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AJC.com > Legislature > Georgia Beat > Archives > 2005 > March > 22 > Entry
House reverses vote on sparklers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House reversed itself Tuesday and passed legislation to legalize sparklers.
Less than a week ago, the House soundly defeated the bill — preserving Georgia’s status as only one of seven states that ban all fireworks.
But on Tuesday and under pressure from the bill’s sponsor, Senate Rules Committee Chairman Don Balfour (R-Snellville), House members held a second vote and passed the measure 119 to 53.
Balfour watched the debate and vote on a television outside the House chambers.
State Rep. Tom McCall (R-Elberton) was booed by his House colleagues when, before the vote, he cautioned them to “remember whose bill it is and who is chairman of Rules in the Senate.”
Another House member joked that Waffle Houses will start giving out sparklers to their customers. Balfour is an executive with Waffle House and, as Rules chair, can keep bills from reaching the Senate floor.
Last week, many female lawmakers, with backing from fire chiefs and firefighters, lobbied against the bill because of the potential hazard to children.
The bill now goes back to the state Senate for consideration of some changes.
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