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Georgia lawmakers head to showdown over adoption

2/1/18 - Atlanta - Rep. Bert Reeves, R - Marietta, is congratulated after the passage of HB159, concerning adoption, in the House. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

2/1/18 - Atlanta - Rep. Bert Reeves, R - Marietta, is congratulated after the passage of HB159, concerning adoption, in the House. BOB ANDRES /BANDRES@AJC.COM
By Mark Niesse
Feb 2, 2018

A proposal to make adoptions easier and faster in Georgia hangs in the balance at the state Legislature.

The state House of Representatives voted 168-0 on Thursday to pass a compromise to House Bill 159, sending the legislation back to the state Senate.

It's unclear whether senators will accept the latest changes. Some senators object to a part of the bill that would make it legal for adoptive parents to reimburse birth mothers' basic living expenses for rent, food and maternity clothes, saying it could increase adoption costs and result in buying and selling of babies.

But House representatives say paying birth mothers for their expenses is safe, and the adoption measure would help create new families in Georgia. The Senate adjourned Thursday without taking a vote on the legislation.

Exclusive to subscribers: Read the full story on PoliticallyGeorgia.com.

About the Author

Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

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