1 Week to Sine Die; 8 Weeks to the Primary |
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The silly season has begun under the Gold Dome. After crossover day, the House points fingers at the Senate for not getting enough done, and the Senate points fingers at the House for concentrating on its own bills and giving short shrift to theirs. This year, it is also when the conspiracy theorists came out to attack the mental health bill that has enjoyed strong bipartisan support.
Gov. Kemp promised no new election bills and no new abortion bills this session. It will be interesting to see whether he sticks to that and if HB1464 and SB456 make it to his desk for signature or veto. If you want to contact the Governor and encourage him to follow through on those promises, call his office at 404-656-1776.
To go directly to issues you are interested in:
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Signed by the Governor:
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HB304 suspends Georgia’s gas taxes through the end of May.
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HB1302 gives a one-time tax refund of $250 for single filers, $375 for heads of households, and $500 for those married and filing jointly.
No chance of passing:
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SB398 would have allowed companies like Rivian to sell electric vehicles directly to consumers. Even though Tesla already bypasses local car dealers to sell directly to Georgia buyers, Rivian will have to find a work-around to do the same.
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HB1464, the controversial addition to Georgia’s election administration, will be discussed by the Senate Ethics committee today. Last week’s hearing was postponed because the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials was holding its annual conference with election administrators who will be most directly impacted by the law in attendance. Sen. Max Burns (R-23, Sylvania) the committee chair, told members to “bring their jammies,” indicating a long meeting in store. If you would like to watch, check the schedule for the Senate Ethics Committee at legis.ga.gov to confirm the time of the meeting. There will be a video icon on the schedule you can click to watch the hearing. Currently, it’s scheduled for 4:00 PM but that could change. Contact the Lieutenant Governor at 404-656-5030 and Sen. Max Burns at 404-656-7586 to voice your opposition to this bill only eight weeks before the election primaries.
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HB1509 to redistrict the Chatham County Commission and HB1510 to redistrict the Chatham School Board managed to pass thanks to a remarkable bipartisan compromise among the entire Chatham delegation. The bills passed through the local process rather than being subjected to the full House, as had others in large urban counties where maps were redrawn at the last minute over the objections of local officials. Rep. Carl Gilliard (D-162, Savannah) described the takeover of what should be a local process as “a bloodbath.” Rep. Ron Stephens (R-164, Savannah) called it “the airing of dirty laundry.” This is the final step before the maps go to the governor for signature.
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HB1013, the mental health parity bill, moved to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The committee relocated its first meeting on the bill to accommodate a crowd of people wanting to make public comments. Most were strongly supportive and, although the bill is over-arching and will doubtless undergo multiple revisions once enacted, agreed that the bill is a huge step forward for the state which ranks 50th among all states in its mental health treatment. A group of very vocal opponents from the right-wing Truth in Education did their best to stretch extrapolation of the bill’s provisions to include the UN taking over Georgia’s mental health treatment and pedophilia no longer being a crime. Hard to make this stuff up.
SB1318 to extend Medicaid coverage for a year after a woman gives birth and SB496 to require an autopsy of a woman who dies of unknown causes during pregnancy cleared the House committee. Both are aimed at curbing the state’s parlous maternal mortality rate. Black women are 2.3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women in Georgia.
HB412 passed unanimously to create a state license for Adaptive Behavioral Therapists (ABT). ABT is, currently, the accepted treatment for those on the autism spectrum. The mother of a child named Ava became the face of the legislation when she fought successfully to get ABT covered by Medicaid. Ava was just accepted at UGA.
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HB1358 was amended to mimic SB319 to allow permitless carry. The committee did not allow public comment, apparently already having heard enough. The bill passed quickly along partisan lines out of the Senate Judiciary committee.
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SB377 and HB1084 dropped the provision to prohibit the teaching of divisive concepts, aka critical race theory, in the state’s colleges and universities. The provision for K-12 schools remains, however.
SB514 received a less than enthusiastic hearing before the House Education Committee where Democrats charged that the committee lacked the expertise to vet the merits of prohibiting mask mandates in schools. Although the bill’s sponsor Sen. Clint Dixon (R-45, Buford), admitted that his own profession is real estate, he claimed that masks are ineffective in preventing the spread of disease. The bill passed after a failed attempt to move it to the House Health & Human Services Committee, where several members have backgrounds in health care.
HB1435 would give students who have completed 80% of their college education $2,500 to help them finish. The bill passed the House almost unanimously. Students who drop out that close to graduation seldom return, often for lack of money. A source of funding has not been identified.
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SB537 will create a Food Policy Committee to address the problem of food insecurity. In the short-term, it will create a website to direct people to the nearest supermarket or grocery. In the longer term, it will encourage companies to add stores in food deserts and address problems like increased food insecurity from global disruptions like the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Currently one in 18 Georgians are food insecure with children especially vulnerable.
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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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