H.B. 118 Offers Kids an Addiction
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, March 23, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
Since next Tuesday and Thursday are the last two days of the session, several critical bills need your immediate attention. If the following four bills aren’t favorably reported out of the Rules Committee and onto the floor for a vote, they will die, along with many others.
H.B. 118, the Fantasy Contest Act of 2017 was carried into this session to create beginner gambling for kids. The bill requires “fantasy contest operators [to] develop fantasy contests that are limited to [18-year-old] beginners … and [prevent] non-beginner players from participating.” If this passes, and kids use their iPhones to gamble on Fantasy Sports, it would be almost impossible to deny access to kids under 18.
Two years ago, the Georgia Attorney General’s office notified the Lottery Commission that “fantasy sports constitutes illegal gambling and are not allowed under Georgia law.” Also, fantasy sports expert Arnie Wexler called daily Fantasy Sports online gambling, that can be as addictive as crack cocaine. The question is: How many legislators are willing to allow the lure of big bucks to expose teenagers to addictive behavior. H.B. 118 passed the House and is in the Senate Rules Committee.S.R. 983, also, is in the Senate Rules committee that will decide whether it gets a full Senate vote. Since it creates a committee of senators, it will not go to the House. Senators who are appointed to the committee would study in-state cultivation of marijuana, its planting and buying, as well as its manufacturing, labeling, and delivery. Then, the committee members would recommend further marijuana legislation for the 2019 session. Call 404 656-0057 and ask Senate Rules Chairman Mullis to stop both H.B. 118 and S.R. 983 in his committee.
Since H.R. 1473 creates a House Study Committee on Industrial Hemp Production, it does not need Senate approval, but it does need to be stopped. Consider these facts: (a) A hemp plant is a low-level THC marijuana plant. Since hallucinations are caused by THC, and THC is marijuana’s principle and most active ingredient, this is the problem. (b) There is no certified marijuana seed in the world that’s guaranteed to produce plants with hemp-level THC. (c) If the “hemp” seed produces acres of marijuana that could not be used for hemp, Georgia farms could be full of recreational grade marijuana. Imagine how that could be used! Call 404 656-5141 and ask Representative Meadows to hold H.R. 1473 in committee.
S.B. 339 has passed the Senate requiring the university system to create a free speech policy that the board of regents would develop and adopt to protect the right of students, staff, and visitors to exercise their freedom of speech. The policy would prohibit on-campus “safe-spaces,” where speech is often restricted. Call 404 656-5141 and ask Representative Meadows to put S.B. 339 on the calendar for a full House vote. Since Tuesday and Thursday of next week are the last two days of this session, it’s imperative that you call as soon as possible. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.