Sen. Bruce Thompson: Gold Dome Update: Crossover Week

Your Georgia Desk:

By: Sen. Bruce Thompson (R- White)

On Monday, March 3, the General Assembly reached Day 30, otherwise known as Crossover Day. Day 30 is a significant milestone for the Georgia General Assembly because it is the final day a bill can be considered in its primary chamber before moving to the opposite chamber. Any bill that did not receive a passing vote in its original chamber will not move forward in the legislative process and must be re-introduced next year.

This year, 27 bills received favorable passage on Crossover Day, and although the day was long, we adjourned in the Senate before 7:00 p.m.

We devoted two full hours of discussion to Senate Bill 98. In that time, several Senators compared a vote for the bill to a number of grotesque, provocative images, but every time I hear a story about abortion, I think of my amazing children. Both were adopted out of situations where abortion was considered by the parents or even encouraged by a doctor. Thankfully, God intervened in the lives of my children and brought them into my family. It is with a humble heart and my children in mind that I am proud of my vote for a bill that prohibits the use of state money towards abortion.

In the week leading up to Crossover week, the Senate passed SB 167. This legislation would provide an approach for withdrawing from the national education standards known as “Common Core” and outlines new protections for student privacy. SB 167 creates the Curriculum Content Standards Advisory Council; a group made up of parents, university professors and other citizens tasked with advising the Board of Education on revising and adopting content standards.

In addition, SB 167 requires all statewide tests and assessments to be only controlled by the State of Georgia, requires the Georgia Department of Education to inform the General Assembly of the long-term effects of any educational grant and prohibits officials from giving up constitutional authority over standards and testing to third parties. The bill received Senate approval last week, and it is now undergoing a thorough review in the House of Representatives.

With dozens of bills currently making their way over to the House for further review and five legislative days left until the end of session, the General Assembly is concentrating on passing a constitutionally-balanced state budget. Last week, the House of Representatives approved the FY 2014 Amended Budget, which is now on its way to the Governor’s desk for signature.

On Thursday, the Senate approved its version of the FY 2015 General Budget, appropriating $20.8 billion in funding to critical areas of our state. Any differences between the House and Senate versions of the FY2015 General Budget will now be worked out in a conference committee before receiving final approval.

Senate Bill 358 expands who can file a missing child report with the Missing Children Information Center (MCIC) to include individuals and institutions charged with the care of foster children. Currently, the law only allows for a parent or guardian of a missing child to file a report. The bill adds a caretaker, governmental unit responsible for the child, or any person with legal custody of the child to the list.

Senate Bill 381 directs the unified incident command system and the Georgia Emergency Operations Plan to establish planning for first informer broadcasters. By implementing a plan during emergencies, first informer broadcasters will have more access to fuel, food, water and other materials necessary for maintaining a broadcast signal.    

Senate Bill 392 allows former military vehicles to be registered and titled without having to be in compliance with federal emissions and safety standards.

Throughout the remainder of the 2014 Legislative Session, I encourage you to call my office with any questions, concerns or feedback regarding the legislative process or pending bills. For more information regarding a specific piece of legislation, you may access the Georgia General Assembly website at http://www.legis.ga.gov/.