Sine Die 2025: What passed, what failed
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On a Friday night filled with drama, the Georgia General Assembly approved dozens of pieces of legislation about advanced voting, President Trump's legal bills and car booting on the final day of the legislative session.
Why it matters: The marathon Sine Die meeting of the state Senate and House of Representatives marks the final day legislation can pass both chambers to possibly become law — until next year, of course.
The intrigue: Senators this year broke from long-standing tradition and adjourned at 9:11pm — well before the usual midnight close.
- Without a chamber to send legislation, the House followed suit an hour or so later. Dozens of measures must wait until next year for consideration.
"We feel like everything we wanted to get finished today has been completed," Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) told reporters after the upper chamber called it quits.
Fun fact: Georgia lawmakers serve part-time and meet at the Capitol for only 40 days early in the year.
- That's a holdover from the days when rural representatives and senators could get away from their crops in the winter.
What passed
💰 Budget: State lawmakers approved Georgia's roughly $38 billion operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year — actually the one thing they're required to do every year — on the morning of the final day.
🙏 Religious freedom: Earlier Friday, Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law a controversial — and long-sought — measure aimed at protecting Georgians' religious beliefs, which opponents said would give people a license to discriminate.
👶 Child care: A measure creating a $250 tax credit to pay for child care expenses and an expanded existing tax credit cleared both chambers and awaits the governor's pen.
🚗 Car booting: Legislation regulating Georgia booting companies cleared both chambers and awaits Kemp's signature.
🍲 State symbols: Cornbread would become Georgia's official state bread and Brunswick Stew the official soup under legislation that became a vessel for language prohibiting state agencies to conduct business with foreign adversaries — mainly China.
🧾 Trump legal fees: President Trump and other defendants in the Fulton County election interference case could recoup legal fees under a measure approved by the House and Senate.
What didn't pass
🏎️ School zone cameras: The Senate's surprise decision to end their work early left legislation cracking down on cameras in school zones — some state lawmakers say cities use them to generate revenue — in limbo until next year.
🗳️ Elections: House Bill 397, which requires poll workers to hand count ballots, allows counties to opt out of Saturday advanced voting, and forces Georgia to leave a multi-state voter integrity group, did not receive House approval.
🔎 Transparency: A controversial provision that would have shielded lawmakers' communications with state agencies from Open Records requests was stripped from related legislation approved Friday.
🏳️⚧️ Transgender care: A bill prohibiting transgender minors from receiving puberty-blocking medications was deemed a low Sine Die priority for Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington) but remains active when the General Assembly convenes in January.
🤐 Diversity: Ditto legislation banning public schools and universities from promoting programs and initiatives that "advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion."