Sine Die Rundown

“In confusion, there is profit” – Lt J.G. Holden, Operation Petticoat

It’s Day 40, the lighting round for the Georgia General Assembly. Deals will be made, horses will be traded, and if there are any left, souls will be sold. There will be laughter, there will be tears, and in between, some legislation will be made.

This year may be somewhat anti-climatic. Most of the read meat bills are done. The budget has been finished for days, with the major line item that of giving teachers a $3,000 raise. They will be back for “more”. The heartbeat bill is passed, but the handmaidens will return in force. New voting machines have been authorized.

And yet, there is still business to be done.

As of this morning, there are actually only three bills with working conference committees. These are bills that have passed both the House & Senate with different terms, with both bodies sending negotiators to conference. They are:

SB 110: A bill to establish a state-wide business court.

HB 264: A bill that would require lobbyist disclosure for those representing Emergency Medical Systems Communications Programs.

HB 324: “Georgia’s Hope Act”, a/k/a, the Medical Marijuana Bill.

There remains unfinished business on transportation, as issues regarding airport takeover/oversight, rural transit, transitioning taxi/rideshare taxes from sales tax to a flat fee, and jet fuel taxes are currently in a jumbled mess.

The last major education issue left standing is HB 444, which will place limits on dual enrollment via new limitations on funding from the state. Any student taking more than 30 hours cumulative in high school would have future hours deducted from their HOPE eligibility.

Is this comprehensive? Heck no. There will be a lot of theater today, and a lot of confusion. But for some…there will be profit.