Posted on 02/24/2003 7:53:21 AM PST by CFW
Here is the status of key bills introduced thus far during the 2003 General Assembly session:
Bill: H.B. 37
Description: Prohibits the state, local governments and school districts from denying any youth organization access to public facilities for meetings, based on that organization's enforcement of its moral principles. Aimed at preventing discrimination against the Boy Scouts for prohibiting homosexual members or leaders. Status: Assigned to Judiciary Committee
Bill: H.B. 83 Description: Prohibits drivers from using cell phones while their vehicle is in motion, unless it's a hands-free phone. Status: Assigned to Motor Vehicles Committee
Bill: H.B. 121 Description: Mid-year budget adjustments for fiscal 2003 Status: Passed by House
Bill: H.B. 122 Description: Budget for fiscal year 2004 Status: Assigned to Appropriations Committee
Bill: H.B. 125 Description: Makes it a misdemeanor for drivers engaged in distracting activities to cause an accident resulting in injury or property damage. Prohibits drivers from using cell phones in non-emergencies unless they're hands-free models. Status: Assigned to Motor Vehicles Committee
Bill: H.B. 142 Description: Fixes loopholes in a law aimed at predatory lenders. Supporters say the law, passed last year, inadvertently made it difficult for many borrowers to get home loans in Georgia. Status: Passed House
Bill: H.B. 149, S.B. 17 Description: Creates new child-support guidelines aimed at making payments by non-custodial parents more equitable. Status: Assigned to House Special Judiciary Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee
Bill: H.B. 192 Description: Reduces salaries of legislators by 5 percent, a budget-cutting gesture. Status: Assigned to Appropriations Committee
Bill: H.B. 237 Description: Restricts inter-basin transfers of water, requires farmers to monitor water use and creates a committee of state agency heads to develop a statewide water-management plan. Status: Passed by Natural Resources & Environment Committee
Bill: H.B. 250 Description: Provides one-day sales-tax holidays on school supplies, clothing, shoes, computers and computer accessories in April and August. Status: Assigned to Ways and Means Committee
Bill: H.B. 354 Description: Authorizes an amnesty program for delinquent state taxpayers from Oct. 31 to Dec. 31 of this year, and gives local governments the option of participating in the program. Status: Assigned to Ways and Means Committee
Bill: H.B. 378 Description: Raises taxes on beer, wine and hard liquor. Status: Assigned to Regulated Industries Committee
Bill: H.B. 379 Description: Raises taxes on cigarettes and cigars and imposes a tax on smokeless tobacco. Status: Assigned to Ways and Means Committee
Bill: H.B. 380 Description: Authorizes a two-part non-binding referendum on the Georgia flag, to be held in March 2004. Status: Assigned to House Rules Committee
Bill: H.B. 515 Description: Abolishes state Office of Education Accountability and moves its functions to the Department of Education. Status: Not assigned yet
Bill H.B. 516 Description: Delays or rolls back elements of former Gov. Roy Barnes' education reforms, including lower class sizes and accountability measures. Status: Not assigned yet
Bill: S.B. 2 Description: Calls for redrawing the Senate redistricting map passed by the General Assembly last year. Status: Assigned to Redistricting and Reapportionment Committee
Bill: S.B. 3 Description: Tightens financial-disclosure requirements for public officers and candidates for public office. Status: Assigned to Ethics Committee
Bill: S.B. 10 Description: Declares endangerment of a child under age 16 a felony in Georgia. Status: Assigned to Judiciary Committee
Bill: S.B. 23 Description: Requires women seeking an abortion to wait at least 24 hours to give doctors an opportunity to explain the risks of the procedure and discuss other options. Status: Passed Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Bill: S.B. 31 Description: Prohibits candidate-to-candidate campaign contributions and forbids legislators from intervening with state agencies on behalf of prison inmates. Status: Passed Senate
Bill: S.B. 53 Description: Fixes loopholes in a law aimed at predatory lenders. Supporters say the law, passed last year, inadvertently made it difficult for many borrowers to get home loans in Georgia. Status: Passed Senate
Bill: S.B. 76 Description: Reduces salaries of legislators and the lieutenant governor by 10 percent. Status: Passed Senate
Bill: S.B. 91 Description: Requires congressional and legislative redistricting maps to avoid bizarre shapes and splitting counties and precincts. Past voting patterns may not be the sole consideration in drawing districts. Status: Passed Senate
Bill: S.B. 102 Description: Overhauls Georgia's system for representing poor criminal defendants by creating public defender's offices and a state board to set standards Status: Passed Senate
Bill: S.B. 108 Description: Prohibits public officials from hiring relatives or being paid for speeches given in connection with official duties. Former public officials may not become lobbyists for at least one year after leaving office. Status: Passed Ethics Committee
Bill. S.B. 109 Description: Requires vendors seeking state contracts to register as lobbyists. Disqualifies candidates for judgeships who contribute to gubernatorial campaigns Status: Passed Ethics Committee
Bill: S.B. 133 Description: Caps jury awards in medical-malpractice and product-liability lawsuits to $250,000. Status: Assigned to Judiciary Committee
Bill: S.B. 168 Description: Tightens financial-disclosure requirements for public officials. Adds protection for government whistle-blowers. Status: Assigned to Ethics Committee
Bill: S.B. 180 Description: Bans inter-basin transfers of water, except in emergencies. Creates regional river basin councils to help develop a statewide water-management plan. Status: Not yet assigned
Bill: S.R. 1 Description: Amends the Georgia Constitution, subject to a voter referendum, to allow public money to be used by religious organizations to serve the needy. Status: Assigned to Judiciary Committee
I truly believe that when the legislature is in sesson, no man's life or property is safe...
Just speaking off hand ( don't want to get in a drawn-out discussion, my wife's home today & "thinking up stuff The Cook [me] needs to do..." ) I wish we could cut their pay in half and send them home half the year to live under the laws they impose on us common citizens. Same ( but more strongly felt ) for the Federal level.
That "predatory lending" bill is garbage- as long as the customer is fully informed, what business is it of the legislature who charges what and who pays what? It's a matter of freedom, and choice.
I almost wish we could abolish the General Assembly and the Senate, and go to a direct vote... I know, I know, that's a lot like mob rule, but at least you'd get an up or down decision without all this grandstanding and bellowing that goes on with those clowns in Atlanta and DC...
"AOL- You've Got Problems! zone.
The dam' thing so corrupted my files & registry that I had to do a bare-metal restore, starting at about 4:00 this morning. But I'm back- finally!
Children raised by LIBERALS are being endangered!
The definition of "endangerment" is not set out. It is too vague and allows way too much room for abuse by law officials. Is it "endangerment" to have a swimming pool if the local social worker is afraid of water; to own a gun if your pediatrician is afraid of guns? Who decides?
Once again, I think this is just a back door gun-grabber law.
I agree wholeheartedly, but it is far more than simply a law to confiscate guns. It would allow the state government the ability to institute #97's "It takes a Village" socialist programs that legalize the state's control of anything they perceive as endangering children - conservative thought, Christian education, heteosexuality, guns, child discipline other than "timeouts" etc. It would be a backdoor beyond belief.
IMHO, of course.
This is one that is going to be fought. The do-gooders that pushed the perdatory lending law in the first place seem to be having a hard time swallowing their pride and admiting they went too far.
One of the big differences with the Republicans in power in GA. Under the Dems, abortion bills were killed before they even got to the committee.
This one is no good either. Did you hear the insurance companies complaining a few years ago when they were rolling in the dough due to their investments? No. Were they lowering ins. rates? No. They are not paying out any more in claims (according to a recent study), but the stock market is down and they aren't making as much on their investments.
We do not need a cap on pain and suffering.(Do you think a lady whose doctor misdiagnosed cancer and removed both breasts should have the amount of her claim capped by the general assembly or decided by an informed jury?)
This is good!
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