Rep. Alan Powell: 2024 Legislative Newsletter – Week One

By State Representative Alan Powell, HD 33

The second week of January, every year is a big week for your Georgia General Assembly.

It is the time of year when elected officials in the Senate and House come together to balance the state budget, as well as codify, modify, or pass new legislation.

The first week of the session is generally organizational, and taking care of general housekeeping. Monday, January 8, 2024, was our first legislative day of the second year of the 157th General Assembly of the State of Georgia.

Before this session, the Georgia General Assembly returned to the Gold Dome and convened for a special legislative session on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

Article V, Section II, Paragraph VII of the Georgia Constitution grants the governor the power to convene a special session of the General Assembly, and my colleagues and I were called into this special session following a court ruling issued by U.S. District Judge Steve Jones instructing the General Assembly to redraw Georgia’s congressional and state district maps.

The House of Representatives convened for seven days during this special session, adjourning on Thursday, December 7, 2023. The Courts have upheld the second redrawing of the maps, which reconfigures the boundaries to include an additional majority-Black U.S. House district and seven new majority-Black legislative districts; 5 in the Georgia House of Representatives; 2 in the Georgia Senate.

2024 is an election year and the season starts on March 12th with Georgia’s Presidential Preference Primary. That’s where you vote for the candidate you want to represent your party. The General Primary Election will be on May 21st, and then you’ll vote for the next U.S. President on November 5th.

Currently, the state of Georgia is not only AAA Bond rated, but we have a $16 Billion dollar reserve/surplus. With the state sitting on a mountain of reserves, Gov. Brian Kemp and legislative leaders want to speed up the implementation of a law passed in 2022 to reduce the income tax rate in Georgia. House Bill 1437 will gradually reduce the income tax rate from 5.75% to 4.99% by 2029 and increase exemptions when Georgians file their tax returns. The measure was called one of the largest income tax cuts in Georgia history, eventually promising to save taxpayers $1 billion or more a year when fully implemented. The rate is set to drop to 5.49% on Jan. 1, but Kemp, surrounded by key lawmakers, announced that he will back legislation to knock it down to 5.39% this year. If approved, the change would save Georgians about $300 million annually in taxes.

Now that the 2024 session has begun, we will be tackling a multitude of issues. A state senator is expected to introduce legislation allowing Georgians to decide on a constitutional amendment allowing casino gambling, sports betting, and pari-mutuel wagering. I bring your attention to this, as it is against the law to gamble in the state of Georgia, and would require a Constitutional Amendment ratified by the citizens of the state.

Other topics of interest that will more than likely be addressed include school vouchers, gun safety, election integrity, and access to health care, to name a few. There will be a discussion on expanding Medicaid. This is something to be treated cautiously as Medicaid is a state/federal match, and depending on fluctuation in federal funding, could potentially bankrupt the state.

We had one bill up for consideration on our first legislative day, Senate Bill 159: Correctional Institutions of States and Counties; wireless communications and stand-alone electronic devices behind guard lines; prohibit. This bill enhances penalties for a person who brings prohibited items beyond a guard line for purposes of providing items to inmates. The legislation provides a penalty for any employee or contractor of the Department of Corrections who is found guilty of bringing prohibited items into the facility for an inmate punishable by a 10-year term of imprisonment. (A motion to insist sends the bill back to the Senate for consideration.)

While I will be extremely busy in the days ahead, my number one job is to be your voice at the Capitol. I encourage you to visit me at my capitol office or call me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the state budget bills, the legislative process or any other measures considered under the Gold Dome. My capitol office number is 404-463-3793. My email is [email protected]. As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative.