Crossover Day 2025: What bills to watch before crucial deadline
Crossover Day 2025 at the Georgia Capitol
Crossover Day is the last day for legislation to pass either the state House or Senate and advance to the other legislative chamber for consideration this year.
ATLANTA - It's a race against the clock for Georgia lawmakers under the Gold Dome on Thursday.
Today is Crossover Day, the last day for legislation to pass either the state House or Senate and advance to the other legislative chamber for consideration this year.
Dozens of bills are up for debate, including proposals to legalize sports betting, bans on DEI programs, and tax refunds.
RELATED: Crossover Day 2025: Kemp signs amended budget, school security bills pass
Here are some of the bills that will face the deadline on Thursday.
Crossover Day at the Georgia Capitol
It is a busy day at the state capital. It's Crossover Dy. That means it's the last day for legislation to pass either the house or senate and advance to the other chamber for consideration.
Online sports betting
Lawmakers in the House are considering a bill and resolution to allow Georgians to vote on whether the Peach State would become the latest state to allow online sports betting.
Republican State Rep. Marcus Wiedower sponsored the legislation and said the revenue generated would be directed to the Georgia Lottery and support education initiatives and gambling addiction programs.
"The National Championship was just here. We had the Super Bowl in 28. We have a lot of major sporting events that are going to come here," Wiedower told FOX 5. "A lot of people from around the world there to come to Georgia, and we're not addressing this."
Sports betting is 'moral manure,' religious group says
There's a clear divide in Georgia on whether sports betting should be legalized. FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Deidra Dukes hears from both sides of the aisle.
Opponents of the bill say they have a moral argument against gambling and point to its addictive nature.
DEI program ban in schools
A Georgia Senate bill to formally ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the state’s public schools is going to the Senate floor for a vote.
If passed, schools that violate the proposed rules would risk losing both state funds and federally managed funds distributed by the state.
State Sen. Marty Harbin, R-Tyrone, the bill’s sponsor, has argued DEI initiatives have evolved beyond their original purpose, turning into ideological filters that suppress free speech, emphasize group identity over individual merit, and foster division rather than unity.
Senate Democrats have called the bill an assault on diversity and American values.
Georgia tax cuts and refunds
Two bills in the House could mean some tax relief for most Georgians.
House Bill 111 would reduce the state income tax rate for individuals and corporations. House Bill 112 would provide another income tax refund for Georgians who filed taxes in 2023 and 2024.
Aerial drone view of Atlanta Skyline, Georgia the peach state show Dome of State Capital. (Photo by: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
HB 111 would accelerate tax cuts originally approved in 2022, while HB 112 could return more than $2 billion to taxpayers across the state.
Both bills are key legislative priorities for Gov. Brian Kemp, who announced his plans for another tax rebate in October.
Limiting lyrics in court cases
If Georgia House Bill 237 passes, prosecutors would have to prove to a judge that artistic works like song lyrics are relevant before they can be used in court.
A Democratic lawmaker sponsored a similar bill last year. It did not pass. This current bill has support from both Democrats and Republicans.
Bill could limit lyrics in court cases
Under Georgia House Bill 237, a prosecutor would have to prove to a judge that artistic works like song lyrics are relevant before they can be used in court.
State Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton, who sponsors the bill, argued that artists should be free to express themselves without the worry of state censorship.
"First Amendment rights are First Amendment rights," Carpenter said. "If they’re always living in fear of what they say and how it may come back on them, they’re not really able to express themselves."
Wrongful conviction compensation
Lawmakers in the House are pushing for a new bill that would compensate individuals who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated, aiming to help them rebuild their lives after years behind bars for crimes they did not commit.
Georgia is one of only 11 states that does not have a formal system in place to compensate innocent individuals after wrongful incarceration.
The bipartisan bill, sponsored by State Representatives Katie Dempsey and Scott Holcomb, would create a judicial process for awarding compensation.
Clarence Thomas monument
One bill that's expected to be fiercely debated is SB 242, which would erect a statue to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas near the Georgia Capitol.
Lawmakers say no public funds would be used for the design or creation of the monument, which would be located at the Nathan Deal Judicial Center in Atlanta.
Similar proposals to honor Thomas have been proposed in recent years, but none were able to pass.
The Source: Information for this story came from previous FOX 5 reporting and the Georgia Legislature's website.