Lawmakers gaveled in on Monday, January 12 to kick off the 2026 legislative session. This 40-day session is the second year of the biennial cycle, so bills that did come up for a vote last year remain alive. 2026 is a midterm election year with U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff’s seat at the top of the ballot followed by the open Governor’s seat and all statewide constitutional officers. Every State Representative and State Senator will be up for re-election, and several have already announced or resigned to run for higher office.
In Gwinnett, State Representative Shelly Hutchinson (HD 106) resigned late last year, and Akbar Ali won the special election. State Representative Karen Bennett (HD 94) also resigned. A special election will be held to fill her seat.
Gwinnett is well represented in leadership roles under the gold dome. In the House, Majority Leader Chuck Efstration, Majority Caucus Chairman Bruce Williamson, Majority Caucus Vice-Chairman Soo Hong, and Minority Whip Sam Park serve in House Leadership. Senators Shawn Still and Clint Dixon were voted Majority Caucus Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, while Senator Nikki Merritt serves as Minority Caucus Vice Chair, Finance.
The General Assembly once again adopted an adjournment resolution that sets all 40 legislative days in advance. Key dates include Crossover Day (Friday, March 6) and Sine Die (Thursday, April 2).
Governor Brian Kemp announced his floor leaders for 2026, and Lt. Governor Burt Jones announced new senate committee chairs for 2026. On Thursday, Governor Kemp delivered his final State of the State Address where he outlined his legislative priorities.
This week is budget week as the Joint Appropriations Committee will hold hearings to finalize the 2026 amended budget and 2027 fiscal year budget.
To learn more about the Chamber’s public policy initiatives, visit https://gwinnettchamber.org/publicpolicy/
