Election reform bills major focus of Georgia Legislature's Crossover Day

ATLANTA - Both the Georgia House and Senate had a busy Monday as the Crossover Day deadline,  loomed for the state Legislature.

Monday was the day bills must pass either the state House or Senate in order to move forward this year.

The biggest story of the day: voting bills.

Much of the attention in Georgia and in the nation has been on House Bill 531, which passed the lower legislative chamber by a vote of 97-72.

As it stands, the bill would require a photo ID for absentee voting, limit the amount of time voters have to request an absentee ballot, restrict where ballot drop boxes could be located and when they could be accessed, and limit early voting hours on weekends.

The measure also drastically reins in the number of absentee ballot drop boxes a county can have to one per every 100,000 voters and requires counties to have a security guard monitor them constantly.

 Those opposing the bill say these potential changes will confuse voters and exclude minority voters.

 "At the end of the day there hasn't been any proof of any fraud and what actually happens is you are disenfranchising black people from voting," says Kareem el-Hosseiny of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

Supports say the bill contains common-sense measures that are needed to restore the public’s confidence in elections.

"House Bill 531 is designed to begin to bring back the confidence of our voters back into our election system," said Republican Rep. Barry Fleming, the measure’s chief sponsor in the House.

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Other bills that have gotten attention this legislative session include House Bill 94, which would a specific crime of porch piracy. The bill also makes it a felony to steal at least 10 pieces of mail from three different addresses or mailboxes. A conviction for either crime would bring a sentence of one to 5 years in prison.

Supporters say the measures are needed to combat organized theft, especially as more people have become reliant on package deliveries during the COVID-19 pandemic, but critics say the proposal is overly harsh.

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But opponents said the measure "overcriminalizes" what could be a low-value crime and cuts against Georgia’s efforts to be less punitive. House Minority Whip William Boddie, an East Point Democrat, warned that a teen could ruin his life over the poor choice to grab one low-value package, and contrasted the law with the current theft statute, which gives a judge discretion to rule that even some expensive thefts should only be misdemeanors.

Another bill, Senate Resolution 135 and Senate Bill 142 would authorize sports betting and let lawmakers split the proceeds among three pots — college scholarships for low-income students, expanded high-speed internet access, and rural health care services.

Senators voted 41-10 for the amendment and 34-17 for the bill Friday, sending them to the House for more debate.

Legislators expect to continue debating bills well into the night until the deadline.

Here’s a look at the status of some significant issues:

PENDING

LAWMAKER PAY RAISE: Pay for Georgia’s 180 House members and 56 senators would nearly double under House Bill 675. Most statewide elected officials would also get substantial boosts in pay. Proponents say lawmaker pay hasn’t changed since 1999.

SCHOOL VOUCHERS: The House is still considering House Bill 60, which would create a new educational savings account program to provide vouchers for private schools and home schooling. The Senate already passed Senate Bill 47, which would broaden eligibility for a program that pays for children with special education needs to attend private schools.

TRANSGENDER SPORTS: Senate Bill 266 would ban transgender girls from playing on girls sports teams in high schools. Proponents say those not born as women could have unfair advantages, but opponents say it’s illegal under federal law and cruel.

EMERGENCY POWERS: House Bill 358 would require lawmakers to renew Gov. Brian Kemp’s emergency powers after 30 days, and then every 90 days after that in an effort to limit powers Kemp has exercised under Georgia’s public health emergency for nearly a year.

IN-STATE TUITION: House Bill 120 would allow some people without legal immigration status to claim in-state tuition at most Georgia universities and colleges.

ADULT CRIMINAL AGE: The age for charging most people with adult crimes would rise from 17 to 18 in Georgia under House Bill 272.

TERM LIMITS: Georgia voters could limit state lawmakers to 12 years per chamber and extend state senators’ terms to four years under Senate Resolution 37, a constitutional amendment. The measure would also impose a two-term limit on the lieutenant governor’s office.

STREET RACING: House Bill 534 and Senate Bill 10 would enhance penalties for illegal street racing and stunt driving.

STONE MOUNTAIN: Senate Bill 158 would require that a "Let Freedom Ring" monument to civil, voting and human rights be built on Stone Mountain, home to a giant carving of Confederate leaders.

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ADVANCED

CITIZEN’S ARREST: House Bill 479 would abolish the Georgia law that allows private citizens to arrest someone, while still allowing security guards and store employees to hold people they accuse of a crime until police arrive.

INCOME TAX CUT: Georgia would raise the amount of money someone could earn before paying income taxes under House Bill 593, cutting overall taxes by $140 million.

SPORTS BETTING: Senate Resolution 135 and Senate Bill 142 would let Georgia’s voters decide whether they’ll allow sports betting. Lawmakers would split the proceeds among college scholarships for low income students, expanded high speed internet access and rural health care services.

PATIENT VISITATION: Hospitals and nursing homes would be required to allow patients at least one visitor, after many cut visitor access because of the coronavirus pandemic, under House Bill 290.

LABOR COMMISSIONER: Senators on Monday revived Senate Bill 156, which would create a chief labor officer to oversee unemployment benefits. The measure would cut into Labor Commissioner Mark Butler’s authority because lawmakers say his department has poorly handled a deluge of jobless claims.

STREET RACING: House Bill 534 and Senate Bill 10 would enhance penalties for illegal street racing and stunt driving.

SCHOOL VOUCHERS: Senate Bill 47 would broaden eligibility for a program that pays for children with special education needs to attend private schools. The House failed to consider House Bill 60, which would have created a new educational savings account program to provide vouchers for private schools and home schooling.

ADULT CRIMINAL AGE: The age for charging most people with adult crimes would rise from 17 to 18 in Georgia under House Bill 272.

HOME-SCHOOLED ATHLETES: Public schools would be required to let home-schooled students take part in athletics and extracurricular activities as long as they take at least one online course through the local school under Senate Bill 51.

LAWSUIT LIABILITY: House Bill 112 would renew until July 2022 Georgia’s law protecting businesses and others from being sued if someone blames them for contracting COVID-19.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Senate Bill 33 would allow victims or state officials to file civil lawsuits seeking money damages against traffickers while Senate Bill 34 would make it easier for people who have been trafficking victims to change their names.

DISTRACTED DRIVING: Georgia drivers wouldn’t be able to avoid penalties by telling judges they have purchased hands-free devices for their cellphones under House Bill 247.

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE: House Bill 146 would offer three weeks of paid parental leave any time to nearly 250,000 state, public university and public school employees after the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child.

TIME CHANGE: House Bill 44 calls for Georgia to permanently switch to daylight saving time if the U.S. Congress authorizes it. Senate Bill 100 calls for Georgia to observe standard time year round, unless Congress lets states switch to daylight saving time permanently.

DEFUND THE POLICE: House Bill 286 says cities and counties can’t cut spending on their police departments by more than 5% a year.

PORCH PIRACY: It would be a felony with mandatory prison time for people who steal packages off someone’s porch under House Bill 94.

HAZING: Senate Bill 85 would increase penalties for hazing, making it a felony to force people to participate in hazing when someone is seriously injured, including by alcohol poisoning.

TEACHER INCENTIVES: House Bill 32 would give a $3,000-per-year state income tax credit to some Georgia teachers who agree to work in certain rural or low performing schools.

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DIDN’T ADVANCE

LAWMAKER PAY RAISE: Pay for Georgia’s 180 House members and 56 senators would have nearly doubled under House Bill 675 and Senate Bill 252. Most statewide elected officials would have also gotten substantial boosts in pay. Lawmaker pay hasn’t changed since 1999.

EMERGENCY POWERS: House Bill 358 would require lawmakers to renew Gov. Brian Kemp’s emergency powers after 30 days, and then every 90 days after that in an effort to limit powers Kemp has exercised under Georgia’s public health emergency for nearly a year.

IN-STATE TUITION: House Bill 120 would have allowed some people without legal immigration status to claim in-state tuition at most Georgia universities and colleges.

TRANSGENDER SPORTS: Senate Bill 266 would have banned transgender girls from playing on girls sports teams in high schools. Proponents say those not born as women could have unfair advantages, but opponents say the proposal was illegal under federal law and cruel.

TERM LIMITS: Georgia voters would have been able to vote on limiting state lawmakers to serve 12 years per chamber and extending state senators’ terms to four years under Senate Resolution 37, a constitutional amendment. The measure would also have imposed a two-term limit on the lieutenant governor’s office.

STONE MOUNTAIN: Senate Bill 158 would have required that a "Let Freedom Ring" monument to civil, voting and human rights be built on Stone Mountain, home to a giant carving of Confederate leaders.

PROTEST RESTRICTIONS: Senate Bill 171 would have made blocking a highway during a protest a felony, raised penalties for other forms of protest and expanded the state’s definition of illegal assembly. It never passed out of committee.

CASINO GAMBLING: None of the various measures that would authorize casinos passed out of committee.

HORSE RACING: None of the various measures that would authorize betting on horse racing passed out of committee.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.