New bill could shield Georgia lawmakers' addresses from the public
Georgia state Capitol (FOX 5)
ATLANTA - A new proposal to change Georgia's campaign finance reporting could make it harder to find out where public officials live.
Senate Bill 199 would revise the state's laws in connection with campaign and personal finance reports and adjust how the State Ethics Commission handles complaints.
What we know:
The legislation, sponsored by Republican Sen. Sam Watson, would make it so that the State Ethics Commission could not accept or reject any complaints made against candidates within 60 days of an election - doubling the number of days of the current 30-day policy.
The bill would also reduce the number of campaign and personal finance disclosure reports candidates for local and state office would need to file from six to four. These reports would be due on Jan. 31, April 30, July 31, and Oct. 20. Once in office, officials would have to disclose information about their personal finances by no later than April 1. Lobbyists would need to file monthly disclosure reports before the fifth day of each month.
The proposed legislation would also limit the information that the State Ethics Commission could release - requiring officials to redact any identifying home addresses from any records disclosed to the public.
Dig deeper:
The privacy change proposal comes after multiple Georgia lawmakers were targeted by swatting calls in past years.
Over the holidays in 2023, say Senators Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett County), John Albers (R-Alpharetta), Kim Jackson (D-Pine Lake), Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Marietta) and Clint Dixon (R-Buford) were targeted by swatting attempts. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Rome home has frequently been a target.
Marjorie Taylor Greene target of swatting call
We’re taking a closer look at the potential deadly dangers of swatting calls. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene says an innocent woman died in a crash with police officers who were on the way to her Floyd County home. The bomb threat turned out to be a hoax.
Last year, Georgia lawmakers passed a law that would make the types of hoaxes a felony.
Typically, reporting a false crime can carry up to five years in prison on its own. Implying the use of explosives could net up to 10 years in prison. If there was serious bodily harm, a prankster could spend up to 20 years in prison and if death occurs, they could face life in prison.
What's next:
The bill was unanimously passed by the Senate Ethics Committee on Tuesday and now goes to the Rules Committee for a vote at a later date.
The Source: Information for this story came from Senate Bill 199 and previous FOX 5 reports.