2020 Legislative Session Preview
Although our General Assembly is considered a “part-time” legislature, we were busy throughout the off-session season participating in numerous study committees appointed by House and Senate leadership, traveling our districts and hearing constituent concerns. Study Committee reports, required to be submitted by the end of December, are expected to result in the introduction of many bills related to healthcare, education, rural initiatives as well as ongoing discussions regarding our upcoming fiscal year budget. Georgia law also allows us to pre-file bills for the upcoming session the first week of November, meaning pre-session debate has officially begun. If you are interested in checking out what bills have been pre-filed, we encourage you to do so at the Georgia General Assembly website. Below I have outlined a few areas that will most likely be up for debate.
Healthcare
During the off session, many study committees tackled the issue of healthcare. Of our largest concerns, maternal mortality rates, mental healthcare, rural healthcare access as well as Medicaid expansion will be at the forefront of our discussions.
Agriculture
We expect a number of AG bills as this is our state’s largest industry and economic driver resulting in billions annually for our Georgia economy. Last year we saw the passage of the agricultural Hemp bill, which allows farmers to legally grow this crop under certain conditions. With any new legislation, there are always changes and tweaks in following years to correct unintended consequences or ambiguity in the original bill language. Therefore, we expect for this issue to come back as farmers look for additional resources and new crops to sustain their businesses.
Elections
In recent years, the Georgia Secretary of State’s office has been working to protect the integrity of our elections process. Over the last year, new voting machines have been tested and rolled out in communities across the state in hopes of updating our current voting process. As the last few elections have been contentious, and with the approaching presidential election, we expect to see a number of election and voting right laws brought forward.
Education
As our largest budget spend, the area of education is always subject to newly introduced legislation. We expect many bills regarding our educational systems such as school choice initiatives, workforce readiness, as well as, suggested changes to the Quality Basic Education Act.
Gaming/Sports betting
In recent years, the allowance of casino gaming and horse racing has been one of contention under the Gold Dome. Proponents of the legislation state that the additional tax revenue will be a positive for Georgia as an additional resource for needed money to support our growing population. While opposition points out that while the state may gain revenue, we will also see an uptick in crime, human trafficking as well as gambling addiction which in turn cancel out revenue gained. These discussions, while heated, are also very informative and with every piece of legislation set before us on the floor, it is imperative to understand all aspects of any bill which will ultimately change the landscape of our state.
Transportation and Infrastructure
Always an area of concern, we will revisit suggested improvements to our state’s infrastructure. Our Georgia ports have experienced record growth and while that is good news for our state, it also puts transportation and infrastructure at the forefront of policy discussion. As the landscape of Georgia continues to change, so must our efforts to improve the condition of our roadways and infrastructure. Streamlining transportation systems throughout the state will be of great importance as we discuss budgeting and future projects which will yield the most benefit for all Georgians, urban and rural.
Rural Initiatives
The House Rural Development Council continued to travel the state for the duration of 2019 to hear from local leaders and citizens on how to revitalize our less populated areas of the state. Our committee report was due at the end of December and we expect no shortage of bills regarding proposals to expanding healthcare options, broadband and economic development. While we have made tremendous progress in recent years, there is still much to be done in support of our rural communities.
While the above is a broad indicator of session hot topics, we will not be made aware of the Governor’s top priority until his State of the State address which will take place the first week of the legislative session. Governor Kemp will outline is top agenda items this year and we will get to work! If you are interested in a certain area of interest, we encourage you to visit state agency websites for more information. Agencies will often share their initiatives and legislative agenda for the upcoming session, also a great indicator of what we will be discussing.
