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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2006 > March > 27
Monday, March 27, 2006
Legislature approves Bible classes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill clearing public high schools to teach Bible classes has been approved by the Legislature and is on its way to Gov. Sonny Perdue to be signed.
The Senate voted 45-2 on Monday to agree to some House changes to the plan, which would let local school systems create classes on the Old Testament and New Testament.
The proposal, originally introduced this year by a group of Senate Democrats, surprised many Republicans, who hold majorities in both the House and Senate.
Republicans quickly substituted their own version, which specifies that the Bible itself would be the course textbook.
The proposal, authored by Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, also requires that the courses be taught “in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students.”
Supporters say studying the Bible would give students a better understanding of art, music, literature, politics and other aspects of Western society.
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Bill makes killing a pregnant woman at any stage a double slaying
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A person accused of killing a pregnant woman could be tried on two murder charges under legislation unanimously approved Monday by the Georgia House.
Rep. Sue Burmeister (R-Augusta) said the bill mirrors federal legislation signed into law by President Bush in 2004 after the high-profile murder of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner, in California.
It establishes “The Unborn Victims of Violence Act,” a measure that some pro-choice advocates had decried as a back-door attempt to assign legal rights to a fetus.
But Burmeister told House members that it’s been written into the bill that it will not affect a woman’s right to an abortion, and the bill passed with no debate by a vote of 155 to 0.
“It is a common-sense law that I believe even Lacy Peterson would support if she were alive today,” Burmeister said.
Current Georgia law defines feticide as the killing of a fetus that has reached “quickening,” usually around the 20th week of pregnancy.
Senate Bill 77, which goes back to the Senate for final approval, states that anyone can be prosecuted for assault, manslaughter or murder of a fetus, regardless of the stage of pregnancy.
Leola Reis, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Georgia, said her group still believes “there are better ways to deter violence against pregnant women” than SB 77, which was sponsored by Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford).
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Change in law seeks to expedite reports of child abuse
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The General Assembly has passed and sent to the desk of the governor a bill designed to expedite reports of suspected child abuse.
Rep. Sue Burmeister (R-Augusta) said current law requires non-parents who attend to children — teachers, hospital workers, social workers — to report suspected abuse “as soon as possible,” which can be interpreted as hours, days or weeks.
Senate Bill 442 requires oral reports of suspected child abuse within 24 hours, even if that’s just a call to 911, Burmeister said.
She said the bill also prohibits changes to the initial report that’s made in a suspected abuse case. The bill, which previously passed the Senate, cleared the House 149 to 0 on Monday.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Legislation sets up process to remove public defenders
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia General Assembly gave final approval Monday to legislation that sets up a process for removing public defenders accused of criminal wrongdoing or misconduct.
Since a statewide public defender system was created a year ago, one public defender has resigned after being accused of wrongdoing.
Arthur English, the former chief public defender for Fayette, Spalding, Pike and Upson counties, resigned in November to avoid being fired by the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council. He has been indicted on four felony charges for allegedly receiving stolen property - a front-end loader, a washer-dryer, an off-road vehicle and a trailer.
A fifth felony count accuses him of making a false statement when he told a tax official the trailer was “homemade” and did not have a serial number.
English has denied knowing the items were stolen.
Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) said Senate Resolution 793 sanctions the council’s plan for removing public defenders for criminal behavior or for repeatedly neglecting the duties of their job. He said the goal is to “continue to grow and improve our public defender system in Georgia.”
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
House members say farewell
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two House members with aspirations of higher office said their farewells today, while the House’s only Independent left legislators laughing as he talked of retiring after eight years.
Reps. Stacey Reece (R-Gainesville) and Jack Murphy (R-Cumming) both plan to run for the Senate this year. Reece is hoping to succeed Sen. Casey Cagle of Gainesville, who is running as lieutenant governor on the GOP ticket. Murphy plans to run to replace Sen. Bill Stephens, a Republican candidate for secretary of state.
Rep. Ron Dodson, an Independent from Lake City in deep South Georgia, made light of all the changes that have occurred in the Legislature since his election in 1998, including three state flags and changes in House speaker.
“I’ve served under the longest serving speaker (Tom Murphy), the shortest serving speaker (Terry Coleman) and the greatest Republican speaker in the history of Georgia (Glenn Richardson), Dodson said.
House members openly laughed when he recalled devoting many days on redistricting, getting public feedback from across the state on proposed district lines and then poring over potential maps. The day the issue reached the floor of the House, he said, “we voted on a map I’d never seen before.”
Reece said he’ll never forget the friendships he’s made in the House. “It has been a pleasure to consider all of you personal friends,” he said. “You have stood with me in some of my darkest moments.”
Murphy said he was a businessman used to being in charge and felt the legislative experience had humbled him. “I can’t think of anything greater to happen to me than when I got elected to the House of Representatives.”
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Breaking news
Illegal immigrants and wire transfers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill now before the state Legislature aimed at illegal immigrants and their employers has been amended to include a section on wire transfers. Essentially, it would add a 5 percent surcharge for any illegal immigrant who wires money out of the country. A portion of the surcharge would be used to pay for health care. Do you think this is a good idea?
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