The Georgia Hour, episode 33: Georgia Legislative Session Nears Sine Die: Key Bills, Corrupt Deals, and Grassroots Battles

As the Georgia legislative session approaches its end today, with committee hearings ongoing and sine die looming, the focus sharpens on last-minute legislative maneuvers. Tomorrow at midnight, bills must cross chambers, with around 40 bills on each side potentially rushed through amid suspected corrupt deal-making. HB268, which passed the House and heads to the Senate, is criticized as a bureaucratic measure to track children’s juvenile records, reversing prior protections that sealed such records at 18 unless charged as an adult—prompting calls to pressure state senators and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones to let it stall. SB68 (tort reform), HB82 (guest worker program), and HB383 (allowing high school athletes to profit from name, image, and likeness) remain in committee, diverting attention from election integrity efforts like SB303, which seeks to unplug foreign-made election machines and still has a chance if pushed by Reps. Dolezal and Gooch, alongside Jones, especially after Trump’s recent call for paper ballots, voter ID, and citizen-only voting. Other developments include potential federal sales of up to 17 Georgia buildings, including Atlanta’s largest office, and HB686/HR450 advancing a constitutional amendment for sports betting and casinos. Rep. Lucy McBath has filed paperwork signaling a 2026 gubernatorial run, aiming to be the first Black female governor, while Trump emphasized clear gender distinctions amid controversy over a man competing in the Miss Georgia USA pageant. The piece also critiques the GA GOP Inc., tied to the Eagles Club, where Josh McKoon’s leadership overlapped with a “trial” of BKP, alleging corruption and calling for a new chairman in 2026 to restore grassroots power and end party “dictatorship.”