Editor’s note: We will have full coverage of all the Sine Die action in Monday morning’s newsletter
The last day of the General Assembly session— Sine Die— is today. But the action probably can’t top Wednesday’s activity highlighted by rapid-fire, basically party-line votes resulting in Republican wins to ban divisive diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) teachings in schools and permitting President Donald Trump and his Georgia allies to recoup legal fees resulting from Fulton County DA Fani Willis’ indictments and prosecutions.
Wednesday also marked an historic, consequential victory: Both GOP-controlled houses of the General Assembly passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Senate Bill 36, to safeguard religious freedom for Christians and various faith-based groups complaining of state-sponsored persecution.
A media release by the Faith and Freedom Coalition, headed nationally by Georgian Ralph Reed, tells the story:
“Our fight to protect religious freedom in Georgia spans more than a decade. The federal government and 39 other states have these vital protections, and Georgia is poised to become the 40th. The boldness shown by Lt. Governor (Burt) Jones and House Speaker (Jon) Burns clearly shows their commitment to standing for our values. The Senate Republicans led the way, passing these vital protections numerous times, and the House Republican Caucus stood strong in the face of baseless attacks and immense pressure from radical left activists and groups.”
Ninety-nine representatives voted “yes” along with 32 senators. You can see the House and Senate vote results HERE and Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign it into law.
As for Sine Die, the top item – as seemingly always comes down to Sine Die – is the budget. The only thing the legislature is legally obligated to do is often among the last things they do. The House and Senate have each passed their own versions of the budget but the reconciliation is coming down to the last minute. Among the roadblocks is a new voucher program for private and home schools. The Senate allotted a whopping $141 million for the program but the House limited it to $46 million. The Senate funding would allow for more than 21,000 vouchers at $6,500 per voucher, but the House amount limits the program to approximately 7,000.
Another bill to watch is HB 397, an election laws bill that would remove the State Election Board from oversight by the Secretary of State. The Board would then have independent control over investigative reports. Among some other items in the bill, it would also prohibit absentee ballot drop-offs after the advance voting period, it also removes the state from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). ERIC is a non-profit that aims to assist states in improving the accuracy of their voter rolls. Secretary of State Raffensperger argues that the system helps the state maintain more accurate voter rolls but other Republicans are suspicious of any third-party system having access to voter rolls.
Lastly, HB 127, a bill that started in January as an effort to raise teacher and school employee’s sick days from three to five days. On its journey through the Gold Dome, that part got dropped and a bill that would ban DEI in the state’s schools that did not pass before Crossover Day was dropped in. The new bill would cut funding for nearly every school in the state, including universities, that have programs and activities that advocate for DEI. That funding cut could extend to student scholarships and grants for students as well. Despite strenuous objections from state senate Democrats, 20 amendments and numerous motions to block the bill, Republicans still passed the bill. The Senate did make some changes and those will have to be resolved Friday but seemingly unanimous support from Republicans make it likely for passage on Sine Die.
Numerous other bills remain in play before lawmakers leave for home on Saturday, and high-profile ones include legislation increasing the potency of medical marijuana, several new election-related changes (including the banning of QR codes on ballots), new rules on speed cameras in school zones and approval of a $37 billion state budget for the new fiscal year.
