The Georgia House approved a measure that would require cash bail for dozens of new offenses, part of an effort to limit local officials from embracing progressive criminal justice initiatives. But it failed to reach final approval in the Senate.
Under Senate Bill 63, the new offenses that would require bail to get out of jail include marijuana possession, sex trafficking, unlawful assembly, voluntary manslaughter and property destruction charges.
It’s part of a public safety platform that has shifted from former Gov. Nathan Deal, who embarked on an eight-year overhaul that focused primarily on steering more nonviolent offenders from prison cells to treatment centers.
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Republicans say the new limits are needed to keep offenders from committing new crimes. State Rep. Teri Anulewicz, D-Smyrna, called it an attempt to “hack away at Gov. Deal’s legacy.”
“Keep on chopping, right?” she said, a nod to Gov. Brian Kemp’s campaign mantra.
The measure passed the House by a 95-81 vote, mostly along party lines. A similar measure previously passed the Senate, but the two chambers never reached a compromise on the proposal.
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