The Georgia General Assembly begins the 2026 legislative session

State lawmakers returned to Atlanta Monday for the first day of the 2026 legislative session.

New members found their assigned seats and returning members greeted each other with hugs — many quipping that it felt like the first day back at school.

But if the morning was any indicator, even the most routine bills could see debate this year: Democratic members in both the Georgia House and Senate raised objection to the calendar laying out the schedule of in-session days due to conflict with Jewish and Muslim holidays.

And despite reports of mass protests expected, only a few groups — ACLU of Georgia and Indivisible — held peaceful gatherings that called on legislators to listen to their constituents.

Here’s a look at Day 1 of the 40-day legislative session, scheduled to adjourn April 2.

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com

Nancy Palmer, a lobbyist with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, takes a call in one of the Capitol phone booths. Some phone booths were moved out of the House antechamber as part of Capitol renovations last year.

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A sign directs members of the public in front of the Georgia House of Representatives. Lobbyists and visitors to the Capitol typically stand along the “rope line” to attempt to get the attention of legislators while they move in and of the chambers.

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Audrey Kittila, the current Miss Georgia, performs “Georgia on My Mind” on the violin in the House of Representatives. While music isn’t typically heard inside chambers, guests from across the state are often recognized by legislators.

House Speaker Jon Burns (right) said he’s moved past things after Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (left) abruptly ended last year’s session earlier than expected. But there may still be lingering tension and power moves.

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Senators voted unanimously to elect Larry Walker, R-Perry, as the new Senate president pro tem. Walker was selected by the Republican Caucus last summer to replace John F. Kennedy, who had to step down from the leadership position after launching his campaign for lieutenant governor, but his position was not official until he was approved by the Senate membership. Kennedy has since resigned from the Senate to focus on his campaign.

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Two senators and three representatives participated in their first day of session after winning special elections to finish the terms of lawmakers who resigned last year. State Sens. Jason Dickerson (bottom right), R-Canton, and Jaha Howard (bottom left), D-Smyrna, joined the Senate. State Reps. Eric Gisler (top left), D-Watkinsville, and Bill Fincher (top right), R-Canton, joined the House. A fifth member, state Rep. Akbar Ali, D-Lawrenceville (below), also joined the House.

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Ali is among the newly elected legislators after winning a special election in December. At 21-years-old, he is also the youngest member of the Georgia General Assembly.

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State Rep. Mack Jackson, a Democrat from Sandersville, served as the chaplain of the day in the House. Jackson, who is also the pastor at St. James Christian Fellowship Church in Tennille, preached on Psalm 34, in which David, the future king of Israel, praised God for delivering him those who would do him harm.

“They actually turned on David — his friends who had gone on to battle with them, his own men who had stood with him and told him how much they cared for him,” he said. “They had just returned from the battlefield together, but now they blamed David for all their troubles.”

Last year, Jackson drew criticism when he broke with his party to support Gov. Brian Kemp’s legal overhaul legislation. One Democrat told Jackson, “Good riddance” after he complained about his treatment.

On Monday, Jackson also prayed for the family of Mandi Ballinger, a former state representative who died in October of cancer.

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State representatives watch a presentation about the renovation of the House of Representatives in the House. The House chamber got a makeover during the offseason, part of an $82.5 million renovation project. The work included replacing an HVAC system that dated to the 1950s. “I think you’re going to have a lot cleaner air,” Georgia Building Authority Deputy Executive Director Gerald Pilgrim told reporters last week.

Clockwise from top left: Demonstrators with the ACLU of Georgia held a news conference; Ashley Lage (left) and Ashley Heredia held signs in protest during a day of action; people advocated for the Supplemental Food Assistance Program, or SNAP; demonstrators with Black Women’s Roundtable gathered for a rally.

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State Rep. Park Cannon, D-Atlanta, (center) was one of 27 House members who objected to the proposed legislative calendar, saying Democrats did not have enough opportunity to offer input.