The 2025 legislative session ended in controversy with the Senate’s unexpected early adjournment. Despite Friday’s strange anticlimax, the session yielded important policy changes across several key areas. With Sine Die in the rearview mirror, now is a good time to unpack what happened—and what didn’t—under the Gold Dome over the past three months.
The central issue of this year’s session was tort reform. Curbing lawsuit abuse was Gov. Brian Kemp’s top priority, and he scored a significant political victory with the passage of Senate Bills 68 and 69.
Georgia has ranked among the worst states for lawsuit abuse. High-profile “nuclear” verdicts, frivolous lawsuits and unfair practices have harmed the state’s economy and small businesses. The impact of excessive tort costs amounts to an estimated $1,400 “tort tax” paid by Georgia residents each year. These costs manifest in higher healthcare prices and increased liability insurance for businesses ranging from restaurants to grocery stores.
- Senate Bill 68 is an omnibus reform package. It limits premises liability, requiring plaintiffs to show that a property owner failed to address reasonably foreseeable security risks. The bill eliminates “phantom damages” by requiring damages be based on actual paid medical expenses, rather than inflated billed amounts. It also allows for bifurcated trials, so juries decide liability and damages separately.
- Senate Bill 69 targets the growing practice of third-party litigation funding. It prohibits funding from hostile foreign entities, requires funders to register with the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance and increases transparency to protect clients from predatory lending practices.
Gov. Kemp invested significant political capital into passing these bills, even threatening to call a special session if the measures failed. Ultimately, SB 68 passed the House with exactly 91 votes—the minimum needed—including three Democrats, while seven Republicans opposed it.
What else happened during the recently concluded 2025 legislative session? We have the details in this week’s commentary. We also have the latest news and analysis from the last week, including:
- Georgia’s March tax revenues up 7%
- Brunswick port sets two new records in March
- Consolidation of Georgia Southern University, East Georgia State College proposed
- 14 of the top 15 rated cable news shows in 2025 are on Fox News
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
Southern tax reckoning: Georgia risks falling behind
Georgia is used to sitting at the top of the regional heap: the Empire State of the South, home to the unofficial capital of the South, even the “best state to do business” for umpteen years running. But when you occupy that perch, others try to dethrone you. Some of their efforts ought to jolt Georgia out of any complacency it may suffer. Lawmakers lowered income tax rates to 5.19% during the last session, but everything is relative. Famously, Florida and Tennessee have no personal income tax. But look at what’s happening across the South.
Georgia legislature passes omnibus lawsuit reform bill
The highest priority on Gov. Brian Kemp’s legislative agenda has made it to his desk. The General Assembly passed legislation aimed at curbing lawsuit abuse. Senate Bill 68 is a comprehensive tort reform package and is the culmination of an effort to reform Georgia’s judicial landscape.
What the 2025 legislative session means for Georgia taxpayers
No matter which issues dominate the headlines during a legislative session, tax policy remains a hardy perennial. Whether a debate over eliminating the income tax, rising property taxes or special interests fighting for lucrative credits, taxes are always on the table under the Gold Dome. Similarly, no matter the strength of Georgia’s economy, its taxpayers will always judge effective governance at least partly by how their money is spent.
How much does each school district have in reserves?
Across Georgia, public school districts are refusing to go along with a reduction in property taxes that was approved by voters last fall – all while raking in taxpayer dollars like never before. Cumulatively, Georgia’s 180 city and county school districts have more than doubled their reserves to a staggering $6.5 billion.
The Latest
Economy
Georgia’s March tax revenues up 7%
Georgia’s net tax revenue collections in March totaled $2.5 billion. That’s an increase of $163.3 million, or 7%, over March 2024. Year-to-date, net tax revenue collections totaled almost $24.04 billion, an increase of $543.1 million. The increase was largely due to the collection of the state’s motor fuel excise tax, which was suspended by Executive Order for two and a half months during Fiscal Year 2024.
Brunswick port sets two new records in March
The nation’s busiest port for vehicles and heavy equipment set a new record for roll on-roll off units in March. The Georgia Ports Authority’s deepwater port in Brunswick handled an all-time record of 91,360 units of cargo last month, which was up 18% from the same month last year. Colonel’s Island Terminal also set a record with 65 vessels calling on it during March, up from 52 in the same month of 2024.
Child tax credit bill passes Georgia legislature, goes to governor’s desk
A Georgia bill that would increase the amount of tax credit residents could receive for child and dependent care expenses passed the state legislature last week. If Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signs the bill into law, it would increase the current tax credit from a 30% to 50% match of the federal tax credit.
Education
University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue announced today he will recommend a consolidation to the Board of Regents of Georgia Southern University and East Georgia State College. If approved, the new institution will retain EGSC’s identity while becoming a part of Georgia Southern University.
Exploring Atlanta’s innovative microschools
The Black Microschools ATL is a collective of K-12 education providers shaking up the look of schooling in Atlanta. The 16 participating microschools span the Metro Atlanta area and service hundreds of students with the goal of providing student-centered learning environments.
GMC names sole finalist for president post
The Georgia Military College Board of Trustees named retired United States Army Maj. Gen. Terrence McKenrick as the sole finalist for the role as GMC’s 22nd president. A 1986 West Point graduate, McKenrick served 35 years in the Army before retiring in 2021.
Energy
Georgia ranks 35th in energy affordability report
Georgia’s dependence on natural gas for electricity earned low marks on an energy affordability report. The American Legislative Exchange Council’s Energy Affordability 2025 report ranks Georgia 35th out of the 50 states. The average cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour is 12 cents, according to the report, which looked at 2023 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Putting green-energy companies on a diet
Currently, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin is fighting to claw back $20 billion the Biden administration allocated to the “Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.” This fund essentially operates a “green bank” that lends money to environmental projects unable to attract private funding. This may sound like a fine program, but, as we know, reliable diets of taxpayer subsidies cause companies to develop a dependence.
Government Accountability
City of Atlanta’s embattled wastewater plant close to compliance, officials say
There have been major improvements at the city of Atlanta’s embattled wastewater plant. Officials gave a tour of the upgrades at the R.M. Clayton Reclamation Center in Northwest Atlanta this week. The city’s newly appointed watershed management commissioner says they’re working to get the facility back up to code.
Supporters hopeful Red Tape Rollback Act will get another chance
For the second year in a row, the Georgia House of Representatives failed to consider a bill that supporters said would cut regulation. Senate Bill 28, known as the Red Tape Rollback Act, passed the Senate on Feb. 24. A House committee voted to advance the bill in March, but it never made it to the floor before the House said “Sine Die” on Friday night.
Georgia lawmakers pass bill to compensate wrongly convicted individuals for time served
Georgia lawmakers approved legislation that would give innocent people who were convicted and sent to prison money for the time they spent behind bars, while also allowing defendants to recover legal costs when their prosecutor is disqualified and the case against them is dismissed.
Conyers company fined over chemical fire
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited a Georgia company that was the site of a September 2024 fire that caused a chemical haze. BioLab, in Conyers, was fined $61,473 in penalties for what the agency called four serious and two other-than-serious violations. The fires started in a company warehouse that stored various chemicals, according to the agency.
Why government reform may hinge on ending federal unions
President Trump’s executive order ending collective bargaining for a wide swath of federal cabinet agencies and other government entities is a laudable attempt to end the failed experiment with federal government unions. It still faces some tests regarding whether the president’s reach goes that far.
Bonus
Augusta National Golf Club has strict no-cell phone policy
Phones are not allowed on the grounds at Augusta National Golf Course for The Masters. In fact, all electronic devices (phones, laptops, tablets, beepers, drones and other mobile devices) are not allowed at The Masters for those that attend it. As noted by The Masters’ website, courtesy phones are available throughout the course for patrons, should they need to make a call.
Top 15 rated shows on cable news so far In 2025
Donald Trump’s second term has been kind to one cable news network. The others, not so much. This week, Nielsen Media Research released data regarding the most-watched shows on cable news for the first quarter of 2025. Fourteen of the top 15 shows were on Fox News, leaving the long-term stability of CNN and MSNBC in question.
Atlanta’s first new Sky Club since 2016
Delta Air Lines is opening a new Concourse D Sky Club at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The 24,000-square-foot club boasts more than 500 seats, the most of the airline’s eight Atlanta lounges. It’s Delta’s first new lounge in its hometown since 2016.
Quotes of Note
“If the Masters offered no money at all, I would be here trying just as hard.” – Ben Hogan
“I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don’t believe I deserved my friends.” – Walt Whitman
“You might not be able to control your circumstances, but you can control your response to them.” – Condoleezza Rice
