11 Dodged Bullets & An Irrational Defeat

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, March 25, 2016 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

When the session started January 11th, I listed eleven key carryover bills that meant trouble for Georgia conservatives. Three of those bills legalized recreational marijuana for 21-year-olds and in-state growing for personal use, while one bill allowed marijuana dispensaries to be strategically placed throughout the state. All three bills died this session.

This time last year a 127-page bill and a resolution were introduced to legalize and regulate resort casinos and gambling in six designated locations in Georgia. The casino lobby that descended upon the capitol didn’t get their two bills passed this session, but promised to be back in force in 2017.

Horse-racing bills legalizing race tracks and pari-mutuel betting have been introduced many times over the years. None has passed, but they’ll be back.Two carried-over bills required public and private schools to pass policies giving special civil rights protection for sexual orientation, gender and gender identity. A third bill required harsher penalties for crimes thought to be caused by hate, and the fourth bill added sexual orientation to state government nondiscrimination employment policies. All four bills died in committee.

But those aren’t the only bills that died. S.B. 6, originally introduced to prohibit the issuance of “limited term” driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, was rewritten to give illegal aliens a “driving safety card,” instead.

Since President Obama issued his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals executive order, states, such as Georgia, are mandated to issue driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. So far, about 22,000 illegal aliens have received the same driver’s license and official ID card Georgia issues to foreigners who come here legally on temporary visas.

If S.B. 6 had passed, the new driving safety card would have been vertical, instead of horizontal. It would be brightly colored and easily recognized as valid ONLY for driving purposes. It could not be used to register to vote or enter government buildings.

Senator McKoon explained the death of S.B. 6 as follows: “It doesn’t look like the House is going to move it. Obviously, I’m disappointed about that. The only thing I can figure is that there are some powerful moneyed special interests that oppose it.” Then, Senator McKoon asked this question, “Why would we confer the benefits of legal status on those without legal status?” But no one answered. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.