The Holland Report - 2023, Week 6

Sara Fuchs

We've made it to the halfway point! Thursday was Legislative Day 20 which marks the middle of our 40-day legislative session here in Georgia. So far, things have remained very even-keeled in the House - most bills continue to be non-controversial and pass with a vast majority of the votes. But hold onto your hats - things are likely to get livelier!

The following bills are all flying through committee in the House & the Senate:

A bill involving medical treatment for transgender people,
School security measures that could include unannounced active shooter drills,
Rewriting the way the state manages run-off elections,
A religious freedom referendum, and
Measures that would block schools from mandating vaccines.

We expect the days to start getting longer next week when we return from holiday break, as everyone tries to get their bills through their respective chambers before Crossover Day on March 6th.

Meanwhile, this week included some joyful celebrations, including New Americans Day, the return of the annual Central Atlanta Progress luncheon, a visit from Leadership Sandy Springs and the first-ever Fulton County Day at the capitol.

Recognizing Leadership Sandy Springs on the floor of the House with the Sandy Springs delegation.

City of Buckhead City Update

A new bill has been filed to incorporate the city of Buckhead City, SB114. The bill was assigned to the Senate Committee on State & Local Government Operations, and a hearing was held on Thursday. The bill has nine sponsors, none of whom live in the city of Atlanta. Speaking against the bill were Doug Shipman (Atlanta City Council president), Edward Lindsey (Committee for a United Atlanta), Humberto Garcia-Sjogrim (Neighbors for a United Atlanta), as well as representatives from Atlanta Public Schools and the City of Atlanta Mayor's Office.

CALL TO ACTION

Email the Chair of the committee, Senator Frank Ginn, and ask him not to call a vote on SB114: frank.ginn@senate.ga.gov.

On Monday, I stood with my fellow Democratic caucus members, members of Moms Demand Action, and a coalition of youth & medical groups, to demand that the Republican majority hear our gun safety bills. Democrats in the House have filed the following bills:

HB 44: requires universal background checks
HB 45: require a three day waiting period for gun purchases
HB 135: establishes the offense of failure to adequately secure a firearm
HB 161: the Pediatric Health Safe Storage Act, establishes the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child

All of these bills have been assigned to the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.

CALL TO ACTION

Email the chair of the committee, Rep. J Collins, and ask for a hearing on these bills: j.collins@house.ga.gov

Rep. Michelle Au, speaking at the press conference on Monday.

HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE UPDATE

The House Committee on Higher Education committee met this week to hear on two bipartisan bills related to betting, bills we normally do not see in the Higher Education committee! One of the bills, HB 353 – Georgia Lottery for Education Act, was moved to the House Committee on Regulated Industries after our hearing.

The other bill is HB 380, the Georgia Lottery Game of Sports Betting Act. Why is this bill in Higher Education, you ask? Sports betting seems to come up every year in the General Assembly, and this year is no different. However, usually it's brought up as a constitutional amendment, which requires 120 votes (2/3 of the House members) in order to pass. This bill posits that online sports betting is simply an extension of the state lottery, and therefore, would only need 91 votes to pass. We expect to vote on the bill next week.

Join me for my next Listening Session, February 26th, 4-5 pm!
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If you haven’t already, please browse my website, betsyforgeorgia.com.

As your Representative, your concerns are important to me. Please contact me at betsy.holland@house.ga.gov or 404-656-0116 with questions, concerns, or solutions you may have regarding legislation or other happenings in District 54.

To stay updated, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and follow the Georgia House of Representatives @GAHouseHub on Twitter. Additionally, in-depth information regarding current bills, Georgia's annual and supplemental budgets, committee meetings, and livestreams from the General Assembly can be accessed via www.legis.ga.gov.

I encourage you and your family to visit our State Capitol and my office, where all constituents are welcome. I look forward to connecting with you!

My office is located at:
18 Capitol Square, SW
409-B, Coverdell Legislative Office Building
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.