(Georgia Recorder) — Several new legislators will begin their first legislative session on Jan. 13 as they join returning legislators and leadership for another year of lawmaking inside the Gold Dome.
A number of organizations will set the stage for likely bills to watch during the 40-day legislative session that wraps up in early spring. Each winter, a variety of Georgia nonprofits and business interests host breakfasts, suppers and other events to explore some of the issues awaiting lawmakers and to make the case for their legislative priorities.
An event hosted by Voices for Georgia’s Children will set the stage for the series of legislative preview events taking place throughout January. On Jan. 8, Voices for Georgia’s Children hosts Beyond the Hardware: Keeping Kids Safe at School and Beyond event that will feature a light brunch followed by panel discussions with state leaders and stakeholders.
On Jan. 12, the eve of the 2025 session, Feeding Georgia will host its annual big fundraiser, the Wild Hog Supper, where lawmakers and lobbyists will be among 1,200 attendees who will dine on barbecue and a smorgasbord of comfort food sides inside the Georgia Freight Depot a short walk from the state Capitol.
Other events over the next few weeks, through a mix of in-person and virtual options, will provide a glimpse into state politics and policies teed up for debate under the Gold Dome, including potential legislation affecting areas such as business, education, and health care.
The first week of the 2025 session also features a pair of legislative preview breakfasts starting on Jan. 14 with the nonprofit Georgians for a Healthy Future and Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs and Issues that attracts a who’s who of Georgia politics and business.
Calendar:
Jan. 8: Voices for Georgia’s Children will host the Beyond the Hardware: Keeping Kids Safe at School and Beyond. The free event, hosted at the Georgia Freight Depot, will begin with brunch prior to hearing from experts about child advocacy issues.
Jan. 12: Feeding Georgia’s largest fundraiser returns with another celebration of farming with its long-running pig-picking event to benefit the Farm to Food Bank program. The Wild Hog Supper brings together state lawmakers and agriculture leaders to mingle on the eve of the legislative session.
Jan. 13: The Georgia Assembly returns for a new legislative session.
Jan 14: Georgians for a Healthy Future will host an event at The Freight Depot in downtown, its annual Health Care Unscrambled event, where a bi-partisan panel of state lawmakers and experts will explore health care policy and public health issues. The 2025 event’s keynote speaker is Hemi Tewarson, executive director of the National Academy for State Health Policy.
Jan. 14: The Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs & Issues breakfast usually attracts about 2,500 business leaders, elected officials, lobbyists, and VIPs who network over coffee and Chick-fil-A biscuits and hear the legislative priorities of the governor and other state leaders.
Jan. 24: The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute is hosting Insights 2025: A Roadmap to Opportunitythat will offer a comprehensive dive into the state budget and provide ideas on the best ways for federal policies to improve the lives of Georgians.
