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SB 319: Chairman John Meadows Act
Get PDFThis Act removes the requirement to obtain a weapons carry license to carry concealed weapons in public spaces. The Act makes it lawful to carry a firearm in public so long as the individual is eligible for a license, has a license, or has a license in different state, and is not prohibited by law from possessing a firearm. Additionally, the Act applies the new licensing standard to provisions regarding the use or possession of a firearm in a park, historic site, or recreational area; courthouses, government buildings, and parking lots; at schools; by service members of the armed forces; on public transportation; wildlife management areas; and public fishing areas
HB 1013: Georgia Mental Health Parity Act
Get PDFThe Act overhauls Georgia’s mental health system by enforcing compliance with federal mental health parity law. Most notably, the Act requires health insurers to provide coverage for mental health and substance use disorders equitably with physical health and defines generally accepted standards of care. The Act requires insurers to submit annual parity compliance reports and requires the Commissioner to make annual data calls and submit annual reports. The Act requires compliance with a minimum 85% medical loss ratio. The Act provides for cancelable loans to Georgia residents enrolled in related educational programs and creates grant programs for accountability courts. The Act conditionally authorizes peace officers to involuntarily commit persons to emergency receiving facilities. Finally, the Act creates a multi-agency treatment for children team (MATCH) to facilitate collaboration across state agencies
Partisanship and Polarization in State Court Vacancies
No full textBacklogs and long delays in the confirmation of federal judicial nominees have become a common occurrence in Washington, leaving many federal benches understaffed and overworked. While this phenomenon has been well studied at the federal level examining political and institutional factors at play beyond senatorial courtesy, little is known if delay occurs in court systems of the individual American states, or how extensive the obstruction and the delay should it occur. We examine judicial appointments in states having the selection system of gubernatorial nomination and legislative confirmation. We focus on the duration of the judicial vacancies on state intermediate appellate courts and courts of last resort from 2000 to 2016 and explain the variation over time in the length of this process. We show that partisan division and increases in the polarization of state political parties work together to influence timely staffing of these critical institutions in the American states. Ultimately, these findings offer insight into the issues caused by political gridlock over judicial selection and offer practical institutional remedies to this problem
SB 221: The Creation of Election Leadership Committees
Get PDFThe Act primarily provides for the creation of leadership committees that accept contributions and make expenditures for the purpose of affecting the outcome of elections or advocating for the election or defeat of candidates. The governor, lieutenant governor, or a political party’s nominee for those positions, and the Democratic and Republican leaders in the state Senate and House would control and chair such committees: specifically, one person designated by the majority caucus of the House of Representatives, one by the minority caucus of the House of Representatives, one by the majority caucus of the Senate, and one by the minority caucus of the Senate. Notably, these leadership committees will be able to raise funds and receive donations during legislative sessions—an ability previously reserved to the Assembly’s political parties