Day 39 is always one of the three busiest days of the 40-day legislative session – along with Crossover Day and Sine Die (the last day of the session). And Wednesday was no exception. Both the House and Senate had packed calendars and went through a flurry of bills. But actions by House Democrats drew a lot of attention and criticism that won’t soon be forgotten.
Almost all of the 80 House Democrats walked out during debates and before a vote could be taken on Senate Bill 185 which would ban prisons from using state funds for inmate sex-change treatments. The walkout did not stop the vote and the bill passed by a 100-2 vote. Two Democratic legislators — Reps. Regina Lewis-Ward, D-McDonough, and David Sampson, D-Albany —stayed in Chambers and voted against the bill.
Bill sponsor Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula, called it “disappointing.”
“Our constituents have put us in office to stand in the middle of the fray, win or lose,” Robertson said. He had earlier mentioned that only five prisoners have sought sex-change treatments in Georgia.
In another unique move, the Senate approved two elections bills – including one by Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, which had not previously been approved by the Senate before Crossover Day. Senate Bill 214 which would eventually replace Georgia’s touchscreen voting system with paper ballots filled out by hand.
Senators also passed House Bill 397, sponsored by Rep. Tim Fleming, R-Covington, which would ban in-person absentee ballot drop-off the weekend before election day and would withdraw Georgia from its participation in a voter registration accuracy organization.
Both bills passed along party lines in the Senate.
The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 237 by Sen. Billy Hickman, R–Statesboro, which urges the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and other state education departments to provide recommendations to strengthen the K-12 education workforce.
The resolution asks that these recommendations include information about mentorship programs, professional development, and working conditions to improve educator satisfaction and student outcomes. The report must be turned in to the Governor and the Senate by December 1, 2025.
The Senate approved House Bill 551, by Rep. Jason Ridley, R-Chatsworth, which would prevent private property owners from getting monetary incentives for allowing booting companies to operate on their property. The booting companies install immobilization devices on cars for people who don’t pay or overstay paid parking time, forcing motorists to pay on the spot to have them removed. The bill would also require booting companies to include contact information for someone to call when they have been booted to get the device removed.
Both Chambers were still going at 9:30 p.m. Today is a committee workday prior to Friday’s Sine Die.
