40 p.m.
Read Tammy's Jan. 26 story about the push to regulate food apps in Georgia. The earlier version - SB 34 - was killed in the Senate earlier this month. Bill co-author Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, was clearly happy, as seen below.
Not-so-fun fact: 1 in 4 delivery drivers admitted to sampling a customer’s food order, according to a survey by U.S. Foods.
8:24 p.m. HB 528 passes the Senate by substitute. The bill now includes part of the bill to regulate food delivery apps.
8:09 p.m. The controversial school-voucher bill, SB 233, is being debated on the House floor. Standby...
8 p.m. Rep. Steven Sainz, R-St. Mary's, was all smiles at Sine Die after his four-year wait for passage of HB 188 ended. The “Georgia Dangerous Sexual Predator Prevention Act" - aka Mariam's Law - is headed to Kemp's desk after today's action. HB 188 will make life sentences — consisting of prison time, probation, or a combination — mandatory for people who are convicted a second time of one of 13 felony sex crimes. Read more about Sainz's journey to passage here.
7:41 p.m. The House and Senate are back. We've got roughly four hours to go in 2023's Sine Die.
6:41 p.m.
6:20 p.m. The House is in recess until 7:30.
6:16 p.m. Thinking of you, Mr. Jimmy!
ICYMI - here's our exclusive coverage on Jimmy Carter, with commentary from and interviews with people who know the former president.
5:59 p.m. HB 196 - abolishes Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission and gives oversight of medical cannabis to the Department of Agriculture. It also expands the number of medical marijuana growers’ licenses to 20 from six and subjects the department’s work to open records and meetings laws.
See our story from last May:
5:45 p.m. The Senate is "at ease" until 6:45.
5:27 p.m. HB 19 - Senate has adopted $32.4 billion FY '24 budget; awaiting House vote. You can read the Conference Committee's final budget report here.
5:13 p.m. HB 19 - The budget bill. House members have their work cut out for them as they digest proposed changes to the mammoth FY 2024 budget. Here's how they got here.
4:58 p.m. HB 520 - A portion of the mental health bill has been added to SB 23.
Our story from Feb. 27:
4:54 p.m. SB 44 - "Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act; mandatory minimum penalties for violations"
Our story from March 6:
4:32 p.m. HB 188 - "Dangerous Sexual Predator Prevention Act," aka Mariam's Law, is headed to Kemp's desk.
Our story from Jan. 30:
4:30 p.m. HB 340 - "Education; daily duty-free planning periods for teachers in grades six through twelve"
4:22 p.m. Update on SB 233 in Rules Committee. ⬇️
4:04 p.m. HB 302 - "Crimes and offenses; issuance of a temporary or permanent protective order by the court"; the House has reconvened.
4 p.m. HB 249 - "Education; needs-based financial aid program"
3:35 p.m. The state's $32.4 billion budget for FY 2024 has been printed and placed on each legislator's desk. Should be called for a vote soon.
3:10 p.m. SB 222 - "Primaries and Elections; all costs and expenses relating to election administration are paid for with lawfully appropriate public funds" heads to the gov. Under this bill, local governments can't directly accept third-party money to help fund elections.
*Taliaferro County
2:44 p.m. SB 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, has been moved back to Rules for a little more tinkering. House Rules will meet in 5 minutes. The school voucher-like bill would create a scholarship account so families could receive up to $6,500 per academic year per child from the state to pay for private school tuition or other qualified education expenses. The controversial bill has been amended so the funds can only be used by students attending public schools ranked by the state Office of Student Achievement as performing in the bottom 25% of all schools. Critics say the bill will hurt students remaining in those public schools by pulling funds and siphoning students and families from the schools that need more resources and community support to improve.
2:02 p.m. House Rules is canceled. House will come back to order at 2:15 p.m. 🧐
1:16 p.m. Georgia students between 12 and 18 years of age can sign up to page during session. Pages carry messages between legislators and the people in the halls. They help place bills and messages on legislators' desks. It counts as an educational field trip. Learn more.
1:05 p.m. House breaks for lunch, and Speaker Burns announces that House Rules will meet at 2 p.m. That means they will add more bills to the House calendar. I wonder if Chairman Richard Smith will bring his pig flying statue to the meeting?
1 p.m. SB 63 - "Bonds and Recognizances; setting of bonds and schedules of bails"
12:35 p.m. SR 175 - "Creating the Joint Study Committee on Dual Enrollment for Highly Skilled Talent at Younger Ages; creating the Joint Study Committee on Service Delivery Strategy; and for other purposes."
12:15 p.m.
12:13 p.m. HB 374 - "Local government; municipal deannexation; repeal certain provisions," bans cities from banning use of gas-powered leafblowers - passed; SB 155 (aka Figo's Law) - "Dangerous Instrumentalities and Practices; provisions relating to harming a law enforcement animal" - passed. Named for Clayton County K-9 Figo, who was killed in October as he was investigating a homicide suspect during a traffic stop.
11:40 a.m.
10:58 a.m. The only thing lawmakers have to do each session is pass a state budget. The conference committee has reached an agreement, which will be presented to the House and Senate for a vote.
10:39 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
10:23 a.m.
10:04 a.m.
9:49 a.m.
9:37 a.m. Seersucker is a Sine Die staple.
9:12 a.m.
9:09 a.m.
8:54 a.m.
Header image: Georgia House members recite the "Pledge of Allegiance" on March 23, 2023, Day 38 of the legislative session at the Statehouse in Atlanta. (Credit: Georgia House)
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House speaker Jon Burns hires new communications director
House speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, announced today that he has hired a new communications director. Kayla Roberson, who has served as press secretary at the Georgia Chamber for the past year or so, will now oversee all external communications, media relations and strategic messaging for Burns.
“I’m excited to welcome Kayla to our team,” Burns said in a statement. “Kayla has an excellent background, deep skill set and strong work ethic, and we’re excited to have her on board to continue getting our message out and sharing the House’s priorities ahead of and into the next session.”
A double major in political science and journalism at the University of Georgia, where she graduated in 2022, Roberson interned for U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Republican in north Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, and worked as a consultant for GOP political candidates before joining the Georgia Chamber.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to work under the leadership of speaker Burns,” Roberson told State Affairs. “Whether it’s improving education opportunities, putting money back in the pockets of hardworking Georgians, creating jobs or supporting our rural communities, speaker Burns always prioritizes doing what is best, and what is right, for Georgia.”
Political strategist Stephen Lawson, who has held the top communications role for the speaker since last December, announced he’s joining Dentons, where starting today he’ll lead the global law firm’s public affairs efforts.
Have questions or comments? Contact Jill Jordan Sieder on X @journalistajill or at [email protected].
Global bird flu disrupts Georgia exports, costing chicken producers millions
ATLANTA — A global bird flu that has rapidly spread from birds to dairy cows, milk supplies and humans has cost untold millions of dollars in lost export business in Georgia, the nation’s leading poultry producer, officials with the state Department of Agriculture and poultry industry said.
Georgia has had only three reported cases of H5N1 avian influenza since it reemerged in 2022. The last of those cases was resolved in November 2023 but ramifications of those outbreaks continue to have a big effect on the state’s ability to export chicken and chicken parts, such as chicken feet, to different countries, including China, one of Georgia’s biggest export markets for chicken feet.
In 2022, frozen chicken feet, for example, accounted for more than 85% of all U.S. poultry exported to China, according to Farm Progress, publisher of 22 farming and ranching magazines.
The $30 billion poultry industry is Georgia’s largest segment in its No. 1 industry — agriculture.
China has also placed a ban on the import of chicken products from 41 other American states. The ban on Georgia products went into effect Nov. 21, 2023. Efforts to reach the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. were unsuccessful.
Georgia Poultry Federation President Mike Giles estimates the state’s loss at “well into the millions of dollars.”
“It’s a significant amount in a significant export market for us,” he said. “Poultry paws [feet] immediately lose value because of the loss of demand.”
The ban has forced Georgia poultry producers to find alternative markets for their products that would normally be headed to China.
“Some are sold domestically, some are frozen and stored, hopefully to find markets later on, and some go to other countries,” Giles said.
This isn’t the first time China has banned U.S.-produced poultry products due to a bird flu outbreak. The country instituted a ban in January 2015 which lasted until November 2019 — even though U.S. poultry products were deemed free of the disease by August 2017.
After that ban was lifted, China’s appetite for American-produced chicken products became voracious.
In 2022, U.S. producers shipped nearly $6 billion in poultry meat and related products (excluding eggs) to over 130 countries. China has emerged as the second largest destination for U.S. poultry exports, increasing from $10 million in 2019 to a record $1.1 billion in 2022, according to Southern Ag Today.
Chicken paws, for instance, are eaten in many Asian countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea.They can also be found on Chinese dim sum menus throughout the U.S. and are also popular in Jamaica, Trinidad, Russia and Ukraine in everything from soups and curries to fried snacks.
Three Georgia counties have reported H5N1 outbreaks since 2022. The most recent case was late last year. Henry, Sumter and Toombs counties each reported one case of H5N1 bird flu. Those outbreaks are resolved, poultry and state agriculture officials say.
“When HPAI cases are found in any state, that state is given a designation that could lead to foreign countries halting trade on poultry products from that state,” Georgia Department of Agriculture spokesman Matthew Agvent told State Affairs.
Not since 2016 has the United States experienced such a fast-moving case of the H5N1 avian influenza. In the last two months, the virus has spread in parts of the United States from birds to dairy cows, some milk supplies and humans. Two people — a Texas dairy worker and a prison inmate in Colorado who was killing infected birds at a poultry farm — are reported to have caught the virus, according to news reports. The outbreak is the largest in recent history, impacting both domestic poultry and livestock as well as wild birds and some mammal species.
State officials are continuing to monitor the national outbreak and its impact on Georgia.
Georgia’s poultry & egg industry: At A Glance
Annual economic impact: $30.2 billion
Percentage of the Agriculture industry: 58% *
Jobs: 87,900
Counties involved in poultry & egg production: 3 out of 4
National ranking in chicken broiler production: No. 1
Daily production of table eggs: 7.8 million
Daily production of hatching eggs: 6.5 million
Pounds of chicken produced daily: 30.2 million
Pounds of chicken produced annually: 8 billion
Number of chicken broilers processed each day: 5 million
Counties involved in poultry & egg production: 3 out of 4
Source: Georgia Poultry Federation; The Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development, University of Georgia, Ag Snapshots 2024; Georgia Poultry Federation.
Have questions? Contact Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
Is it safe to eat chicken and eggs and drink milk? Answers to your most pressing questions about the latest bird flu outbreak
A two-year-old strain of bird flu has heightened concerns in Georgia and the rest of the country after the virus recently spread to dairy cows. Here’s what you need to know about the virus and its impact on Georgia and the rest of the country. What are the symptoms of this flu in humans? Eye …
Kemp signs bills on education, health care, taxes
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a slew of bills over the past week or so, including the private school voucher bill long sought by Republicans and a bill that will ease regulations over the construction and expansion of medical facilities in rural areas.
His bill-signing events were clustered into themes: education, health care, military members, human trafficking and Georgia’s coastal communities.
Education
Among the education-related bills Kemp signed was Senate Bill 233, also known as the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, which provides the families of Georgia students enrolled in underperforming school districts with $6,500 scholarships that can be used toward private school or homeschooling expenses, including tuition, fees, textbooks and tutoring.
“Georgia is affording greater choice to families as to how and where they receive their education, while also continuing our efforts to strengthen public schools, support teachers, and secure our classrooms,” Kemp said, and thanked leadership in the House and Senate for prioritizing passage of the bill, which had failed in a close vote in 2023.
Democrats and many public education advocates who opposed the bill argued it will drain resources from public schools and primarily benefit students from wealthy families.
Kemp also signed Senate Bill 351, sponsored by nine Republican senators, which will require social media companies, as of July 1, 2025, to verify their users are at least 16 years old unless they receive approval from a parent.
House Bill 409, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, directs school systems to consider not having bus stops where a student would have to cross a roadway with a speed limit of 40 mph or greater. The bill also increases the penalty for passing a stopped school bus to $1,000 from $250.
Kemp noted that Ashley Pierce, the mother of Addy Pierce, an 8-year-old who was fatally struck by a motorist as she boarded her school bus, “passionately advocated for and was instrumental in the passage of this legislation.”
Senate Bill 395, sponsored by Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Gwinnett, states that no school visitor or personnel can be prohibited from possessing an opioid reversal drug such as Narcan and directs schools to maintain a supply. It also allows opioid antagonists to be sold in vending machines and directs certain government buildings to maintain a supply of at least three doses.
Senate Bill 464, also sponsored by Dixon, creates the School Supplies for Teachers Program to financially and technically support teachers purchasing school supplies online. It also creates an executive committee of five voting members within the Georgia Council on Literacy and limits the number of approved literacy screeners to five, one of whom must be available to schools for free.
Health care
The governor chose his hometown of Athens as the venue to sign several bills aimed at improving health care in rural and underserved communities.
Among them was House Bill 1339, sponsored by Rep. Butch Parrish, R-Swainsboro, which revises the Certificate of Need process by which the state determines if and how new medical facilities can be built or expanded. The bill provides for several new exemptions, including psychiatric or substance abuse inpatient programs, basic perinatal services in rural counties, birthing centers and new general acute hospitals in rural counties. It also raises the total limit on tax credits for donations to rural hospital organizations to $100 million from $75 million.
Senate Bill 480, sponsored by Sen. Mike Hodges, R-Brunswick, establishes student loan repayments for mental health and substance use professionals serving underserved youth in the state or in unserved geographic areas disproportionately impacted by social determinants of health.
House Bill 872, sponsored by Rep. Lee Hawkins, R-Gainesville, chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, expands cancelable loans for certain health care professionals to dental students who agree to practice in rural areas.
Senate Bill 293, sponsored by Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah, chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, reorganizes county boards of public health and opens the qualifications for the CEO of each county board of health to include either licensed physicians or people with a master’s degree in public health or a related field.
Military members and veterans
Kemp on Wednesday focused on bills to improve military recruitment and provide more work opportunities for veterans and military family members.
House Bill 880, sponsored by Rep. Bethany Ballard, R-Warner Robins, allows spouses of military service members to work under a license they hold in good standing in another state while under the supervision of an existing Georgia medical facility or provider.
Senate Bill 449, sponsored by Sen. Larry Walker, allows military medical personnel to practice for 12 months while a license application is pending, including working as a certified nursing aide, certified emergency medical technician, paramedic or licensed practical nurse. The bill also creates a new advanced practice registered nurse license and makes it a misdemeanor to practice advanced nursing without a license.
Human trafficking
The governor on Wednesday was accompanied by first lady Marty Kemp and other members of the GRACE Commission for the signing of an anti-human trafficking package. It includes Senate Bill 370, which adds certain businesses to the list of organizations that must post human trafficking notices, including convenience stores, body art studios, businesses that employ licensed massage therapists and manufacturing facilities.
Sponsored by Sen. Mike Hodges, R-Brunswick, the bill also allows the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy to initiate inspections of massage therapy businesses and educational programs without notice and requires massage therapy board members to complete yearly human trafficking awareness training.
House Bill 993, sponsored by Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, creates the felony offense of grooming of a minor and creates new penalties for offenses relating to visual mediums depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
House Bill 1201, sponsored by Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, allows human trafficking survivors who received first offender or conditional discharge status to vacate that status for certain crimes, as long as the crime was a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking.
Coastal communities
Earlier today in Brunswick, Kemp signed legislation impacting Georgia coastal communities, including House Bill 244, which amends the laws around how wild game can be hunted and how seafood dealers operate, and House Bill 1341, which designates white shrimp as the state’s official crustacean.
Taxes
Earlier this month Kemp signed several bills related to taxation, including House Bill 1015, sponsored by Rep. Lauren McDonald, R-Cumming, which lowers the state income tax for tax year 2024 to 5.39%, accelerating a multiyear drop in state income taxes that started at 5.75% in 2023 and will continue through 2029.
The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget estimates the tax cut acceleration will save Georgia taxpayers approximately $1.1 billion in calendar year 2024 and about $3 billion over the next 10 years.
Kemp also signed House Bill 1021, sponsored by Rep. Lauren Daniel, R-Locust Grove, which increases the state’s income tax dependent exemption to $4,000 from $3,000.
House Bill 581, sponsored by Reps. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, and Clint Crowe, R-Jackson, enables a constitutional amendment (House Resolution 1022) to let voters decide whether counties can provide a statewide homestead valuation freeze, which limits the increase in property values to the inflation rate.
The governor has until May 7 to sign or veto bills passed during the legislative session that ended on March 28. Those he takes no action on will automatically become law.
Legislation signed by Kemp is posted on the governor’s website.
Read these related stories:
Have questions, comments or tips on education in Georgia? Contact Jill Jordan Sieder on X @journalistajill or at [email protected].
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