The Georgia Senate on Friday approved its version of the $42.3 billion amended state budget, keeping major tax rebates for Georgians while increasing funding for mental health services and rural infrastructure.
A group of mostly Republican Georgia state senators is moving quickly to advance legislation that would reduce the state’s personal income tax, marking the first step in a long-term plan to eliminate the tax entirely by 2032.
Senator Bo Hatchett of Georgia’s District 50 says Senate Bill 148 is designed to help students become more well-rounded by exposing them to lessons they may not learn elsewhere, emphasizing the value of hands-on outdoor education. Supporters note that similar curriculum has been taught in Georgia schools for decades, and they say this bill reinforces the importance of outdoor learning while formalizing hunter education and outdoor classroom opportunities.
State Senator Jason T. Dickerson of Canton has introduced Senate Bill 415, legislation aimed at banning the production, distribution, and sale of lab-grown meat in Georgia. Lab-grown meat, also known as cultured or cell-based meat, is produced by harvesting animal cells and growing them in a controlled environment rather than raising livestock.
Georgia State Senator Colton Moore, a Republican from Trenton, who represents Chattooga County and surrounding areas in Northwest Georgia, has introduced a wide-ranging slate of legislation this session, targeting issues from National Guard deployments and gun regulations to taxes, abortion, elections, and lobbying rules. But despite the ambitious scope, the proposals are widely viewed as facing steep obstacles in the Georgia Legislature, where committee gatekeeping and leadership support often determine which bills advance.