Last 20 years of Sine Die a scramble to the finish

On the last day of Georgia’s legislative session, known as Sine Die, the General Assembly races to pass dozens of bills, many of which have been patiently waiting for weeks for a vote.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis of 20 years of voting data found that 17% of all actions by the Legislature happened on this final day, sometimes in the post-midnight hour after the session officially ends.

The 2,700 total votes cast on the final day of every session for the past two decades include final passage or rejection of bills, adjournments, adoptions and motions that keep legislators busy as they rush to finish their work.

The activity in the Legislature has followed consistent ebbs and flows over the past two decades. After Crossover Day, the deadline for bills in one chamber to go to the other, actions on the floor slow down until a rapid pace in the final days.