Georgia’s Legislature heads into its pivotal week Monday, with the number of bills on the agenda mounting and time running short.
With only a handful of bills receiving final approval so far, the 30th of 40 legislative days arrives Friday – “crossover day.” That’s the deadline for legislation to be sent from the House or Senate to the other chamber. Just a small fraction of the nearly 800 bills filed so far in both chambers will make it through.
One Senate proposal expected to receive attention this week sets up a state research program regarding the use of medical marijuana to help children suffering from epilepsy. Senate Bill 185, by Sen. Lindsey Tippins, R-Marietta, is seen as an alternative to Rep. Allen Peake’s well-publicized House Bill 1, which allows the use of cannabis oil for the treatment of several medical conditions, including cancer and sickle cell anemia. Families of children suffering from seizures appeared last week at a rally held by Peake, R-Macon, in support of the bill, which has passed the House.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee Thursday afternoon approved Tippins’ legislation, also supported by committee Chairwoman Renee Unterman, R-Buford. Peake’s bill has also been assigned to the committee, where its chances are uncertain.
On the House side, legislation that could lead to new cities in DeKalb and Fulton counties are expected to be sent to the Senate by Friday’s deadline. The bills would allow referendums on incorporating Tucker and LaVista Hills in DeKalb, and for forming the new city of South Fulton.
A bill to tighten regulations on Uber and Lyft drivers is also on the House calendar. The proposal by Rep. Alan Powell, R-Hartwell, would require drivers of the app-ride companies to receive background checks. Another Uber-Lyft bill, which would require the companies to provide insurance coverage for its drivers during rides, passed the House last week.
Along with the fiscal year 2016 budget and the transportation spending bill, the House has sent the Senate several other significant bills. One of the most important is House Bill 71 by Rep. Kevin Tanner, R-Dawsonville, which he said on the House floor would “remove the veil of secrecy” from the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Tanner said that the board since its origins 70 years ago has largely operated in secret. The legislation, the result of an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation, would require the board to open its proceedings and notify crime victims of a convict’s release.
The Senate will also consider Rep. Chad Nimmer’s bill to rename the Technical College System of Georgia the Georgia Career College System. Nimmer, R-Blackshear, one of Gov. Nathan Deal’s floor leaders, told the House before the bill’s passage that the rebranding is in keeping with the system’s increased role in providing training for a variety of careers.
The 122-40 House vote was closer than expected, with opponents expressing concerns over the costs of the switchover. Nimmer said expenses would be limited by the Department of Corrections making new signs, and the phasing in of new stationery and other materials.
While Peake’s medical marijuana legislation encounters bumps in the Senate, a Senate bill requiring insurance coverage for children with autism remains in the House Insurance Committee. So far, it’s not on the agenda for Tuesday’s committee meeting. Last year, Peake’s bill was linked to the autism proposal, with the combined bill not passing.
On the lighter side, weekend brunches could turn more festive under legislation allowing restaurants to serve alcohol at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays, two hours earlier than now. Rep. Brett Harrell, R-Snellville, is the author of the bill awaiting a House vote. Harrell also sponsored legislation approved by the House that would allow restaurants at Hartsfield-Jackson
International Airport to service alcohol beginning at 5:30 a.m. Sunday. That bill is awaiting Senate consideration.
Those who prefer walking their dogs on Sunday mornings will favor legislation that would make “the adoptable dog” the official state dog of Georgia. Rep. Joe Wilkinson, R-Atlanta, last week introduced House Bill 561 to encourage the adoption of abandoned dogs from shelters.
