Legislative Session at Halfway Point |
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To go directly to issues you are interested in, click on the following links: |
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Tomorrow (March 15) is Crossover Day. Bills and resolutions that have not passed committee in one chamber and moved to the other have no chance of passage this session but can be re-introduced next year. |
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ACTION ALERT!
HB1464 would add to the already draconian changes to voting rights included in last year’s SB202. The omnibus bill has 22 sections including:
- Prohibiting private funding for election boards
- Public examination of ballots even before results are verified
- New, unlimited subpoena power over elections for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, turning every election-related investigation into a criminal investigation
- Reduction in the number of voting machines required
- A complete end run around the election board process
The bill would place enormous burdens and additional cost on election officials and could lead to voter intimidation. The bill was cobbled together from other proposals at the eleventh hour. It passed the House Special Committee on Election Integrity along party lines just days before tomorrow’s deadline for bills to clear at least one chamber. Even though the Governor promised no additional election-related legislation this session, the League and our partners are concerned that it will be rammed through the process. The League and the New Georgia Project are developing a joint statement in opposition.
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Signed into law by the governor:
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SB462 to redistrict the Public Service Commission. A lawsuit is pending to overturn the new lines alleging racial discrimination based on the Voting Rights Act.
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Redistricting of most Georgia counties. For a complete list, click here.
Late proposals with little chance of passing:
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HB1531 would weaken hard-fought protections for the residents of senior care facilities. Sponsored by Rep. John LaHood (R-175, Valdosta), president of Fellowship Senior Living, which operates senior care facilities in Georgia and Florida, the bill will be re-written following public pushback.
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SB613 would single out private schools that have “inappropriately discussed gender identity with children who have not yet reached the age of discretion.” The bill also takes a swipe at private schools about critical theory. Calling itself the Common Humanity in Private Education Act, the bill has been dubbed the Don’t Say Gay bill.
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SB535 would forbid the use of federal dollars to build homeless shelters and imposes financial penalties on municipalities with high rates of homelessness. Proponents say it will help reduce homelessness; opponents wonder how to do that with no resources. More pointedly, opponents say that it criminalizes poverty. Rep. Josh McLaurin (D-51, Sandy Springs) called the idea “despicable.”
No chance of passing:
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HR868 would amend the state constitution to say that all elections must be free and fair and that there can be no interference with the free exercise of the right to vote. All of the resolution’s sponsors are Democrats.
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The Secretary of State’s My Voter Page has not been updated to reflect redistricting changes. Given the shenanigans in the legislative process, the Governor’s delay in signing some bills, and the resulting legal challenges, some districts may remain as drawn 10 years ago for the upcoming election. The page will be updated when those issues are resolved.
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HB1178, almost identical to SB449, passed. The so-called Parent’s Bill of Rights allows parents to see all educational materials and to opt their children out of sex education. Many of the provisions in the bills already exist in state law rendering it an unnecessary extra workload for educators.
SB588 mandates open school board meetings and hampers the ability of boards to cut off or eject rowdy meeting attendees. Opponents say everything the bill addresses is already state law and boards need the ability to run efficient meetings. Given the rise in challenges to school board authority and, in some cases, the threat of physical harm, school boards are already struggling to close the learning gap caused by the pandemic and ensure the safety and wellbeing of students.
SB377 and the similar HB1084 were rewritten to eliminate provisions that prohibited classroom discussions of race at state colleges and universities, and that mandated financial penalties for K-12 schools that do not comply. Both bills passed making it illegal to teach critical race theory except at the university level.
SB601 would expand the state’s school voucher program, giving a $6000 scholarship to almost all of Georgia’s 1.7 million K-12 students to attend a private school. This replaces an earlier House bill torpedoed by an ill-advised mailer from a right-wing group.
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HB1013, the speaker’s Mental Health Parity Act, underwent some clarifications before passing unanimously and going to Rules.
HR768 would create the House Study Committee on Expanding Long-Term Care Options
to explore ways to modernize care for seniors. A home-style living situation, one potential model, provides separate bedrooms for a dozen residents with common dining and living spaces, and a staff. Data shows improved health, reduced hospitalizations, lower Medicare and Medicaid costs, and reduced infection rates, as well as lower staff turnover, and increase d job satisfaction with this model. Passed unanimously, moved to Rules.
HB1371 would create the Rural Health Advancement Commission to develop private sector solutions to short- and long-term healthcare in rural Georgia. Passed unanimously, moved to Rules.
SB345 bans any state or local agency, government or school from requiring employees to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The ban would end on June 30, 2023.
SB514 would prohibit public school systems from requiring students to wear masks. If a parent opts their child out of the school’s mask policy, the school could not ask for any information about the child’s health, i.e., whether they are infected with COVID. The law would expire in June 2027. The bill passed, moved to Rules.
SB256, first introduced last year, would make the sale of items containing dextromethorphan (DMX), including some cough syrups, illegal to minors. Passed unanimously.
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SB537 would create the Georgia Food Security Advisory Council to enact the Food Insecurity Eradication Act. The act would govern food banks, the SNAP food stamp program and WIC, the federal food program for infants and children under five.
SB303 allows someone buying a dog seven days to have the animal checked by a veterinarian. The bill mandates that anyone with more than 30 dogs for sale must be licensed. This is an effort to rid the state of puppy mills.
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SR595 urges the Public Service Commission to suspend collection of the Vogtle surcharge, providing an immediate rate cut.
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SB535 would forbid the use of federal dollars to build homeless shelters and imposes financial penalties on municipalities with high rates of homelessness. Proponents say it will help reduce homelessness; opponents wonder how to do that with no resources. More pointedly, opponents say that it criminalizes poverty. Rep. Josh McLaurin (D-51, Sandy Springs) called the idea “despicable.”
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SB171 would make it easier for law enforcement to crack down on protests or prevent them from happening. It also provides protection for drivers who injure or even kill protesters. (!)
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Under the Gold Dome will be distributed to League members and partners each week that the Georgia General Assembly is in session. It is a product of our Education Fund, allowing us to report legislative facts and activities at the State Capitol. The UTGD Team is comprised of LWVGA staff and volunteers, who will be tracking and reporting on legislation and committee hearings throughout the legislative session.
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UTGD Team
Editor: Rebecca Rolfes, LWVCGA
Volunteer legislative observers:
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Mikayla Arciaga
Julie Bolen
Gail Buckner
Blake Caldwell
Mary Kay Clyburn
Daniel Eason
Ashleigh Ewald
Jessica Fields
Gina Hill
Sharon Hill
Keona Lynn Jones
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Alan Kaufman
M Maguire
Rosemary Mackey
Margarita Moldovan
Renee Rubens
Jane Thimme
Laurie Tyson
Michelle Weston
Elizabeth Melville
Maxie Kirk Williams
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League of Women Voters of Georgia | Website
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