Georgia Legislature Today: Capitol gears up for budget and other bills

The January 20th, 2018 edition of Georgia Legislative Week in Review with Mark Neisse, Maya Prabhu and the Phrase of the Week by James Salzer. Video by Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com

The Georgia General Assembly at a glance for Monday, Day 7 of the 2018 legislative session:

Ramping up: State lawmakers will be busy running between various committee meetings, many of them dealing with the state's $26 billion budget. In the House, appropriations subcommittees are reviewing public safety, education, economic development and transportation. Meanwhile, several non-spending bills will get their first hearings in House tax reform, motor vehicle and judiciary committees. In the Senate, committees are looking into public safety, insurance, transportation and judiciary issues.

Adoption outlook: What will the Georgia House do about the adoption bill, House Bill 159, which passed the state Senate last week? Senators added a provision to the bill that allows parents to hand over power of attorney for a child — an idea Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed last year because it lacked state oversight to ensure child safety. The House could accept the Senate's version of HB159 or insist on its position and send the bill to a conference committee.

Shut down: Georgians felt the effects of the federal government shutdown this weekend. Closures included Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park and Fort Stewart. State government services remain open.

Advocacy events: The 2018 Educate Georgia Summit is being held in Liberty Plaza, and Georgia Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America are gathering in the Georgia Capitol.