Crossover Day under way
The second-busiest day under the Gold Dome officially started in the state Senate at 9:11 a.m. and members worked continuously through the evening. They are expected to debate bills until late in the night.
This is a key day every year because -- as its name implies -- it's the last day for a piece of legislation to move from one chamber to another, which means it has a chance of making to the governor's desk for signing into law this year without serious parliamentary maneuvering. The Sunday sales bill was one of the most contentious of the day and passed after tough debate. Read more about that at ajc.com.
Controversial hunting bill fails
A bill to allow hunting of imported exotic animals failed 20-30.
Senate Bill 188 by Sen. Greg Goggans, R-Douglas, would have allowed the creation of special ranches to raise and hunt several specialized species of deer, antelope, sheep and bison.
County's responsible for erroneous tax executions
Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, got legislation passed that would extend the time that local tax commissioners can issue executions for nonpayment of taxes from 30 days to one year. Senate Bill 234 also clarifies processes for errors and makes the county liable for any fees or payments that accrue if the county issues an execution in error.
Abortion bill passes after 90-minutes of argument
Debate about abortion brought out the usual contentious sides Wednesday night.
Sen. Barry Loudermilk's Senate Bill 210 would make it easier for women and possibly other family members to sue abortion providers for performing abortions if all state required procedures have not occurred, such as showing the pregnant woman an sonogram of the fetus or making them wait for 24 hours after they agree to the procedure.
:Loudermilk argued from the floor that he believed providers were not doing all Georgia law required.
"We believe if [women] see an ultrasound and see this is a living breathing person, they may change their minds," Loudermilk said.
Opponents of the bill criticized the way the bill made its way to the floor and said it was an attempt to make abortions harder to get.
"Isn't it true that providers will leave the state because of exposure to liability," asked Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, in the waning seconds before the bill was adopted 36-13.
Opponents also criticized the quick way the bill made its way through the system.
Instead of being assigned to a committee for testimony and discussion such as the Judiciary Committee, because it affects changes to tort law, or to the Health and Human Services Committee, which reviews medical and health issues, it was assigned to the Rules Committee.
The Rules Committee's role typically is to review committee-approved legislation and assign it to the floor for debate.
It was part of two bills Loudermilk introduced regarding abortion: the other would have shut down all the abortion clinics in the state by requiring all abortions to take place in hospitals. That bill did not make it out of the committee after several hours of debate.
Gun bill passes
Another gun bill doing away with restrictions on where weapons can be carried passed the Senate.
"This is a gun bill," said Senate Bill 102's primary sponsor Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga.
Then he went further, "This is [a National Rifle Association] bill"
Mullis is not shy about his predilection for carrying guns. The Constitution says the right the own guns shall not be infringed upon, and he thinks any restrictions, including having to get a license to carry a concealed weapon, is an infringement.
SB 102 opens up concealed carrying in churches and other places now restricted, if the church decides it is OK, by people driving through schools to pick up or drop off students, and places such as Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport's passenger pickup and baggage claim area. Hartsfield-Jackson bans the practice. A late amendment by Mullis and others said that all persons elected to state and local offices can carry concealed weapons without obtaining a concealed-carry permit.
It passed 41-11.
Distilling bill moves forward
Sen. Johnny Grant, R-Milledgeville, got a bill passed that clears up any questions about whether or not licensed distilling of liquor out of grains is legal in Georgia.
Senate Bill 114, will help the state's nascent craft distilling industry. 13th Colony Distillery in Americus is already making vodka and other liquors, and four other businesses are in the process of getting licenses and buying equipment.
One of those businesses is in Grant's district and pointed out that the language in Georgia's laws about distilling was unclear, especially when it came to distilling grains.
It was a minor adjustment to law, but got some attention because of the debate around the Sunday alcohol sales legislation. Grant's bill passed 54-1.
Morris Brown students retain HOPE
The Senate passed a bill that keeps Morris Brown College students eligible for the HOPE scholarship and makes it possible for students to get the money should their high school lose accreditation.
Senate Bill 119 allows students to receive the scholarship if they graduate from a high school that had been accredited within the previous two years. Atlanta, Clayton and DeKalb school districts are working to maintain approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
State law already allowed students to get HOPE if they attend a college that had been accredited within the past seven years. The rule was extended to 11 years to accommodate Morris Brown, which lost accreditation in 2002.
Senate would regulate teacher firings according to seniority
Sen. President Pro Tem Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, talked the Senate into passing a bill that would prevent local school systems from firing or furloughing teachers based on seniority alone.
Senate Bill 184 says that local school systems should not adopt a "last in, first out" policy for teachers, though leaves it open to be part of the formula developed for firings. Systems should have the freedom to choose to keep their best teachers, he said on the floor of the Senate.
Those opposed to his bill argued that local school systems should have local control to formulate their own policies and not have policy directed from the state level.
The bill passed 36-14.
DNA could be taken from all felony arrests
Senate legislation passed that would allow law enforcement to take saliva swabs for DNA samples of anyone charged with a felony in Georgia.
Senate Bill 80 by Sen. Joshua McKoon, R-Columbus, drew some opposition because it called for gathering DNA samples from people not convicted of crimes, but simply charged. If people were found innocent, the state would still retain their DNA samples.
Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, added an amendment that said that the state would destroy the evidence of anyone found innocent, and the bill passed 39-13.
Pseudoephedrine-based drugs could be harder to buy
Senate Bill 93, which updated a list of controlled drugs, also mandates that drugs containing pseudoephedrine awould have to be sold from behind a counter at pharmacies only and buyers would have to sign for them. Pseudoephedrine is a main ingredient for cooking meth, a street drug that is a plague in the state. Pseudoephedrine is a decongestant that relieves cold and allergy symptoms, and it's currently available in both pharmacies and convenience stores in Georgia under the brand names Sudafed and Claritin-D, among others. Sen. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, sponsor of the bill, said classifying the drug as Schedule 5 would allow sales of the medicine to be tracked using a prescription drug monitoring program. Georgia is one of only a handful of states that doesn't have a prescription drug monitoring program, but a separate bill in the House (HB 184) would set one up.
Bill for school vouchers can't find support
Champions of school choice lost a battleground fight Wednesday when the Senate tabled legislation that would have dramatically expanded the state’s limited voucher program.
The bill would have allowed military families, foster children and students with mild to moderate disabilities to use vouchers for private schools.
But Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, said he didn't have the needed votes to win passage of SB 87. The bill was tabled on his recommendation, effectively killing it for this year.
Alcohol sales bill passes
The Georgia Senate has passed a bill that would allow voters in cities and counties across the state to decide whether they want local Sunday package alcohol sales.
The bill passed 32-22 after more than two hours of debate. It now goes to the state House with 10 days left in the 40-day legislative session.
Sen. John Bulloch, R-Ochlocknee, the bill's sponsor, closed the debate, saying Senate Bill 10 "does not create one drop of alcohol to be sold."
The bill does create the opportunity for local governments to put the issue before local voters, Bulloch said.
Similar proposals had been blocked for decades. Opponents included Gov. Sonny Perdue, who left office in January.
The bill cleared committee early in the session, but it appeared to be held up by ruling Republicans after opponents, including Christian conservatives, mounted some resistance.
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