The 2024 regular session of Georgia’s General Assembly kicked off on Monday, with the main question being whether Republicans, who have previously been against it, will now approve an extension of health coverage for low-income adults through the state’s Medicaid program.

The idea of expanding coverage is being considered by Republican House Speaker Jon Burns of Newington and Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Gov. Brian Kemp, the leading Republican in the state, has shown support for a more restricted expansion of coverage.

Since it is the second year of the biennial legislative session, any proposals that were not approved last year remain valid. This allows for quick progress on bills that were previously close to being passed. One specific issue that is anticipated to have a speedy resolution is the proposal for new educational vouchers.

This year, there will be elections for 180 representatives and 56 senators, except for Kemp and Jones. Legislators may focus on proposals that will satisfy their followers or gain them votes. Due to the surplus in state funds, it is probable that there will be additional salary raises for public workers and educators. Additionally, Republicans are advocating for a reduction in income taxes.

Let’s take a look at some of the main concerns that may come up during the 40-day meeting of state legislators over the next three months.

Kemp has expressed his desire to increase the difficulty of individuals filing lawsuits and receiving large legal awards. He has pointed out that Georgia’s high insurance costs are a result of these lawsuits.

In 2005, Georgia legislators limited the amount of non-economic damages, including compensation for pain and suffering, in a tort reform statute. However, the state’s highest court declared these caps to be unconstitutional in 2010.

Owners of commercial properties and apartments have been some of the biggest supporters of limits, saying they are getting unfairly sued when unrelated parties do wrong on their property. Another big backer is the trucking industry, which wants to end the right of people to sue insurers directly.

There has been ongoing debate and conflict surrounding elections and their governing laws in Georgia since 2018, with the potential for further discussions in 2024.

Certain supporters may push for a provision stating that the State Election Board holds the necessary legal power to examine Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s actions, specifically requesting an investigation into how the Republican handled the post-election audits after Joe Biden’s win in Georgia in 2020.

Those who doubt the validity of Biden’s win are seeking a bill that would grant them access to paper ballots in order to investigate alleged cases of fraudulent ballots.

Raffensperger is requesting a budget of $4.7 million to purchase machines that would enable voters to verify the computer codes on their ballots. Those who have doubts about Georgia’s electronic voting system may propose legislation to prohibit the use of codes or to allow for manual marking of ballots by voters.

Several legislators are dissatisfied that Raffensperger will not upgrade the software on the voting machines prior to the 2024 presidential election. The secretary claims that there is insufficient time to implement the updates.

Raffensperger has once again urged the elimination of runoffs following general elections in cases where no candidate receives a majority of votes.

Senate Republicans are working on a bill to eliminate the need for approval from the Georgia Supreme Court in order to establish rules for a new commission that would be responsible for disciplining and removing state prosecutors. In November, the court declared that it did not have the power to approve these rules, which prevented the commission from becoming operational. A House Republican has also committed to finding a speedy solution.

Certain members of the Republican party in Georgia are calling for the new commission to take action against or oust Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for charging former President Donald Trump with a crime.

The law in Georgia is part of a larger effort by Republicans across the country to regulate prosecutors. Those against the law argue that it unfairly favors prosecution, while supporters claim that district attorneys are neglecting their duties if they fail to prosecute.

The progress of a bill in Georgia that aims to define antisemitism in state law was halted in 2023 due to a dispute regarding its wording. Despite already having the backing of numerous legislators, the urgency to pass the bill has increased due to the strong support from Republicans for Israel during its conflict with Hamas.

Advocates argue that having a clear definition of antisemitism would aid in the identification of hate crimes and discriminatory acts against Jews by prosecutors and officials. However, some objectors fear that such a definition could restrict freedom of speech, particularly in regards to criticizing Israel. While some do not object to the concept of a law, they take issue with using the definition adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance to define antisemitism.

In December, a letter was written to Georgia legislators by a coalition of well-known evangelical leaders, such as Pastor John Hagee from Christians United for Israel, Ralph Reed from Faith and Freedom Coalition, and Jentezen Franklin from the megachurch Free Chapel. They urged the lawmakers to adopt the IHRA definition.

In 2023, members of the House of Representatives put significant effort into promoting a bill aimed at hiring more mental health professionals, aiding individuals who consistently cycle between hospitals, jails, and homelessness, and researching other areas of necessity. However, this proposal failed due to a larger disagreement between the House and Senate.

Mental health experts anticipate prioritizing increased funding for higher salaries, greater compensation for service providers, and expanding crisis bed availability. However, certain initiatives, such as tackling the backlog of pretrial evaluations for individuals charged with crimes, may require legislative action.

In August, Senator Jason Anavitarte of Dallas announced his plan to propose a bill in Georgia that would mandate parental consent for minors under 18 to open social media accounts, following the example of other states.

Other states have also faced legal challenges in their attempts to implement similar restrictions, and Georgia may not be the first to do so.

The House’s Education Committee Chairman, Chris Erwin, who is a Republican from Homer, believes that it is important for legislators to examine how threats and social media usage may impact the functioning of schools. However, he has not put forth any concrete suggestions at this time.