The Georgia Capitol complex is about to get a big money makeover.
Tucked into the midyear budget that Gov. Brian Kemp is set to sign today is roughly $392 million to build a new legislative office building and renovate the state Capitol.
“We’re bursting at the seams,” state Rep. Matt Hatchett, the Dublin Republican who chairs the House budget writing committee, told lawmakers about revamping the Capitol, which first opened in 1889. The plans also call for a new eight-floor legislative office building just north of the Gold Dome.
We obtained preliminary conceptual renderings of the overhaul. More detailed architectural schematics and design documents will come later in the multi-year process.
The Capitol improvements call for a regilded rotunda dome, upgraded air conditioning and heating systems, two new enclosed staircases for emergencies and an overhaul of cramped makeshift offices in the mezzanine level.
The entryways to the Capitol will also be redesigned to better match the building’s historic architecture and smooth out bottlenecks at security gates. Restrooms will be renovated, too, including those that “have been added over time in awkward locations.” (IYKYK)
As for the new legislative office building, designers intend to include something the current labyrinthine Coverdell building does not: a welcoming environment and “access to daylight and views to the exterior landscape.”
Democrats overwhelmingly supported the state budget, since it also included pay raises for state employees and educators and a range of new infrastructure investments. That didn’t mean they were happy about the costly renovation.
“If Georgia were to expand Medicaid, after taking in revenue it would only cost the state $350 million,” said Democratic state Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta. “It would cost less than a new legislative building.”
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Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
CEASE-FIRE CALLS. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock delivered an address from the Senate floor late Wednesday calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war with the release of hostages and a flood of humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
“We have reached an inflection point in this conflict — one that demands all involved redouble our efforts to get to a ceasefire and ultimately a just and sustainable peace,” said the Georgia Democrat.
He added that he was “heartened by the quiet but steady work” of the Biden administration and U.S. allies to end the fighting but said time was running short.
He also criticized Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans for a ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than 1 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge.
“If Mr. Netanyahu advances military operations into Rafah, the question is where are these people supposed to go? What will be the human consequences?” Warnock asked, adding: “I submit that such a move would be unconscionable and morally indefensible.”
Warnock’s calls come as progressive voters threaten to abandon President Joe Biden’s presidential bid over the Israel-Hamas war. It’s also part of Warnock’s expanding focus on foreign policy, having traveled with a congressional delegation to the Munich Security Conference last week.
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Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
Credit: Casey Sykes for the AJC
UNDER THE GOLD DOME, Crossover Day:
- 8 a.m.: Committee meetings begin.
- 10 a.m.: The House gavels in.
- 10 a.m.: The Senate convenes.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
ON OUR RADARS. Yes, it’s Crossover Day, the somewhat official deadline for bills to be passed by one chamber in order to be considered by the other. With 105 bills already on the House and Senate calendars for consideration, the flurry of action means anything can, and often does, happen.
Here’s what we’re keeping an eye on:
- The Senate is expected to take up Senate Bill 180, a religious liberty measure from state Sen. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, that has drawn high-profile opposition.
- Libraries and schools are hot topics. SB 390, which would ban local libraries from being affiliated with the American Library Association, is on the Senate calendar, as is SB 532, a bill to require an opt-in from parents for children to take sex education class, as well as prevent sex ed in schools before the 5th grade.
- Following the killing of nursing student Laken Riley in Athens, look for the House to take up HB 1105, the bill to tighten requirements on local law enforcement interacting with undocumented immigrants.
- The House is also scheduled to consider HB 1338, which would limit new mining permits near the Okefenokee Swamp for three years.
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BIG BUSINESS. Georgia’s biggest business boosters sent a fresh reminder that they oppose religious liberty legislation that could pass the Republican-controlled state Senate on Crossover Day.
Senate Bill 180 is a long-sought priority of evangelical groups because it is designed to limit the government’s ability to pass or enforce laws that conflict with religious beliefs. Gay rights advocates and other critics view it as discriminatory.
In a joint statement sent our way, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce said lawmakers should focus on improving workforce development, infrastructure and education and not “measures that would negatively impact our business climate.”
Read the statement:
“For decades, Georgia has benefited from a positive working relationship between the business community and our elected leaders to promote our state as a center for global commerce. Georgia's stable governance attracts industry and has served our citizens well, and we oppose any efforts, including SB 180, that would undermine the state's strong reputation we have built together."
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LISTEN UP. The “Politically Georgia” radio show team is locked in on Crossover Day at the General Assembly in today’s episode. The AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu and Sens. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta, and Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, talk about the bills that could see movement and clear the crucial legislative hurdle.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org.
Credit: Fletcher Page/AJC
Credit: Fletcher Page/AJC
If you missed Wednesday’s edition, a panel of professors reacted to Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz’s news conference Wednesday morning related to the death of nursing student Laken Riley and the arrest of an undocumented immigrant for the slaying.
Find that show and other previous episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
SENATE SWATS SWATTING. The state Senate passed legislation Wednesday that would increase fines and penalties for those who make hoax calls to 911. At least four state senators and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, were targeted by swatting callers in December, prompting pledges from state leaders to address the issue during the 2024 session.
Swatting is considered dangerous as the calls often bring armed police to the door of unsuspecting residents, endangering them and wasting emergency resources
Senate Bill 421 is championed by Sen. Clint Dixon, R–Gwinnett, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and Youth, and now heads to the House for consideration.
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Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
Credit: Nathan Posner for the AJC
IVF EFFORTS. Georgia Democrats moved to guarantee access to IVF this week after an Alabama Supreme Court ruling led that state’s largest health care providers to stop most IVF procedures.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Atlanta, co-sponsored a bill on Wednesday in Washington to establish a statutory right for an individual to access IVF, and for a health care provider to provide IVF services. But just as quickly, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., blocked the bill from consideration, saying it went “way too far.”
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
In the Georgia General Assembly, Democratic state Sen. Elena Parent of Atlanta introduced the Right to IVF Act, which would codify that a human embryo outside of a uterus is not considered a child under state law for any purpose. Parent also introduced a bill to guarantee women’s access to contraception, which Democrats believe is also in danger after the fall of Roe v. Wade.
“Going through the process of IVF is already physically and emotionally draining,” Parent said. “Feeling like that opportunity could be ripped away from you any moment … is not the type of emotional roller coaster I want Georgia couples to face or be afraid of.”
State Rep. Teri Anulewicz, D-Smyrna, backs the Right to Contraception Act in the House. She said the passage of the state’s six-week abortion ban in 2019 convinced her that restrictions to IVF and contraception could happen in Georgia, too.
“Having been there when HB 481 was passed … I absolutely think that it is something that could happen, which is horrifying, but I do definitely think it’s something that is very real,” she said.
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BIDEN BACK FOR MORE. First lady Jill Biden will return to Georgia on Friday to launch the Women for Biden Harris initiative, the White House told the AJC Wednesday.
President Joe Biden’s campaign said the organization is meant to mobilize surrogates and volunteers and will focus on his support for abortion rights, firearms restrictions and other key proposals.
“Women put Joe in the White House four years ago, and women will do it again,” Jill Biden said in a statement. “In our communities, women are the organizers, the planners, the mobilizers. We get things done.”
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SHUTDOWN AVERTED (FOR NOW). Congressional leaders have reached a tentative plan to prevent a government shutdown, pushing back deadlines to fund the federal government to later in March. Passage would avoid a partial shutdown that was scheduled to begin Friday.
The proposal calls for Congress to temporarily fund some federal agencies through March 8 and the rest through March 22. During that time, Congress will attempt to negotiate and pass long-term appropriations bills to fund the government through the end of September.
The House is scheduled to vote on the stopgap funding today. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will need the help of Democrats as many of his fellow Republicans — possibly as much as half — oppose funding the government this way. Because the bill is being put on the floor using special procedures, it will need two-thirds support to pass.
Among those who have already voiced opposition to the measure is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome. She said Wednesday she votes against these “continuing resolutions” used to extend current funding levels for government agencies on principle.
“I’m a big ‘no,’” she said. “I’ve been a ‘no’ on all of them. And I’m a ‘no’ again.”
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden travels to Brownsville, Texas, where he will deliver remarks after receiving a briefing on migration at the U.S.-Mexico border from immigration and border patrol officials.
- The House is expected to take the first steps toward passing legislation to provide stopgap funding for federal agencies.
- The Senate has confirmation votes lined up while it waits for a House decision on the government funding bill.
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before the House Armed Services Committee about his decision not to notify the White House during a hospitalization in January.
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TRIBUTE TO LAKEN. Eleven members of Georgia’s congressional delegation gathered on the U.S. House floor Wednesday night to lead a moment of silence in honor of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student killed on the University of Georgia’s campus last week.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, a Jackson Republican whose district includes Athens, shared remembrances from Riley’s family, describing her as “an amazing daughter, sister and friend.”
Credit: Nell Carroll for the AJC
Credit: Nell Carroll for the AJC
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, a Republican who represents Woodstock where Riley grew up, said communities across Georgia are still reeling from the news of her attack. Law enforcement believes the person accused of killing Riley did not know her and instead committed a “crime of opportunity.”
“She was only 22 years old,” Loudermilk said. “She had a lot of life before her. But we should also focus mostly on the life and the legacy that she lived in her short time here.”
The tribute on the House floor stayed centered on Riley and expressing condolences to her loved ones, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle representing the state.
Neither Collins nor Loudermilk took political shots at Democrats or mentioned the fact that her accused killer is an undocumented immigrant. Both have criticized America’s immigration policies in the days since her death.
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RFK ON THE BALLOT? A political action committee supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s run for president says it has collected more than enough signatures to get the independent candidate on Georgia’s ballot in November.
American Values 2024 said Wednesday it gathered 20,188 signatures, exceeding Georgia’s requirement of 7,500 signatures to appear on the ballot.
But Kennedy faces several other hurdles in Georgia.
Nominating petitions for independent candidates can’t be filed until late June, and then county election officials must confirm the authenticity of signatures.
It’s also uncertain whether state law allows American Values 2024 to independently collect and submit signatures for Kennedy without his involvement, according to groups that support Democrats and oppose Kennedy’s candidacy. American Values 2024 said Georgia attorneys advised that its signature process complies with the law.
Kennedy has said he hopes to be on the ballot in every state.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
DOG OF THE DAY. On Crossover Day, it’s easy to let our differences divide us. So let’s take some inspiration from Nugget and Miz Kitty Read, the 13-week-old rescue puppy and 18-year-old Norwegian Forest cat who call Joan Read their person.
A reliable source tells us Nugget spends his days providing “endless entertainment for hours,” while Miz Kitty is more focused on regular meals and listening to the “Politically Georgia” radio show and podcast. They all live in Greensboro, North Carolina, where Joan retired after years in Atlanta, and where she still subscribes to the AJC.
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and location, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
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