Surrounded by family members, state lawmakers were sworn in as the 2017 Georgia Legislature gaveled into session Monday.
Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) was also elected to his fifth term as Speaker of the House.
The new legislative session brings in new rules adopted by both the House and Senate. Lawmakers will move up “Crossover Day”, the final day a bill can pass out of one chamber in order to be considered by the other before the session ends. Instead of Day 30, lawmakers will have until Day 28 to make sure their measure “crosses over” to the other side.
“We think it will allow legislation to be more carefully and deliberately considered,” says Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth), who was also reelected as Senate President Pro Tem.
While Senate Minority Leader Steven Henson (D-Stone Mountain) did not oppose the change, he did take issue with shortening the time senators have to give speeches known as “points of personal privilege” on the Senate floor after Day 20.
“It used to be ten minutes a day for 100 years and now we’re lowering it to three minutes a day for the last 20 days of the session. It’s not necessary and it’s kind of an abridgement of all of the citizens of Georgia who elect representatives to come out here to represent them,” he says.
Campus carry
Despite a veto by Gov. Nathan Deal last year, sponsors of legislation to allow guns on college campuses plan to bring back the same bill this year.
Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper) says because the bill passed during the final days of the session, he will reintroduce the same measure in an effort to generate more discussion.
“I think we’ll try to work very hard to listen to all sides. That’s the opportunity of the legislative process—to change it but not weaken it,” he tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish.
Last year’s bill allowed those with a carry permit to bring their guns onto campuses except in dorms, sorority and fraternity houses, and athletic events.
Deal vetoed it over concerns about campuses with daycares and those where high school students participating in dual enrollment attend.
Neither will be addressed in this year’s bill.
“This difference between last year and this year is time to talk about it,” says Jasperse. “Time to make our case, to leave the bill the way it was and why we wanted to leave it the way it was.”
Medical marijuana
Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) will again push for in-state cultivation of medical marijuana in Georgia but wants to leave it up to voters to decide.
He plans to introduce a constitutional amendment this week that would circumvent Deal’s approval, but would still need two-thirds of lawmakers to pass it in order to be placed on the ballot in 2018.
“Let’s let the citizens decide on this particular issue and then it will become an issue in the 2018 governor’s race and we’ll let... whoever wins that election have some input on how to set up that infrastructure,” says Peake.
He will also once again introduce a bill to expand the number of conditions that can legally use cannabis oil in Georgia including PTDS and autism.
Senate leaders who had been staunchly opposed to expanding conditions in the past, said last week they would support the effort this year but only if the amount of THC was reduced from its current level.
Peake says he would not support a reduction in the level. So far over 1,000 people, who have one of the qualifying conditions, have registered with the state to legally possess cannabis oil in Georgia.
