Georgia lawmakers are moving closer to passing legislation to make adoptions easier and to fund state government services.

The state Senate voted Thursday to approve the adoption bill, which is a priority for legislative leaders. But its prospects are unclear in the state House after senators added a provision that Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed last year: allowing parents to temporarily give power of attorney over their children to someone else.

Meanwhile, the outlook for Georgia's $26 billion budget brightened when an economist told legislators that the state is projecting a 3.7 percent increase in revenue for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Separately, senators promised to revive the heated debate over "religious liberty." They said they'll soon introduce legislation to give religious organizations greater legal protections, a proposal that opponents say could lead to discrimination against lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual residents.

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People are silhouetted against a huge Pride flag before the start of the Atlanta Pride Parade on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

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A native of Columbus and a fine arts graduate of Clark Atlanta, Amy Sherald was chosen as the official portrait artist of former first lady Michelle Obama. On the same week that the portrait was unveiled at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, it was also announced that Sherald was awarded the High Museum's 2018 David C. Driskell Prize. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

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