'Lawmakers' Day 27: House OKs Trey's Law; Senate passes True Patriotism Universal Student Access Act

Credit: Ross Williams / Georgia Recorder

The Senate already adjourned for the night on Wednesday, but it's looking like another late night in the House as lawmakers continue to pass as many bills as possible before the Crossover Day deadline. 

The House got to work quickly, passing bills as Crossover Day looms. 

One bill aims to encourage human trafficking and sexual abuse victims to come forward with accusations, even if they had signed a non-disclosure agreement. House Bill 1187, or Trey's Law, was requested by first lady Marty Kemp. 

"This bill is named after Trey Carlock," Rep. Soo Hong (R-Lawrenceville) said. "He attended a summer camp where a lot of our Georgia children attended, and he was sexually abused at that summer camp. He ended up, during his civil settlement, entered into a non-disclosure agreement. He was unable to speak about his abuse or get help for his abuse and eventually ended up taking his life. We want to make sure that our survivors have a voice."

The bill passed unanimously. 

After lunch, the House took up a contentious bill. House Bill 295 would allow property owners to sue local governments if their property value goes down when local governments don't enforce Georgia's sanctuary city laws or public nuisance laws. 

"Put simply, if a local government refuses to do its job, we're gonna hit that local government in the pocketbook and put the money back in the hands of the property owners who have been harmed," Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens) said. 

Property owners could sue for the reduction in their property value or the mitigation cost. Nuisances listed in the bill include public camping, panhandling, loitering, and public intoxication and urination on private property. 

Democrats opposed the bill and said it overstepped on local control and did not provide any real solution for homelessness in cities. 

"Accountability without resources is not accountability; it is punishment," Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Decatur) said. "Local governments already have the authority to enforce laws. What they often lack are shelter beds, treatment options and funding. This bill does not provide any of those things. It simply adds the threat of litigation if a city or county chooses outreach delay or harm reduction over immediate enforcement."

HB 295 passed 98 to 75 along party lines. 

The House also passed a bill that will enable pharmacists to prescribe contraceptives 162 to 4. 

The Senate started off with a bang as Sen. Nabilah Parkes, a Muslim and Democrat of Duluth, used her time during the points of personal privilege to commemorate Shia Muslims visiting at the capitol, and Ramadan. She also called out Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming for a video he posted on his X account yesterday, advocating to keep Georgia Sharia law-free. 

"To the senator of the 27th: I am your colleague, and I have never tried to blow you up," Sen. Nabilah Parkes (D-Duluth) said. "That is what his video suggested. The Muslim Americans are dangerous, and that we were reduced to caricatures. It was a disgusting, hateful, racist video, and I am outraged that he had the audacity to introduce his video. This video needs to be taken down, and he needs to apologize. He should be ashamed of stooping so low. We should not be spreading fear and hatred about our fellow citizens, and we should be building a better Georgia where we all belong."

The Senate's other sitting Muslim was also not happy.

"I'm really outraged," Sen. Sheikh Rahman (D-Lawrenceville) said. "That should not have happened. I respect you all. I know you respect me. So please take the video off."

Dolezal, who is running for lieutenant governor, didn't respond to the criticism while in chamber. 

The Senate then got down to business debating 29 pieces of legislation on the calendar like SB 552, which enacts the True Patriotism and Universal Student Access Act. The bill creates guidelines to protect and expand student political expression and organization in public schools. 

"True Patriotism Universal Student Access Act is inspired by Charlie Kirk's brave efforts to bring both the Word of God and the truth of conservative values to school campuses across America through open discussion and debate in public forums," Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah) said. "Public school students in Georgia must be permitted to engage in political activities and expression before, during and after the school day in the same manner and the same extent the students may engage in non-political activities and expression."

An amendment by Democratic Sen. Rashaun Kemp of Atlanta would have provided students an excused absence from school to participate in a political event of their choice. 

"That's my goal is to allow any student whatsoever their beliefs, to have the opportunity to speak out and engage in the civic discourse and also protecting them should a school leader not agree with what they're trying to do," he said.

While the amendment failed, the bill was passed overwhelmingly 46 to 7. 

Lawmakers will be back on Friday for Crossover Day, the last day that a bill can cross from one chamber to the other.

GPB's Lawmakers returns for Day 28 on Friday, Mar. 6 at 7 p.m. on GPB TV.