Ups Downs and In-between
Legislative Roundup: What passed and what didn’t as the 2025 legislative session ended? Gov. Brian Kemp got his signature overhaul of civil litigation, aka “tort reform,” that limits some lawsuits. It passed with little room to spare – squeaking by in the House with 91 votes, the minimum needed. Three Democrats voted for the bill while eight Republicans broke ranks and voted against it.
In addition to passing the $37.7 billion state budget – the only thing the legislature is constitutionally required to do – other measures included protecting IVF; creation of a new child tax credit and expansion of an existing credit; a school safety bill addressing behavioral health needs and potential threats from students; and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that restricts the state from passing or enforcing laws that conflict with religious beliefs unless there is a “compelling government interest” and it is done “in the least restrictive way.” A similar version was vetoed by then-Gov. Nathan Deal in 2016.
Bills banning transgender students from playing on K-12 and college sports teams that align with their gender identity and prohibiting gender-affirming care for transgender people in state prisons also passed. Two other bills limiting or banning such care for transgender minors and adults failed.
Among the bills that did not pass were an elections bill that would have withdrawn Georgia from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), an organization that tracks outdated voter registrations, and prohibited dropping off absentee ballots the weekend before Election Day; an “anti-DEI” bill that would have banned public schools and colleges from promoting or discussing topics related to “diversity, equity and inclusion,” and a bill championed by House Speaker Jon Burns that would have banned school zone speed cameras.
This session is the first year of a two-year cycle, so bills that did not pass this year can be taken up again in 2026.
Bill Signing: State Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta) will be signing bills of a different kind as the treasurer of the United States. Beach, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, was appointed to the position by Trump in March. In addition to having his signature on U.S. paper currency, Beach will likely have his hands full serving as liaison between the administration and the Federal Reserve, given the volatile economic situation. Beach, who has been serving as executive director of the True North 400 community improvement district, is a long-time Trump ally who sponsored a bill this session that allows criminal defendants to receive attorneys’ fees and related costs if the prosecutor in a case is disqualified for misconduct and the case is dismissed. The bill could benefit Trump in the Fulton County election fraud case, where District Attorney Fani Willis was disqualified.
Elections at Last: After a delay of five years, Georgians will vote this year to elect two of the five members of the Public Service Commission, which regulates utility rates for most of the state. The terms of Tim Echols (R-District 2) and Fitz Johnson (R-District 3) have been extended since 2022 while a lawsuit unsuccessfully challenged the PSC’s at-large elections, saying the process diluted Black votes. (Although commissioners must live in their districts, voting for each seat on the PSC is done statewide.) Echols faces a primary challenge with the winner competing against Democrat Alicia Johnson in November. Four Democrats are running in the primary for Fitz Johnson’s seat; he does not face a Republican primary challenger. Early voting in the primary begins May 27 and lasts until June 13.
New Chief: The Georgia Supreme Court has a new chief justice. Nels S.D. Peterson was sworn in April 1 by outgoing Chief Justice Michael P. Boggs, who stepped down. Peterson was first appointed to the court in 2016 and elected to full terms in 2018 and 2024. Sarah Hawkins Warren, who has served on the court since 2018, was sworn in as the new presiding justice and will preside over the court when the chief justice is absent. Gov. Kemp will appoint a justice to replace Boggs.
In and Out: Two potential Democratic candidates for governor made news. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms confirmed that she will seek the Democratic nomination, shortly after U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath said she was suspending an exploratory committee launched just a few weeks earlier so she can focus on her husband’s health. He is being treated for complications after cancer surgery. McBath remains in the U.S. House and did not rule out later launching a gubernatorial bid.
