CMGd Single Player - AJC (no add'l vids)
Number of working days left in the 2015 session of the General Assembly: One!
Tuesday's passage of the budget and the transportation funding bill paved the way for a smoother end to the session. Maybe.
The debate over SB 129, the "religious freedom" bill appears to be over, but hard feelings continue to smolder and we can't rule out a late effort to revive it.
And while the big transportation bill passed, HB 213, a related bill to allow the counties that fund MARTA to increase the tax that supports it, still needs final approval in the House. Democrats who were promised passage of that bill in order to secure a vote on the big transportation bill will be watching closely to make sure it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
Many other bills with passionate constituencies still need to clear one more hurdle to become law. Among them: SB 63, the craft beer (and now liquor) bill; HB 110, the fireworks bill; and HB 71, which would require greater transparency from the state board of Pardons and Paroles.
For those of you hoping that the passage of the big bills Tuesday might signal an early (i.e. well before midnight) Sine Die, we bring you words of caution from one seasoned capitol staffer: Many of the bills on the calendar may seem minor, but to the lawmakers who sponsored them, they are the most important thing in the world.
His bet was 11 p.m.
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