Editor’s note: IAG will continue to break down all the legislation from the 2019 legislative session throughout the week
The clock struck midnight and scraps of paper filled the air at the State Capitol Tuesday, marking the end of the 2019 legislative session. Here’s some of what passed, and didn’t, on Sine Die.
Medical Marijuana:
Governor Brian Kemp helped cobble together support for HB 324 Tuesday, which allows for some six licensed companies to grow medical marijuana for use in low THC medicinal oil. Opponents were concerned that such legislation might open the door for recreational use of the drug, but the restrictive bill seemed to allay those fears.
Transportation:
SB 200, originally a GDOT contract bill, was morphed last week into a massive transportation ‘Frankenbill’ that would create an airport oversight committee, (as opposed to a new state-run airport authority) introduce new rural transit legislation, a flat 50 cent tax on Uber and Lyft, and a 20 year airport fuel tax break extension.
The attempt to cram all that into one piece of legislation proved too much for the Senate to digest in such a short time, and the bill didn’t make it out of the upper chamber on Tuesday. City of Atlanta officials can breath a sigh of relief for now, but expect to see all of this legislation, in some form or another, back in 2020.
Casino gaming & horse racing:
Casino gaming and horse racing legislation both narrowly failed during the 2019 session, we will hear a lot more about both leading up to 2020. SR 367 creates the Senate Gaming and Pari-mutuel Wagering on Horse Racing and Growing Georgia’s Equine Industry Study Committee, which will meet throughout the summer and fall to study the impact of casino gaming on the state. The committee will feature some heavy hitting senators including Brandon Beach, Bill Cowsert, Burt Jones, and Butch Miller.
Rural Broadband:
Gov. Brian Kemp fulfilled a key platform promise from his successful campaign last year by helping pass SB 2, which authorizes the state’s electric membership cooperatives to deliver rural broadband. The bill breezed through the House Tuesday with a unanimous 160-0 vote.
Abortion:
It already passed last Friday, but HB 481, the “Heartbeat Bill,” continues to be the biggest story of the session. Protesters once again made their voices heard at the Capitol, with California actress/liberal activist Alyssa Milano delivering an incendiary speech outside the governor’s office during the afternoon. Kemp is expected to sign the bill as soon as this week, after which it will surely be challenged in the courts.
Other legislation:
HB 345, which our friend Marc Hyden wrote about last month, prohibits the often-dangerous shackling of pregnant inmates.
HB 118 makes it a felony to call the police or other emergency services in order to elicit a major law enforcement response, (also known as ‘swatting’) if proven to be done knowingly.
HB 228 sailed through the House by a measure of 155-14, changing the legal age for marriage from 16 to 17 years old. Currently in Georgia, 16-year-olds can marry if they have permission from their parents.
SB 15, from Sen. John Albers (R-Alpharetta), looks to beef up school security following last year’s deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The bill requires schools to submit detailed safety plans and undergo threat assessments, as well as encouraging communication between schools and state agencies.
