The dome of Georgia’s state Capitol was regilded last year. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
New dome, who dis?
Georgia lawmakers will return to the state Capitol Monday for the start of a new legislative session ready to champion their priorities, block the legislation they can and cast their vote on hundreds of bills – all while hustling under the shine of a recently regilded Gold Dome.
Lawmakers – including more than a dozen new state representatives and four freshman senators – will be sworn in Monday alongside their more seasoned colleagues.
There won’t be any dramatic change in the partisan make-up of the Legislature, but House Democrats did increase their numbers by two seats last year, though one of those races is being contested in court. Both chambers remain firmly under GOP control.
Some bitter debates await this year, with leadership in both chambers backing further restrictions for transgender athletes, but for now, it’s all about the pomp and circumstance of the new session.
In the meantime, Gold Dome observers are left to speculate over which issues and debates will ultimately define the 2025 legislative session as the state’s most powerful leaders continue to slowly roll out their legislative priorities for this year.
Here’s a look at some of the issues that, at this point, are expected to dominate:
Access to reproductive care:
House Speaker Jon Burns, a Newington Republican, says passing protections for in vitro fertilization will be a priority for him this year after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling last year upended access in Georgia’s neighboring state. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has also signaled support for protecting access. But it remains to be seen how Republican leaders specifically plan to do that. Some ultra conservative advocates have already objected, even conceptually. Democrats are also expected to renew a push to repeal the state’s six-week abortion ban after revelations that two Georgia women died in 2022 while trying to terminate their pregnancy.
Tort:
Gov. Brian Kemp has said one of his priorities will be a push for more limits on lawsuits, often referred to as “tort reform.” Kemp has argued that changes are needed to protect Georgia’s economy and pro-business climate, and other high-ranking state leaders have lined up with the governor on the issue. No specific proposal has emerged yet, but the push is being met with concerns from trial lawyers and other advocates for public access to the courts.
Guns:
Campus safety will likely be a dominant issue after a school shooting in Barrow County in September killed two students and two teachers and injured nine others. More funding for campus security is likely, but there’s also talk about creating a statewide database that would improve information sharing among school districts. The 14-year-old suspect in last year’s Apalachee High School shooting was allegedly interviewed by the FBI in connection with shooting threats at a different school more than a year before the attack. But Georgia Democrats favor gun safety measures, like requiring a 10-day waiting period for the purchase of assault rifles unless the person has a weapons carry license. Last year, GOP-backed bills that would have encouraged safe firearm storage practices through tax breaks stalled.
Hurricane relief:
Kemp has also said providing additional disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Helene will be a top priority this coming session. Helene tore a wide path up the eastern side of the state, killing 34 people here and devastating communities along the way. The state has already set aside $100 million in loans for agricultural and timber producers, and Georgia farmers will also receive federal aid through a package passed late last year.
Prisons:
The governor and the Georgia Department of Corrections unveiled plans last week to spend an additional $600 million on the state prison system. Last year, the federal government accused the state of being “deliberately indifferent” to the unsafe conditions of Georgia’s prisons and threatened to file a lawsuit. Kemp has not yet released his full spending proposals for this year and next year’s budgets.
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