At the State Capitol: Bills on voters, school threats, booting and pay raises

ATLANTA - Georgia lawmakers are making changes under the Gold Dome, backing off some controversial provisions in an elections bill while moving forward on several other key legislative proposals.

House Bill 397, which originally included provisions that would have allowed the removal of thousands of voters through mass eligibility challenges and required increased poll worker oversight, has been significantly rewritten. The Senate Ethics Committee approved the new version, which excludes those provisions, sending the bill to the full Senate for further debate.

In a separate move, lawmakers advanced a bill aimed at preventing school violence by creating a database to track students who may pose a threat. The measure, approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee, would require law enforcement agencies to notify schools if a student is found to have threatened to seriously harm or kill someone at school.

Meanwhile, the Senate passed legislation to strengthen regulations on vehicle booting in Atlanta. The bill would require booting companies to provide more notice and clearer information to drivers before immobilizing their vehicles.

Lawmakers are also considering a pay raise for state elected officials. An amendment to House Bill 86 would increase salaries across the board, including for Gov. Brian Kemp, who could see his annual pay rise to $250,000. The bill now heads to the House for approval.