State Sen. Ben Watson, MD, Guest writer
The 2022 Georgia General Assembly has completed 31 days of the 40-Legislative Day session authorized by the Georgia Constitution.
This week included the pivotal Day 28, known by many as “Crossover Day.”
That is the day when all bills considered by the House of Representative bills must pass the House in order to be considered by the Senate, and vice versa. Bills which have not passed at least one legislative body are considered dead for the remainder of the session.
The Georgia Senate started reviewing House legislation exclusively in an effort to select those bills that we wanted to consider and either pass or amend.
One bill that showcases our ability to react when Georgians are hurting is the suspension of the state gas tax until May 31. With gasoline prices dramatically increasing on consumers over the past year, legislators believed it was important to pass House Bill 304 to exempt the taxation of all sales of motor fuel by duly licensed distributors. This bill was overwhelmingly supported by members of the General Assembly to assist Georgians in dealing with the recent surge in gas prices that are attributed to poor federal policies in creating energy independence as well as to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The legislation now waits for the Governor’s signature of approval. While this bill would only save 29.1 cents per gallon, it is a step in helping Georgians.
One of the more note-worthy bills we passed was our version of what and how our school children are taught about history of Georgia and its dealings with race. The House of Representatives have passed their version regarding the similar topic, and we will sort the differences in a reconciliation committee over the next few days. Senate legislation prohibits the teaching of politicized or divisive concepts on race in our public schools and requires local school boards to adopt a process allowing parents to file complaints if they believe that this law is broken by teachers or the school system administrators. The bill does NOT prohibit the teaching of slavery, racial segregation, or the Holocaust.
One bill that showcases our ability to react when Georgians are hurting is the suspension of the state gas tax until May 31. With gasoline prices dramatically increasing on consumers over the past year, legislators believed it was important to pass House Bill 304 to exempt the taxation of all sales of motor fuel by duly licensed distributors. This bill was overwhelmingly supported by members of the General Assembly to assist Georgians in dealing with the recent surge in gas prices that are attributed to poor federal policies in creating energy independence as well as to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The legislation now waits for the Governor’s signature of approval. While this bill would only save 29.1 cents per gallon, it is a step in helping Georgians.
I have several times in these reports addressed my concern with mental health issues and how we, as a state, and as communities, try to provide support to those in need. We especially must address criminal activity that result from mental health issues. The Senate bill that I shepherded has been sent to the House and we have received the House version of their legislation. These bills will be reviewed in subcommittees and combined to take the best ideas of both to create a bill that both chambers can support and that will help those who need it.
On a side note, one bill of mine that passed the last General Assembly last year would allow for the State of Georgia to adopt Daylight Savings Time year around vs. the Spring forward-Fall back time switch we currently use. My bill was conditionally based on following the lead of the U.S. Congress, which has jurisdiction on the subject. This week, under a unanimous consent order, the U.S. Senate adopted a bill to make Daylight Saving Time permanent. Of course, the U.S. House of Representatives must pass it and the president would have to sign it in order to enact this change.
Thank you for your continued interest in the General Assembly session. 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.