Georgia's legislative session enters its final days this week with significant work left undone. The $38 billion state budget for 2027, the only thing the General Assembly is constitutionally required to pass, remains caught in negotiations between the House and Senate.
Governor Brian Kemp says the process is normal. "You normally don't pass the budget until the last day of the session," Kemp said Monday. "I know the House and Senate were working on that all weekend."
The Senate Rules Committee passed out nearly 100 bills for the final two days, including measures to reduce income taxes, require weapon detectors in public schools, and ban foreign nationals from contributing to political campaigns.
House Speaker Jon Burns' literacy bill, which he calls his "No. 1 issue," can now get a Senate vote. The bill aims to address Georgia's struggling reading scores with new standards and interventions.
