It remains unknown whether House Bill 51 will revive this week in the final two days of the 2017 Legislature. Stalled by a wary Senate committee last week, the campus rape bill, as it has been dubbed, limits the ability of public universities in Georgia to investigate student sexual assault cases. Counselors and victims warned that tying the hands of universities and turning investigations over to police would cause fewer victims to come forward.
The sponsor of the measure in the Georgia House has suggested he will attempt to attach the stalled bill to another piece of related legislation. One of the strongest opponents to the legislation, sexual assault survivor Grace Starling, writes today in the AJC Get Schooled blog about how she and other students were treated by the Georgia House when they testified, compared to how they were regarded in the Senate.
“Since Jan. 26, I’ve been at the Capitol almost every day fighting against his legislation, which would make it more difficult for rape victims to come forward. I’ve spent a significant amount of time working with the House and Senate, and, let me tell you, the way students and survivors were treated by the two chambers could not have been more stark,” she says.
“All the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee invited me into their offices and listened to my concerns. They asked meaningful questions about the background and history of Title IX, the consequences of the legislation, and what they could do to help right the wrongs of the House,” says Starling. “Because many of us who spoke out against HB 51 are young doesn’t mean we don’t deserve the respect and time lawmakers give to other constituents. Don’t attempt to discredit us or demean our experiences by calling us snowflakes, spoiled children, infantile pampered children, or any other degrading derivative.”
To read more, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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