A slew of bills made their last stand last Friday, Crossover Day at the Georgia Capitol. As we said in our coverage of the day’s action, any bills that hope to be signed into law must pass through at least one legislative chamber or else be dead for 2017. Let’s look at some of those bills and their statuses for the remainder of the legislative session.
- HB 280 – The ‘campus carry’ bill passed the House by a margin of 108 to 63, moving on to the state Senate where it is expected to pass by a similarly close margin. The bill was among the most controversial of the day, with fierce debate on both sides mostly mirroring party lines. Last year Governor Nathan Deal vetoed a similar bill once it got to his desk, but he has been cautious about saying whether he would do the same this year.
- HB 452 – State Rep. Jesse Petrea’s bill dealing with the GBI and criminal illegal aliens cruised through the House with 144 yea’s to only 26 nay’s.
- HB 292 – Another gun bill, this time streamlining a handful of regulations. The bill passed the House with relative ease and bipartisan support.
- HB 353 – A title pawn bill that was the source of some debate, it failed initially but was later withdrawn and sent back to committee. Expect to see a similar version in the future.
- SB 134 – Backed by some heavy hitters in the state Senate, the ‘Save, Earn, Win Act’ would create a ‘savings raffle’ to encourage more saving by Georgians. Only two Senators voted against the bill, which hopes to find an equally warm welcome in the lower house.
