2021 Georgia Legislative Session Begins
Lawmakers convened for the 156th session of the Georgia General Assembly on Monday with signs of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic all around. Masks are mandatory in both the House and Senate chambers, and legislators and staff will be tested twice weekly in an effort to curb spread of the virus under the Gold Dome. Committee rooms will be arranged to facilitate social distancing.
The state’s 56 senators, including many newly elected policymakers, took their oath of office and adopted the chamber’s rules for the 2021 session. An announcement identifying new chairs of the Senate Education and Youth Committee and the Senate Retirement Committee is expected in coming days.
In the House, 180 representatives also took their oath of office. Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) was confirmed as Speaker of the House for his 11th year. A new chair of the House Retirement Committee will soon be selected. PAGE will update readers when new committee chairs are announced.
Fiscal Year 2022 Budget
Gov. Brian Kemp will address the General Assembly on Thursday. His State of the State remarks are expected to reference his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2022 and amendments to the FY 2021 budget. Both legislative chambers will commence examination of budget proposals next week during joint hearings of the House and Senate Appropriations committees.
Calendar Set for First Two Weeks
The House approved the following calendar for the first two weeks of the legislative session:
Tuesday, Jan. 12 – Legislative Day 2
Wednesday, Jan. 13 – Legislative Day 3
Thursday, Jan. 14 – Legislative Day 4
Legislators will meet for budget hearings throughout the week following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 18, and will reconvene for Legislative Day 5 on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
PAGE Communications Update
PAGE is excited to launch a new website for legislative affairs which we hope will serve as a valuable resource allowing our members to stay informed on legislative updates, reports, and other pertinent information. The detailed PAGE Capitol Report will be published in blog format on this website. Readers subscribed to the PAGE Capitol Report Constant Contact list will receive a daily e-mail with highlights from the day and a link to the full report. Subscribers will also receive a weekly email recapping the reports published that week.
The new PAGE legislative website will house bill analyses, survey reports, and other resources developed by the PAGE legislative team as well as videos recorded throughout the legislative session.