It is a lively episode of The Georgia Politics Podcast as Jeffrey sits down with Preston, Megan and Craig sit down to discuss the latest in Georgia politics.
To quick off the show the panel discuss the biggest piece of political news and its implications for Georgia â the passage of the American Recovery Act recently signed into law by President Biden. A little over $8 billion dollars is headed to Georgia in state and local funds and most Georgians will be receiving a $1,400 stimulus check in the coming days.
Under the Gold Dome the Georgia Legislature has officially crossed over, which means any bills that did not get passage out of one of the chambers (technically) must wait until next session for future consideration. The most notable bills are of course HB 531 and SB 241, both elections and voting related bills that crossed over without any Democratic support.
For an idea of just how busy the Vermont General Assembly is during crossover, here’s an in-depth look at the Senate Education Committee, chaired by state Sen. Brian Campion, D-Bennington.
State Reps. Philip Singleton, Marty Harbin and Rick Jasperse filed bills targeting transgender student-athletes.
Four anti-transgender bills – including three targeting student-athletes – stalled this week at the Gold Dome after failing to meet a key deadline, meaning they are likely dead for the legislative session.
LGBTQ activists cautioned that the bills could resurface as amendments to other legislation before lawmakers head home on March 31.
One of the anti-trans bills – Senate Bill 266 from Sen. Marty Harbin, a Republican from Tyrone – was on a fast-track for approval. But the Georgia Senate did not schedule it for a floor vote on Monday, which was Crossover Day. Bills are dead for the session if they don’t pass one chamber of the General Assembly by then.
Mar 12, 2021
At a rally for Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff on Dec. 14, 8-year-old Hamilton Dickey holds a sign that reads, future voter. Riley Bunch
ATLANTA â As Republicans move to upend Georgiaâs election laws, progressive voter organizers are looking at a new electorate that âbodes well for the future of Georgiaâs elections.
When Democrats won both U.S. Senate seats in Georgia and President Joe Biden carried the state, many were shocked but voter engagement gurus quickly suggested the Democratic successes did not happen overnight. And after the 2020 election cycle, they said, the work is far from finished.