What to watch for on Crossover Day in the Georgia Legislature
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- Democrats ponder potential Lucy McBath successor.
- Stacey Abrams raises money off of Donald Trump’s criticism.
- House Speaker Jon Burns is not afraid of town halls.
“It’s always chaos,” said state Sen. Ed Harbison, D-Columbus.
“It’s a marathon that feels like a sprint,” said state Rep. Esther Panitch, D-Sandy Springs.
“It really, clearly defines what our priorities are from both chambers,” said House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington.
However you see Crossover Day in the state Legislature, it’s here. While not a day when dreams come true, it is a day that they can die.
Many of the bills will crossover today from one chamber to the other. It’s a day of risk taking, deal-making and Tums-taking. While nothing is truly dead until the Legislature adjourns, it’s much harder to get a bill passed if it doesn’t advance today.
You can follow the action at AJC.com with our live updates. And be sure to send some positive vibes to our AJC colleagues who will be covering the chambers until the final gavel — no matter how late it may be. Here are some bills we’ll be watching:
- Taxes and refunds. We expect House Republicans will pass bills to accelerate an income tax cut and send up to $500 refunds back to taxpayers. But it’s notable that these proposals, backed by Gov. Brian Kemp, haven’t moved yet.
- “Debanking.” The banking industry is trying to stop Senate Bill 57, which would allow some people and businesses to sue banks for discrimination. Conservatives accuse big banks of punishing them by canceling their accounts or refusing to do business with them. Banks say this will open them to a flurry of lawsuits about their legitimate business decisions.
- Game pay. Proposals to let people bet on sports and regulate the payment of high school athletes both cleared House committees on Wednesday, clearing the way for possible passage today. If sports betting passes, it may mark a breakthrough. The Senate has passed similar measures in recent years, but they’ve stalled in the House.
- Wrongful convictions. House Bill 533 would take the decision of compensating people who were wrongly convicted of crimes out of the state Legislature and give it to administrative law judges. People would be eligible for up to $75,000 for every year they were in prison if they can prove their innocence.
- School safety. Senate Bill 17 would require schools to install mobile panic alarm systems that are connected to emergency services. The bill is named after Richard “Ricky” William Aspinwall, a football coach at Apalachee High School who was killed in a school shooting last year, and Alyssa Alhadeff, who was killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
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GOOD MORNING! Here are three things to know for today:
- The Division of Family and Children Services is seeking expanded powers for case workers and juvenile court judges, despite concerns from some state legislators that the agency could be overstepping its authority, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
- Check out these photos from the AJC’s Arvin Temkar, who captured volunteers with Habitat for Humanity framing a house on Wednesday at Liberty Plaza across the street from the state Capitol.
- Officials say an 18-year-old man from South Korea who was in the U.S. on a tourist visa tried to enroll in a Hall County high school, the AJC’s David Aaro reports.
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OSSOFF 2026. We’ve seen our share of biting campaign messages from U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., over the years. But few matched the fundraising missive he sent after President Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress.
“I know it’s tiring to keep calling out his bull****. But we have to insist on the truth. Because otherwise MAGA loyalists amplify every falsehood, uncontested,” he wrote.
Then he highlighted “the most notorious of them all” — U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, who could challenge the Democrat next year.
“His most fanatical ally in the House wants to take this seat and become a Senator, where she can do vastly more damage. But remember: you backed me five years ago,” Ossoff wrote.
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GEORGIA SIXTH. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath’s expected run for governor is already setting off a surge of behind-the-scenes maneuvering for her safe Democratic seat.
Among the possible contenders: state Sen. Sonya Halpern of Atlanta, state Rep. David Wilkerson of Powder Springs and former Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson, who waged a failed campaign against McBath last year.
But that’s just the start. Expect many more names to jump in. We fielded more than a dozen calls and texts yesterday — most just feeling out the landscape as the race starts to take shape.
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TRUMP TARGET. Stacey Abrams didn’t ask to be targeted by President Donald Trump during his address to Congress on Tuesday. But she’s trying to make the most out of the blistering attack.
The two-time Democratic nominee for governor sent out volleys of fundraising emails and text messages seeking donations to her political action committee, urging supporters to chip in at least $5 to “stand with Stacey.”
“Someone has to deliver — because Trump wants to take our hard-earned money to cut Elon Musk’s taxes,” read one of the texts.
She also hit the cable news circuit and posted a video on social media critiquing Trump and Georgia Republicans who are “terrified of voter engagement and the power of the people … because they’re failing to deliver on their promises.”
She added: “While I might be one of the first targets for their abuse of power, I will not be the last. That’s why we must not back down.”
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TOWN HALLS. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is urging Republicans in Congress to avoid in-person town halls after dustups over Donald Trump’s agenda. His counterpart in Georgia is making no such demand.
“When we have an opportunity to get back, we’re speaking to our constituents,” Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns told the “Politically Georgia” podcast as part of a conversation about transgender rights, school safety and “religious liberty” measures.
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MONOLINGUAL. Georgia Republicans have been rushing to pass bills that mimic President Donald Trump and his policies. But in at least one area, Trump is following Georgia’s lead.
Trump signed an executive order last week making English the official language of the United States. But that’s been the law in Georgia for nearly three decades.
Georgia’s law got off to a rocky start. Democratic Gov. Zell Miller vetoed the bill in 1995 after the state attorney general warned it could spawn lots of discrimination lawsuits.
When lawmakers tried again in 1996, their goal was more financial than ideological. The thinking was the government could save money by not having to print official documents in multiple languages.
Today, state agencies can print things in multiple languages, but it isn’t required. That was also the practical effect of Trump’s recent order. It rescinded an order from former President Bill Clinton that required the government and government-funded organizations to offer language assistance to non-English speakers.
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VA CUTS. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins promised throughout his confirmation hearing that he would work to make the nation’s largest health care agency more efficient. We’re now starting to see what the former Georgia congressman meant by that.
The VA is planning to lay off about 72,000 workers, or 15% of its workforce of 470,000 people. Collins said he would do this “without making cuts to health care or benefits.”
It’s part of a broader restructuring at the behest of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative.
The administration has already targeted most of the governments’ more than 200,000 probationary workers for layoffs. Now, the administration is targeting other jobs. The Associated Press reported earlier this week that the IRS could cut its workforce in half.
Job cuts at the VA could be tricky for Collins, who has pledged to improve services while working to implement Trump’s plan to reduce spending.
“There is to be no veteran who has to call a senator or congressman to get the help that they have earned,” Collins told the "Politically Georgia" podcast last month. “And every time they do that, the VA has fell short. My goal? That doesn’t happen.”
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LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell discuss U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath’s first move toward running for governor in 2026. Then, an inside look at crossover day in the state Legislature. Plus, House Speaker Jon Burns talks with Bluestein about his vision for the rest of the session.
Be sure to download the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us.
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UNDER THE GOLD DOME. It’s the 28th day of the legislative session. Some happenings:
- 9:30 a.m.: Gov. Brian Kemp signs the amended 2025 budget into law.
- 10 a.m.: House and Senate convene for a long day of passing bills before the crossover deadline.
- TBD: The House and Senate rules committees will be the ones to watch throughout the day. They decide which bills make it to the floor and have a chance of passing before the crossover deadline.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- The U.S. House has another vote scheduled on legislation to repeal regulations implemented under President Joe Biden and could also vote on a resolution to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for his outburst during Trump’s address Tuesday night.
- The Senate will vote on more of Trump’s nominees.
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SHOUTOUTS. Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that! Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
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AS ALWAYS, send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
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