The House and Senate convene again at 10 a.m. today.
The House is moving at warp speed to approve a mid-year budget that covers spending through the end of the fiscal year. The House Appropriations and Rules committees are expected to clear the way for a vote (the first of the session) by the full House on Thursday.
Then there’s this: House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications will hold a public hearing on House Bill 57, the Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act of 2015. Time and place: 3 p.m. in R00m 403 of the Capitol.
From the press release:
The legislation authorizes free-market private sector financing that eliminates up-front costs and makes solar power a reasonable choice for all Georgians. Rep. Mike Dudgeon's legislation has broad support from the state's utilities and solar advocates, including Georgians for Solar Freedom.
***
As if it hasn't done so already, the religious liberty issue breaks into the open in a big way today, with dueling factions holding concurrent gatherings at the state Capitol.
At 11:30 a.m. in Room 341, leaders of the Georgia Baptist Convention will meet to announce – not for the first time – their support for the legislation they say is needed to stop the encroachment of government on religious turf. More than a hundred pastors are anticipated to attend.
Forty-five minutes later, in Room 216, opponents of the religious liberty bills will have their say. It will be a much smaller event, involving non-Southern Baptist clergy. Three pastors are being advertised. From the press release:
The group is a fraction of the more than 100 clergy from many different denominations who signed a letter released at the beginning of the legislative session that urged legislators not to pass the "religious freedom" bills.
But back to that Georgia Baptist rally. Two things will be different from a previous religious liberty rally held earlier this month at the Capitol:
-- The absence of sacked Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran, who was being held up by some as a prime example of government overreach. The fire chief was fired by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed for failure to follow the required protocol in the publication of a religious book that contained judgments aimed at gays, women and Jews.
-- The presence of state Rep. Sam Teasley, R-Marietta, and state Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus. Teasley’s bill, H.B. 29, has been enduring some harsh criticism. McKoon has yet to file his measure. Both lawmakers took to the wells in their separate chambers this week to denounce a newspaper-ad attack fomented by the liberal group Better Georgia, which claimed that H.B. 29 would encourage child and spousal abusers to claim religious grounds for their actions.
About the Author
