Good morning. First, some new business with respect to the Capitol Calendar. Expect a new adjournment resolution today. Some background on the old one is here, and the general position of the legislature is explained as best I can here. Result: Today is legislative day 12. Legislative day 13 will not be until FEBRUARY 18th.
This week’s Courier Herald column: While it may seem paradoxical, the further we move into a session of the Georgia General Assembly, the less certain the outcome of major initiatives. The beginning of a meeting of the legislature is marked by definitive statements of priorities in media avails with key leaders, speeches at the annual
While the Georgia GOP is dividing itself into cults of personality and preparing for an internal knife fight, Democrats have found their consensus candidate to fill the unexpired term of Senator Johnny Isakson. The Reverend Raphael Warnock is now officially in. His introductory video says he’s ready: It remains to be seen if Senator Kelly
The following is a guest Op-Ed from House Appropriations Chairman Terry England. When I became House Appropriations Chairman in 2011, I thought digging our way out of the Great Recession would be our only big budget challenge. We worked hard to erase the damage caused by the recession. And by 2018 state revenues had grown
This week’s Courier Herald column: Much of what is done and not done in government has a common root or theme. It’s difficult to educate the public and keep a couple hundred citizen legislators on message on every technical matter considered for law or policy. Slogans are easier to remember than white papers. One of
Governor Brian Kemp’s office has sent word that Georgia has been named the top state for workforce development in the South Atlantic Region, according to Site Selection Magazine. Availability of qualified workers, and the state’s ability to train workers to meet demands, is often a key criteria in overall competitiveness rankings when publications like Site
This week’s Courier Herald column: There are two components that make up any budget. When most of us think of our budgets, we tend to focus on what we spend, as that’s often considered easier to change than our incomes. When legislators consider a budget, they’re charged with considering not just what is spent from
Good morning. As Teri noted in the Morning Reads, it is budget week in Georgia. For Legislators, borrowing a phrase from yesterday, it’s a week on, not a week off. This year in particular. To be charitable, there’s a bit of daylight between the Governor’s office and the legislature on the budget, and there are
Wild Hog, Family pictures during gaveling in, and Eggs and Issues are now in the rear view mirror. This morning at 11am, Governor Kemp will deliver the State of the State address. It’s the transition from the pageantry that opens the Georgia General Assembly session to the work that lies ahead. While Governor Kemp will
This morning some of us had to be dressed up and downtown for a program that started at 7:30am. I’m not bitter, just tired. To be honest, not a lot of news and fewer than normal tea leaves were provided with the now traditional Chick Fil A chicken biscuits. Governor Kemp mostly recapped successes of
