DUNWOODY, Ga. — Unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s office show Democrats well ahead in three legislative seats covering Dunwoody. Final vote totals in the Peach State must be certified by Nov. 28. Current election standings show Republicans will enter the 2023 legislative session with a 32 to 23 Senate majority and a 101… Read More Democrats set to hold legislative seats covering Dunwoody
With the stroke of a pen, Governor Brian Kemp removed Georgia from a discouraging list of states lacking a hate crime bill. For years now, Georgia has been one of only four states without a law to adequately punish against crimes targeting a person because of bias against a “race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender… Read More “Georgia is a state too great to hate;” Governor Signs Hate Crimes Law, Completing Legislative Cycle
Last Thursday, after being inactive for over a year, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a long anticipated hearing on HB 426, which is the latest attempt to pass a hate crime bill. The committee was dually tasked with considering Rep. Chuck Efstration’s (R-Dacula) bill that passed the House last year, but also with Lt. Gov.… Read More Hate Crime Bill Continues To Turn As End of Session Looms
06/18/2020—Since last writing, the long awaited hate crimes bill finally had a hearing last Thursday. The hearing can be streamed here. The majority of the testimony supported passing HB 426, but one person voiced opposition citing “thought crimes.” The supporters included a collective of Interfaith, Jewish, Racial and Gender Equality organizations. Former Attorney General Sam… Read More A Weekend Update on Georgia’s Hate Crime Bill
Yesterday morning in a press conference, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan unveiled a hate crimes bill proposal, after criticizing HB 426 for not going far enough. Last year, HB 426 passed the House 96-64 and made its way to the Senate where to date, has largely been inactive, but that will change this week as the… Read More New Hate Crimes Proposal Introduced, But Time is Running Out
With legislative day 31 in the books, another day passed without movement on the Georgia General Assembly’s latest effort to pass a hate crime bill. Last year, HB 426 passed the House 96-64 and made its way to the Senate where to date, has been stuck in committee. Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee cancelled a… Read More Hate Crimes Bill Stalled For Now, But Tomorrow Promises Movement in Day 32
I previously wrote about the emergence of S.B. 221 from the Judiciary Committee about two weeks ago, after being introduced on February 27. This briefly stated review closes the book on Sen. Harbin’s (GA-16) proposal, but the reader should note the legislation remains active for one year and could be amended to existing legislation that… Read More Religious Freedom Bill Stalls in Judiciary Committee As Cross Over Day Ends
Photo Credit Back on March 16, 2016, the Georgia General Assembly sent H.B. 757, a religious liberty bill labeled the “Free Exercise Protection Act,” to then Governor Nathan Deal’s desk for signature. Twelve days later, the Republican governor vetoed the law citing the difficultly in legislating an issue “best left to the broad protections of the… Read More “Religious Liberty” Styled Bill Emerges in Georgia Senate
Albertson Writes 