There was more Democratic resistance in the Senate on Thursday, and the House passed bills on retirement.
Democrats were at it again in the Senate. Their ongoing acts of political resistance started by asking for the Senate Journal to be read. The Senate Journal is a lengthy record of the previous day's events. Usually, the Senate rules chairman reads the journal and presents to the body each morning that it was found to be correct. It's then requested that the reading be dispensed before the Senate body, but not today.
"I object to the dispensing of the reading of the journal as I do not believe that the journal may be correct, so therefore I would like us to proceed with the reading up the journal," Sen. Derek Mallow (D-Savannah) said.
The Senate would have to vote to approve the request, but once a quorum was formed in the chamber, Mallow withdrew it.
Democrats first started disrupting chamber business Wednesday with a filibuster and a variety of unrelated amendments to Republican bills.
Then the Senate went on to take up the business of 10 House bills on the calendar.
House Resolution 251 would amend the state's constitution to mandate probate judges be elected in nonpartisan elections.
"A probate court is a place that so many citizens interact with after, of course, dealing with the states and other matters, and I think it helps encourage, overall, more confidence in our judicial system to have judges elected in a nonpartisan way," Sen. Brian Strickland (R-McDonough) said. "You'll see in your desk, speaking of nonpartisanship or bipartisanship, a letter is signed by former Govs. Roy Barnes and Nathan Deal asking for this bill, supporting this bill. And also, you heard this day ... our Chief Justice Peterson also asking us to pass this to help restore more confidence in our justice system."
Democrats continued their resistance, telling Republicans that they wouldn't vote for the resolution because of a general lack of compromise between the two parties this session.
"The art of policy is about compromise, and we are tired of the majority party failing time and time again to compromise, to at least engage with us in order to create a better democracy," Sen. Kim Jackson (D-Stone Mountain) said.
After debating the challenges of partisan politics and the grievances of Democrats, the bill failed to acquire the necessary two-thirds majority to pass, 31 to 18.
It was the same on HR 1243, a resolution that would create an account to help fund the state's transition to the next-generation 911 system.
Republican frustration began to show.
"If you vote 'No' on this bill today, don't tell me that you support our police officers," Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) said. "Don't tell you support out firefighters. Don't me you support EMS or our 911 dispatch ever again. Don't you me that support your people at home when you have a chance to help save their lives and you're gonna put politics ahead of it."
"And all the yelling and screaming and talking about who cares about what doesn't change the fact that 11 years talking always got these bills through," said Senate Minority Leader Sen. Harold Jones III (D-Augusta). "And for whatever reason, this year it was decided 'We're not saying anything to you.' And that's fine. That's how governing sometimes works — in the sense that we then have no other choices."
It also failed to pass 31 to 14.
Opposing resolutions is the only opportunity Democrats have to flex any power. Both will be reconsidered Friday.
All of the other bills were passed with near unanimous support.
In the House, members took up several bills dealing with retirement. One of those bills, Senate Bill 285, increases monthly pension payments for police officers.
"Under this plan [it] could increase from 30 to 35," Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) said. "So that would be $150 a month or up to $1800 per year for a retiree."
Other bills increase the maximum employer contribution to 401k accounts for law enforcement officers and add a new eligible position to the judicial retirement system.
Both bills passed.
The House gave near-unanimous passage to Senate Bill 570, which aims to prevent human trafficking at short-term rentals.
"For this bill, the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association has worked very hard with the short-term rental platforms to ensure that every short-term rental platform and every person that comes to attend the World Cup, that their employees are trained on these techniques and that they are safe from human trafficking," Rep. Debra Silcox (D-Sandy Springs) said.
SB 570 passed 162 to 2.
Senate Bill 470 also received easy passage. The bill would ban the use and manufacturing of signal jammers with carve outs for law enforcement.
"This bill criminalizes the possession, use, operation, manufacture, sale, distribution, or importation of signal jammers in Georgia," Rep. Clint Crowe (R-Jackson) said. "Signal jammers block wireless, cellular, GPS, radar, and radio communications, putting first responders, 911 systems and critical infrastructure at serious risk."
Senate Bill 444 says that AI can't deny a person insurance coverage alone, and a human review agent must make the final call.
"When it comes to a denial over treatment of a human, that denial should be made by a human," Rep. Lee Hawkins (R-Gainesville) said. "And that's simply what the bill says."
That bill passed unanimously.
Also today, Rep. Edna Jackson (D-Savannah) made her farewell speech to the chamber with a message of unity.
"As I look at the frustration sometimes that I have here in this room, when we see that we cannot be kind to each other, it makes me say, what's wrong with us?" she said. "As members of this building, we are here to serve the what? The people. We're here to correct those things. Am I correct?"
The Senate also passed the House bill, suspending the state gas tax for 60 days. It now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk for a signature.
GPB's Lawmakers returns for Day 35 on Friday, March 20 at 7 p.m. on GPB TV.
