Two of the biggest topics at the Georgia Legislature this year — ethics and guns — will dominate discussion Tuesday, as state lawmakers gear up for their last two weeks of work.
A 9 a.m. public hearing by the Senate Rules Committee will focus on a historic piece of legislation, one that would for the first time place limits on influence under the Gold Dome. Its passage, however, is not assured.
House Bill 142 would generally ban lobbyists’ gifts to lawmakers, although it has a number of loopholes and would also force volunteer advocates to register just like high-powered paid lobbyists. Senate leaders especially do not like the registration requirement and will likely work to make changes this week before allowing it to move forward.
Those changes may include proposing a cap on gifts — an example would be $100 per gift — which could lead to a debate with the bill’s sponsor, House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, right down to the wire.
March 28 is scheduled to be the last day of the Legislature’s annual 40-day session, with lawmakers pressing to get as much done before then on key bills and issues.
The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, meanwhile, will meet at 3 p.m. for a closer look at Senate Bill 101. The proposal would keep the names and personal details of gun owners licensed to carry a weapon in Georgia secret, and it would prohibit local officials from banning guns in public housing unless required by federal law or regulation.
The bill would also get Georgia out of the business of licensing gun dealers. Out-of-state gun owners with permission to carry guns at home would be allowed to carry guns here. And it would lower to 18 the state’s prohibition on anyone under the age of 21 from carrying a gun, but only for military service members who have completed basic training.
SB 101 would not be considered a dramatic shift in the state’s gun laws, although House members could amend it to increase its significance.
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