It's Tuesday, Day 39 of the 40-day legislative session. Prepare for the whirlwind.

To tell you just how busy lawmakers expect it to be, they've given themselves the day off Wednesday. And remember they had Monday off, as well as a couple of days last week.

They're expecting to need the time to recover from the day and to buck up for Day 40 on Thursday.

These are important days for lawmakers. Bills that don't pass by Sine Die on Thursday have to be reintroduced next year and go through the process all over again.

Both the House and Senate go in at 10 a.m. and have calendars that are long and could get longer.

We don't know what bills will be called when. But potential debate topics on the calendar include the bill to allow Tasers on public university campuses, another to create a special diploma seal recognizing bilingual students, Gov. Nathan Deal's plan to add two justices to the Georgia Supreme Court, and the attempt to change the make-up of the Judicial Qualifications Commission -- the body that vets new judicial candidates and judges current ones.

Press conferences are planned on several measures, including last year's Opportunity School District legislation and this year's "religious liberty" and "campus carry" bills.

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Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo