CROSSOVER DAY: Key bills face critical deadline at Gold Dome
A look at what to watch on Crossover Day
Thursday is Crossover Day at the Georgia State Capitol, lawmakers’ self-imposed deadline to send a bill from one chamber to the other — or else it is unlikely to pass this year.
Several key debates are on tap, with bills over immigration, education and Georgia’s film industry all hanging in the balance.
Here is a brief overview of what to expect on this Crossover Day.
Immigration
The issue of immigration quickly became front and center after a 22-year-old nursing student was killed by a Venezuelan migrant in Athens.
With the clock ticking, Republicans quickly endorsed bills that would crack down on cities that are seen as safe havens for undocumented immigrants.
Though these so-called “sanctuary” cities are already banned under Georgia law, Athens and a handful of other jurisdictions have limited their cooperation with federal immigration laws.
H.B. 1105 seeks to penalize sheriffs and local officials who fail to comply with federal authorities when taking an undocumented immigrant into custody. The bill gained momentum after it was revealed that the suspect in last week’s Athens slaying had previously been arrested several times and was released each time.
Education
Several education-related bills will be up for debate in the Senate.
One bill, S.B. 532, seeks to repeal a requirement for sex education. Schools will still be able to offer it, but only after the fifth grade — and with parents’ consent.
S.B. 390 seeks to sever ties between Georgia public libraries and the American Library Association. Republicans have criticized the ALA for promoting books with gender and racial concepts.
Another bill to keep an eye on is S.B. 379, which would allow for public schools to employ chaplains as part of their counseling services.
Film
Georgia has become known as the “Hollywood of the South” for its booming film industry. But rising costs have left lawmakers with what they say as no choice but to take up the biggest overhaul to the state’s film tax credit in several years.
“H.B. 1180 would raise the minimum required investment to be eligible for the film tax credit, and the amount of tax credits that could be sold by filmmakers to third parties each year would be capped based on the size of the state budget.”
Estimates show that the state is poised to award roughly $1.35 billion in film credits this year. But critics have warned that these cuts could hurt companies that produce commercials.
Other issues to watch
School vouchers
Election laws