November 30, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Pre-filing for the 2019 Session

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, November 30, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

On November 6th Georgians elected a new crop of legislators who will take the oath of office when the next General Assembly convenes January 14, 2019 for 40 days, as the constitution requires.  However, those 40 days may stretch into March or early April, depending on how often they recess for committee meetings and holidays.

Legislators are authorized to pre-file legislation beginning on November 15th every year.  On that date this year one house bill and three house resolutions were pre-filed and on November 16th, six more house bills were pre-filed.  So far, the only pre-filed senate bill was on November 19th.

Pre-filed bills are assigned a permanent number, but won’t be handled in the legislature, until they are officially introduced during the session.  According to subject, bills and resolutions that are officially introduced are assigned to committees for consideration before they go to the Senate or House for a vote.

While representatives have pre-filed ten pieces of legislation, the Senate has pre-filed only S.B. 1 that would penalize hit and run drivers whose accidents cause serious injury.

At this writing, these bills have been pre-filed in the House: H.B. 1 would change the name of the scholarship program for needy students.  H.B. 2 would amend rules for hand-gun carry in certain places.  H.B. 3 repeals a Code Section requiring innkeepers to pay more taxes.  H.B. 4 changes the process for voting on the budget.  H.B. 5 prohibits employers from relying on salary history data when hiring job applicants.   H.B. 6 rewrites part of the law governing primaries and general elections.  H.B. 7 affects military service retirement income.  Continue reading →

November 2018 Newsletter

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Legislators Must Protect Students’ Constitutional Rights

In November 180 representatives and 56 senators were elected to the 2019-2020 two-year term in the General Assembly. Reelected incumbents know which hot-button issues they’ll face, but legislative freshmen and incumbents need information about emerging problems.

ACTION – Explain the following issue to your senators and representatives and ask them to pass a law to protect the privacy rights of students whose rights are being superseded by educational guidelines and policies.

  • To read the rest of this newsletter in PDF format, please click here.

November 23, 2018 Radio Commentary

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Republicans Retain Majority in Georgia Legislature

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, November 23, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Although Election Day has come and gone, voters in the December 4th Run-off Election will elect Georgia’s next secretary of state and the public service commissioner for PSC District 3, which encompasses Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Rockdale counties.  The secretary of state is elected at the same time and holds office for the same term as the governor.  However, the five public service commissioners are elected to six-year terms in staggered-years and take office December 31st in the year they are elected.

According to statistics available at this writing, the 2019 Georgia House of Representatives will be comprised of 71 Democrats and 105 Republicans, which means Republicans lost several seats.  Also according to available statistics, the Georgia Senate will have 21 Democrats and 35 Republicans for the upcoming two-year legislative term.

Before the election, Georgia’s congressional delegation included four Democrats and ten Republicans.  However, Democrat voters defeated Republican Karen Handel in congressional District 6.  That raised the number of Democrats in the delegation to five and reduced the number of Republicans to nine.  After a recount was conducted in his very tight race, incumbent congressman Republican Rob Woodall retained his seat in District 7 with 50.1 percent of the vote.  Continue reading →

November 16, 2018 Radio Commentary

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December 4th Run-Off and Special Session

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, November 16, 2018 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Put December 4th on your calendar.  It’s Run-off Election Day.  That’s when voters will decide whether Republican Brad Raffensperger or former Democratic congressman John Barrow will be Georgia’s next secretary of state.

After Brian Kemp resigned from that position on November 8th, Governor Deal appointed Georgia Department of Human Services Commissioner Robyn Crittenden to serve as interim secretary of state until the new secretary takes office in January.

According to the best information available right now, (a) early voting for the December 4th run-off will begin on November 26th.  (b) Absentee ballots for the run-off must be requested no later than November 30th, then, (c) completed and returned no later than December 4th.

Also on December 4th, voters in a do-over election will determine who will represent House District 28 in the General Assembly.  Since several residents in that area voted incorrect ballots in the May Primary Election, the judge ordered the repeat election.  Continue reading →