2018 Georgia Legislative Session Preview

After clearing the cobwebs from the General Assembly's levers of power, Georgia lawmakers arriving in Atlanta today will find no shortage of thorny propositions awaiting them: budget priorities, rural development and investment, education funding, the perennial review of health policy frameworks under the state's certificate of need (CON) laws, adoption law reform and a religious liberty bill, to name a few.

Today marks the start of Governor Nathan Deal's eighth and final legislative session, and during the next 40 legislative days, the term-limited Republican's eye will be focused squarely on his legacy. The Governor and the legislature's one constitutional requirement—to pass and sign a balanced budget—comes with opportunities and difficulties. While state revenues have steadily risen over the past eight years, so, too, have demands for additional spending. The teacher retirement system will likely have to be propped up again with an additional infusion of $350 to $400 million. Then there are the annual demands created by higher enrollment in public schools and juggling how to provide health care for the poor in the face of the uncertainties created by Washington's squabbling. There is also a question whether to offer Amazon any special, tailored incentives to lure its second headquarters to the state.

Also, the mechanics of this year's session, both real and perceived, are wildly complicated by a looming statewide election in which key figures under the Gold Dome will stand for constitutional offices, including governor and lieutenant governor. It's this election-year feature that will perhaps factor most in the session's tone and tenor.

How proposals are likely to fare this year should therefore be viewed through the following matrix:

Does the proposal shore up an existing initiative that's been previously pursued by the governor or General Assembly? It's doubtful that we will see bold, new long-range public policy initiatives this year. Instead, expect to see expansions of earlier consensus public policy initiatives, including those that narrowly failed. These include the Governor's earlier public education funding and charter schools efforts. Does the proposal benefit from a cascading effect created by previous policy initiatives? Expect to see some local and county governments maneuvering to secure transit and transportation funding after recent metro initiatives to lessen congestion. Does the proposal address a critical issue that...