Number of working days left until the end of the 2015 legislative session: Two. Can you say "penultimate"?
There's no getting around it. Today will be a grind. The House has just 17 bills on its calendar – for now. Rules Committee Chairman John Meadows, R-Calhoun, has made clear more will be added.
Among the most important on this list are SB 8 and SR 7, legislation and a constitutional amendment, respectfully, that increase penalties for sex trafficking and creates a state fund to help victims. Sure to be added is the 2016 budget, which House and Senate negotiators signed off on late Monday.
The Senate’s calendar has 80-plus bills -- more than enough to fill the final two days. Among them are:
-- HB 70, which would designate the white-tailed deer as Georgia's official state mammal (over the gray fox, which kids initially picked);
-- HB 110, which for the first time would allow for the sale of fireworks in Georgia;
-- HB 213, which would permanently eliminate the state's requirement that MARTA spend 50 percent of its revenue on maintenance and 50 percent on operations;
-- HB 233, through which law enforcement officials and prosecutors would face new restrictions and reporting requirements for seizing an individual's property;
-- HB 279, which would give big pays to the state's top judges, prosecutors and public defenders.
Meanwhile, negotiations continue over HB 170, the transportation funding bill and SB 129, the "religious freedom" bill. The latter will be the subject of yet another march and rally, this one by opponents of the bill. Stay tuned for updates.
If all this seems a bit stressful, above is a reminder that a little humor and a sharp wit can win the day.
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