On January 10, the Georgia General Assembly met for the 2022 legislative session. As this is the second year of the legislature, all legislation not passed in 2021 has been carried over to this year and many bills are still awaiting implementation.
In recent years, Georgia has emerged as a battleground state, putting it in a unique position ahead of the 2022 legislature. As a contested election year looms over the Gold Dome, expect politics to seep into most of the issues discussed. Now that Stacey Abrams has officially announced her intention to run as the Democratic nominee for governor, you can expect to see a significant amount of money and attention in the state this year. As if that weren’t enough, former US Senator David Perdue is filing an intrapartisan principal lawsuit against incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
Perdue is one of four national candidates already endorsed by former President Donald Trump; Other supported candidates include: Herschel Walker, former University of Georgia football star, US Senate candidate; current state Sen. Burt Jones seeking Lieutenant Governor’s chair; and US Rep. Jody Hice, who is vying to replace Brad Raffensperger as Secretary of State.
Election year politics can be difficult to predict as all candidates seek to cement their presence with voters and their own political party base. With these challenges in mind, here are some of the issues that will be at the forefront of the 2022 legislature in Georgia.
budget
As the sole constitutional duty of the General Assembly of Georgia, the budget always comes first. Unlike many countries, Georgia is fortunate to have a substantial surplus of around $2.2 billion.
Last week, in his annual state of the state, Gov. Kemp announced several budget stimuli, including a $2,000 salary increase for teachers and $5,000 for state employees, and full funding for Georgia’s Quality Basic Education Formula (QBE). As part of his proposal, the governor also announced a $1.6 billion tax refund plan to return some of the excess money to Georgia taxpayers. Under the proposal, taxpayers would receive a one-time rebate of $250 for individual filers and $500 for joint filers.
Governor Kemp stated, “I believe that if the government takes in more money than it needs, excess funds should be sent back to the hard-working men and women who move our state forward…because that’s your money, not the government’s.”
Before workers and taxpayers can start counting their coffers, these proposals must be approved by the General Assembly. That work begins in earnest this week, during what’s commonly referred to as “Budget Week,” when lawmakers begin work to make mid-year adjustments to the 2022 budget and allocate funds for fiscal 2023, which begins July 1.
tax policy
Another proposal with budgetary implications, which is likely to be a topic of discussion this year, would eliminate the state income tax. Proponents argue that it’s important to compete with neighboring states that don’t tax personal income. Despite the proposals, few revenue alternatives have been offered to fill the budget gaps that the abolition of the tax would create.
In recent years, Georgia has earned a reputation as one of the most business-friendly states, with a robust set of incentives on the books to attract businesses. Proof of this is the recent announcement that electric vehicle company Rivian is moving its headquarters to the state with a $5 billion investment — the largest single economic development project in state history. During this election year, expect lawmakers to take a close look at the stimulus currently on the books, trying to determine the state’s profitability for each one.
education
Along with Gov. Kemp’s proposal to fully fund QBE and give teachers a pay rise, hot-button topics expected in education this year include Critical Race Theory (CRT), transgender student participation in sports and the presence of “obscene” materials in schools.
Since the end of last year’s legislature, the national media has talked extensively about CRT. With legislative proposals already tabled in the first week of the 2022 session, a ban on CRT will certainly be considered this year.
Additionally, in his State of the State address, Gov. Kemp referred to the need for “fairness in school sports” and signaled that there might be some interest in legislation to ban transgender girls from participating in girls’ sports teams. Bills were introduced in the House and Senate last year but failed to gain significant traction.
Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones also signaled that she would support a proposal to ban “obscene” books from libraries. According to Jones, the proposal will seek “to create a fair and consistent process to address educators who use poor judgment or intentionally expose students to inappropriate materials.”
Play
The issue of gambling has been a topic of conversation under the golden dome of lawmakers for years. This year is expected to be no different as House Speaker David Ralston signals he’s ready to give voters the power to decide Georgia gambling.
Meanwhile, gaming advocates have worked together as part of the Coalition for Casino Gaming to speak up for the economic benefits that destination resorts will bring to Georgia. Tax revenues from destinations could be used to fund the HOPE grant, a need-based grant program, as well as rural health care, broadband rollout and more.
Last year, the Georgia General Assembly almost passed a sports betting proposal. While the issue is still alive, a proposal to lift the state’s ban on all forms of gambling is also being discussed. That proposal would require a constitutional amendment at the November 2022 vote to allow voters to decide whether gambling should be allowed in the state.
healthcare
Healthcare will be a focus of the Georgia General Assembly this year. Ahead of the start of the legislature, a bipartisan group of lawmakers held a press conference proclaiming 2022 the “Year of Mental Health.” Legislators are expected to focus on parity in relation to mental health co-payments. Spokesman Ralston pledged support for additional funds and sleeping arrangements to be allocated to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. In addition, Democrats introduced legislation to address inmate mental health issues.
In addition to mental health, Gov. Kemp must decide how to move forward with his health plan, The Patients First Act. The law was passed in 2019, but the Biden administration has since blocked a provision on labor requirements, claiming the COVID-19 pandemic will “significantly impair” the program’s effectiveness. The remainder of the waiver proposal was allowed to move forward. Democrats have spent years urging the state to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, claiming it would cost the state less to care for more people. However, Republicans have resisted calls to expand Medicaid, claiming that it is too costly for the state to sustain over the long term.
Buckhead City
A rather unique issue is likely to draw a lot of attention in this legislature and among candidates for statewide office: the proposal to create Buckhead City. The proposal, first presented at the end of the 2021 session and called for by some residents in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood, would create a new city in Fulton County.
Proponents of the proposal claim Atlanta City Hall is not providing the appropriate response to rising crime rates. While the issue is expected to gain some traction this session, it also raises concerns for Republican leaders and faces a number of potential legal challenges, such as the constitutionality of the city of Atlanta’s deannexation to become a new city ( a first in the history of Georgia). Additionally, the proposal comes from a group of lawmakers who do not live in or represent the Buckhead area, and if put on the ballot, only residents of the new town would vote on the proposal. In response, Buckhead officials have introduced legislation that would allow the creation of the new city if all Atlanta voters approve the measure by at least 57.5 percent.
Republicans appear to be divided on the Buckhead issue. Last week, Lt. gov. Duncan referred a pro-Buckhead proposal to a Democratic-majority committee in hopes the bill won’t gain additional traction.
During this election year, a number of other attention-grabbing issues could find their way into discussions under the Gold Dome, including the constitutional treaty, which won the governor’s endorsement, and further electoral reforms from lawmakers who think last year’s changes won’t go far enough have gone .
While the topics of discussion may be difficult to predict, some things are sure to weigh on the legislature. Qualifying week to register to stand as a candidate in the 2022 general election will take place in the second week of March. In addition, elected state officials and members of the Georgia General Assembly may not raise funds while the legislature is still convening. Given these facts, expect the AGM to be adjourned in late March or early April to allow members to resume fundraising and prepare for the May 24 primary.
