January 31, 2022, Issue 4 |
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MENTAL HEALTH PRIORITIES; VOTING RIGHTS PRIORITIES |
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Healthcare
Saying that there is no issue more important to him this year, Speaker of the House David Ralston took the unusual step of introducing his own bill on mental health.
HB1013 will:
- Expand access to mental health care
- Increase the number of mental health professionals
- Require parity between insurance coverage for mental health and physical health
- Provide help to first responders called into a mental health crisis
- Improve data and transparency
The omnibus 74-page proposed bill is meant to improve the state’s low ranking in mental health surveys. A 2021 report by the Mental Health Alliance rated Georgia last among all 50 states.
SB351 would prohibit women from receiving abortion pills by mail. The FDA removed the requirement for women to pick up the pills in person in December. The Georgia bill would require a physical exam including an ultrasound and for the woman to sign a lengthy consent form 24 hours before receiving the pill. Some see the bill as part of a coordinated nationwide effort to limit access to abortion—similar bills have been either proposed or passed in several states. The future of the Georgia bill is in doubt, however, as Speaker Ralston wants no new abortion legislation until the Supreme Court rules on the challenge to Roe v Wade. Sen. Bruce Thompson (R-District 14, White), sponsor of the bill, is running for Labor Commissioner.
HB867 would require pharmacy benefits managers:
- To disclose the true net cost and final net cost of prescription drugs
- To calculate cost sharing for insureds based on true net costs
- Revise the definition of “rebate”
The bill should substantially lower prescription drug costs. As an example, the price of insulin could drop from $408 to $69. The Special Committee on Access to Quality Healthcare voted unanimously in favor. The bill now moves to Rules.
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Voting Rights
HB941, a Democratic proposal, would entirely repeal the state’s new voting law passed last year. It would eliminate the things that Democrats don’t like about SB202—voter ID requirements and the state’s ability to take over local boards of election—as well as the things they do like—absentee ballot dropboxes. A separate proposal would reinstate dropboxes. The bill has no chance of going anywhere but does signal one party’s major priority in an election year.
SB325 would eliminate absentee ballot dropboxes. The bill allows Boards of Registrars to add additional locations for early voting and to receive absentee ballots but it removes all language related to dropboxes in Georgia law.
SB363 prohibiting noncitizens from voting failed to find the two-thirds majority necessary to amend the Georgia constitution. In some states, noncitizens are allowed to vote in local elections.
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Education
HB888, aka the Critical Race Theory bill, would prohibit teaching that people should be treated differently because of their race, ethnicity or religion. It allows parents to review educational materials given to students and remove anything that makes them feel guilty or responsible about their race. The bill has yet to be assigned to a committee.
SB226 would create a complaint process for parents to report materials in schools and libraries that they feel are harmful to students and would impose penalties on those who distribute those materials. The Georgia Department of Education already has a policy to select, review and revise educational materials and puts the authority for this process in the hands of local systems and schools to address and resolve complaints. This is a particularly contentious issue and the bill includes language that would be extremely difficult to define in legal terms. In addition, Governor Kemp has shown no appetite for taking control out of the hands of local school boards.
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Gun Control
SB344 will require four to six hours of safety training for all gun owners. The bill would also require that guns be stored in a locked cabinet, have a built-in locking mechanism, or require activation by the owner. The bill has yet to be assigned to a committee.
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Local Redistricting
HB873 to redistrict Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and HB872 to redistrict the Board of Education have been reassigned. They were moved from the House Intragovernmental Coordination Committee to the Governmental Affairs Committee over the objections of Rep. Sam Park (D-101 Lawrenceville), the bill’s sponsor. Putting it under the jurisdiction of the more general committee is tantamount to a state takeover of the normal redistricting process and violates the wishes of the county’s residents, according to Park. “It is a clear deviation from the regular process for local redistricting, which demonstrates racially discriminatory intent and violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965,” Park said. In the November special session, an attempt was made to redraw Gwinnett’s county commission and school board maps with no input from Democrats in the legislative delegation.
SB369 would make the Gwinnett Board of Education seats nonpartisan which will move those elections from November to June when voter turnout is much lower. Sen. Clint Dixon (R-45, Buford) has 12 co-sponsors on the bill, all of whom are Republicans and none are from Gwinnett County. The bill passed out of committee and now goes to the Senate Rules Committee.
HB890 to redraw lines in Athens-Clark County passed out of committee and will go to the Senate. The map would put two-thirds of Athens voters—almost 50,000—into new districts and create three open seats on the commission. Three sitting commissioners would not be able to run for re-election this year because they will move to districts that will not be on the ballot until 2024. The commission voted 7-2 in December for a different, locally drawn map that equalized population based on the 2020 Census data with only minimal changes to the current districts.
Most local redistricting legislation is bypassing the House Intergovernmental Coordination Committee and Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee that typically oversee local legislation. Instead, bills are being placed on a local consent calendar and go straight to the floor for a vote. In theory, there are no objections to the bills on the local calendar and a committee hearing is not necessary. Very few, if any, local bills will have a hearing. This means the public has no opportunity to have input.
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Sine Die
The end of the legislative session is expected to be April 4th.
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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
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Keona Lynn Jones
Alan Kaufman
M Maguire
Rosemary Mackey
Margarita Moldovan
Renee Rubens
Laurie Tyson
Michelle Weston
Elizabeth Melville
Maxie Kirk Williams
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League of Women Voters of Georgia | Website
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