Georgia Lawmakers 2013 Session Ends Today

Georgia lawmakers wrap up the 40-day session today with a number of bills yet to pass.

The 2014 budget is the only one that the General Assembly is required to pass. Negotiations between the House and Senate have been ongoing, education spending is a key issue that has to be addressed.

According to GPB News, "The House added $6 million to the Technical College System of Georgia over what Governor Nathan Deal had proposed. The Senate gave TCSG an additional $4.5 million on top of that. Senators also voted to restore the HOPE program’s tuition equalization grants to $700 for private college students, which the House had cut to just $500 to save money."

The ethics bill is another key piece of legislation yet to be approved by the House and Senate.

There are two points to this bill that lawmakers must agree:

How public officials report contributions to their campaigns. The Senate version prohibits both current members of the General Assembly and those running for the office from fund raising during the legislative session.

The second defines who is considered a lobbyist and how much lobbyists can gift to legislators. The House favors a full ban, but the Senate prefers a $100 cap.

On the proposed gun rights bill, GPB reports that "six lawmakers are also working down to the wire to compromise on gun rights legislation. Senate Bill 101 would allow lawful gun owners to carry their weapons on college campuses and at churches.

The legislation has garnered a lot of attention, both positive and negative. Some believe recent mass shootings should spur more gun control, but others believe those events prove the need for people to carry arms to protect themselves."

The 2013 General Assembly session ends Thursday (March 28) night at midnight.

Source: GPB News