Tax cuts and school safety bills survive critical deadline at Gold Dome

Several contentious proposals were still awaiting votes late Thursday, including efforts to withhold funding from schools with diversity programs, legalize sports betting and build a statue of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Bills that didn’t get a vote Thursday are likely dead for the year, although there are still ways for crafty lawmakers to revive them.

In some of the first votes of the day, the Republican majority in the General Assembly approved bills to speed up an income tax cut and send refund checks up to $500 to taxpayers.

Republicans said everyone will benefit, while Democrats said income tax cuts disproportionately help the rich.

“We’re pouring money down the drain to give a nice tax cut to the wealthiest of Georgians, some of which happen to be in this room,” state Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, a Democrat from Smyrna, told his colleagues before the vote. “This is a bill made by the wealthy for the wealthy.”

The proposal would cut the state’s income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19% beginning July 1. If financial benchmarks are met, the rate would fall further to 4.99% by 2027 — two years ahead of schedule.

“If you think you can spend Georgians money better than they can, I welcome you to make that case in November,” said state Rep. James Burchett, a Republican from Waycross.

While the tax proposals were shoo-ins to pass, there were some surprises early in the day.

A group of conservative Republicans in the state Senate shocked the Capitol by amending a bill so that it would ban the sale of THC-infused drinks in Georgia.

THC, the psychoactive component found in the marijuana plant, has shown up in widely-available products marketed as hemp drinks. The bill comes a few months after California regulators banned THC products, a moved aimed at safeguarding children.

“We need to pump the brakes, slow down and let’s make sure we’re doing the right thing for our state,” said Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, who proposed the amendment.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Soon afterward, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to increase the amount of THC allowed in medical marijuana, from 5% to 50%. Unlike THC-infused drinks, medical marijuana is only available to registered patients suffering from severe illnesses.

Legislators also approved a package of school safety bills in response to the school shooting at Apalachee High in September that killed four people.

The Senate unanimously approved a Republican-sponsored bill requiring school systems to implement panic buttons and share maps of schools with law enforcement agencies.

A separate measure, passed on a 33-22 vote, created a felony offense of terroristic threats on a school and requires schools to conduct annual threat assessments.

Democrats have sought different school safety measures, including stronger gun regulations and a statewide database to monitor threats.

State Sen. Emanuel Jones, a Democrat from Decatur, argued the bill would focus on punishing students who make threats rather than rehabilitating them.

“I believe there’s a different approach when it comes to school safety,” Jones said.

Earlier Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp kicked off Crossover Day by signing the state’s $40.5 billion amended 2025 budget, which includes nearly $863 million for expenses related to Hurricane Helene, including expenses for debris removal and infrastructure repair.

The budget also spends hundreds of millions of dollars to improve security at state prisons, expand access to freshwater along the Georgia coast and boost the state’s employee retirement system.

None of the bills passed on Thursday have become law.

The proposals still must survive votes in the opposite chamber — either the Senate or House — a process that will unfold over the next few weeks before lawmakers adjourn for the year on April 4.

-Staff writers David Wickert, Cassidy Alexander and Caleb Groves contributed to this story.