Like the U.S. government, Georgia also has a House of Representatives and a Senate. There is also an executive branch headed by the governor. States have power over policies regarding guns, abortion, prisons, sentencing, public universities, environmental regulations, Medicaid eligibility, and more. And it puts state spending per Georgian at about $3,200.
Georgia state lawmakers are meeting in Atlanta for the 2024 legislative session. Here's how the legislative process works under the Gold Dome.
The Georgia House and Senate meet for 40 business days at the beginning of each year at the state Capitol in Atlanta. Together with the governor, they can set the budget and enact, amend, and repeal laws. They are a bit like the U.S. Congress, but only for the state of Georgia.
Inside, the 56-member state Senate meets in this room. Across the hall, 180 members of the House of Representatives gather. In even-numbered years, all 236 seats are up for election.
The budget for the year starting July 1 is expected to be about $36 billion, most of which will go to education and health care.
The state Legislature, pictured here, releases their own budgets, as does the state Senate and the governor. Because Georgia cannot borrow money to operate like the federal government, the three parties must agree on a budget each year and it must be balanced.
By now, this explanation should be familiar to you from civics classes. But your class may be missing important influences such as appointment power, party discipline, and lobbying.
These three are the most powerful men in state politics, and all are currently Republicans. All three must be favorable to the bill, or at least neutral, for it to become law. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected by statewide vote.
Gov. Brian Kemp, the central figure, can veto bills and budget proposals. His appointees and employers run state agencies. Most agency bosses answer only to the governor, and the budget reflects the governor's priorities.
Lt. Gov. Bert Jones, on the right, presides over the state Senate and has the power to decide which bills come to the Senate floor for a vote, either through his own decisions or those of allies he can appoint to committees. ing. Jones was also a fake Republican elector who tried to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results.
Speaker John G. Burns (left) has similar powers in his own chamber. and any tax and spending bill must begin in his chamber. He is elected to the position by a vote of the House of Representatives, but he is elected from his district.
The idea of each party checking the other doesn't work in the Georgia State Capitol. There is a Republican governor, and Republicans hold majorities in both chambers.
Democrats have informal checks such as media attention, and press conferences like this one convened by House Democrats draw reporters from the Capitol. However, their formal authority is limited.
That was the case for most of the 21st century, when elections and Democratic defections in the early 2000s gave Republicans the power to invade the governor's office and take control of the state House and state Senate.
Democrats were in charge for most of the 20th century, until the Deep South's party alignment aligned with the rest of the country and the Republican Party became a conservative stronghold.
If Republicans in the Georgia General Assembly unite, they can pass the bill without a single Democratic vote. But with the Republican majority shrinking, opposition from just a few Republicans could kill the bill.
Blocking a bill can be just as much a show of power as passing a bill.
for example, A small number of Republican skeptics They have so far undermined their party's efforts to issue public funds to parents to spend on private schools. Few Democrats support this idea, and even some Republicans say they don't believe in fundamental changes in education, especially when they represent private schools or school districts that don't have a strong property tax base for schools. I'm skeptical.
There are about 4. 6 state lobbyists for each representative.
Lobbyists may draft bills and push lawmakers to pass them, advise on pending bills, try to repeal bills, or complain about existing laws or taxes. Or maybe you just keep relationships warm through donations, food and drinks, receptions, prizes, etc. Flattery is cheap and plentiful.
The largest lobbying groups come from chambers of commerce, power companies, utility companies, telecommunications companies, Delta Air Lines, Google and Meta, hospitals, trial lawyers, and auto dealers. Twin Pines Minerals is also there. That's the company seeking permission to mine titanium dioxide near the Okefenokee Swamp. The composition of lobbyists primarily reflects the industries that Georgia regulates.
Like reporters and voters, some lobbyists hang out in the halls, looking to shake hands and exchange words. The spot in front of the Speaker's Office is popular.
Some lobbyists are full-time employees. There are also independent lobbyists who have many clients.about 4,500 organizations and companies Approximately 1,100 lobbyists are represented.
Lobbyist reports Approximately $1 million in expenses In 2022, the funds will be provided for meals, gifts, etc. to members of Congress, their spouses, and staff. This equates to about $4,200 per lawmaker.
All legislation is formally drafted behind these doors by nonpartisan staff attorneys in the Office of Legislative Counsel. As we learned in civics class, legislators really bring ideas to the legislative counselors.
But sometimes MPs come with bills provided by “friends in the room” that can be copied and pasted.
Lawmakers introduced about 2,000 bills during their two-year term ending in 2022. About 600 people were sent to the governor's desk.
Sometimes, a lawmaker introduces a bill even though they know it won't pass in order to get on the record about the topic.
But most bills that come to the floor of the state House or Senate pass with bipartisan majorities. That's because the bill simply tweaks something that already exists and is incontrovertible, such as occupational licensing rules.
When a lawmaker introduces a bill, the speaker of the House or the lieutenant governor assigns it to a small group of lawmakers, a standing committee that deals with a specific topic, such as education or health. The committee chairs, almost all Republicans, set the dates for the hearings.
Most bills are never debated. If the chairperson doesn't want to hear the bill, it's already over.
Committees often edit bills. Each has a bipartisan staff attorney taking notes and drafting amendments. Fixes can be minor and technical. Several bills a year are “watered down” at the last minute. That is, the original content is cut out in committee and replaced with irrelevant ideas from more powerful legislators.
Anyone can observe the public hearing. Additionally, some committee chairs may solicit public comment.
In practice, however, committee testimony is typically conducted by lobbyists or friendly guests rather than members of the public.
This process makes it difficult for the public to participate.legislative committee agenda If it's announced, you'll probably be notified a day or two in advance. Therefore, the insiders watching in the halls are almost the only ones who have enough notice and warning to organize testimony.
Only certain topics generate headlines, fundraising emails, lawsuits, and social media drama and outrage (fake or not). They are fundamental changes and highly political topics like private school vouchers, abortion, gun control, and Confederate monuments.
For example, consider the process for the 8-foot fence around the Capitol. The fence protects the building and its symbols, including the Georgia statue. Ku Klux Klan leaderformer governor and Confederate General John B. Gordon.
Kemp and his friends approved funding The fence was erected in response to the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. Protesters appeared on the public lawn demanding the removal of the Gordon statue.
Democrats at the time decried the new fence as fortress-like and intimidating. Republicans said it was a simple security decision.
While the Capitol can seem unintelligible, unresponsive, or locked down, it's also true that lawmakers are usually attentive to calls and emails from constituents. They may not get your attention right away, especially on busy days at the Capitol, which often spends weeks in Atlanta. time.
However, phone calls, email, and social media are effective ways to generate comments. Some members of Congress publish their personal cell phone numbers and answer their own calls. It's okay to request a meeting, especially when Congress is in session and members are returning home. After all, lobbyists are the ones who do it.
Search for the name of your state representative. georgia my voters page. Log in and scroll to the bottom to “My District and Elected Officials.”
That page provides a link to the congressman's official bio and contact information. You can also look it up on the internet. Many are on social media or publish newsletters.
The state capitol also serves as a small state museum, where the stuffed head of a two-headed calf born in Palmetto in 1987 is on display. Generations of Georgia students tend to remember nothing about field trips to the Capitol other than that popular curiosity.
There is certainly more going on under the Gold Dome than what is taught in school.
related
