GA Legislative Watch | Week Two

January 21, 2023
Friendly Amendment, GLW, In the News

GA Legislative Watch

By Molly Mcloughlin & Rebecca Wallace ● Jan 21, 2023
Smart Brevity™ count: 5 mins…1,325 words

It’s the week two wrap up, when it was all about the money.

The big picture: Last year’s drop in the stock market will have a huge impact on state finances, according to UGA economist Jeffrey Dorfman. The hit will come as Georgians file their income tax returns.

The state could see a $3 billion drop from last year in revenue from capital gains taxes.

New name badges for legislators under the gold dome

One fun thing: We’re not sure if the name badge printer ran out of red ink or if House members just wanted a change, but what was once red is gold instead. We like the gold.

There were no days in session since it was budget week. Monday will be Day 5. Download the calendar here.

1 big thing: healthcare spending

Health spending could increase within the Georgia state budget

Budget week included a look at spending in education, transit, workforce development, and technology advancements, but healthcare spending took center stage.

By the numbers. Kemp is proposing:

$200M+ for two programs to get more Georgians on health insurance and at a lower cost.
$Millions for additional mental health and substance abuse crisis centers and mobile teams.
$1B for the State Health Benefit Plan — which provides coverage to more than 600K teachers, state employees, retirees and their dependents — to address potential future deficits.

Medicaid expansion may finally happen for at least some of the uninsured adults Georgia GOP leaders have resisted serving. Kemp is pushing to expand Medicaid to those who meet certain work or engagement requirements. He won backing for it in court and the Biden administration didn’t appeal.

Why it matters: Georgia may become the first state to have work requirements for Medicaid coverage.

Yes, but: In April, for the first time since the pandemic began, states will resume dropping people from Medicaid rolls once they no longer qualify. (Throughout the pandemic, anyone who qualified once was allowed to stay.)

The DHS budget includes $8M+ for costs related to eligibility screening, or “unwinding.”

No more Obamacare. Kemp won a waiver from the Trump administration for the Affordable Care Act in order to block Georgians from shopping on healthcare.gov, and substituting it with a state-based marketplace exchange that would promote private insurance companies and agents. Mostly suspended by the Biden administration, parts of it may move forward.

2. The governor’s budget proposals

Other Kemp budget items introduced include: increases for schools, $61M in funding for HOPE, state employee pay raises, income tax rebates, and an extra one-time, homeowners tax exemption of $20,000, saving Georgians an average of $500.

He also wants $130M in job training for the electric-vehicle industry and $167M for regional business assistance grants.
Zoom in: The HOPE bump is small among other proposed increases, but the goal is to restore the original promise for the scholarship to pay 100% of tuition, and it’s gotten broad bipartisan praise at the Capitol.

Go deeper.

Speaker Burns has spoken. In his first news conference Thursday, he gave a peek into his stance on several hot ticket issues.

On abortion: He wants to “wait and see” how the Georgia Supreme Court rules before endorsing new restrictions, but ensured the chamber would be proactive on social issues.
On sports betting and elections runoff overhaul, he’s not ready to show his cards but he’ll lean on Republican lawmakers as the session moves forward to help shape his policy.
On Buckhead cityhood, he won’t back the effort but didn’t back away either: “We all are entitled to feel safe in our homes and where we live in this state… I believe that Gov. Kemp and Mayor Dickens have taken steps to provide public safety enhancements to the city.”
Lastly, he supports a limited Medicaid expansion tied to workforce and other requirements proposed by Kemp; a hard no on full expansion.

3. In other political news . . .

Let the games begin. Former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton says a constitutional amendment isn’t needed to legalize online sports betting and could be an extension of the lottery.

Why it matters: Prior to leading the state’s highest court, Melton served as a staff attorney in the AG’s office and helped write the charter to create the Georgia Lottery.

🌍 Gov. Kemp’s political profile is going global.

A surprise to many, Kemp attended the elite World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Calling it a “one stop shop,” he pitched investing in our state to influential corporate leaders from Visa, Hyundai, Cisco and others.
What they’re saying: “We saw you a lot on TV all over the world over the last election,” said Norwegian diplomat Borge Brende when introducing Kemp.

No rooms at the inn. Department of Family and Children Services Commissioner Candice Broce pledged before the legislature to end the practice of housing Georgia’s foster children in hotels.

Driving the news: Testifying before the Joint Appropriations Committee, Broce shared that with 10k+ children in foster care, the demand far exceeds supply for complex children placement. Every night 50-70 children will sleep in a DFACS office or hotel.
“This session we will offer legislation to . . . better serve vulnerable families, keep more families safely intact and bolster our efforts to eliminate hoteling,” Broce said to lawmakers.
By the numbers: According to Broce, the Department of Human Services spends an average of $1500/night/child for hoteling, compared to roughly $100/day for a typical per diem.

Georgia’s 10 HBCUs and their surrounding neighborhoods could greatly benefit from coordinated planning districts, according to a report by a Senate study committee.

Details: If the state invested in these districts, all historically black colleges and universities could work with local, state, and federal leaders plus private partners to secure funding for and develop projects. Go deeper.

Of all the U.S. presidents who have come to Ebenezer Baptist Church to pay homage to MLK, none before President Biden have spoken from the pulpit, further demonstrating Georgia’s prominence in the national political landscape.

Our thought bubble: Democrats hope the appearance reflects Biden’s interest in moving up Georgia’s presidential primary and hosting the DNC here in 2024.

MTG finally gets committee time. Three members of Georgia’s U.S. Congressional delegation were appointed to House Committees:

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to both Oversight and Accountability and Homeland Security;
U.S. Rep. Rick McCormick, a former Marine, to the House Armed Services; and
trucking company owner, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins to Transportation, Science & Technology, and Natural Resources.

4. House leadership changes

Several notable changes in House committee leadership were announced:

Rep. Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro) will lead Speaker Burn’s newly created Special Committee on Healthcare to manage and coordinate health care policy.
Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs) will return to chairing the MARTA Overview Committee replacing Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Atlanta), who was appointed by Speaker Ralston two years ago as a sign of bipartisanship.
Rep. Brian Prince (D-Augusta) will be the only member of his party to chair a House committee as he takes the reins of Urban Affairs.

First time leaders include:

Rep. John LaHood (R-Valdosta), Chair of Government Affairs
Rep. Chris Erwin (R-Homer), Chair of Education
Rep. Tyler Paul Smith (R-Bremen), Chair of Judiciary Non-Civil

The two most powerful committees will remain under the same leadership with Rep. Richard Smith (R-Columbus) as Chair of Rules and Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) as Chair of Ways and Means.

Go deeper.