In 1958, nearly 4 million people lived in Georgia and the first interstate highway project was under construction. Future governors Carl Sanders, George Busbee and Zell Miller were just beginning their political careers. And the University of Georgia was developing a unique program for new Georgia General Assembly members.

Today, the state population has topped 9 million and the Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators is one of the nation’s top-ranked legislative training programs. Every two years, UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government plans and conducts the three-day Biennial agenda, which consists of orientation for newly-elected legislators and policy panels for all participants. (A preliminary orientation session in November at the state capitol was added in 2004.)

The Biennial Institute began during a time when there was growing interest nationwide in improving state legislatures, said Ed Jackson, Vinson Institute faculty member and long-time Biennial instructor.

“In the late 1950s, the Georgia General Assembly was functioning largely as a citizen legislature characterized by low pay, short sessions, few offices, and little or no staff,” he said. “Bill Collins, who was director of the Institute of Government and the university’s first associate director of continuing education, proposed the creation of a training program for new lawmakers and a setting for the facilitated discussion of critical state policy issues.”

Held one month after the general election, the Biennial has continued in relatively the same format throughout the years. Sessions are conducted by Vinson Institute faculty, veteran lawmakers and staff, agency administrators and subject experts. Representatives from other University System of Georgia institutions also are involved, providing research assistance and serving on panels. New legislators attending a special session on the first day are instructed in everything from where to park and pick up their mail to the appropriations process, ethics, rules of procedure and how a bill becomes a law.

“The continuing value of the Biennial Institute can be attributed to the planners’ ability to recognize the changing dynamics of the legislature and respond with programming that meets current policy information and training needs for making better-informed decisions for Georgia,” said Steve Wrigley, Vinson Institute director.

At the 25th Biennial, held December 10 to 12, 2006, the policy panels reflected the many complex issues that today’s lawmakers must confront. Sessions explored issues surrounding secondary and higher education, transportation, Medicaid, intergovernmental relations, families and children, emergency preparedness and the state’s energy crisis. The last day was devoted exclusively to state health care concerns.

Former Gov. Miller offered an historical perspective of the Biennial Institute during his keynote remarks. He praised the university’s continuing commitment to helping Georgia lawmakers sharpen their skills and noted that the first Biennial included a 105-question written test on rules of procedure.

At the closing luncheon, Gov. Sonny Perdue outlined his goals for the 2007 session. Reflecting on his personal Biennial experience as a state senator, he commended the program for its ability to help lawmakers “get the big picture” prior to the start of the legislative session.

“It was extremely helpful to have the opportunity to listen to so many viewpoints in one setting,” said newly-elected District 76 Rep. Mike Glanton. “I know that I won’t be able to remember it all, but I do have a much better perspective of the different issues facing the state and who I can contact if I need information.”

Ann Allen

The Georgia General Assembly Training Institute co-sponsors the Biennial Institute. The Institute has been held since its inception in 1958 at UGA’s Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

Tags: Georgia Center for Continuing Education, Georgia General Assembly, Politics, Summer 2007