Georgia courts still recovering from pandemic backlogs have yet another challenge on the horizon. Construction on the Hyundai and Rivian electric plants has forecast population growth for several circuits. However, some rural circuits, already stretched thin and struggling with multiple prisons, don't feel they're ready to meet the demands of their future residents, and criminal case backlogs affect civil case trials. As a result, the representatives of these counties have turned to the General Assembly for help.

Over the past week, the Senate Judiciary Committee has heard multiple bills requesting more resources allocated to understaffed courts. One that already has the Judicial Council of Georgia's seal of approval is SB 66—a request by Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro, to add another judge to the Atlantic Judicial Circuit Superior Court.