By Delaney Tarr, Managing Editor

Georgia lawmakers spent Friday night at the state Capitol as they worked to pass bills before Crossover Day, the deadline for bills to pass through the House or the Senate and remain eligible to become law.

There were 57 bills on the table for the mid-session deadline before lawmakers officially adjourn April 2. It marks the viability of most bills – though so-called “zombie bills” can add language from failed proposals onto existing legislation.

Here’s some of the critical bills that will impact Georgians’ wallets that passed and failed on 2026 Crossover Day.

Property tax relief

A pared-back property tax relief bill passed through the House on Friday, though it didn’t live up to original proposals to eliminate property taxes entirely.

House Speaker Jon Burns championed the original property tax overhaul, which would have phased out taxes on homesteaders entirely by 2032. Critics worried the change would impact local services that rely on property taxes, like school systems.

After that was shot down, another plan to cut property taxes by 75% also failed to win over lawmakers. It would have likely used higher sales taxes and funds recovered from eliminated tax cuts to offset the lost dollars.

HB 1116 passed with a 98-68 vote. It will cap all property tax increases at 3% each year.

Ending data center tax cuts

A bill to repeal the sales tax exemption for data center developers passed 32-21 in the Senate on Friday.

For years, data center developers have received major discounts on computers and other equipment. Reports estimate the tax breaks cost billions of dollars.

The move comes around a nationally changing data center landscape. President Donald Trump pushed federal initiatives last year that would speed up data center development. But lately, he has said data centers must “pay their own way.”

He also invited tech companies to sign a “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” to commit to covering increased electricity costs by the data centers. It’s a move to soothe Americans worried about their rising electricity bills, as construction costs are pushed onto residents.

Notably, though, the repealed tax breaks won’t necessarily protect Georgians from rising utility bills.

Lowering the income tax rate

As the income tax rate continues to dominate the legislative session, lawmakers debated HB 880 – and ultimately passed a bill to lower the state income tax from 5.19% to 3.99% over several years.

The House passed the bill largely along partisan lines with a 102-69 vote. It will reduce the state income tax by a tenth of a percent each year until it reaches 3.99%.

It’s part of an ongoing plan to eliminate statewide income tax entirely. Lawmakers also recently passed an income tax rebate of $250 for single filers and $500 for married couples and families.

Democrats raised concerns about how the funding will impact state revenue, and if sales taxes would need to increase to offset the funding from income taxes.

Immigration issues

The Senate also passed two immigration-related bills that could impact local business owners. SB 465 will disqualify businesses that hire undocumented workers from claiming certain tax credits, and SB 442 will revoke commercial drivers’ licenses for noncitizens upon the expiration of their visas or after five years.

Not every bill made it through. Several proposals were rejected, like a plan to legalize sports betting, a switch to paper ballots and new warehouse worker protections.

Georgia Insider will follow along with the bills that made it through a cutthroat Crossover Day as the state heads to Sine Die, the 40th and final day of the legislative session on April 2. Once the session concludes, the governor will decide whether to veto the bill or sign it into law.

Delaney Tarr is a Florida native-turned-Georgia lover with years of experience covering the ins and outs of Atlanta. She specializes in untold stories, eclectic profiles and hard-hitting news.