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The Session Ended. The Fight Didn't. | NGA CAN Legislative Action Alert for April 9, 2026

  • Apr 9
  • 7 min read

There is no shortage of fights right now. Congress is home on April recess, which means this is one of the highest-leverage weeks of the entire year for constituent pressure. And while Georgia's legislative session ended April 2 at Sine Die, the action has not stopped. Three harmful bills that passed both chambers are sitting on Governor Kemp's desk, and he has until May 12 to sign, veto, or allow them to become law without his signature.

Here is where things stand as of today and what we need from you.



FEDERAL: Congress Is Home Right Now


Members of Congress are in their home districts for April recess. This is the moment to show up in person, fill their voicemail boxes, and make clear that their constituents are watching. We have broken down the federal action items by urgency.


No. 1: Iran War — This Is Not Over


There is a fragile, two-week ceasefire in place as of this morning, but make no mistake: this situation is actively unstable and Congress must still be held accountable.

Here is what happened. Trump launched what he called "major combat operations" in Iran on February 28, killing Iran's Supreme Leader without a declaration of war and without any authorization from Congress, in direct violation of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. Both chambers introduced resolutions to assert congressional authority. Both resolutions were voted down.




A ceasefire is not accountability. Peace talks are scheduled to begin in Islamabad on April 10, but Congress must still hold Trump accountable for his reckless behavior, and lawmakers anticipate he will seek emergency funding despite the billions already spent on military operations in Iran.


Call your senators and your House rep. Ask them to support a war powers resolution asserting Congress's sole authority over military conflict, refuse any supplemental funding for this unauthorized war, and hold public hearings on the administration's actions in Iran.


Script and contact lookup: https://5calls.org/issue/stop-iran-war/


No. 2: Show Up During April Recess


Congress is home. Town halls and in-person office visits during recess carry more weight than calls during session. If your member of Congress has not scheduled public events, show up at their district office anyway and document everything.


Find events and office locations: https://5calls.org/issue/april-recess-town-hall/


No. 3: Oppose H.R. 1 Healthcare and Budget Cuts


The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" budget reconciliation package would gut Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP to fund ICE operations and the Iran military campaign. H.R. 1 initiated the deepest cuts in history for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, with those cuts set to begin this October. Georgia families will feel this directly.


Call your reps and demand they vote no on H.R. 1's healthcare and nutrition cuts.



No. 4: Oppose the SAVE America Act


This is federal-level voter suppression dressed up in patriotic language. Call your senators and House rep to oppose it.



No. 5: Demand Epstein File Release and Public Hearings


This remains one of the most effective cross-partisan pressure points we have. Keep calling.



No. 6: ICE Accountability (Three Active Actions)


  1. Keep ICE out of your DMV data: https://5calls.org/issue/ice-dmv-data-flock-surveillance/

  2. Stop ICE from building detention camps in Georgia: https://5calls.org/issue/ice-warehouse-detention-camps/

  3. Demand ICE agents show identification: https://5calls.org/issue/ice-unmasking-identification/


Accountability Actions





GEORGIA: The Session Is Over. Now It's All About Governor Kemp.


The Georgia Legislature adjourned Sine Die on April 2, and Governor Kemp now has 40 days to sign or veto legislation, making his deadline May 12. Three harmful bills that passed both chambers need your calls to the Governor's Office right now.


Governor's Office phone: 404-656-1776


Governor's Office contact form: https://gov.georgia.gov/contact-us


VETO SB 443: The Anti-Protest Bill


This is the most urgent Georgia action for NGA CAN members.



Obstructing a roadway is one of the most commonly used charges against political protesters in Georgia. The ACLU and Democratic lawmakers argued the bill directly violates First Amendment rights. It passed the House 96 to 69 and the Senate 35 to 17.


Call Kemp and demand he veto SB 443.


VETO HB 369: The Zombie Bill Targeting Black Women DAs


This bill started its life as food truck regulation. Republican legislators gutted it entirely and replaced it with something far more sweeping and far more targeted.





Here is the remarkable part: opposition to HB 369 is coming from across the political spectrum. Even the 9th District Republican Party, which covers much of North Georgia, called it "a disastrous piece of legislation" and is urging Kemp to veto it. When the North Georgia GOP committee and Democratic county leaders are on the same side, that tells you everything you need to know.


As of this writing, Kemp has not said whether he will sign or veto the bill. That means the pressure is working and we need to keep it going.


Call Kemp and demand he veto HB 369.



VETO HB 295: Sue Your City for Helping Unhoused People



Critics, including Atlanta's Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative, say this bill will force cities to divert money away from housing and support services into legal defense, while increasing pressure to ticket, arrest, and displace people who have nowhere else to go. It would discourage the outreach and diversion strategies that actually reduce harm, while giving a legal weapon to anyone who wants to punish a city for being humane. It passed both chambers after midnight on Sine Die.


Call Kemp and demand he veto HB 295.



What Stalled: Near Misses and 2027 Threats to Watch


Because 2026 is the end of the legislative biennium, all bills that failed to pass must be refiled next year and start the entire legislative process over. That is both a relief and a warning.


SB 74 (Criminalizing Librarians): This bill would have created criminal penalties, including jail time, for librarians who knowingly allow minors to check out materials deemed harmful to them under Georgia's obscenity law. It did not receive final passage. It will almost certainly be back in 2027. The book ban fight is not over.


HB 441 (Extreme Abortion Ban): The Georgia Prenatal Equal Protection Act, which would have effectively banned all abortion in the state, never advanced out of early committee review. Watch for it in 2027.




Your Action List


Call your U.S. senators and House rep this week (they are home in their districts):


  1. Demand accountability on the Iran war. Support a war powers resolution and oppose any supplemental funding.

  2. Find and attend an April recess town hall or show up at a district office.

  3. Oppose H.R. 1 healthcare and SNAP cuts.

  4. Oppose the SAVE America Act.

  5. Demand the Epstein file release and public hearings.


Call Governor Kemp (404-656-1776 or https://gov.georgia.gov/contact-us) before May 12:

  1. Veto SB 443, the anti-protest bill.

  2. Veto HB 369, the zombie food truck bill that strips party labels from ballots in only the five most Democratic counties in the state.

  3. Veto HB 295, the sue-your-city homelessness bill.


Watch for: a possible special legislative session before July 1 on ballot QR codes, which could shape how every Georgian votes in November.


North Georgia Community Action Network is a volunteer-led progressive civic organization serving Cherokee, Pickens, Bartow, Forsyth, Cobb, and surrounding counties. Learn more and get involved at https://ngacan.org


The 5 Calls app makes contacting your representatives fast and easy. Download it or use the web tool at https://5calls.org

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