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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2006 > January > 12
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Voter ID bill re-written to clear legal challenges
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House approved changes today to a voter ID bill it hopes will pass legal muster.
Senate Bill 84, which now heads to the Senate for consideration, would allow all Georgians to receive a free photo identification card in order to vote. The bill would require that all of Georgia’s 159 counties set up a system where the cards can be issued locally.
Last year, the Legislature passed a law requiring Georgians to show a government-issued photo identification at the polls when voting. It reduced the number of approved pieces of identification a voter could present from 17 to seven, including a driver’s license, state-issued ID card, passport or military ID card.
The law met stiff resistance from opponents who said it was a political strategy to disenfranchise the poor, the elderly and minorities — groups that tend to vote Democratic. They argued that it created unnecessary obstacles to voting, particularly for poor people who could not afford to pay for an ID card, or could not easily get to far-away state driver’s license stations throughout the state.
The law stated that people who could not afford a card could get it for free, but it required them to sign a statement swearing indigency.
Opponents of the law, including AARP of Georgia, the League of Women Voters of Georgia and the ACLU, challenged it in federal court. A judge ruled in favor of the opponents, temporarily suspending enforcement of the law. Judge Harold Murphy said charging people to get an ID to vote was an unconstitutional impediment to voting and amounted to a poll tax.
On only the fourth day of the legislative session, House members spent more than four hours debating proposed changes to the law. The law now states that everyone, regardless of income, can get a free picture ID from the state in order to vote. It also requires every county in the state to have a place to get the free ID. Republican leaders said they hope the changes to the law will address concerns about access to the polls and affordability of the ID cards. Democrats argued that the changes make no difference, because it still sets up an additional obstacle to voting for people who otherwise meet the criteria to vote. Despite impassioned pleas from many Democrats, particularly African-Americans, the bill passed 110-64.
The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Senate bill aims to shield children from adult Web content
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Senate Republican wants to protect the e-mail addresses of children from Internet predators and spammers with a bill called the “Georgia Child, Family, and School Communications Protection Act.�
The measure, announced by Sen. Greg Goggans (R-Douglas) on Thursday morning, would establish a registry for parents and schools to register children’s e-mail addresses in order to protect them from inappropriate or adult content.
Senate Bill 425 would direct the Department of Family and Children Services to establish the Georgia Child, Family, and School Communications Protection Service. The service would set up procedures to prevent the use or disclosure of e-mail addresses and instant messenger IDs.
“I am very concerned that in this age of technology that it has become too easy for spammers and predators to bombard children with inappropriate adult content,� Goggans said.
Parents, guardians or schools would register the e-mail addresses of minors. A person or business would be prohibited from sending a registered child any message that advertises a product or contains content that a children are prohibited from purchasing or viewing.
A person who violates the law, if approved, would be found guilty of a computer crime and a felony punishable by incarceration up to five years or a fine not to exceed $200,000, or both.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Senate looks to improve insurance of state workers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Senate Democrats introduced several bills on Thursday that would give lawmakers more say in decisions affecting the state health insurance plan for teachers and state employees.
Last fall, hundreds of state employees complained when the state Department of Community health chose United Healthcare of Georgia to run the State Health Benefit Plan. The new health insurance provider did not have contracts with medical centers in many parts of the state, particularly southwest Georgia. Many doctors initially refused to join the plan because of concerns they had about the contract.
Many of those problems eventually were worked out – but the experience left bitter feeling among many state employees about the changes to their health insurance plan.
The State Health Benefit Plan covers about 635,000 people, including active and retired state workers and their dependents.
Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Tim Golden of Valdosta said that lawmakers, employees and healthcare providers all should have more input on major changes to the State Health Benefit Plan in the future.
“All of those groups have a large stake in what we do at the state level related to health insurance,� Golden said.
Golden introduced Senate Bill 407, a measure that would require the Governor and the Department of Community Health to commission a survey and analysis of healthcare plans across the nation. The study would look at the cost, access and quality of those plans. A final report would be due in December 2006 in time for the findings to be considered by the 2007 Legislature.
Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen (D-Albany) introduced Senate Bill 412, a measure that would create a State Health Benefit Plan Advisory Committee composed of educators and other state employees covered by the plan. They would be asked to make annual recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature about the plan.
Senate Bills 410 and 411, introduced by Sen. Horacena Tate (D-Atlanta), would create a Joint Legislative Study Committee on the State Health Benefit Plan. The committee would hold a series of public meetings across the state and then issue a report of their findings.
The bills all were assigned to the Senate Insurance Committee for review and discussion.
Senators on Thursday also debated their first bill of the 2006 Legislative session: Senate Bill 386. The bill seeks to change the boundaries of Senate districts 46, 47, and 49 —- areas near Athens, Georgia.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Gas Bill Too High?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By now, you’ve probably gotten your first winter natural gas bill. Luckily, the weather’s been relatively mild so far. Still, you may know someone who’s gotten a $200 or $300 - maybe even higher - monthly bill. Gov. Sonny Perdue has proposed cutting the 4 percent state sales tax on natural gas in half - the Legislature must approve it. It would save consumers $2 on a $100 gas bill and $4 on a $200 gas bill. Is that enough? Should state lawmakers do more to lower natural gas bills? Or should they let the market dictate gas prices? What’s the government’s role in controlling natural gas prices?
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