The 2025 legislative session saw progress in several policy areas, including the passage of landmark tort reform and a reduction of the state income tax. No session comes and goes without some measure of disappointment, though. This year, Georgia had an opportunity to join other states in passing regulatory reform but failed to do so.
Senate Bill 28, labeled the “Red Tape Rollback Act,” was designated as a priority by the Lieutenant Governor’s office upon its introduction, and it passed the Senate 33-21, along party lines, in late February. Despite interest from the House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Committee, which also passed the bill, it ultimately never came to the House floor. While Georgia’s biennially structured legislative terms mean that the Red Tape Rollback Act can be considered in 2026, its stall this year further postpones a reckoning for Georgia’s expanding regulatory code.
Almost each year since the Georgia Secretary of State’s office began tracking regulations in 1965, the state’s code has grown. Research provided to the Georgians First Commission, tasked with analyzing Georgia’s code during Gov. Brian Kemp’s first term, showed that over half of those regulations were out of date, redundant or in need of review.
It is important to view regulations from executive branch agencies in the proper context. While it is the General Assembly’s responsibility to pass laws, most of the state’s regulatory burden comes from an unelected bureaucracy and the federal government. If left unchecked, executive regulations tend to grow over time, as Georgia’s have.
At both the state and federal levels, the vast landscape of regulations contributes to a myriad of economic constraints. In addition to higher poverty rates, unemployment and inflation, regulations disproportionately burden smaller businesses, which struggle to navigate complicated compliance requirements.
The Red Tape Rollback Act would have been a critical step in not only reducing the burdens in Georgia’s code, but in changing the process by which regulations are enacted to better ensure their necessity and that they do not impose unnecessary costs.
Read this week’s commentary on what the Red Tape Rollback Act would do and why it didn’t make it across the finish line this year
Watch this short video on Georgia’s regulations
Sign this petition calling for regulatory reform
We also have the latest news and analysis from the last week, including:
- Tax rebate coming soon to Georgians
- States with no income tax are winning the population battle
- University System of Georgia sets tuition for 2025-2026 academic year
- Masters caddies have big pay day
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest
Sine Die surprise: Wins, losses and a sudden exit at the Georgia Capitol
The 2025 legislative session ended in controversy with the Senate’s unexpected early adjournment. Despite the strange anticlimax, the session yielded important policy changes in 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.
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.
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
Gov. Brian Kemp signed two tax relief measures this week. House Bill 111, which Kemp signed at an event inside the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre sponsored by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, will reduce the state income tax rate from 5.39% to 5.19% retroactive to the beginning of the current tax year. The second tax relief measure Kemp signed will provide a one-time rebate to Georgia taxpayers.
Tax rebate coming soon to some Georgians
Georgia taxpayers qualifying for a tax rebate signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday should see the money in six to eight weeks, according to the state Department of Revenue. The $1 billion tax cut will give $500 to married filers, $250 to single filers and $375 to those who file as head of household.
Why states with no income tax are winning the population battle
Turns out that it’s easy to make people move out of your state: Just raise taxes. Between April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2023, high-tax states lost a net 2.8 million residents to low-tax states. That’s more people than could be seated in all 30 NFL stadiums and 29 NBA arenas combined.
Atlanta’s post-pandemic warehouse boom wanes. Experts say that’s OK.
Economic engines prefer steady acceleration and growth, not sudden shifts that threaten to overheat operations. Atlanta’s industrial market ran white-hot for years after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 roiled supply chains and generated unprecedented demand for more warehouses and shipping centers.
Education
University System of Georgia sets tuition for 2025-2026 academic year
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) voted to approve tuition rates for the 2025-26 academic year at USG’s 26 public colleges and universities. There will be no tuition increase for most in-state undergraduates, while out-of-state tuition will increase by 2%, and out-of-country tuition will rise by 3%.
Delta, MGA partner to fuel Clayton County pilot pipeline with $2.5M grant
The Middle Georgia State University School of Aviation will receive a $2.5 million grant thanks to the Delta Air Lines Foundation, enabling more students to study to become pilots. The funds will provide scholarships to graduates of Clayton County’s 12 public high schools who show “aptitude for aviation,” MGA said in a release.
Consolidation of Georgia Southern and East Georgia State College receives approval
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the consolidation of Georgia Southern and East Georgia State College following a recommendation from Chancellor Sonny Perdue. This is the initial approval required for the year-long consolidation process. A final vote of approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is also needed.
Can American schools fuel a manufacturing revival?
Does America’s education system have what it takes to produce the workforce needed to staff a manufacturing revival as envisioned by President Trump? To put the question bluntly, are we any better at Career and Technical Education than teaching kids to read and do math proficiently? The evidence suggests a mixed picture.
Government Accountability
Georgia’s Rich States Poor States ranking drops to 13th
States with lower tax rates, lower debt and fewer government restrictions generally have stronger economic outlooks, according to the latest report that ranks states from best to worst based on how friendly their policies are to economic growth. The American Legislative Exchange Council “Rich States Poor States” report finds Georgia dropped two spots this year.
Georgia awards $25M for 12 park, trail and conservation projects across state
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources recently announced the recipients of its Outdoor Stewardship Program grants totaling $24.6 million for 12 conservation and outdoor recreation projects across the state.
State funding reshapes Savannah-area water market
Savannah has long controlled the area’s water supply, treating massive quantities of drinking water and selling what the city didn’t need to neighbors in Chatham, Effingham and Bryan counties. But as development intensifies the area’s thirst, one of the city’s long-time water customers – Effingham County – is poised to become a bigger player in water treatment and delivery.
President Trump’s three new energy executive orders
President Trump signed three new executive orders (EOs) that address the United States’ energy sector. The key themes of the EOs include ensuring the reliability and resilience of the electric grid, stopping the enforcement of illegal state laws that undermine the nation’s ability to unleash American energy, and reinvigorating the coal industry primarily by removing governmental barriers that hinder the use of coal.
Transportation
U.S. Vehicle Miles of Travel Up 1% in 2024
Data shows that U.S. vehicle miles traveled increased by 1.0% in 2024. Americans drove 3.279 trillion miles last year, an increase of 32.3 billion miles. This increase is part of a post-Covid reversion back to historical trends, with Americans finally exceeding the 2019 totals.
How to jump-start U.S. mileage-based user fees
The need to shift highway funding from fuel taxes to per-mile charges is widely acknowledged in transportation policy circles. Seventeen states have carried out pilot projects to test the idea with volunteer motorists, and three pilot projects have involved trucking firms, covering numerous states. Yet, there are serious roadblocks to actually implementing road user charges that apply to all motor vehicles. The Foundation looked at what this would mean for Georgia in an earlier report.
Bonus
Rory McIlroy’s caddie hits jackpot
Rory McIlroy’s recent triumph at the Masters didn’t just bring him fame and fortune; it also lined the pockets of his loyal caddie Harry Diamond, with an eye-watering bonus. Following McIlroy’s victory at Augusta National, Diamond pocketed a $420,000 bonus from McIlroy’s $4.2 million prize money.
Easter spend will rise in 2025
Consumers plan to spend a total of $23.6 billion on Easter this year, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The amount is above last year’s $22.4 billion and approaching the record $24 billion spent in 2023.
Political violence surges as the use of force becomes mainstream
Recent months have seen assassinations and attempted killings, attacks on political headquarters, arson against Tesla cars and dealers, and other acts that make it clear that some people have gone beyond hardened political hostilities to assaults on people and property. Worse, Americans—especially those on the political left—seem increasingly open to violence as a means of settling ideological disputes.
Quotes of Note
“This type of violence is not okay. This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society, and I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another.” – Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Sharpiro
“Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.” – George Washington
“This week as American families draw together in worship, we join with millions upon millions of others around the world also celebrating the traditions of their faiths. During these days, at least, regardless of nationality, religion, or race, we are united by faith in God, and the barriers between us seem less significant.” – Ronald Reagan
