‘Sine Die’ or ‘Sign or Die?’ | Georgia General Assembly’s final hours

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - UPDATE: The Georgia House passed the budget just before midnight on Monday. The 32-billion-dollar deal will provide raises to teachers and law enforcement across the state. It will also fully fund the HOPE scholarship for in-state public schools amongst other things.

Other bills that passed Wednesday include:

SB 44: Adds an extra 5 years in prison at minimum if convicted of a gang-related crime.

SB 63: Expands a list of criminal offenses to include more misdemeanors and more than 30 new charges, like forgery, theft, and criminal trespassing, to require posting bail before being released from jail.

SB 222: Prohibits local election offices from accepting grant money to help run elections.

The House initially voted against the “school voucher” bill (SB233) which would essentially give money to low-income families to help pay for private school tuition. Moments later they voted to re-consider the measure which was not voted before the end of session.

The senate voted down a medical marijuana bill that would’ve expanded production in the state.

Lawmakers did not discuss an antisemitism bill that would make hate against Jewish people a hate crime in Georgia.

UPDATE: The Georgia General Assembly is headed toward adjournment on Wednesday. Lawmakers were in session on Monday, followed by a full day of committee meetings on Tuesday, and Sine Die on Wednesday.

Lawmakers are currently discussing the school vouchers bill.

ANF+ SINE DIE TEAM COVERAGE:

‘Sine Die’ is legalese for “indefinitely| and Latin for “without day.” Its proper pronunciation is either “sahy-nee dahy-ee” or “sin-ey dee-ey,” at least according to Dictonary.com.

Sine Die is a Latin phrase composed of the preposition sine “without” (sine governs the ablative case) and diē, the ablative singular of the noun diēs “day.” Sine die entered the English language in the 17th century, according to the website.

In politics, according to Political Dictionary, the word is used to signify the end of a legislative session without a specific date being set for the next session.

Georgia lawmakers pronounce Sine Die as “sign-ee dye,” which, according to freshman lawmaker Ruwa Romman, could be a derivative of “sign or die,” meaning bills that aren’t approved on the legislature’s final day is “either signed or they die.

“I’m sure there are other pronunciations or meanings,” Romman, a Democratic state representative from Duluth, said.

• FULL LEGISLATIVE COVERAGE FROM ATLANTA NEWS FIRST

Regardless of how it’s pronounced, Sine Die is among the legislature’s most important days, the others being when the session is actually convened and Crossover Day, which is the deadline for a bill to pass one of the two legislative chambers.

While several new laws have been passed - Gov. Brian Kemp last week signed a bill banning some gender-affirming healthcare for minors - others remain up for debate this week.

THE TOP LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

State budget

• Georgia’s mid-year budget will include tax rebates similar to 2022
• Gov. Kemp signs state income tax refund bill
• Georgia budget to pay full tuition for college scholarships

Sports betting

• Sports betting back on political agenda | Senate hijacks soap box derby bill

Private school vouchers

• $6,500 school vouchers bill stalls in Georgia House
• Bill for $6,500 vouchers creeps toward Georgia House passage
• Senate bill could make some students eligible for school vouchers

New guidelines for convicted sex offenders

• Senate committee approves ankle monitors for convicted sex offenders
• State House passes Mariam’s Law, expanding restrictions for convicted sex offenders

Reforming Georgia care for foster children

• Senate passes bill reforming Georgia’s foster care custody
• Jon Ossoff, Marsha Blackburn demanding answers from Georgia DFCS
• Housing foster kids in county offices, hotels may soon end
• DFCS leader ‘hell bent’ on ending office housing for kids in state foster care

Truck weight limits

• Big truck weight limit increase could pass in Georgia

Tik Tok ban

• Local TikTok creators fear a possible ban on the popular app

Atlanta News First and Atlanta News First+ provide you with the latest news, headlines and insights as Georgia continues its role at the forefront of the nation’s political scene.

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