Legislature delivers, but falls short on major proposals

Lawmakers often enter legislative session with bold ambitions to pass landmark laws that help their constituents. The 2026 session was no different, but it had a sharper focus: Republican leadership’s top priority was alleviating the high cost of living, followed by updating the code in other critical ways to serve Georgians in the future.

As is always the case, several of these dreams were dashed. The minority party, Democrats, unified and created obstacles to GOP proposals. Policy disagreements between the House and Senate ensured that many bills died on the vine. As the Legislature adjourned around 1 am on April 3—the last day of regular session—time of death was pronounced on many priorities, although not all hope was lost.

Toward the beginning of the year, it seemed that a major shakeup in Georgia’s tax code could be within reach and benefit Georgians. The House pursued an effort to potentially eliminate property taxes over the course of several years, while the Senate promoted an effort to end the income tax for most taxpayers.

Both measures faced stiff political headwinds, despite enjoying broad support in their respective chambers. Supporters found that there was no viable path to enactment this year. Even so, there were some consolation prizes.

The General Assembly approved one proposal, sponsored by Rep. Shaw Blackmon, R-Bonaire, that could reduce the income tax rate to 3.99% by 2027. It also repealed several big-business tax credits—something that took courage.

While legislators inched closer to tax reform, they also mulled how to protect electricity ratepayers from increased costs associated with the deluge of data centers flooding the state. Senate Bill 34, by Sen. Chuck Hufstetler, R-Rome, aimed to prohibit electricity providers from passing the costs of serving data centers on to residential ratepayers.

While Hufstetler’s bill was a commonsense and fair proposal, there were others floating around the Legislature, but they faced serious opposition. In the end, they all failed to cross the finish line, which represented a surprising conclusion that could leave consumers exposed.

This was a notable setback, but the General Assembly found other ways to help Georgians tackle persistent affordability problems—particularly as they pertain to benefits and healthcare. Rep. Todd Jones, R-Cumming, passed House Bill 987 to institute an innovative voluntary portable benefits system to make it easier for independent contractors to obtain benefits, like retirement and health insurance.

Rep. Beth Camp, R-Concord, championed House Bill 1138 to align Georgia’s code with more than 30 other states that permit women to obtain birth control from a pharmacist without a doctor’s prescription. These two measures may not dominate headlines, but they are huge wins for Georgia.

While not directly related to the high cost-of-living, the Legislature punted on two other notable proposals. Sen. Ed Setzler’s Senate Bill 51 was an under-the-radar niche measure that would have extended the federal and state gold-standard procurement method (known as Qualifications-Based Selection or QBS) to locals.

It simply places a priority on qualifications, so that governments acquire the best designs for bridges and roads that they can afford instead of the cheapest possible designs. If you aren’t a fan of bridge collapses, then QBS might be for you. Unfortunately, Setzler’s bill fell just short of reaching the governor’s desk.

The last legislative misstep might be the most serious. In 2024, the Legislature passed a bill that outlawed the use of QR codes in our voting systems but failed to provide a replacement. Lawmakers rushed to address this oversight because if they didn’t, then after July, Georgia may have to revert to hand-counting ballots. That could cost millions of dollars, take an inordinate amount of time and lead to miscounts.

After adjourning on April 3, officials failed to institute a fix, and now Gov. Brian Kemp has a choice: Allow Georgia to return to a bygone era of hand-counting ballots, let the courts sort it out or call a special session to force lawmakers to update the code. I imagine Kemp will not keep us in suspense for long.

All told, the 2026 session was a mixed bag—as sessions always are. Legislators should celebrate some of their banner wins that will help Georgians, even though there were some major missed opportunities.

While legislative realities often crush lawmakers’ dream priorities, redemption is often close at hand. There is always another legislative session on the horizon, and with the prospect of a special session coming long before the November elections, redemption could be closer than many realize.