The Georgia Constitution is the fundamental governing document of the state of Georgia.
Features
The Georgia Select Committee on Constitutional Revision, charged with creating the most recent, 1983 version, sought to create a brief, clear and flexible constitution. They achieved this goal: the final product was about half as long as the 1976 Constitution, it was better organized and wherever possible used simple modern English. Additionally, it gave the Georgia General Assembly greater flexibility to deal by statute with many matters that had been covered in the constitution itself. By far the most significant change between the Constitutions of 1976 and 1983 was that the latter document prohibited the inclusion of any further constitutional amendments relating to only a particular city, county or other local political subdivision.
Furthermore, Georgia law requires that all persons receiving a degree from an institution within the Georgia University System show a proficiency in the constitutions of the United States and Georgia. This requirement is satisfied by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.
Background
The current (and ninth) Georgia Constitution was adopted in 1983.
The current constitution has been amended 89 times.
The most recent amendments to the Georgia Constitution, of which there were two, were approved by voters in 2020.
Georgia does not feature a process for initiated constitutional amendments. Thus, amendments in Georgia can be put on the ballot through referral by the legislature or by a constitutional convention.
