The religious freedom bill could get new life Monday morning when the House Judiciary Committee meets to consider the legislation once more.
Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Smyrna, a committee member, told InsiderAdvantage Georgia Friday evening that she’s heard that an amendment will be introduced that will be “a compromise between no amendment and the amendment that led to the bill being tabled.”
The anti-discrimination amendment offered by Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Brookhaven, was added to the bill Thursday afternoon when three Republicans joined six Democrats in supporting it. That resulted in the bill being tabled, which Capitol observers believed meant the bill was dead for this year.
But Committee Chairman Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs, called another committee meeting for Monday morning. If the compromise amendment results in the bill passing the committee, the entire House could vote on the legislation before the session ends Thursday.
Sen. Joshua McKoon, R-Columbus, the author of Senate Bill 129, told InsiderAdvantage Georgia Friday that he will continue fighting for the bill, seeking passage either this year or next. He took to the Senate well Friday to tell his Senate colleagues, who passed the bill earlier in the session, “We’re going to prevail. It may be this year, or it may be next year, but we’re going to get there.”
McKoon says the legislation would prevent government from over-regulating religious practice, but opponents say it could lead to businesses discriminating against gays and lesbians. The Georgia Convention and Visitors Bureau this week sent a letter that claimed the stare would lose $15 million in convention business if the bill passes. But McKoon called that “economic extortion.”
New day for solar power: Rep. Mike Dudgeon, R-Johns Creek, foresees residential solar power blossoming in Georgia with passage of his bill allowing financing of systems for homes and small businesses.
“It’s going to be big,” Dudgeon told InsiderAdvantage Georgia. “When these companies come to Georgia and start marketing this product, you see a lot more rooftops with solar power. You’ll see somebody’s small business with solar power. You’re going to see quite a bit of more adoption than we’ve had in Georgia on the small scale.”
Dudgeon said that while commercial development of solar power has been fairly strong in Georgia, the residential industry has lagged because homeowners couldn’t finance solar systems. He predicted that national companies like SolarCity will now come into Georgia.
For companies to do business, “the legal environment has to be crystal clear to have the free market involved, and we have that in Georgia now,” Dudgeon said after the Senate passed the bill Friday 51-0. Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, the Senate majority whip, introduced the legislation in the Senate. The House approved the legislation early in the session.
Without Senate changes, the legislation will go to Gov. Nathan Deal for his expected signature, Dudgeon said. The bill was the result of negotiations between Georgia Power, municipal power companies and electrical membership co-ops and solar power representatives after a similar bill failed last year because the utilities were worried about companies intruding upon the territories. Dudgeon said the year of talks involved 90 different parties.
Medical marijuana process begins: The certification process for those who will receive medical marijuana will begin this week under an executive order signed by Gov. Nathan Deal Friday.
The executive order will allow the state’s composite medical board, which meets Thursday, to begin identifying those who will receive special cards allowing them to possess a small amount of cannabis oil with 5 percent THC. Families of children with seizure disorders stood with Deal and bill sponsor Allen Peake, R-Macon, at the signing ceremony.
Deal said he was signing the executive order to get the process started, but won’t sign House Bill 1 until after the Legislature ends to make sure it doesn’t conflict with other legislation. The bill decriminalizes possession of the oil in Georgia, which will allow companies to ship the substance here for those suffering from eight ailments. Because of federal law forbidding transporting marijuana products across state lines, 17 Georgia families have had to move to Colorado to acquire the oil.
Under the order, the medical board will draft a patient waiver and a physician certification form. The forms will be available to patients meeting criteria developed by the Department of Public Health. The patients will have to receive certification from physicians, then receive the cards allowing possession of the cannabis oil.
