Latest news with #HouseBill136
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia 2025 legislative session ends with an early exit
Georgia's 2025 legislative session came to an early end Friday, with senators adjourning abruptly and much earlier than usual and House members exiting a short time later. The early departure meant some high-profile issues didn't make it over the finish line this year to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk. Lawmakers did agree Friday to grant a new $250 state income tax credit to parents of children age 5 and under. And some top proposals won final passage earlier, including Kemp's effort to limit lawsuits and a school safety bill that came as a response to last year's shooting at Apalachee High School. Lawmakers also already agreed to income tax cuts and rebates. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] But the Senate left as the House was debating more changes to a proposal to regulate how automated speed enforcement cameras work in school zones. And it had become increasingly clear as the day went on that some other hot-button issues were languishing, including an effort to ban diversity efforts in public schools and colleges, Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones' push to establish more legislative control over agencies and a bill to change election laws. Measures that don't pass Friday could be considered again next year because 2025 is the first year of a two-year session. TRENDING STORIES: Deputies looking for missing teen last seen at Paulding County high school Dekalb County Police officer hurt, several others injured in serious crash The first 404 Day Parade marches to success on 405 Jones said after the Senate ended business just after 9 p.m. that he and senators had been building toward an early exit. 'We'd already gotten our priorities done,' he told reporters. House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican from Newington, though, said he was displeased that the Senate left while the House was still trying to make a few more changes to bills. 'It appears that the Senate has checked all their priorities, all their political priorities, and decided to end their night early instead of finishing their work on behalf of the people we represent,' Burns told House members. Here's a look at where legislation ended up Friday. CHILD TAX CREDIT: Parents of children age 5 and under could claim a $250 state income tax credit under House Bill 136, which also expands the state income tax credit for child care expenses. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: State and local governments wouldn't be able to 'substantially burden' a person's religious freedom under Senate Bill 36, but opponents say it would enable discrimination. Kemp signed the measure Friday. INCOME TAXES: An already-planned state income tax cut will be accelerated under House Bill 111, giving the state a flat 5.19% income tax rate retroactive to Jan. 1. And Georgians will get income tax rebates between $250 and $500 under House Bill 112. HURRICANE AID: House and Senate members agreed to spend more than $850 million on aid after Hurricane Helene did billions of dollars of damage in Georgia in September. LAWSUIT LIMITS: Senate Bill 68 would make it harder to bring lawsuits and win large verdicts while Senate Bill 69 limits who can finance lawsuits. SCHOOL CELLPHONES: Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade would be banned from using cellphones during the school day under House Bill 340. TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: Both Senate Bill 1 would ban transgender girls and women from playing girls' and women's sports, while Senate Bill 185 would ban the state from paying for gender-affirming care for prisoners. AMERICA FIRST LICENSE PLACE: Senate Bill 291 would create an America First license plate for Georgia vehicles. DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION: Georgia's public schools and colleges would have been banned from having any programs or activities advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion under House Bill 127. SPEED ZONE CAMERAS: Georgia would have either banned automated speed enforcement cameras in school zones under House Bill 225 or further regulated them under House Bill 651. REGULATION RESTRICTION: Senate Bill 28 would have given lawmakers more oversight over regulations created by state agencies. IMMIGRATION: Senate Bill 21 would have removed legal protections and let people sue governments and government officials who don't follow Georgia laws requiring cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. ELECTIONS: Georgia's secretary of state would have been required to leave a bipartisan group letting officials share data to keep voter rolls accurate under House Bill 397 and Senate Bill 175. PUBLIC RECORDS: A discarded version of Senate Bill 12 would have exempted Georgia state legislators and police departments from some requirements to disclose public records. LIBRARY CRIMES: Librarians in public libraries, K-12 schools and colleges could have faced prosecution for providing sexually explicit materials to minors under House Bill 483. GUN TAX BREAKS: House Bill 79 would have offered a four-day sales tax holiday on guns, ammunition and safety devices, while offering income tax credits of up to $300 for paying for gun safety courses. CLARENCE THOMAS STATUE: The state would have put up a privately financed statue of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Georgia native under House Bill 254. ELECTED OFFICIAL PAY: Lawmakers abandoned a proposal to increase pay for statewide elected officials including paying Gov. Brian Kemp $250,000 a year. SPORTS BETTING: Georgians would have gotten a chance in 2026 to vote on a state constitutional amendment authorizing sports gambling under House Resolution 450. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SINE DIE: Senate adjourns early as last day of Georgia legislative session comes to an end
The final day of the Georgia legislative has come to an end. The budget is the only thing state leaders were required to do this legislative session, and that nearly $38 billion budget was passed earlier in the day Friday. 'We are very thankful that you have yet again delivered a historic session for the people of Georgia,' Kemp told lawmakers. The Senate surprised everyone by adjourning around 9:15 p.m., while the House remained in session to finish its work. Afterwards, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones told Channel 2's Richard Elliot that he'd been planning to Sine Die the Senate early. RELATED STORIES: Kemp signs religious freedom bill into law as lawmakers scramble to get bill passed Lawmakers pass state budget with just hours left in legislative season Bill to fund historic battlefield preservation in Georgia heads to governor's desk Georgia lawmakers agree on school safety bill after Apalachee High School shooting 'We had all our priorities done and I've been saying all day, of course, I been leading up the last two days that we're going to adjourn early,' Jones said. On Friday morning, Kemp signed the controversial religious liberty bill into law to protect, he says, people of faith from unwarranted government intrusion. 'I think it's a commonsense piece of legislation that mirrors what the vast majority of states in the United States have done,' Kemp said. But Democrats insist that without an underlying civil rights law, which Georgia doesn't have, the bill gives people a license to discriminate. 'At the end of the day, those who will bear the brunt of this are not those in the majority. It'll be us, people in the religious minority,' state Rep. Ruwa Romman. The governor now has 40 days to sign or veto all the bills passed by both chambers. Here is a look at what bills have passed and which ones did not: Passed CHILD TAX CREDIT: Parents of children age 5 and under could claim a $250 state income tax credit under House Bill 136, which also expands the state income tax credit for child care expenses. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: State and local governments wouldn't be able to 'substantially burden' a person's religious freedom under Senate Bill 36, but opponents say it would enable discrimination. Kemp signed the measure Friday. INCOME TAXES: An already-planned state income tax cut will be accelerated under House Bill 111, giving the state a flat 5.19% income tax rate retroactive to Jan. 1. And Georgians will get income tax rebates between $250 and $500 under House Bill 112. HURRICANE AID: House and Senate members agreed to spend more than $850 million on aid after Hurricane Helene did billions of dollars of damage in Georgia in September. LAWSUIT LIMITS: Senate Bill 68 would make it harder to bring lawsuits and win large verdicts while Senate Bill 69 limits who can finance lawsuits. SCHOOL CELLPHONES: Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade would be banned from using cellphones during the school day under House Bill 340. TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: Both Senate Bill 1 would ban transgender girls and women from playing girls' and women's sports, while Senate Bill 185 would ban the state from paying for gender-affirming care for prisoners. AMERICA FIRST LICENSE PLACE: Senate Bill 291 would create an America First license plate for Georgia vehicles. Did not pass PUBLIC RECORDS: A discarded version of Senate Bill 12 would have exempted Georgia state legislators and police departments from some requirements to disclose public records. LIBRARY CRIMES: Librarians in public libraries, K-12 schools and colleges could have faced prosecution for providing sexually explicit materials to minors under House Bill 483. GUN TAX BREAKS: House Bill 79 would have offered a four-day sales tax holiday on guns, ammunition and safety devices, while offering income tax credits of up to $300 for paying for gun safety courses. CLARENCE THOMAS STATUE: The state would have put up a privately financed statue of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Georgia native under House Bill 254. ELECTED OFFICIAL PAY: Lawmakers abandoned a proposal to increase pay for statewide elected officials including paying Gov. Brian Kemp $250,000 a year. SPORTS BETTING: Georgians would have gotten a chance in 2026 to vote on a state constitutional amendment authorizing sports gambling under House Resolution 450. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers pass state budget with just hours left in legislative season
Lawmakers have passed the state budget as they hurry to get their bills passed on the last day of the legislative season. Under Georgia law, the General Assembly is required to pass a budget each year. Channel 2's Richard Elliot has been at the State Capitol all day. He said that both chambers reached an agreement Friday morning after Gov. Brian Kemp boosted his tax revenue estimate by $50 million. This year's budget comes in at about $37.7 billion. Here is a look at several of the bills that have already passed: CHILD TAX CREDIT: Parents of children age 5 and under could claim a $250 state income tax credit under House Bill 136, which also expands the state income tax credit for child care expenses. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: State and local governments wouldn't be able to 'substantially burden' a person's religious freedom under Senate Bill 36, but opponents say it would enable discrimination. Kemp signed the measure Friday. INCOME TAXES: An already-planned state income tax cut will be accelerated under House Bill 111, giving the state a flat 5.19% income tax rate retroactive to Jan. 1. And Georgians will get income tax rebates between $250 and $500 under House Bill 112. HURRICANE AID: House and Senate members agreed to spend more than $850 million on aid after Hurricane Helene did billions of dollars of damage in Georgia in September. LAWSUIT LIMITS: Senate Bill 68 would make it harder to bring lawsuits and win large verdicts while Senate Bill 69 limits who can finance lawsuits. SCHOOL CELLPHONES: Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade would be banned from using cellphones during the school day under House Bill 340. TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: Both Senate Bill 1 would ban transgender girls and women from playing girls' and women's sports, while Senate Bill 185 would ban the state from paying for gender-affirming care for prisoners. AMERICA FIRST LICENSE PLACE: Senate Bill 291 would create an America First license plate for Georgia vehicles. The Associated Press contributed to this article. RELATED STORIES: Sine Die: 3 things to know about the end of Georgia legislative session Gov. Kemp signs religious freedom bill into law Bill to fund historic battlefield preservation in Georgia heads to governor's desk Georgia lawmakers agree on school safety bill after Apalachee High School shooting
Associated Press
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Georgia lawmakers spurn DEI ban and consider sports betting at deadline
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers still have many decisions ahead on Friday, the last day of their 2025 legislative session. They could agree to ban diversity efforts in public schools and colleges, change how automated speed enforcement cameras work in school zones, and grant a new $250 state income tax credit for parents of children age 5 and under. It's the last day for legislation to pass the General Assembly and go to Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature or veto. Some top proposals won final passage earlier, including Kemp's effort to limit lawsuits and a school safety bill that came as a response to last year's shooting at Apalachee High School. Lawmakers also already agreed to income tax cuts and rebates. Measures that don't pass Friday could be considered again next year because 2025 is the first year of a two-year session. Awaiting action Friday DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION: Georgia's public schools and colleges would be banned from having any programs or activities that advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion under House Bill 127. SPEED ZONE CAMERAS: Georgia would either ban automated speed enforcement cameras in school zones under House Bill 225 or further regulate them under House Bill 651. CHILD TAX CREDIT: Parents of children age 5 and under could claim a $250 state income tax credit under House Bill 136, which also expands the state income tax credit for child care expenses. REGULATION RESTRICTION: Senate Bill 28 would give lawmakers more oversight over regulations created by state agencies. LIBRARY CRIMES: Librarians in public libraries, K-12 schools and colleges could face prosecution if they provide sexually explicit materials to minors under House Bill 483. IMMIGRATION: Senate Bill 21 would remove legal protections and let people sue governments and government officials who don't follow Georgia laws requiring cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. GUN TAX BREAKS: House Bill 79 would offer a four-day sales tax holiday on guns, ammunition and safety devices, while offering income tax credits of up to $300 for paying for gun safety courses. CLARENCE THOMAS STATUE: The state would put up a privately financed statue of U.S. Supreme Court Justice and Georgia native Clarence Thomas under House Bill 254. ELECTIONS: Georgia's secretary of state would be required to leave a bipartisan group that lets officials share data to keep voter rolls accurate under House Bill 397 and Senate Bill 175. Senate Bill 12 would exempt Georgia state legislators and police departments from some requirements to disclose public records. Passed RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: State and local governments wouldn't be able to 'substantially burden' a person's religious freedom under Senate Bill 36, but opponents say it would enable discrimination. INCOME TAXES: An already-planned state income tax cut will be accelerated under House Bill 111, giving the state a flat 5.19% income tax rate retroactive to Jan. 1. And Georgians will get income tax rebates between $250 and $500 under House Bill 112. HURRICANE AID: House and Senate members agreed to spend more than $850 million on aid after Hurricane Helene did billions of dollars of damage in Georgia in September. LAWSUIT LIMITS: Senate Bill 68 would make it harder to bring lawsuits and win large verdicts while Senate Bill 69 limits who can finance lawsuits. SCHOOL CELLPHONES: Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade would be banned from using cellphones during the school day under House Bill 340. TRANSGENDER RIGHTS: Both Senate Bill 1 would ban transgender girls and women from playing girls' and women's sports, while Senate Bill 185 would ban the state from paying for gender-affirming care for prisoners. AMERICA FIRST LICENSE PLACE: Senate Bill 291 would create an America First license plate for Georgia vehicles.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tax credit program would benefit young Georgians aging out of the foster care system if approved
Taxpayers could receive thousands of dollars with the renewal of a Georgia bill that is designed to support foster children. This tax credit program allows Georgia taxpayers to redirect their tax dollars to assist youth transitioning from foster care. 'It really says our state legislatures are paying attention to what's happening to young people in care,' said Allison Ashe. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Allison Ashe, President and CEO with Well Root Family Services, told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln these funds are critical in preventing poverty and homelessness. 'At this facility, we provide services for youth who are aging out of care,' Ashe said. The Atlanta Mission reports that 20% of foster children immediately become homeless after aging out of the system. The Georgia's Fostering Success Act was passed in 2022 to assist hundreds of Georgia youths who've aged out of foster care. The act provided financial assistance for food, mentoring, educational needs, housing, and more. In February, house lawmakers passed House Bill 136. It increases the tax credit cap from $20 million to $30 million. Currently, the bill is under consideration by the State Senate. If passed, HB 136 will go into effect July 1. TRENDING STORIES: Judge says Young Thug didn't violate his probation with social media repost Atlanta dancer sues Magic City over termination and alleged harassment, wage theft Accused Apalachee High School shooter wants trial moved out of Barrow County The tax credit will provide a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donors. Single taxpayers can contribute up to $2,500 a year. Married couples can contribute up to $5,000 a year. Businesses can also apply for this tax credit. LLCs and S-corporations can contribute up to $5,000. Large corporations can donate 10% annually. Wellroot says their goal is to stand in the gap for youth leaving foster care and entering adulthood without family support. These funds will help them expand the capacity of their Transitional Living Program and enable critical, needed services such as life skills training, tutoring, and career development. 'I do feel like we're at a pivotal moment for the child welfare system and I hope people will respond to that moment in time,' Ashe said. Currently, there are 20 foster support programs benefiting from this tax credit. You can click here to apply for the tax credit. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
