Immigration law survives Crossover Day
Among the numerous bills that made it past the Crossover Day deadline at the Georgia Capitol were bills on immigration control and religious freedom.
ATLANTA – Georgia lawmakers pushed through dozens of bills at the Capitol on Thursday while meeting a key legislative deadline. Crossover Day is the last day this year for legislation to pass in either the state House or Senate and be sent to the other legislative chamber for consideration.
Among the bills that survived was a new push to tighten rules on how law enforcement deals with undocumented immigrants, which received a groundswell of support following the brutal murder of Laken Riley and the arrest of Jose Ibarra.
The law would bring Georgia closer to states with stricter immigration laws, such as Texas, where starting in March police will be allowed to arrest migrants who have entered the state illegally and give local judges the power to deport them.
Georgia itself had already passed a tough immigration law in 2011, but parts of it were later repealed. This law allowed officials to stop any “suspect” and check their papers. It also required governments and large companies to use a government database called E-Verify to check the immigration status of new employees. Applicants for social benefits had to prove their citizenship. A committee was also set up to punish local governments that did not crack down on the law.
In the state Senate, lawmakers have passed a controversial bill that would limit the government's power to pass or enforce laws that conflict with religious beliefs. The bill is supported by Christian conservatives, but critics say it would provide a legal shield for people and groups to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in the name of religion.
Proposals that don't pass by Thursday could be revisited later this year, but that will be more difficult. Since this is the second year of a two-year session, most measures that don't pass Thursday are effectively dead.
Which bills should you watch out for on Crossover Day?
The important bill deadline at the Georgia Capitol has passed, and officials now have until the end of the day to pass the important legislation to give it a chance of making it to the governor's desk.
Here are some of the key topics that made the Crossover Day deadline and are now moving on to the next round.
Backlash against speed cameras in school zones
Persistent complaints about punitive speed cameras in school zones are attracting the attention of both state lawmakers and plaintiffs' attorneys. Some want to reform the system, others want to overturn it.
Bills that were advanced in the Georgia Capitol
IMMIGRATION: House Bill 1105 would require local law enforcement to assist federal officials in enforcing immigration laws and impose criminal penalties on sheriffs who fail to contact federal officials to check the immigration status of prisoners.
Georgia Crossover Day: Debate on immigration law
It's crossover day at the state Capitol. Lawmakers must get their bills through the House or Senate to have a chance of passing them this session.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: Supporters say Senate Bill 180 would protect religious freedom from violation by state and local governments, while opponents say it is a license for individuals and groups to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in the name of religion.
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION: Senate Bill 390 prohibits state and local governments from giving money to the American Library Association. The sponsor says the group's ideology is harmful. Valdosta State University could continue to use private money to maintain accreditation for its library science degree.
Film tax credit: House Bill 1180 would require greater involvement of Georgia-based employees and contractors to receive the top 30% income tax credit for film productions and would cap the amount of credits that can be sold to third parties at 2.5% of the state's annual budget, or about $900 million.
SPORTS BETTING: Georgia residents could get a chance to vote on a state constitutional amendment allowing sports betting in November after the Senate passed Senate Resolution 579.
Could sports betting come to Georgia?
Georgia lawmakers are divided on whether to legalize sports betting in Georgia. A bill to do so is slowly making its way through the Georgia General Assembly, but there is still a long way to go.
PROPERTY TAXES: Senators want to cap future increases in a home's taxable value at 3% per year under Senate Bill 349, while House Democrats want to increase the statewide property tax exemption from $2,000 to $4,000 under House Bill 1019. School districts could lower property tax rates and still receive state assistance under House Bill 987.
INCOME TAXES: An already planned state income tax cut would be accelerated by House Bill 1015, giving the state a flat income tax rate of 5.39%, retroactive to Jan. 1.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Senate Bill 351 would require social media companies to get parental permission before allowing children under 16 to create accounts. It also bans social media use through school computers and the internet and creates new rules against bullying.
BAIL: Senate Bill 63 would require cash bail for 30 more crimes, including some misdemeanors, and establish new rules for nonprofit bail funds. The bill awaits Gov. Brian Kemp's signature.
ANTISEMITISM: Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 30 in January, which defines anti-Semitism and is intended to be used in hate crimes and anti-discrimination cases. Opponents warn it could be used to censor free speech and equate criticism of Israel with hatred of the Jewish people.
GUN TAX REFUNDS: Senate Bill 344 would allow people to avoid paying sales tax on gun, ammunition and gun safe purchases for five days in the fall. House Bill 971, on the other hand, would provide a $300 tax credit for purchasing gun safes, gun locks or taking firearms safety training.
ELECTIONS: Senate Bill 358 would give the state-appointed Board of Elections authority to investigate election tampering by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Senate Bill 189 would mandate that bar codes cannot be used to count ballots, and House Bill 976 would require watermarks on ballots. Senate Bill 355 would ban ranked-choice voting in Georgia.
DISCIPLINE AGAINST PROSECUTORS: House bills 881 and 332 would revive a commission with the power to discipline and fire prosecutors, a move Democrats warn targets Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
JUDICIAL SALARY: House Bill 947 would create guidelines to increase and standardize judicial salaries.
TRAFFIC FINENESSES: House Bill 1054 would no longer require officers to arrest people who refuse to sign traffic tickets.
Limitations on lawsuits: Senate Bill 426 would limit the ability to sue an insurance company immediately after a truck accident, while House Bill 1114 would collect data for a future push to limit lawsuits.
UNION ORGANIZATION: Companies receiving government economic incentives would be prohibited from recognizing unions without a secret ballot under Senate Bill 362.
HEALTH CARE AUTHORIZATIONS: Some additional health care expansions would be allowed without state authorizations under House Bill 1339, but that bill would not go as far as the Senate proposal to repeal certificate of need requirements.
WATER RIGHTS: House Bill 1172 would amend the law governing the use of Georgia's waterways for boating, fishing and hunting. Supporters say it would strike a balance between public use and private property rights. Opponents say this measure and Senate Bill 542 would restrict access.
Invoices that were not forwarded on Crossover Day
MEDICAID: House leaders had discussed expanding Medicaid to include more low-income adults, but now want to explore the issue more closely.
SEX EDUCATION: School districts could eliminate sex education classes and students would only be enrolled if parents specifically allow it under Senate Bill 532. The measure would ban all sex education in fifth grade and below.
SCHOOL LIBRARIES: Senate Bill 394 sought to restrict materials depicting sexual acts in school libraries, while Senate Bill 154 would have imposed criminal penalties on grades 1-12 librarians if they violated state obscenity laws.
GENDER IDENTITY IN SCHOOLS: Senate Bill 88 would have restricted public and private schools' ability to talk to students about gender identity.
VOTER CHALLENGES: Senate Bill 221 would have eliminated Georgia's automatic voter registration system and made it easier to challenge people's eligibility to vote based on residency issues.
FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL LAND: Senate Bills 420 and 452 would prohibit individuals and companies from certain countries from acquiring agricultural land within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of military bases.
MINING IN OKEFENOKEE: The state of Georgia is seeking to suspend future permits for the expansion of a mine near the Okefenokee Swamp for three years under House Bill 1338. Opponents, however, who are calling for a total ban on any expansion, say the moratorium is ineffective.
SCHOOL REPORT RATINGS: House Bill 1186 would require state education officials to return to a uniform 100-point rating system to describe a school's academic performance.
SPEEDING CRIMINAL CAMERAS: House Bill 1126 would repeal authorization for the use of automatic cameras to issue speeding tickets in school zones.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
