This week the legislature convened for its second full week of the 2024 Legislative Session after meeting for budget hearings last week.  The House and Senate were in session Monday through Friday this week for Legislative Days 6 through 10.  Committee action picked up considerably this week, as did the number of bills introduced each day. 

 

The General Assembly will be back in session next week Monday through Thursday for Legislative Days 11 through 14.  Members have only about a month remaining to shepherd their bills through the committee process and get them passed out of their chamber of origin for them to have a chance of passing this year— Crossover Day is set for Thursday, February 29. 

 

On Wednesday, Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) held a press conference to announce a package of proposed legislation to bring tax relief to Georgians. 

There were a number of social issue-related bills that were introduced this week:

 

This week Senator Clint Dixon (R-Buford) introduced a measure that would legalize sports betting in Georgia.  The 12 bipartisan cosponsors of Senate Bill 386 include Minority Leader Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain) and Governor’s Floor Leader Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia). 

 

Several sports betting bills filed last session failed to receive final passage, including Senator Billy Hickman’s Senate Bill 57, which would have allowed sports betting and fixed-odds betting on horseracing, which failed on the Senate floor; Senate Resolution 140, authored by Senator Bill Cowsert (R-Athens), which proposed an amendment to the Georgia Constitution to legalize sports betting, and did not receive the requisite two-third majority required for a constitutional amendment; and House Bill 380, sponsored by Representative Marcus Wiedower (R-Watkinsville), which would legalize sports betting and place it under the purview of the Georgia Lottery.  House Bill 380 was never called up for a floor vote on Crossover Day. 

 

There are two schools of thought regarding the legalization of sports betting in Georgia.  If an amendment to the state constitution is required to authorize sports betting, it would require two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate and would then require a majority of voters to agree.  Last year former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court Harold Melton wrote a legal opinion stating that “sports betting can be legalized as a state-run lottery for educational purposes solely through legislative action,” meaning that a constitutional amendment would not be required since there is already a constitutional amendment to allow for the Georgia Lottery.  

 

Of the dozens of pieces of legislation introduced this week, many of them were related to the oversight and administration of elections in Georgia.  Some of the measures introduced this week include:

Another election-related piece of legislation saw movement in the committee process this week.  Senate Bill 358, sponsored by Senate Ethics Committee Chairman Max Burns (R-Sylvania) was passed by substitute in the Ethics Committee this week.  The bill, which was introduced during the first week of session, removes the secretary of state from the State Elections Board and gives the State Elections Board the authority to investigate election officials.  The bill is a legislative priority for Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones.  

 

Last session, Representative John Carson (R-Marietta) and Representative Esther Panitch (D-Sandy Springs), who is the only Jewish member of the General Assembly, introduced House Bill 30, which would provide a legal definition of ‘antisemitism’ in Georgia Code and would add any antisemitic actions to Georgia’s hate crimes statute.   The measure was passed by the House last session, but had not yet been considered by the full Senate.  After a lengthy hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, the measure was passed and was then considered by the full Senate on Thursday.  The Senate passed the bill 44 to 6 and immediately transmitted it back to the House for final passage.  The House went on to pass the measure 129 to 5 later Thursday afternoon and it is now on its way to Governor Kemp’s desk.  

 

This week Senate Majority Caucus Leader Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas) announced his intention to introduce the Second Amendment Lawsuit Protection Act, which would provide liability protection to property owners and gun manufacturers against frivolous lawsuits.  The measure comes following the passage of Senator Anavitarte’s constitutional carry legislation last session.  He said the bill “aims to protect gun manufactures domiciled in Georgia so they can continue to build these constitutionally protected tools unmolested by trial lawyers.  This legislation will provide strict immunity protection under state law to protect against changes in federal law or out of state lawyers looking to harm Georgia’s businesses.”  Senator Anavitarte plans to file the legislation in early February. 

 

This week Senate Transportation Chairman Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) introduced legislation to establish the Senate Special Committee on Investigations.  This legislation comes in response to a series of public reports, court filings, and allegations of misconduct involving Fani Willis, the District Attorney of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit.   The proposed legislation seeks to establish the Senate Special Committee on Investigation, which would be made up of nine members, including three from the minority party.  The committee would be assigned to conduct a legislative investigation and would have the power to call any party to testify under oath.  

 

This week Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Hufstetler (R-Rome) introduced Senate Bill 366, the “Tax Expenditures Transparency Act of 2024.”   The bill creates the Joint Committee on Taxation and Economic Development, which would meet in odd-numbered years to investigate and review the fiscal and economic impact of tax credits and exemptions that have been the subject of an economic analysis in the prior calendar year.  The committee would then submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker.  

 

On Thursday, Representative Pedro Marin (D-Duluth) held a press conference to announce his retirement from the House.  Representative Marin was first elected to serve House District 96 in 2002.  After 22 years of service, Representative Marin will not seek reelection for another term.  

 

Marin’s colleagues in the House and Senate have just over a month to decide if they will seek reelection this year.  All 180 House seats and 56 Senate seats will be on the ballot this year.  Anyone wishing to run for any of those seats must officially qualify to do so at the State Capitol the week of March 4.  


This weekly Legislative Update report is courtesy of the Regional Business Coalition of Metropolitan Atlanta (RBC), an organization of over a dozen of the largest and most active Chambers of Commerce throughout the metro Atlanta region. RBC member chambers represent over 15,000 member companies who employ millions of metro Atlanta residents. The RBC’s primary goal is to represent the interests of RBC Chamber members on regional public policy issues impacting our transportation, water and air quality and to advocate for solutions that improve metro Atlanta’s quality of life and economic vitality.