Tuesday’s marathon session of the Georgia General Assembly was often a slow-moving affair, but the post-dinner action on Day 39 of the 40-day session was packed with action.
Here are five major moments from Tuesday night:
1. More money for student scholarship tax credits: The Senate approved an increase of the cap on the state's tax credit for private school scholarships program.
The bill passed the House with a $65 million annual limit that would rise gradually over six years to $100 million, but the Senate trimmed that to a flat $65 million. It is now capped at $58 million.
The House must still consider the Senate changes to House Bill 217.
2. Domestic terrorism bill fails: The House voted not once but twice on Senate Bill 1, the Senate GOP's top priority. Both times the bill failed to get the necessary 91 votes to pass. Its defeat prompted Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle to accuse the House of making Georgia less safe. The Senate responded by quitting for the night and going home.
3. House again passes adoption update: In its final action of the night, the House voted unanimously just before midnight to again pass the first update to the state's adoption laws in a generation. House members stripped language from Senate Bill 130, a bill dealing with juvenile court proceedings, and added House Bill 159. That bill was hijacked in the Senate, where language was added that would allow state-funded private adoption agencies to refuse to place children with anyone whom it disagrees, including LGBT couples. The Senate will get another chance Thursday to act on the bill.
4. Late bid in the Senate to revive "religious liberty:" The original legislation, House Bill 257, involves a mandate for local municipalities to register with the state Department of Community Affairs in order to receive state grants. But a proposed amendment would also require local authorities to follow a mandate set by the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act "regarding government burdens on the free exercise of religion." No vote was taken, but it can be revived Thursday.
5. House revives campus sexual assault bill: The House stripped Senate Bill 71, dealing with health savings accounts, of all its language and substituted the text of the campus rape bill instead. Designed to provide better due process protections to those accused of sexual assault at Georgia colleges, it is opposed by some rape victims who have lobbied against the bill almost daily at the state Capitol.
Lawmakers return for their final day at 10 a.m. Thursday. There's still plenty of time for all kinds of wheeling and dealing, as usual.
READ MORE: Georgia Legislature in final days and real work begins.
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