by Rev. Dave Dunn
Several members of UUMAN kicked off the 2026 Georgia legislative session by showing up for “Pack the Cap” on Monday, Jan 12. “Pack the Cap” was organized jointly by the ACLU of Georgia, Indivisible Georgia Coalition and ProGeorgia. Several hundred concerned citizens were in attendance of this informative event. Although many of the bills currently being sponsored by the majority are at cross purposes to our most dearly held beliefs and values, “Pack the Cap” was an uplifting and hopeful event.
Here is a quick overview of some of the bills being considered during the session:
HB397, SB175 – Contains multiple changes to election procedures, including restrictions on Saturday voting, absentee ballot delivery, State Election Board authority, and poll watcher access.
SB74/HB483 – Seeks to repeal the exemption that protects librarians and library staff from criminal liability when distributing materials that some claim are “harmful to minors.” Under this bill, librarians could face a high and aggravated misdemeanor for lending or exhibiting certain materials — potentially leading to fines and jail time.
HB602 – Would strip state scholarship eligibility (such as HOPE, grants, and loans) from students who are convicted or disciplined for materially and substantially disruptive conduct (including protest-related arrests or violations of campus rules).
SB21 – Would take away legal protections from local governments and their employees that violate immigration laws, preventing schools or governing bodies from adopting “sanctuary” policies. The bill passed the Senate in 2025 but did not make it to a House vote. This vote may take place this session.
HB994 – Would elevate some protest activities from a misdemeanor to a felony
SB36 (Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act) – Although framed as protecting religious exercise, critics warned it could be used to justify discriminatory actions against LGBTQ+ people and others.
SB30 and SB39 (Gender-affirming care restrictions) - Intended to ban puberty blockers and other gender-affirming care for minors and aims to prohibit coverage for gender-affirming care under state-sponsored plans (including state employee and Medicaid plans).
Some bills being introduced by the minority party:
SB389 - Would ban ICE agents from wearing masks and require federal agents working on immigration enforcement to wear an identification badge
SB392 - Would prohibit the armed state forces like the National Guard to come into Georgia without permission of its elected leaders.
SB397 - Would allow people to bring personal lawsuits against federal officers who violate their rights during immigration raids.
The Unitarian Universalist Georgia Legislative Action Network (uugalen.org) and other organizations will be looking at these bills until the sessions ends (Sine Die) on April 2.
Please contact UUMAN’s Social Justice Committee (socialjustice@uuman.org) for further information.
Nurture our spirit. Strive for Justice. Transform the world.
Dave
