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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