Deal resists new abortion proposal
Hundreds of anti-abortion activists gathered outside the statehouse Wednesday and gave Gov. Nathan Deal polite applause when he praised the state’s “strong” position on abortion.
But Deal later poured cold water on a new legislative push that would tighten restrictions.
When a measure that would ban abortion coverage in state employee insurance policies fizzled near the end of last year’s session, the governor found an executive branch work-around.
By August, the state Department of Community Health had voted to end insurance coverage of abortion in most cases for the hundreds of thousands of public employees and family members on their plans.
Anti-abortion activists want him to go a step further by supporting Senate Bill 98, which would bar insurance coverage for the procedure in policies approved by the state government, as well as through the federal government under the Affordable Care Act.
Deal said “we took care” of the part about the state government policies last year. He said he hadn’t vetted the part about federal policies.
When pressed on whether he thinks it needs a legislative fix, he added this:
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think we’ve taken care of it.”
— Greg Bluestein
Bill would make arming of firefighters possible
Firefighters in Georgia could carry guns on duty if legislation proposed in the state House becomes law.
House Bill 807, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Cooke, R-Carrollton, would let local fire departments decide whether their firefighters should be allowed to carry weapons on duty.
The bill would allow for open or concealed carry of guns.
— Aaron Gould Sheinin
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