Georgia’s legislative session reached a high point of intrigue last week, and the highest priority on Gov. Brian Kemp’s agenda has made it to his desk. The General Assembly passed major 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 that became the governor’s top priority for this year’s legislative session.
A judicial system that allows for tort abuse – such as Georgia’s, which has consistently ranked as one of the worst states for such abuses – has been shown to have negative economic consequences across several industries. These range from medical malpractice litigation’s upward pressure on the cost of healthcare to limits on food access due to insurance costs for groceries, restaurants and convenience stores. Tort costs negatively impact Georgia’s economic activity across the board, especially in Atlanta. It was recently estimated that Georgia residents pay an annual “tort tax” of nearly $1,400.
Several lawmakers and advocates have echoed Kemp’s concerns about Georgia’s legal environment in recent years. The state has seen several high-profile instances of lawsuit abuse as well as excessive tort costs that led to interest in enacting reforms. While those who have made the push for reform recognize that liability litigation is not frivolous by definition, Georgia has been home to many infamous cases that were categorized as frivolous or predatory and has seen verdicts that were far removed from an accurate assessment of damages or justice.
So, how does Senate Bill 68 address those concerns?
We look at the details of the final bill that is awaiting Kemp’s signature in this week’s commentary. And we look at what is left in the tort reform battle this session. We also have the latest news and analysis from the last week, including:
- Port of Savannah sees busiest February ever
- Vidalia onions heading to grocery store shelves
- Georgia Kia and Hyundai plants to get steel from Louisiana factory
- House approves removal of income tax from military retirement benefits
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
Justice for sale: How third-party litigation funding skews the legal system
You may be surprised to learn that some lawsuits are run as profit centers for loan sharks, institutional investors and even foreign governments. Welcome to “third-party litigation funding,” an innocent-sounding practice that puts profits – that word trial lawyers love to vilify – over justice, fairness and transparency. Transparency is a key aspect to this issue, because it’s sorely lacking at the moment. Details have emerged only in a few isolated – yet disturbing – cases.
Interest in the Promise Scholarship is strong. Through the first 12 days in which families could apply for a 2025-26 Promise Scholarship, some 7,000 of them had done so, according to Lynne Riley, president of the Georgia Student Finance Commission. That represents about one-third of the 22,000 scholarships available under the program’s budget cap.
Markets shift but bureaucracy only grows
Why doesn’t the public sector follow the market? Consider suburban malls of the 1980s and 1990s: Town Center at Cobb has reopened, for now. But it is hard not to view these incidents as part of the decline of suburban malls. North DeKalb Mall was closed and razed, and a largely vacant Gwinnett Place Mall has bounced from one redevelopment plan to another. In a broad sense, this is the market at work.
Georgia’s legislative push for regulatory reform
A central problem with regulations is that they tend to grow perpetually absent deliberate efforts to review them. This buildup creates a burden for workers and established businesses and raises the barrier to entry for potential startups. Some states have taken steps in recent years to combat the inertia of regulatory expansion.
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
Hyundai on course to shape future of coastal Georgia’s economy, workforce, way of life
Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America―Georgia’s largest economic project-to-date―is on course to become the single most transformative influence on the Savannah region’s economy. Though the plant’s physical address is in what has traditionally been rural Bryan County, the seismic impact of its $7.59 billion investment is rippling out across multiple counties and spreading across the state.
Georgia’s famous Vidalia onions are headed to store shelves near you
Those famous Vidalia onions are headed to store shelves just before the Easter holiday on April 15. The Georgia Agriculture commissioner and the Vidalia Onion Committee have officially announced the 2025 pack date. Each year, growers pack and ship 200 million pounds of Vidalia onions all across the country.
Port of Savannah sees busiest February ever
The Port of Savannah set a record for containerized cargo traffic last month, the Georgia Ports Authority reported. The port moved 479,850 twenty-foot equivalent container units in February, a 6% increase over the same month last year. Dual container moves, with drivers delivering an export and picking up an import container, accounted for 85% of Savannah’s container business last month, adding overall efficiency.
Education
School cellphone bill on its way to Kemp
The Georgia Senate passed a bill 54-2 this week that would require K-8 schools to have a policy on cellphone use. House Bill 340 bans electronic devices from “bell to bell,” with some exceptions for students with learning disabilities or medical issues. High schools are not addressed in the legislation, but it doesn’t keep school districts from enacting cellphone policies for grades 9-12.
Lawmakers hear praise, concerns about legislation to stop school shooters
Legislation designed to avert another school shooting like the one that left four dead at Apalachee High School last fall got a hearing in the Senate this week, where many expressed concerns about a database that would be built to track children deemed to be suspicious. House Bill 268 passed the Georgia House of Representatives with wide bipartisan support earlier this month.
Government Accountability
Georgia lawmakers focusing on artificial intelligence
By the time the 2025 General Assembly session gavels to a close early next month, Georgia lawmakers are expected to have taken the first steps to come to grips with the growth of artificial intelligence technology. A state Senate committee approved a House bill that would require the Georgia Technology Authority and local governments across the state to develop plans for using AI and – importantly – to publish those plans online for the public to see.
Cobb Staff Wants 290 More Employees, $93 Million Boost in 2026 Budget
Though the Cobb County Board of Commissioners won’t vote on a proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year for a few months, members got a preview of staff’s proposal to raise spending by more than $90 million. The county staff’s request to increase the budget by $92.7 million from the adopted $1.27 billion comes largely from personnel requests.
Georgia Kia and Hyundai plants to get steel from new $6B Louisiana factory
Hyundai Motor Group announced plans at the White House this week to invest $21 billion in its U.S. vehicle supply chain, production and electric vehicle charging — including a new steel factory in Louisiana to supply its Georgia and Alabama automotive plants. The nearly $6 billion steel factory in Louisiana, one of the centerpieces of the announcement, will expand Hyundai’s U.S. supply base and help the automaker avoid tariffs on imported parts and vehicles.
We’re not short on power. We’re just too sanctimonious to generate it.
U.S. regulators and lawmakers have been kneecapping American electricity production with regulation after regulation, smothering new projects in the name of preservation, wetlands, or the northeastern bulrush sedge—often before they even break ground. Instead of building up capacity, we import Canadian power to keep the emissions off our ledgers like mafia accountants.
Taxes
Senate passes bill addressing property tax assessments
The Georgia Senate approved a bill that clarified a property tax assessment freeze approved by 63% of voters in November 2024. House Bill 92 is in response to House Bill 581, passed by lawmakers in 2024. The bill required Georgia’s taxing entities to freeze property tax assessments at the rate of inflation.
House approves removal of income tax from military retirement benefits
The Georgia House of Representatives passed a bill that would remove the income tax on military retirement benefits. House Bill 266 would return an average of $40 million to the more than 95,000 military retirees living in Georgia. Current law allows an income tax exemption of the first $17,500. Georgia is currently one of 12 states that still levies an income tax on military retirement.
Bonus
Savannah Bananas coming to Truist Park this weekend
The Atlanta Braves will begin their season on the road, but Truist Park will still have plenty of roaring fans this weekend. The Savannah Bananas will make their first trip to Truist Park this weekend as part of their world tour.
Georgia Sen. Brandon Beach tapped by Trump to be treasurer
Georgia State Sen. Brandon Beach has been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the next U.S. treasurer. Beach, who represents parts of Fulton and Cherokee counties, is the president and CEO of the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and president and CEO of the North Fulton Community Improvement District.
Dollar Tree selling Family Dollar for about $1B
Dollar Tree is selling its Family Dollar business as the discount chain store tries to turn around its mounting losses under a new leader. Dollar Tree agreed to sell its Family Dollar business to private equity firms Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management for roughly $1 billion, the company announced during its fourth-quarter earnings report.
Quotes of Note
“A big part of life is managing crises. You’re either going into a crisis, in a crisis or coming out of a crisis.” – Vince Dooley
“There is a lot of stuff we can’t control, but it is completely in our power to decide what the definition of what a good job is. That’s up to us.” – Mike Rowe
“My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.” – Hank Aaron
