General Assembly Day One
Swearing-in Georgia House Chamber Jan. 11, 2021.
Jonathan O’Brien | Reporter
(Atlanta, Ga) — On a mostly ceremonial day, the Georgia General Assembly convened at the state capitol amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic and national division over the presidential election.
South Entrance of Georgia State Capitol Jan. 11, 2021
There were clear signs of increased security. Law enforcement in tactical gear patrolled the perimeter of the capitol building. Construction on an eight-foot-high fence is ongoing.
Once inside, lawmakers had to follow COVID guidelines. House members will get tested on-site twice a week, and to maintain social distancing, some representatives were on large screens watching the proceedings from another part of the building.
"We have a computer or tablet system that will be stationed at the seats in here and in the gallery," Speaker Ralston said last week. This will allow members to vote in real-time and avoid verbal roll call votes.
Milledgeville Rep. Rick Williams and his wife before swearing in Jan. 11, 2021.
Georgia's 180 House Lawmakers were broken up and sworn-in during four separate ceremonies, while State Senators took the oath together. The public galleries in both chambers are closed.
House Speaker David Ralston was re-elected with a sizeable margin of 158 to 11. "As we begin this session in an extraordinary time, let us embrace a spirit of healing and unity," Ralston told the chamber. "My challenge to you today is to be the best leader you can be."
Ralston enumerated the issues surrounding the session: the COVID pandemic, the fight for racial equality, and "an election cycle that has provided far too much division and anger that threatens to tear us apart on a scale never before seen," he said.
The Speaker made it clear that keeping the state's economy going during the coronavirus and tackling mental healthcare will be at the forefront of his agenda.
"We must address the concerns of many Georgians about the integrity of our election system," said Ralston. "But this will be done in a thoughtful and responsible manner based on facts."
In the State Senate, lawmakers adopted new rules to make "Crossover Day," when all bills must "cross over" from one chamber to another to have a path of becoming law, Day 27 of the session. Typically, it's on Day 28. The House will now have to decide whether to follow suit.