Georgia Legislature Today: Capitol gears up for budget and other bills

The Georgia General Assembly at a glance for Monday, Day 7 of the 2018 legislative session:

Ramping up: State lawmakers will be busy running between various committee meetings, many of them dealing with the state's $26 billion budget. In the House, appropriations subcommittees are reviewing public safety, education, economic development and transportation. Meanwhile, several non-spending bills will get their first hearings in House tax reform, motor vehicle and judiciary committees. In the Senate, committees are looking into public safety, insurance, transportation and judiciary issues.

Adoption outlook: What will the Georgia House do about the adoption bill, House Bill 159, which passed the state Senate last week? Senators added a provision to the bill that allows parents to hand over power of attorney for a child — an idea Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed last year because it lacked state oversight to ensure child safety. The House could accept the Senate's version of HB159 or insist on its position and send the bill to a conference committee.