Tag: 2016 Georgia General Assembly
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Georgia House passes bill requiring public board members to be U.S. citizens
The Georgia House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill that would require that a member of a public board, commission or authority be a citizen or national of the United States or a lawful permanent resident and a legal Georgia resident.
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Turner: Fighting for the Concept of Innocent Until Proven Guilty
Civil Asset Forfeiture, or CAF, is a process whereby law enforcement takes permanent possession of property they suspect is either the proceeds of, or assisting with a criminal enterprise.For example, let’s say you have just sold your car for $10,000 in cash and decide to go to the bank to deposit the money but get…
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State Senate Committee Passes Bill to Expand Laws for Licensed Professional Counselors
The state Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed a bill to expand the scope of practice laws for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs).
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Mullis: Feb. 12 Update from the Gold Dome
The Georgia General Assembly is officially halfway through with the 2016 legislative session and just 10 legislative days away from a significant deadline: Crossover Day. The 30th legislative day, or Crossover Day, is the last day for Senate bills to be carried to the House for consideration, and vice versa. The Senate will dedicate the…
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Waites: Campus Carry is Expensive and Dangerous
As a member of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, I found it difficult to watch supporters of House Bill 859 speak with such insensitivity and disrespect before the Bishop family, who are the parents of one of the victims from the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Similar legislation was proposed in 2014 with HB…
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Mullis: Georgia Senate completed the fourth legislative week
The Georgia Senate crossed legislative day 16 off the calendar this week as we completed the fourth legislative week. Several bills received Senate approval this week, and it is likely that the amended FY 2016 budget will be presented on the floor within the next couple of weeks. The Georgia General Assembly has only one…
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Georgia Rep. Tom Rice won’t seek re-election
State Representative Tom Rice, R-Norcross, chairman of the House Motor Vehicles Committee, announced today that he will not seek re-election to the Georgia House of Representatives after 20 years of service as a state representative.
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Cantrell: Roll the Dice or off to the Races? Don’t Bet on Either to Restore HOPE or Benefit Georgia
House Bill 677, a 127 page bill to legalize casino gambling in Georgia was introduced at the end of the 2015 legislative session. A similar bill, SB 264, to legalize pari-mutuel betting on horse racing, passed out of a Senate committee last week. What makes them similar? Both would lead to casino gambling and both…
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How Should We Use Casino Gaming Funds?
If you were given control of one billion dollars per year in state funding, how would you spend it? Casino revenues are projected to net one billion dollars per year, and legislation for casino gaming is currently before your General Assembly. However, the debate as to where the funds should go is still on-going.
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Buckner: Georgia Needs a New EPD Buffer Provision
A law is only as good as it is understood and enforced. These laws, like the buffer provision in the Erosion and Sedimentation Act, are poorly written, not uniformly enforced, and are costly and frustrating for the taxpayer and property owners of Georgia.