Ready or not, slippery or not, it's Day One of the 2017 session of the Georgia General Assembly.
Lawmakers in the House and Senate will convene at 10 a.m., though it might take the State Patrol to bring some members in. Most of the action on the first day is either ceremonial or organizational (or both). A judge will swear in new members.
The House will (almost certainly) re-elect Speaker David Ralston, as both chambers settle on their leaders. Rules will be adopted. Behind the scenes, bills will be filed and lobbyists will begin schmoozing in the halls.
But it won't be long before lawmakers dive into the state budget and issues such as Medicaid funding (but probably not expansion, but you can bet on a quick renewal of the "bed tax"), how best to help failing schools, as well as hot button topics like immigration, guns and religious freedom. In the meantime, we've got everything you need to get up to speed in this handy Legislative Guide.
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