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Georgia lawmakers face a key deadline Thursday, the final day for laws to cross both the House or Senate and advance to the opposite legislative chamber for consideration this 12 months. Lawmakers on Monday will determine questions together with whether or not to tighten guidelines on regulation enforcement cooperation with immigration officers and enact state protections for non secular liberties.
Some key proposals have already moved ahead, together with a constitutional modification that might permit a statewide vote on legalizing sports activities betting and a plan to minimize revenue taxes. Proposals that might have curtailed computerized voter registration and restricted how non-public faculties might discuss to college students about gender id seem unlikely to advance.
Proposals that don’t cross by the tip of Thursday might nonetheless be resurrected later this 12 months, but it surely turns into tougher. Because that is the second 12 months of a two-year session, most measures that do not cross Thursday will successfully be useless.
GEORGIA BUDGETS $392M TO OVERHAUL CAPITOL, INCLUDING ITS GOLDEN DOME
TO BE DECIDED THURSDAY
IMMIGRATION: House Bill 1105 would require native regulation enforcement to apply to assist federal brokers implement immigration legal guidelines and enact prison penalties for sheriffs who do not contact federal officers to examine prisoners’ immigration standing.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: Proponents say Senate Bill 180 would defend non secular liberty from being trampled by state and native governments, whereas opponents say it is a license for folks and teams to discriminate in opposition to LGBTQ+ in the identify of faith.
FILM TAX CREDIT: House Bill 1180 would require extra use of Georgia-based staff and contractors to get the highest 30% revenue tax credit score on movie manufacturing, and would cap credit eligible to offered to third events to 2.5% of the state’s annual finances, or about $900 million.
The Georgia Capitol constructing is seen in Atlanta on Aug. 28, 2022. Feb. 29, 2024, is the final day for Georgia lawmakers to cross laws by the House or Senate and advance to the opposite legislative chamber for consideration this 12 months. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION: Senate Bill 390 bars state and native governments from giving cash to the American Library Association. The sponsor says the the group’s ideology is dangerous. Valdosta State University might nonetheless use non-public cash to keep accreditation for its library science diploma.
SEX EDUCATION: School districts might drop sex schooling and college students would solely be enrolled if dad and mom particularly decide in underneath Senate Bill 532. The measure would ban all sex schooling in fifth grade and under.
FOREIGN-OWNED FARMLAND: People and firms from sure international international locations could be barred from shopping for farmland inside 25 miles of any army base underneath Senate Bill 420 and House Bill 452.
OKEFENOKEE MINING: Georgia would pause future permits permitting an growth of a mine close to the Okefenokee Swamp for 3 years underneath House Bill 1338, though opponents who need an outright ban on any growth say the moratorium could be ineffective.
SCHOOL REPORT CARDS: House Bill 1186 would require state schooling officers to resume assigning a single 100-point rating to describe a faculty’s educational efficiency.
SPEEDING TICKET CAMERAS: House Bill 1126 would repeal authorization for automated cameras to challenge dashing tickets in college zones.
ADVANCED
SPORTS BETTING: Georgians might get an opportunity in November to vote on a state constitutional modification authorizing sports activities playing after the Senate handed Senate Resolution 579.
PROPERTY TAXES: Senators need to restrict future will increase in a house’s taxable worth to 3% a 12 months underneath Senate Bill 349, whereas House members need to enhance the statewide homestead tax exemption from $2,000 to $4,000 underneath House Bill 1019. School districts might minimize property tax charges and nonetheless get state support underneath House Bill 987.
INCOME TAXES: An already-planned state revenue tax minimize could be accelerated underneath House Bill 1015, giving the state a flat 5.39% revenue tax price retroactive to Jan. 1.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Senate Bill 351 seeks to require social media corporations to get parental permission earlier than letting youngsters youthful than 16 create accounts. It additionally bans use of social media utilizing college computer systems and web and creates new anti-bullying guidelines.
CASH BAIL: Senate Bill 63 would require money bail for 30 extra crimes, together with some misdemeanors, and would impose new guidelines on nonprofit bail funds. It awaits Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature.
ANTISEMITISM: Gov. Brian Kemp in January signed House Bill 30 defining antisemitism to be used in hate crimes and antidiscrimination instances. Opponents warn it is going to be used to censor free speech and equate criticism of Israel to hatred of Jewish folks.
GUN TAX BREAKS: Senate Bill 344 would let folks purchase weapons, ammunition and gun safes with out paying gross sales taxes for 5 days every fall, whereas House Bill 971 would give a $300 tax credit score to folks shopping for gun safes, gun locks or taking firearms security coaching.
ELECTIONS: Senate Bill 358 would give the state’s appointed election board the facility to examine Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s dealing with of elections. Senate Bill 189 would mandate that barcodes can’t be used to rely ballots and House Bill 976 would require watermarks on ballots. Senate Bill 355 would ban ranked-choice voting in Georgia.
PROSECUTOR DISCIPLINE: House Bill 881 and Senate Bill 332 would revive a fee with powers to self-discipline and take away prosecutors, a transfer Democrats warn is aimed at Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
JUDGE PAY: House Bill 947 would create tips to increase and standardize pay for judges.
TRAFFIC CITATIONS: Officers would now not have to arrest individuals who refuse to signal visitors tickets underneath House Bill 1054.
LAWSUIT LIMITS: Senate Bill 426 could be restrict means to sue an insurance coverage firm straight after a truck wreck, whereas House Bill 1114 would search information for a future push to restrict lawsuits.
UNION ORGANIZING: Companies receiving state financial incentives could be barred from recognizing labor unions with no secret poll election underneath Senate Bill 362.
HEALTHCARE PERMITTING: Some extra healthcare expansions could be allowed with out state permits underneath House Bill 1339, however that invoice wouldn’t go so far as the Senate proposal to take away certificates of want guidelines.
WATER RIGHTS: House Bill 1172 would alter regulation about utilizing Georgia’s waterways for boating, fishing and looking. Proponents say it balances public use and personal property rights. Opponents say that measure and Senate Bill 542 would restrict entry.
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DID NOT ADVANCE
MEDICAID: House leaders had mentioned increasing Medicaid to extra lower-income adults, however as an alternative need to examine the problem.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES: Senate Bill 394 sought to limit supplies depicting sex acts in college libraries whereas Senate Bill 154 would have subjected Okay-12 librarians to prison penalties in the event that they violated state obscenity legal guidelines.
GENDER IDENTITY IN SCHOOLS: Senate Bill 88 would have restricted how private and non-private faculties might have talked to college students about gender id.
VOTER CHALLENGES: Senate Bill 221 would have stopped Georgia’s system of computerized voter registration and made it simpler to problem whether or not persons are certified to vote due to residency points.
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