It’s All About the Money

I got sick this week. I love it when the Capitol is packed with people, and I love coming to the ropes outside the chamber to greet people, but I don’t love the germs.

Being home gave me time to think about how the 2026 legislative session is going so far. Can you believe we’re already at the half-way point?!

What keeps coming to my mind is money. Outwardly, there’s been quite a lot of talk about taxes, but behind the scenes, money is driving the legislative process in Georgia more than ever. The same corporate forces that shape national politics are weighing in not only on Georgia’s legislative process, but also our elections.

Money is also impacting my own legislative agenda this year. Frito-Lay asked me for an exemption for snack foods in SB 278, my bill requiring corn products to be fortified with folic acid to prevent spina bfida. When my team determined we shouldn’t do this, the bill stopped in its tracks. And my legislative efforts to keep kids safe online have brought quite a number of high paid corporate lobbyists to Georgia!

Big Tech Under the Gold Dome

On Tuesday — our first day back after the President’s Day break — I made it to the Senate Children and Families Committee for a hearing on SB 467, which requires app stores to verify a user’s age and obtain parental consent before minors download apps. Several states have passed similar laws, though many are tied up in court.

This was one of the recommendations from the Senate Study Committee on Online Safety that I co-chaired last fall. We knew our recommendation would draw heavy pushback from Big Tech. And it did.

So far, most of the lobbying pressure has been targeted to my Republican colleagues — because everyone knows who holds the power under the Gold Dome. This hearing was my first opportunity to hear directly from Big Tech lobbying groups. They raised concerns about privacy, compliance costs, and the First Amendment.

At one point, a colleague asked, “Why would these companies oppose a bill that protects children?” The answer is simple: they’re protecting their profits.

A Reckoning for Big Tech

A landmark civil lawsuit against Meta and other tech giants moved forward this week in California. Families allege these platforms were deliberately designed to be addictive, despite knowing the harms to young users.

For years, Big Tech has operated with little accountability. Now they’re being questioned under oath in a court of law. Whatever the outcome, that alone feels like progress. This case could pave the way for smarter, less harmful design.

Leadership, Money, and the Levers of Power

In 2021, over Democrats’ strong objections, Governor Kemp and Republican lawmakers created “Leadership Committees” — special PACs for state leaders that can raise unlimited money during the legislative session (none of the rest of us can accept donations during session, and the rest of the year, our donations are capped). The AJC recently detailed how these “unlimited money machines” are fueling the next governor’s race and shaping this session.

When leaders collect six-figure checks from powerful interests, it can influence which bills move — and which stall — under the Gold Dome.

Power Play: The Senate Regulated Industries Committee was set to vote this week on SB 34, a bill from a Rome Republican to protect ratepayers from absorbing power costs tied to massive data centers. The bill has been stuck in committee since last year. The vote was canceled so Republican senators could attend a Trump rally — ironically in Rome — where the President declared the affordability crisis “over.”

According to the AJC, Georgia Power gave $500,000 to Governor Kemp’s Leadership Committee. SB 34 directly affects Georgia Power’s financial interests. When that much money is involved, we need to ask why this popular bill has been slow-walked.

Tax Cuts and Tradeoffs: HB 739, the amended 2026 budget, moved out of Senate Appropriations with both property and income tax cuts included. The AJC reported that an anti-tax group formed late last year gave $526,000 to Lt. Governor Jones’ Leadership Committee just weeks ago. The dots aren’t hard to connect.

The amended budget does include positive investments, like increased resources for mental health services and infrastructure. But it was disappointing to see funding for Georgia’s first-ever needs-based college scholarship cut from the Governor’s proposed $325 million down to $100 million to help pay for tax cuts. At that level, the DREAM Scholarship will cover only a fraction of eligible students and tax cuts for those low-income students won’t cover rising college costs.

HB 739 passed the Senate Friday and now heads to a conference committee to work out the differences between the House & Senate versions.

Big Money on the Ballot

If you want to see the power of Big Money and Big Tech in action, look no further than Georgia’s elections.

Did you hear that Elon Musk got his hand slapped by the Georgia State Elections Board for illegally mailing out filled out ballot applications during the 2024 elections? Yes, Elon Musk’s PAC violated the law created by SB 202 — Georgia’s 2021 voter suppression law.

As you can probably tell from the onslaught of political ads, the governor’s race is already awash in money. The two leading billionaire Republican contenders are pouring millions of their own dollars into their campaigns. On top of that, the Georgia GOP waived its neutrality rule, opening the door for the national party to pour money into picking a favorite in an election that used to be decided by Georgia voters alone.

And then there’s Big Tech. The New York Times reported that Meta is preparing to spend unprecedented sums to influence state elections, creating two new PACs to add to the two it already operates. With AI regulation being debated under the Gold Dome, it’s only a matter of time before that money reaches Georgia.

Reminder: Ballots Still Beat Billionaires

The only force stronger than billionaires and corporate PACs is an engaged electorate.

Every statewide office is on the ballot. Every member of Congress is up for re-election. Every state legislator is on the ballot.

Vote in the May primary. Vote in November. Get others to vote. Vote for leaders who will fight for your interests over their billionaire donors.

It’s the single most important thing we can do this year.

What’s Next

Crossover Day is March 6 — the deadline for bills to pass one chamber and stay alive. That leaves only a small handful of legislative days to move bills through committee. March 6th is also the final day for candidates to “qualify,” putting their names on the ballot to run for office in this year’s election.

Monday is a Committee Workday so it doesn’t count as one of our 40 legislative days. Going forward, our days will consist of longer floor sessions as leadership pushes their priority legislation through the process.

So much money. Stay tuned.

What’s It Matter To You

Sales Tax Cuts Help Everyone

There’s been a lot of talk at Georgia’s Gold Dome about various kinds of tax cuts. Too often tax cuts only benefit those who are already doing pretty well, shifting the burden to those who are struggling. What if we designed tax cuts that helped everyone instead?