Anulewicz also criticized Kemp for not pushing for full Medicaid expansion, and noted another omission from his speech that she called notable for where the event took place.

"It's very interesting, we are here at Truist Park, we are here at the Battery, and sports betting didn't come up," she said.

As she has previously told the MDJ, sports betting was something Anulewicz hoped would have gained more traction under the Gold Dome this year. By not mentioning that hot-button item, Anulewicz said, the governor also did not address what revenue from sports betting could fund in Georgia. She said that revenue could go toward need-based HOPE scholarship funding, for example, to keep high-achieving Georgia students who are unable to afford the part of HOPE not covered by the merit scholarship from seeking better opportunities out-of-state.

ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION: Anulewicz, the Democrat who co-sponsored Burns’ IVF resolution, had earlier introduced a bill to add legal protections for the process.

“I think it’s important that this be a bipartisan resolution as it is beyond clear that support for in vitro fertilization is bipartisan,” she said.

MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL: As a woman, a mother, and a Georgian, I am committed to ensuring that our rights to make personal health decisions remain protected. Georgia’s Right to Contraception Act seeks to protect and preserve Georgians’ right to contraception, including condoms, the pill, and IUDs. I sought co-sponsors for the bill from across the aisle, but there were no takers.

The House took legislative action to combat the growing fentanyl crisis in our state. My colleagues and I unanimously passed this important, life saving measure, Senate Bill 465, would create the crime of aggravated involuntary manslaughter when someone intentionally manufactures or sells a controlled substance that contains fentanyl and fentanyl is determined as the sole cause or a contributing factor in a victim’s death.

11 ALIVE: State Rep. Teri Anulewicz (D-Smyrna) says because in vitro fertilization has broad support as a tool to build families, her bill should get backing from Republicans.

"I mean if you’re the party of family values, I would think you would support being able to have a family, in whatever way that family happens to take shape," Anulewicz said Monday.

The House gave unanimous, final passage to Senate Bill 483, which would enter Georgia into the updated version of the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children Act (ICPC) to help ensure that children are placed in safe homes in a timely manner.

The Georgia General Assembly is tasked only one thing by the Georgia Constitution, to pass a budget. And, unlike the Federal Budget, our budget must be balanced. Also, according to the Georgia Constitution, all budget items must originate in the House.

Thursday was especially important as it marked Legislative Day 28, or "Crossover Day," the deadline for bills and resolutions to pass from their originating chamber to remain eligible for final consideration by Legislative Day 40, or "Sine Die." On Crossover Day alone, the House passed 72 bills.

We continued to make significant progress this week by voting on legislation to enhance public safety, behavioral healthcare, and education in Georgia.

The House voted on an important measure this week, House Bill 1037, which would create the Georgia Commission on Maternal and Infant Health. Through this commission, this legislation aims to examine the causes of maternal and infant deaths in our state and provide policymakers with a more holistic view of these issues so that we can continue our work to improve maternal and infant health in Georgia.

Some highlights of the week include the passage of the House’s version of the Amended Fiscal Year 2024 budget (AFY 2024), among other bills, as well as the convening of a joint legislative session for the annual State of the Judiciary address.

11 ALIVE: “If I’m a parent who is gay or lesbian; if I’m a teacher, I would be very concerned to know that there are people in positions of authority making these policy decisions in the district who do not think my existence necessarily is valued,” Rep. Anulewicz said.