Sen. Ben Watson
Guest columnist
As I discussed last week, the 2023 Georgia Legislative Session has come to a close after much debate and with meticulous consideration of measures that were brought before the Senate body. There were many items of legislation passed during Legislative Days 39 and 40, with many hours spent working to ensure that each piece will benefit the state of Georgia. As we concluded the final days of the session, there were a few items of legislation that also passed in the final days.
I supported the Georgia Dangerous Sexual Predator Prevention Act. House Bill 188 would provide that punishment for certain sexual offenses shall be life imprisonment and shall require such repeat offenders to wear a device capable of tracking the location by electronic means, including global positioning satellite systems. The legislation also requires that any person who commits aggravated assault with intent to rape a child under the age of 14 years shall be punished by imprisonment for no less than 25 years and no more than 50 years. Any person having been previously convicted of a sexual felony who is convicted for sexual servitude shall be punished by imprisonment for life or probation for life.
House Bill 188 further states that a person convicted of kidnapping shall be punished by imprisonment for no less than ten or more than 20 years if the kidnapping involved a victim who was 14 years of age or older. Any person who commits trafficking of an individual for labor servitude or sexual servitude shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for no less than ten years and no more than 20 years, as well as a fine of up to $100,000. If the same crime is committed against a person under 18 then the punishment shall be imprisonment or no less than 25 or more than 50 years or life imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $100,000. HB 188 passed by with a vote of 52 to 1.
The General Assembly passed another “law and order” type of bill establishing offenses related to criminal interference with critical infrastructure. We have recently seen multiple cases in the news of extremists deliberately damaging utility services and other critical infrastructure, ultimately harming thousands of people. House Bill 227 makes it a felony in Georgia, punishable by up to ten years in prison, for those convicted of sabotaging or destroying critical infrastructure such as gas lines, power lines and substations. HB 227 passed with a vote of 52 to 1.
I personally led the effort in the Senate to pass legislation regarding temporary protective orders for stalking. House Bill 302 would allow for courts to grant temporary (meaning six months) or permanent (meaning up to three years) protective orders. HB 302 passed with a unanimous vote of 52 to 0. Because ocean sports are important to Coastal Georgia, we reviewed the rules regarding wakeboarding and wake surfing. House Bill 121 would prohibit wakeboarding or wake surfing on certain Georgia waters between sunset and sunrise. These activities are not permitted within 200 feet of docks, piers, or public swimming areas. This measure does not apply to intracoastal waterways, rivers, or private lakes. HB 121 passed with a vote of 51 to 2.
As most of us are now preparing our income tax returns, House Bill 162 comes to mind. This legislation will provide a one-time income tax refund to Georgians who filed returns for both the 2021 and 2022 tax years.
Similar to the tax refund last year, individual tax filers could receive a maximum refund of $250, head of household filers could receive a maximum refund of $375, and married individuals who file jointly could receive a maximum refund of $500. The Georgia Department of Revenue is expected to begin issuing these refunds this spring based on each filer’s tax liabilities.
I will periodically meet with my legislative colleagues to study different issues that are important to our district. As such, your feedback is important to me in developing a legislative agenda that will meet your family’s needs. As your public servant, feel free to visit me at the Capitol or to reach out to me by phone or email. I am in 325-A Coverdell Legislative Office Building. My office phone number is (404) 656-7880, and my email is ben. watson@senate.ga.gov. I look forward to continuing to serve you