ATLANTA — A proposal to fight public corruption through statewide grand juries failed Monday by a 2-5 vote in the Senate Judiciary Non-Civil Committee.
The idea has languished in the General Assembly for decades and has never gained traction. This latest attempt was by Sen. Josh McKoon, a Columbus lawyer and Republican who gained statewide attention as a freshman by proposing a limit to what lobbyists can spend on legislators. That spending cap only became law after both the Republican and Democratic parties placed a question about it as a straw poll on ballots during the 2012 primary, showing overwhelming support from members of both parties.
Legislative leaders passed the gift maximum the 2013 session of the General Assembly while privately blaming McKoon for a “gimmick.”
Such grumbling could have been a factor still in Monday’s vote, but it wasn’t expressed. Instead, committee members said they were afraid that Senate Resolution 6 would give the attorney general too much power.
“I don’t mean to be harsh, but it seems to me to be a license to persecute,” said Sen. John Crosby, a retired superior court judge and a Republican like McKoon but from Tifton.
McKoon defended the concept, saying it would be the best way to systematically root out local, official corruption as well as corruption that is spread across multiple judicial circuits.
“I think the benefits far outweigh the potential for abuse,” he told Crosby.
Another committee member opposed to the resolution was Sen. William Ligon, R-Brunswick, who also expressed concern about how broad the new powers would be for the attorney general.
“I just think there was a lot of discomfort with that on the committee,” he said.
If it had won a two-thirds vote in the full Senate and in the House, the measure would have eventually wound up on the November ballot for voters to have the final say. Now, it is dead until someone introduces it again next year.
The committee did approve two other bills before killing one offered by the chairman, Sen. Jesse Stone, R-Waynesboro.
Stone’s proposal, SB411, would have allowed bail bonding companies to reduce their cash reserves and to pay lower fees to local sheriffs.
Among those approved were SB 383 by Sen. Hardie Davis, D-Augusta, that prohibits a coroner from taking possession for personal use any item of value found with a dead body. Also approved was SB 328 by Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, that makes it a crime to seek a “refund” for stolen merchandise.
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