What occurred and failed on the Georgia Basic Meeting 2021

ATLANTA (AP) – The Georgian General Assembly ended its 2021 session on Wednesday with lawmakers impacting the state budget, revising the state’s arrest law and working on many other proposals by midnight.

Some important proposals had already been passed, including a revision of the state elections law, which added new restrictions on postal voting and a small income tax cut.

Few measures that have made it to this point have failed to move forward, such as a plan to raise the age of 17 to 18 in Georgia for criminal charges against adults. Because it’s the first year of a two-year term, measures that don’t pass this year could make it next year.

Here’s a look at the status of some key issues:

PASS

INCOME TAX PROTECTION: Georgia will increase the amount of money someone could earn before paying income taxes under House Bill 593, which Governor Brian Kemp has already signed, and cut total taxes by $ 140 million.

CITIZEN ARREST: House Bill 479 would abolish the Georgia law that allows individuals to arrest someone, while security guards and camp workers continue to detain anyone they accuse of a crime until police arrive.

TAX LEVELS: Senators and Representatives have signed an agreement with Senate Law No. 6 that creates or extends a number of tax breaks, but waives a general review of revenue that the state is missing due to tax breaks.

SCHOOL COUPONS: Senate Bill 47 would expand eligibility for a program that pays for private school attendance for children with special educational needs. The House failed to consider Bill 60, which would have created a new educational savings account program to provide vouchers for private schools and home schooling.

DEFINITION OF THE POLICE: House Bill 286 states that cities and counties cannot reduce spending on their police departments by more than 5% per year.

LEGAL LIABILITY: House Bill 112 would extend Georgia law through July 2022, protecting companies and others from lawsuits if someone blames them for contracting COVID-19.

STREET RACING: House Bill 534 would increase penalties for illegal street racing and stunt driving.

HOME SCHOOL ATHLETES: Public schools would be required to allow home-schooled students to participate in athletics and extracurricular activities as long as they take at least one online course through the local school under Senate Act 42.

TIME CHANGE: Senate Act 100 calls on Georgia to permanently adhere to summer time if the federal government allows it.

HAZING: Senate Act 85 would make it an offense to force people to consume substances that can cause vomiting, poisoning or loss of consciousness.

PORCH PIRACY: House Bill 94 would make it a crime to steal packages from three or more different addresses.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Senate Law 33 would allow victims or state officials to bring civil actions for damages against human traffickers, while Senate Law 34 would make it easier for people trafficked to change their names.

PAID PARENTAL LEAVE: House Bill 146 would offer nearly 250,000 state, public university, and public school employees three weeks of paid parental leave at any time after the birth, adoption, or foster care of a child.

COCKTAILS TO GO: Georgia guests could order mixed alcoholic beverages to go when ordering food under Senate Act 236.

Charged Officials: Senate Resolution 134 would let voters decide whether to amend the state constitution to suspend the pay of elected state officials who are indicted.

PROBLEM: Senate Act 105 would pave a way for some people to ask a judge to release them after three years of custody.

TEACHER INCENTIVES: House Bill 32 would provide a state income tax credit of $ 3,000 per year to some Georgia teachers who volunteer to work in certain rural or underperforming schools.

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FAILED

SPORTS BETTING: Senate Resolution 135 and Senate Law 142 would have allowed Georgia’s voters to decide whether to allow sports betting. Legislators would have split the revenue into college scholarships for low-income students, expanded high-speed internet access, and rural health services.

PATIENT VISIT: Hospitals and nursing homes might have had to allow patient visits after House Bill 290 after many visitors cut access due to the coronavirus pandemic.

ARMS LAWS: House Bill 218 would have relaxed Georgia law to allow anyone from any state with a concealed weapon permit to carry their weapon in Georgia, prohibiting firearms permits, sales and closings of firing ranges in the State of emergency.

PROTEST BORDERS: House Bill 289 would have required approval and deemed an illegal gathering for any protest across the state if two or more people molested someone in a variety of public places, and imposed tougher penalties for acts like blocking highways.

PROSECUTOR MISCONDUCT: The state would have set up a commission to investigate and discipline elected district attorneys and prosecutors in House Bill 411.

ADULT AGE: The age at which most people would be charged with adult crimes would have increased from 17 to 18 in Georgia under House Bill 272.

COAL ASH: House Bill 647 would have required 50 years of groundwater monitoring in coal ash ponds near disused power plants.

Driving Distraction: Georgia drivers couldn’t avoid penalties by notifying judges that they bought hands-free kits for their cell phones under House Bill 247.

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