Georgia House Republicans embrace Trump’s playbook as session winds down

For years, the Georgia House has acted something like a safety valve, bottling up some of the most controversial Senate measures that might ignite public backlash or alienate middle-of-the-road voters. But on Wednesday that firewall shattered in a major way.

In a striking series of votes, House Republicans embraced a slate of hardline Senate measures pulled straight from President Donald Trump’s playbook. It sent a clear message about where the party is headed — and how powerless Democrats are to stop them.

House lawmakers passed measures to restrict transgender health care for state prisoners, ramp up pressure on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and pave the way for Trump to recoup legal fees from her election-interference case.

They even adopted an “America First” license plate modeled after Trump’s campaign theme.

But in one of the most consequential moves, House lawmakers approved a “religious liberty” measure that a decade ago sparked mass protests, boycott threats and a veto from a GOP governor. This time, Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign it into law.

Outnumbered Democrats have few tools to stop the GOP agenda, but they tried.

State Rep. Karla Drenner, D-Avondale Estates, accused the House under Speaker Jon Burns of capitulating to the Senate and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — a likely candidate for governor in 2026 — on a series of controversial bills, including the “religious liberty” measure.

“This year we have let the other chamber that’s running for governor run our chamber over here,” she said.

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Other Democrats gave lengthy speeches or tried delaying tactics. And at a pivotal moment, most of the House Democratic caucus staged a walkout to cheers from supporters.

“Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to do political theater,” said House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, “so we’re taking a walk.”

The timing of the protest left Republicans scratching their heads. Democrats chose to march out amid debate over legislation to block gender-affirming care for transgender prison inmates — an idea that polled so well it became the subject of ubiquitous Trump ads.

Some House Republicans questioned why Democrats demonstrated against a bill modeled on what GOP strategist Brandon Phillips called “literally the most effective ad Trump used” during the campaign.

Democrats rejected the second-guessing.

“We are not obligated to take punches quietly, and we are not obligated to stand by and let them bully people without them feeling the consequences of that bullying,” said state Rep. Ruwa Romman, D-Duluth. “I have no interest in being worried about their reactions to us doing the right thing.”

Things to know

Good morning! It’s Sine Die eve. Here are three things to know for today:

School safety

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Just how dangerous is it to be a teacher these days? Enough that the state Senate voted to pay teachers the same as police officers if they are killed in the line of duty.

Wednesday’s vote was more than an acknowledgement of the increasing risks facing educators in an era of school shootings. It also highlighted how the Republican-dominated legislature has responded to the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County last year.

Public pressure in the weeks immediately after the shooting appeared to soften Republican qualms about gun safety legislation, especially after it was revealed the student charged with murder had gotten the gun from his father.

But none of the bills aimed at curbing access to guns got a hearing. Instead, lawmakers voted to require public schools install mobile panic alert systems. They also instructed the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to vet threats at public schools and provide training for educators.

In fact, Republicans advanced a bill making it easier to buy guns and firearm storage devices by exempting them from state sales tax for 11 days in October — a bill that passed the Senate and is awaiting a vote in the House.

The school safety bills, aside from the sales tax holiday for guns, have passed with enthusiastic support from Democrats. But you can expect to see many Democrats campaign on gun safety issues heading into the 2026 midterms.

“I wish with all my heart I could go home tonight and say what we did today was pass meaningful gun safety reform to try to prevent school shootings in the first place,” said state Rep. Betsy Holland, D-Atlanta. “But we’ll get there. We’re just not there today.”

Kumbaya

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

We’re often guilty of focusing on the fights at the Georgia Legislature, especially when it comes to the state budget. But there’s one area lawmakers are not fighting about this week: literacy.

How well children can read by third grade is important because, experts say, that’s when kids stop learning to read and begin reading to learn. In Georgia, third grade reading scores have been flat in the past two years. The state had a dip during the pandemic and it hasn’t recovered.

The House’s budget proposal took a big swing at those literacy scores. Their plan includes:

In an act of bicameral unity, Senate leaders “(did) not change a single dollar,” of the House’s proposal, according to Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia.

 “It’s been an effort of theirs as long as it’s been an effort of ours,” said Hatchett, a Republican from Dublin.

Fighting gamecocks

Credit: Bob Andres/AJC

Credit: Bob Andres/AJC

As Georgia inches closer to a ban on cockfighting, supporters are trying to balance the sport’s cultural history with public safety.

Georgia is the only state that doesn’t outlaw cockfighting. State Sen. Randy Robertson wants to ban it because he worries the sport attracts other illegal activities, including gambling, drugs and sex trafficking.

At the same time, he owns some cockfighting weapons that belonged to his uncle, whom he says “fought birds when I was a kid.” Plus, his cousin still raises game fowl — only for showing in competitions, not fighting.

On Wednesday, as Robertson asked House lawmakers to pass his bill before the Legislature adjourns for the year on Friday, he sought to assure them that the only way someone would get in trouble for raising gamecocks under this proposal is if they intended to engage in cockfighting.

“There is nothing illegal about anybody raising gamecocks, as long as they are not raising them with the intent to fight them,” Robertson said.

Some lawmakers weren’t buying it. State Rep. Al Williams, D-Midway, said he spent a week with a group in Alabama that raised “fighting cocks,” adding “believe me, everybody knew they were for gambling.”

“That would currently be a violation of federal law, and cockfighting is illegal in Alabama,” Robertson responded, adding: “Anybody that wants to break the law, it’s going to take more than passing a law to stop them.”

Under the Gold Dome

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

The state Legislature won’t meet today, giving lawmakers one more chance to get their bills through committees before the final day of votes on Friday. Some of today’s happenings:

Listen up

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Today on “Politically Georgia,” the hosts break down the whirlwind final hours of Georgia’s legislative session. Then, they discuss U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s sharper messaging ahead of his 2026 reelection campaign.

Have a question or comment for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.

You can listen and subscribe to the show for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Reconciliation bill

Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Credit: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

U.S. Senate Republicans released a revised budget proposal on Wednesday that is the next step in their attempt to implement much of President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Senators are expected to work on the package in the coming days, possibly over the weekend, in hopes of sending it over to the House for approval by the end of next week. Only after both chambers approve the legislation will it unlock the next step in passing the sweeping reconciliation bill that will contain the tax cuts, debt limit increase, border security and national defense funding and reductions in federal spending that Trump has championed.

“The Senate plan has my complete and total support,” Trump said during his White House event announcing new tariffs.

Republicans intend to pass the legislation using their slim majorities in both chambers and without the aid of Democrats. But Democrats, such as Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, have made a point to contrast the spending cuts, which are likely to impact programs like Medicaid and food stamps, with the planned extension of tax cuts that mostly benefit the wealthy.

“These are folks who have waxed eloquently for years about the debt we’re leaving on the backs of our children, and we’re discovering in real time that they didn’t really mean it,” Warnock said. “They are literally digging a hole for our children, exploding the debt $37 trillion over the next 30 years, but they’re doing it for the — and I’m being sarcastic here — noble cause of giving the wealthiest people in the country a tax break. Are you kidding?”

Today in Washington

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Before you go

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC

State Sen. Brian Strickland filed to run for state Attorney General in 2026, and his colleagues had some fun with him on Wednesday. After the McDonough Republican gave a rousing speech about military veterans, a senator teased him, asking if the Senate Press Office had been able to save a clip of his speech.

“I think so, I tried to say it slowly so they could get it,” Strickland said with a smile.

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.