Original source: Georgia Legislative Update - MCO Group 

01. Georgia Ins. Commissioner Drops Out of U.S. Senate Race

Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King dropped out of the 2026 Republican race for the U.S. Senate Thursday, hours after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp announced his support for former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley in a Republican run for the Senate post. King said he would run for reelection as state insurance commissioner next year, saying he would support efforts to help Republicans win “and back a Senate nominee who supports President Trump’s agenda.”

02. Gov. Warns State Agencies to Brace for Federal Cuts

Gov. Brian Kemp warned state agencies to prepare for tighter budgets as Georgia braces for the potential fallout from steep federal spending cuts included in President Donald Trump’s budget plan. In a memo sent last week by the state budget office, Director Richard Dunn advised agency heads that the Amended Fiscal Year 2026 and Fiscal Year 2027 budgets will likely not include any new spending increases. The memo makes it clear that if federal funding is reduced, the state does not plan to fill in the gaps—except for enrollment-based programs such as K-12 education and health care services.

03. TCSG, USG Sign Articulation Agreement for Nursing Students

The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and the University System of Georgia (USG) signed an articulation agreement to help nursing students seamlessly advance their education and careers, the first of its kind following the passage of HB 192, the Top State for Talent Act. The agreement allows graduates of TCSG’s associate degree in nursing programs to transfer directly into participating USG institutions to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), establishing a true 2+2 transfer model between the two systems.

04. Pilgrim’s Expanding Georgia Footprint, Creating 630 Jobs in Walker County

Pilgrim’s, one of the world’s leading food companies, will invest $400 million to build a new, multi-phase prepared foods facility in LaFayette, Walker County, supporting more than 630 new jobs at full capacity. The new facility will produce a variety of fully cooked chicken products to support the growth of its fast-growing prepared foods business. The project is expected to get underway in the fall of 2025, and hiring is expected to begin in 2027, aligning with the expected completion of the first phase of construction.

05. House Study Committee on Student Attendance in PreK-12 Education

The House Study Committee on Student Attendance in PreK-12 Education met on Tuesday to discuss the causes of chronic absenteeism in schools, as absence rates have increased since before the pandemic in Georgia. Based data, research, surveys, and other sources from a 6-month study, the subcommittee created a report identifying factors related to student absence and outlining actions that can be taken to reduce absences.