'Lawmakers' Day 26: PB&J Day; House debates ketamine; Senate OKs charges for obstructing roads

Caption

Senate Bill 240 would change the Georgia state flower from the Cherokee Rose to the native Sweet Bay Magnolia. 

Credit: Adobe Stock Image

Lawmakers took on their highest combined bill count yet. Psychedelics, property taxes and protests all came up, with a side of peanut butter. 

The day kicked off with a beloved annual tradition: grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to celebrate Georgia's peanut farms. Then the House was off to the races with nearly 20 bills on their calendar. 

House Bill 717 sparked controversy. The bill would lay out guidelines for ketamine clinics, which administer the psychedelic drug for physical and psychological therapy. 

"The Board of Medicine, who has asked for this bill, would set up rules for them to follow, like having the safety equipment, putting parameters about what doses they give," Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) said. "Right now, it is wide open, and they're giving these drugs, ketamine, [by] IV. That means it's going straight into your blood system and straight to your heart."

The bill also requires that a physician owns a majority stake in each clinic. Some lawmakers raise concerns that nurses would be excluded from the business. 

"This bill pushes ownership by physicians and denies well-qualified nurse anesthetists from becoming business owners," Rep. Park Cannon (D-Atlanta) said. "How can we say that we're the No. 1 state to do business and continue to tell well-qualified nurses that they're not good enough to become business owners?"

After the debate, the bill received 73 yes votes and 88 no votes and failed. Supporters signaled that they would move to reconsider the bill tomorrow. That motion passed 167 to 9. 

After lunch, the House took up a measure that could significantly reduce the property tax on primary residences. 

"It starts by reducing the taxable value over a period of 10 years from 40% to 10% at 3% a year," Rep. Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire) said. "It also takes 100% disabled veterans' homestead exemption up to 100% of their home's value."

Opponents say that the constitutional change was rushed and a reduction in property taxes could trigger an increase in sales taxes in some counties.

"And the math just not mathing," Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus) said. "It does not add up. And this is not a responsible thing to do. We are called to be leaders. We are called to stand in this moment. And it's not about your politics. It's about good, sound public policy that can stand the test of time. And I submit to you today, this is not ready."

House Resolution 1114 was originally written to eliminate homestead property taxes entirely but was amended to significantly reduce the taxes instead. 

The bill failed to pass the required two-thirds majority 99 to 73. Republican leaders asked for the bill to be reconsidered again tomorrow.

The Senate took up 10 bills and a resolution on Tuesday, in a late start that afternoon. 

Senate Bill 443 would increase the penalty to a high aggravated misdemeanor for obstructing highways or streets during protests or other unpermitted gatherings. 

"It is a simple, common-sense bill," Sen. Carden Summers (R-Cordele) said. "It is something that parents should have taught people a long time ago: Don't block the streets. It has nothing to do with sidewalks, other issues. It's simply that don't block any kind of roads because that way you don't stop a parent from getting to school or vice versa. You don't have to stop an ambulance. You don't stop a fire truck, whatever. You want to protest, I'm all for it. I'll sit here and protest with some folks. You just don't do it in the middle of the roads. That's what Senate Bill 443 says."

One senator brought up marches like the 1965 March to Selma.

"If that type of civil rights demonstration were to take place here in Georgia, would it be illegal under this bill of a high and aggravated misdemeanor?" Sen. Derrick Mallow (D-Savannah) asked.

"In regard to the March?" Summers said.

"The Civil Rights Administration led — Dr. King led a group of protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and it became known as Bloody Sunday as they were met by National Guard and state patrolmen," Mallow said. "So, if that type of demonstration were to take place again today, and they were to march across a bridge in Georgia, that would be a high and aggravated misdemeanor?"

"It is my understanding they would be receive a permit and then they could do that if they received the permit," Summer said.

SB 443 passed 35 to 17 along party lines. 

SB 463 would prohibit large institutional investors from buying more than 500 single-family homes. Groups that have already met that inventory would not be allowed to purchase more. The bill would not allow foreign investment groups to purchase homes for rental purposes and disallow tax depreciation credits for these large investors. 

"So, 25% of the rental homes in Atlanta, Ga., are currently owned by these large institutional investors," Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) said. "The latest data that we've seen on the actual resale of these homes is that in metro Atlanta, 30% of all single-family homes that are listed for sale will get sold to an investor."

It was passed 49 to 3. 

For gardeners, SB 240 would make April the official Georgia Native Plant Month. The bill also changes the state flower from the Cherokee Rose to the Sweet Bay Magnolia. 

"The Cherokee Rose actually came from China," Sen. Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville) said. "We want to change it from the Cherokee Rose to the Sweet Bay Magnolia — the Sweet Bay Magnolia happening to be a native Georgian plant, actually native to here to Georgia. We even have letters from the Cherokee Nation. They have no objection to this. 'Yes, change it. That's fine with us.'"

The bill passed unanimously tomorrow on Day 27. 

Another busy day of bills is expected Wednesday as the countdown continues to Crossover Day on Friday. 

GPB's Lawmakers returns for Day 27 on Wednesday, Mar. 4 at 7 p.m. on GPB TV.