Clean Slate in 2015, Over-Load in 2016
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, April 17, 2015 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
When Georgia’s representatives and senators convened for the 2015 General Assembly January 14th, their legislative plate was empty, well it was almost empty, except for several dozen pre-filed bills and resolutions that accumulated after November 15th. Some of them were officially introduced during the session, but those left in limbo could be brought to life as late as next year’s session.
Since the Constitution of the State of Georgia ordains the power structure of the state it, also, outlines the responsibilities of state officials and their terms – two-years for senators and representatives and a two-year life span of legislation. For example: since 2015 was the first half of the current two-year legislative term, bills and resolutions introduced this session remain alive for the 2016 session, unless they passed both House and Senate or were defeated in either House or Senate this year.
House bills and resolutions that remain alive for the 2016 session are returned to committee for next year’s business, along with bills and resolutions that passed the Senate but not the House. The Senate process is a little different, but the results are the same. Bills and resolutions left in the Senate are returned to committee the first day of next year’s session, as do House bills that made it to the Senate this year. So legislation left over from this year must go through the committee process again next year.
But remaining alive for next year’s session does not guarantee that the bills will be handled in 2016. That’s an unpredictable possibility. A promise that a committee will hear a bill does not mean the committee will vote on what they heard. More than once, committees have given legislators a hearing for a bill, but ended the hearing without voting for or against it. Some committees might follow the lead of a past committee that held a hearing on a bill and voted, but they voted NOT to VOTE on the bill they had just heard!
As Forrest Gump might say, “Politics is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’ll get!” Who would’ve thought we’d get what we got this session? Next week I’ll be specific about bills that passed or did not pass this session. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.