Two bills backed by Gov. Nathan Deal are among the first key pieces of legislation to pass on this very busy Crossover Day at the State Capitol.

It is the last day a bill can pass out of one chamber in order to be considered by the other before the end of the session.

House Bill 478 would put adult video redemption machines under the regulation of the Georgia Lottery.

Currently the Department of Revenue regulates the machines.  But law enforcement complains some are operated illegally by offering cash payouts.

Under the bill sponsored by Rep. Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City), the machines would be hooked directly into the lottery’s system which would get up to 10 percent of the revenue. Lottery tickets could also be given as prizes.

Ramsey says not only will the change generate money for the HOPE Scholarship, but law enforcement believes it will cut down on illegal gambling operations in the state.

“We’re had stories come up of millions and millions of dollars of cash that’s walking out these gas station doors, no taxes are being paid, no laws are being followed,” he says.

The bill passed 166-4 and now goes to the Senate.

Also passing the House is a bill to lower the GPA requirement for the HOPE Grant for technical college students back to 2.0.

Rep. Stacey Evans (D-Smyrna), who sponsored the measure initiated by Deal, says enrollment has dropped drastically in the state’s technical colleges after the GPA was raised to 3.0 in 2011.
 
“We simply can’t afford to let these seats sit empty,” she says. “We have got to put more students back into our technical colleges and this bill will help bring more back.”

The measure passed with only one vote against it and now goes to the Senate.