Agriculture + Lifestyle

GFB at the Capitol

Posted on February 12, 2024 8:30 PM

Beginning in January each year and through March, sometimes even into April the Georgia General Assembly meets at our state capitol for a total of 40 legislative days. During that time, representatives from our Public Policy Department are present to advocate for you in the legislative arena. 

New legislation is introduced in the form of a bill by a member of the House of Representatives or Senate. It then goes throughout an extensive process of committee meetings in both chambers where the public or advocacy organizations, like Georgia Farm Bureau, provide insight to legislators on the impact of the possible new legislation. Your membership dollars help us and ultimately you have a voice in this big arena. By purchasing a membership with GFB you help ensure our access to a safe, local food supply and provide a defense against radical groups who would like to dismantle common agricultural practices. Through a daily presence at the state Capitol, Georgia Farm Bureau protects the rights of farmers, allowing them to produce the commodities that keep us fed, clothed, and sheltered.  

The process of a bill becoming law is tedious and allows for significant public input to ensure the General Assembly is fully aware of its impact on the state. Bills are read to their respected chamber of origin and then assigned to a committee. Committees are made up of legislators who debate the legislation before allowing it to be voted on by the entire chamber. Once a bill passes committee, it is voted on before all members of the chamber. If the bill receives the necessary votes needed to pass, it will go onto the next chamber and go through the same process. All bills must be voted on by the House and Senate to receive passage. 

The last step a bill must go through to become law is the Governor’s approval. The Governor may enact a bill into law by either signing the legislation or taking no action. If the Governor does not approve of a bill, he may enact veto power to stop the bill from becoming law. 

As you can see, this is a tedious process, and advocates like those at Georgia Farm Bureau are extremely important. The Georgia Constitution does require that both the House of Representatives and Senate maintain a journal of their proceedings. You can follow along at home by viewing these documents at http://www.legis.ga.gov or by reading our Legislative Session Reports at https://www.gfb.org/advocate/session-reports

Content provided by healthyfuturega.org and Georgia Farm Bureau Public Policy Dept.