Georgia lawmakers rush to vote on budget, speed cameras and elections

The activity came as the stock market plunged amid President Donald Trump’s tariffs and some legislators worried about the possibility of a recession and how it might impact state spending.

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

House Appropriations Committee Chair Matt Hatchett said the state budget is built to survive a drop in government revenue.

“Things have changed and are changing,” said Hatchett, a Republican from Dublin. “I would think this budget could stand if there are huge swings.”

Meanwhile, legislators established a new $250 income tax credit for each child under age 6, expanded an existing credit that provides an additional $600 for child and dependent care, and gives up to $1,000 to businesses for employees who spend at least that much on child care.

The state budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins July 1, includes $141 million for a private school voucher program, giving money for students in struggling public schools to pay for private school tuition.

Lawmakers appeared undecided on how to regulate school speeding cameras, a source of complaints from people who received automatic tickets and praise from those who say they crack down on fast drivers near children.

The state Senate passed two bills, one that would restrict the times when school speed cameras could operate and another that would outright ban the cameras.

“We should not be policing for profit,” said state Sen. Timothy Bearden, a Republican from Carrollton.

Both bills were set for consideration in the House, but only one of them can become law.

Meanwhile, Democrats said Republicans were standing in the way of other public safety bills, such as a measure by state Rep. Michelle Au that would require gun owners to store weapons in secure locations.

Republicans “continue to oppose interventions that prevent gun theft by criminals,” said Au, a Democrat from Johns Creek.

Democrats also planned to oppose this year’s Republican-led election law rewrite, but Republicans hold the majority.

The bill would ban in-person absentee ballot drop-off the weekend before Election Day and withdraw Georgia from a 24-state partnership to identify outdate voter registrations. Both of those measures are priorities of Republicans emboldened by their victories in November’s election.

Even before the the 40th and final day of the 2025 legislative session, the General Assembly had passed many major bills.

The “religious liberty” bill that Kemp signed Friday morning ended a long battle over the measure, which supporters say protects the rights of religious Georgians and opponents say allows them to discriminate.

While the proposal drew boycott threats and a veto by Gov. Nathan Deal in 2016, it finally passed this year. The state law is modeled after a 1993 federal law that limits the government’s ability to enforce laws that conflict with religious beliefs.

“Georgians and the business community know that I’m not going to back down,” Kemp said. “It’s a common sense piece of legislation that mirrors what a vast majority of other states have done.”

Legislators also previously approved a bill to prohibit transgender student-athletes from playing K-12 and college team sports that align with their gender identity. Another bill bans gender-affirming care for transgender people in Georgia prisons, prompting a walk-out by Democratic representatives earlier this week.

Lawmakers also passed measures to lower Georgia’s income tax rate, protect in-vitro fertilization and improve school safety in the aftermath of last year’s deadly shooting at Apalachee High School. The bill would require public schools to create plans addressing the behavioral health needs of students and identify potential threats made by students.

All bills that pass the General Assembly before it adjourns late Friday or early Saturday will go to Kemp for his signature or veto.