Ga. licensing change could affect thousands

A state Senate committee gets an earful from licensed professionals upset over a proposed bill to change who issues their licenses in Georgia.

Currently 43 boards made up of 300 board members oversee licensure. But a bill drafted by Secretary of State Brian Kemp would change that to a seven member consumer board to oversee all of the state’s half million professionals.

“When I ran for office, I ran because I wanted to streamline government, make it more efficient and accountable to the people,” he testified before a public hearing.

Kemp refuted reports that all 43 current boards would be disbanded saying instead they would be kept on to aid in investigations.

But some of the professional who testified at the hearing worried that non-professionals would be sitting on the new board.

“You must have professionals sitting in judgment of other professionals,” says Aubrey Villines, general counsel for the Georgia Chiropractic Association.

The sentiment was repeated by others as well.

“A great deal of authority under this new legislation will be placed in this newly created seven member consumer board...  we do not  believe those members will possess the necessary profession-based  knowledge,” says Debbie Hatmaker with the Georgia Nurses Association.

The committee says it expects to meet again on the bill.