Last week, we told you that state Rep. Jason Spencer, R-Woodbine, author of a bill to extend the statute of limitations in cases of childhood sex abuse, expressed his frustrations in an op-ed piece he offered up for use across the state.
In his piece, he blamed the fact that HB 17 was stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the insurance industry and the Archdiocese of Atlanta. A sample line:
"Put simply, protecting predators and those who knowingly employ them appears to be the sole driving interest of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and others in opposing this bill."
The Chamber, of course, is fuming. And so are Catholics.
"In recent days, he has repeatedly branded the archdiocese a 'pro-child predator special interest group' that is part of the 'child sexual predator lobby,'" Donohue said in a written statement.
"It is rightly being opposed by the Archdiocese of Atlanta, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and other organizations," he said. "Rep. Spencer is a Republican conservative, pro-life legislator who belongs to a Christian interdenominational church. But his Christian affiliation obviously does not stop him from promoting anti-Catholicism."
Spencer's remarks were chancy for another reason: State Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a devout Catholic. But the bill moved anyway, and is now in Senate Rules Committee.
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On the topic of police shootings, law enforcement authorities in Cobb County have a long history of silence – a history that pre-dates the events in Ferguson, Mo.
Over the weekend, the columnist trio at the Marietta Daily Journal pointed out, although they happened at roughly the same time, we know far more about the crash of an airliner in the French Alps --half a world away -- than we do about the Maserati-driving man killed by Smyrna police:
And what have Cobb residents learned since Wednesday about the shooting? Not a whole heck of a lot.
The family released the name of the victim — Nicholas Thomas — before the Smyrna police finally did Wednesday. But police have not released the name of the officer who shot Thomas and say they will not do so until the investigation is over. There's no way to know how long he's been an officer, whether he's ever been decorated, been disciplined or even what rank he is. Or whether he's ever discharged his gun before in the line of duty. He is now on administrative leave, which is standard in such cases.
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One of the first reactions to the reported cancellation of today's House committee hearing on the "religious liberty" bill was that it had something to do with the backlash in Indiana over a similar measure, signed into law by Gov. Mike Pence. The second was that it had to do something with the refusal of four Georgia Republicans to change their minds.
State Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Brookhaven, introduced the anti-discrimination clause which led to SB 129 being tabled last week. Jacobs is firmly aligned with the Chamber wing of the party and could be in line for a DeKalb judgeship when the session ends.
State Rep. Jay Powell, R-Camilla, who also supported the Jacobs amendment, is in his third term.
State Rep. Beth Beskin, a Republican attorney from Buckhead elected only last November, has been seen as more vulnerable -- given her rookie status. She and the others were targeted by talk show host Erick Erickson, who called her vote a "serious betrayal." She ducked questions about her stance on Friday and over the weekend.
The cancellation of the House Judiciary Committee meeting, if it sticks, seems to be the strongest indication that none of the trio were willing to switch their votes - and that state Rep. Wendell Willard, the committee chair who didn't cast a vote last week, was holding firm.
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Add another group to the list of "religious liberty" dissenters. The folks over at ThinkProgress have a statement from MailChimp, the Atlanta-based email marketing firm, courtesy of spokeswoman Kate Kiefer Lee. Here goes:
As a privately held company, we don't normally comment on public policy. However: We do not support SB 129 or any other discriminatory legislation. We ask Georgia's lawmakers to join the voices in their community that are saying no to discrimination and intolerance. We're extremely concerned that this legislation would be harmful to people, cities, and businesses in our state. It also opposes many of our own company's values: inclusiveness, diversity, equality, and respect.
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It used to be that campaign season kicked off once the final gavel banged on Sine Die. That's no longer an absolute truth -- see Johnny Isakson's re-election vow last year. And yet others are willing to observe the tradition.
Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols plans to kick off his 2016 re-election bid on at 11 a.m. Thursday at the statehouse. He says he'll have at least 20 lawmakers who will endorse him, as well as a bluegrass band.
The conservative Republican expects primary opposition from Michele Miller, a renewable energy advocate from Warner Robins. And Democrats, eager to offer a full slate, may have a general election challenger for him as well.
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Over at Georgia Unfiltered, Andre Walker reports that state Rep. Ladawn Jones, D-Atlanta, has emailed supporters to say she's giving up her seat. Her remarks include this:
Jones was first elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 2012, after emerging from a crowded field in the Democratic primary.
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Not all prison exonerations have happy endings. Clarence Harrison was awarded $1 million by Georgia lawmakers after he was exonerated on a wrongful conviction of rape and robbery.
But a lot has happened since that triumphant day he was released from prison after 20 years behind bars.
Buzzfeed reporter Albert Samaha caught up with Harrison to detail his struggles since. You should read the whole thing, but here's a spoiler:
In the story they don't hear, the $1 million is gone, the future annuity checks aren't coming, Harrison is jobless and depressed and broke, can't get disability payments, owes the government tens of thousands of dollars in taxes, and has no idea how to get his life back on track.
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