After 38 days in session,
the 2014 General Assembly will meet Tuesday and Thursday before lawmakers head
home to campaign and transition back to private life. The only thing the House
and Senate must do before the clock strikes midnight Thursday is pass a state
budget. But in the session’s final days, they will also scramble to complete
work on sweeping gun legislation, changes to Common Core, medical marijuana,
Obamacare and a host of other issues.
The final days of the
legislative session are usually among the longest, with members of the General
Assembly deciding the fate of scores of bills and resolutions. Here’s a
list of issues still to be settled:
Budget
HB 744: The 2014-15
annual state budget Status: In conference committee Will it pass: Yes. It’s the
only bill lawmakers are required to adopt.
Drugs/Alcohol
HB 772: It would require
food stamp recipients to pass a drug test. Status: Passed House, amended by
Senate committee Will it pass: It barely passed Senate committee, leaving mixed
prospects.
Health care
HB 707: It would bar any
state or local government or agency from operating a health care exchange or
navigator program allowed under the Affordable Care Act. It would make it
illegal for any public employee or agency to use state resources or time to
advocate for the expansion of Medicaid. Status: Passed the House, amended in
Senate committee Will it pass: Possible
HB 885: It would allow
the use of a marijuana derivative to treat certain seizure disorders. Status:
Passed House, amended by a Senate committee to include language from another
bill mandating insurance companies provide coverage for autism-related
disorders in children Will it pass: Prospects are mixed. It has a strong Senate
sponsor but needs a vote of the full Senate and the House’s approval of changes.
HB 990: It would require
an act of the Legislature before Medicaid could be expanded via the Affordable
Care Act. Status: Passed House and a Senate committee Will it pass: Most likely
SB 98: It would bar
abortions from being covered by insurance policies offered through health care
exchanges; it would ratify Gov. Nathan Deal’s decision to eliminate abortion
coverage from state employee health insurance policies. Status: It passed the
Senate; an amended version passed a House committee. Will it pass: Possibly.
House changes would have to be approved by the Senate.
SB 292: It would create a
statewide Alzheimer’s disease registry to gather data on the disease. The House
amended it to include language from HB 707, making the bill more controversial.
Status: The House and Senate passed different versions. Will it pass: Possibly,
although the anti-Obamacare language makes it less likely
Local government
HB 346: It would make the
Fulton County tax commissioner an appointed position, instead of elected, starting
in 2017. Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs, and others proposed it last
year to stop current tax chief Arthur Ferdinand from earning fees off city
bills that make him the highest-paid elected official in the state. But Sen.
Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, strongly opposes the measure, saying the choice
should remain with the people. Status: Passed House; tabled in the Senate Will
it pass: Highly unlikely
HB 704: It would allow a
referendum to create the city of South Fulton. Status: Passed House, amended in
Senate committee Will it pass: Possibly
HB 819: It would stop
Ferdinand, the Fulton tax chief, from personally profiting when he sells
delinquent tax bills to private collectors. His biggest buyer of tax liens,
Vesta Holdings, has been lobbying heavily, and a provision that would have
prevented such companies from collecting a 10 percent penalty, at the county’s
loss, has been removed. Status: Passed House and a Senate committee Will it
pass: Possibly. A vote in the Senate this week is likely.
HB 891: It would allow
cities and towns to seek local legislation authorizing them to scale back early
voting from three weeks to one week. Status: Passed House, amended in Senate
committee Will it pass: It has a good chance, although Democrats in the Senate
will fight it.
HB 960: It would broaden
and clarify existing urban redevelopment laws to give projects such as the
Atlanta Beltline the option of using a public-private partnership to build out
its transit system. Status: Passed House, amended in Senate committee Will it
pass: Prospects are good.
SB 270: It would allow a
referendum to create the city of Lakeside. Status: Passed Senate, tabled in
House committee Will it pass: Doubtful
Courts/Law enforcement
HB 845: It would ban the
release of police mug shots unless the person requesting them signs a sworn
statement the photos will not be published on a website that charges for their
removal. Status: Passed House, in Senate committee Will it pass: Doubtful. It
has yet to get a Senate committee hearing.
K-12 education/Higher
education
HB 697: It would pay full
tuition for the state’s highest achieving technical college students. Status:
Passed House, amended in Senate committee Will it pass: It has the governor’s
support, making it more likely.
HB 788: It would allow
the University System of Georgia to privatize and pass along tax breaks for the
construction of student dormitories and parking decks on the campuses of the
state’s colleges and universities. Status: Passed House and a Senate committee.
Will it pass: Likely. The majority of lawmakers have seemed satisfied with the
Board of Regents’ promises that students’ rents would not drastically rise.
HB 810: It would lower
the SAT/ACT requirement for home school students (and those graduating from
unaccredited high schools and GED students) to receive HOPE scholarship funds. Status:
Passed House and a Senate committee Will it pass: Likely. The change would
affect between 50 and 60 students annually, and the fiscal impact to the HOPE
program is minimal.
SB 167: It would prohibit
Georgia schools from testing students on material tied to any set of national
academic standards such as Common Core. Status: Passed Senate. Defeated in
House committee. Will it pass: Highly unlikely
Taxes
HB 153: It would allow
local governments to levy a special local option sales tax at rates less than a
penny. Status: Passed House and Senate in different forms Will it pass: Very
possible
HB 933: It would make
permanent a tax exemption on parts and equipment used to repair and maintain aircraft
registered outside of Georgia. Status: Passed House and Senate in different
forms Will it pass: Likely
HB 965: It would grant
and extend several tax breaks. Among them, sales tax holidays for
back-to-school shoppers Aug. 1-2 and for energy- and water-efficient appliances
Oct. 3-5. Status: Passed House and Senate in different forms Will it pass:
Likely
Other
HB 449: It would bar the
release of audio recordings of 911 calls when the caller dies. Status: Passed
House, in Senate committee Will it pass: Doubtful. It has not passed a Senate
committee.
HB 714: Bus drivers and
other seasonal school workers who work for private firms would lose
unemployment coverage when school is not in session. Status: Passed House and
Senate committee Will it pass: Most likely
HB 715: It would spell
out how land on Jekyll Island may be developed. Status: Passed House, has not
received Senate committee vote Will it pass: No, but Senate version, SB 296,
has passed both chambers.
HB 837: It would make
changes to the private probation industry in Georgia. Status: Passed House, but
a Senate committee made major changes Will
it pass: Prospects are mixed. It had rough time in the House, which will have
to approve of Senate changes.
HB 875: It would
lift restrictions on guns in churches and bars and allow school boards to arm
employees. Churches would have to “opt in,” meaning they would have to decide
to allow guns, a switch from the original version that would have required them
to opt out. Status: Passed House, and Senate committee Will it pass: Possibly.
There is a lot of maneuvering around this issue.
HB 60: Originally written
to allow more judges to carry weapons, it was amended in the House to mirror HB
875. It incorporates most of HB 875 but would still require churches to opt out
of allowing weapons. Status: Passed House and Senate in different versions. Will
it pass: Possibly, but HB 875 may have a better chance.
HB 913: It would bar
anyone who works in health care from serving on the board of the Department of
Community Health. Critics claim it is designed to punish Rick Jackson, a board
member who has championed tort reform and foster care bills. Its original
language was deleted by a Senate committee, which added the governor’s foster
care privatization bill to it. Will it pass: Possibly. It’s caught up in
late-session negotiating ploys.
HB 923: It would require
greater transparency from the Division of Family and Children Services in cases
of child deaths and move the Child Fatality Review Panel to the GBI. It’s one
of the governor’s priorities. Status: It passed the House but was held up in
the Senate. House leaders intend to add it to an unrelated Senate bill this
week.
HB 935: It would make
secret many documents related to local governments and school systems’
retirement systems. Status: Passed House, has not received Senate committee
hearing Will it pass: Unlikely. It did not pass a Senate committee in time.
HB 1080: It would allow
for a monument of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the grounds of the state
Capitol. Status: Passed House and Senate in different versions. Will it pass:
Most likely
SB 283: It would allow
students and school staff to offer “traditional greetings” such as “Merry
Christmas.” Status: Passed Senate and a House committee Will it pass: Most
likely
SB 350: Would require the
Division of Family and Children Services to bid out to private firms some
functions, such as case management, family preservation and independent living.
Status: It passed the Senate, but a House committee made major changes, limiting
it to a pilot program. Will it pass: Possibly. It’s a priority of the governor.
A Senate committee stripped an unrelated bill, HB 913, and added SB 350 to it,
so it is still alive.
SB 397: It would require
insurance companies to provide coverage for autism-related disorders. Status:
Passed Senate, did not receive vote in a House committeeWill it pass: Most
likely not in this form. But the language of this bill has been added to HB
885, the medical marijuana bill, so the idea remains alive.
Already received final
passage
HB 310: It moves primary
elections for state and local offices from July to May 20. The governor has
already signed it.
HB 774: It would allow a
maximum speed limit of 70 mph on interstates in urban areas with populations of
more than 50,000.
HB 908: It would extend
the $1 tire disposal fee for five more years.
SB 213: It would address
how the state protects threatened wildlife when drought hits the Flint River
basin.
SB 296: It would spell
out how land on Jekyll Island may be developed.
SB 299: It would give
local authorities leeway in adopting watershed protection standards for buffer
areas along streams and reservoirs.
SB 318: It allows bars to
sell alcohol on Sundays that fall on the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The
governor has already signed it.
Seemingly dead for the
year
HB 1: It would subject
law enforcement and district attorneys to more scrutiny when they seize
property during investigations.
HB 516: University System
of Georgia employees who initially — and irrevocably — chose to participate in
the Regents Retirement Plan would be given a one-time option to switch to the
Teachers Retirement System of Georgia. This bill initially passed the House on
a close vote (92-70) but was reconsidered and has been tabled.
HB 541: Last year’s bill
to double the Fulton County property tax homestead exemption to $60,000.
HB 907: It would require
car-service companies such as Uber and Lyft to pay sales taxes, have insurance
and conduct background checks.
HB 1023: Supporters say
it would protect individuals’ religious freedoms against government
intervention, but critics worry it would allow private business owners to cite
their religious beliefs in declining to serve people they believe are gay or
having premarital sex.
SB 377: Same language as
HB 1023.
SB 404: It would deny
Georgia driver’s licenses to immigrants who don’t have legal status in the U.S.
but have been granted “deferred action,” or permission to temporarily stay and
work here for humanitarian reasons.
SR 1031: It would mandate
that state driver’s license exams be given only in English.
Source: http://legislativenavigator.myajc.com/#sthash.26twbHt3.dpuf
Comments:
Like
in previous years, most of the Gold Dome Bills are “of the government, by the
government and for the government”. They enable bad law, when bribed or extorted,
to allow the federal government unconstitutional access to dictate our behavior
or to allow city and county governments to pick our pockets or allow special
interests whatever they have in mind at our expense. Some Bills will attempt to
ban public records, others will loosen tax money for bad projects in trouble. This is
standard fare, but has been particularly abusive over the past 5 years due to federal
squander-grants. These grants are like catnip to our politicians…all of them.
Some
of the Bills above don’t sound bad, but most of these are repairs to mistakes
already made in the laws these Bills are replacing. It looks like our anti-Obama-Care Bill 707 is
the biggest crumb we were tossed.
Keeping Common Core out…not so much.
There are always Bills selected to distract voters and activists.
In
the last session it was Ethics. Do you think that’s any better ? Campaign contributions continue to come
largely from government vendors designed to guarantee a minimum campaign war
chest of $30,000. This year it was Obama-Care
and Common Core.
Conservative
activists should have ignored Obama-Care and Common Core as false flags and
stayed with HB 195 ending “regionalism” just to test their strategy. Our
message to the legislature would have been: “If you guys aren’t smart enough to
kill these two federal Trojan Horses, we can’t help you”. Next time, let’s let
them scurry around for a change.
Certainly
HB 195 would have saved us from another “Regional Transportation Boondoggle”,
but after some assurances it died early. With the HB 1216 Regional Commission
set up of 2008 and HB 277 the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 still
intact, rural Georgia will truly be in danger of property rights abuse and
Atlanta Metro will get car lanes replaced by bike lanes. When the Gold Dome passed HR 1216 and later Obama
announced the launch of the “Rural Initiatives” did voters think that would be
a good thing ?
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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