ATLANTA (AP) – Tuesday’s presidential results and Georgians’ rejection of a proposed amendment to the state constitution are already having an effect on the upcoming legislative session.
Health care and education issues were expected to dominate 2017 at the Capitol.
But after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, key policymakers say discussions about expanding Medicaid in Georgia are likely on hold. Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress have vowed to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, which created the expansion option for states.
Georgians on Tuesday rejected Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposed constitutional amendment to allow the state to take over chronically low-performing schools. Deal, a Republican entering the second half of his final term in office, said his office is now considering other options.
Lawmakers don’t reconvene until January, but here’s an early look at Tuesday’s significant effects at the state Capitol: