Thursday is Crossover Day in the Georgia State Legislature, a deadline for bills to easily pass either the House or the Senate, and culture war partisans have some reason to celebrate or mourn, depending on your point of view. Ta.
After years of effort, the Senate passed the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a long-held dream of conservative politicians and activists.
Conservative politicians and activists are also pushing for a new dream with the passage of a bill that would sever ties with the American Library Association, a library support and accreditation group that some Republicans say has become too progressive. realized one thing.
Other culture war issues, such as bills aimed at school bathroom and library use, were not debated.
freedom of religion
Eight years have passed since the then-governor took office. Nathan Deal vetoed the controversial religious freedom bill, and another bill with the same purpose passed in the state Senate.
Acworth Republican Sen. Ed Setzler’s Senate Bill 180 states that the government:
It imposes a “substantial burden on the practice of an individual’s religion” because it “furthers a compelling governmental interest” and “the most restrictive burden for promoting such a compelling governmental interest.” limited to “less means”.
Setzler cited examples such as a Muslim woman in Florida who was unable to remove her face covering for her driver’s license photo. Setzler said Florida’s religious freedom law allows women to take photos in private rooms.
“This mainly helps those who belong to minority religious sectors, but of course it does not help everyone. In order to achieve this, the government must do so through the least restrictive means possible. It’s human decency to allow a female photographer to take your driver’s license photo.”
Civility wasn’t the word on Stone Mountain Democratic Sen. Kim Jackson’s mind. Jackson, the state’s first and only openly LGBTQ+ senator, called the bill a “license” to discriminate against families like hers.
“This is my reality and my fear,” she said. “I’m worried that my child’s nursery school will turn us away. That the hotel could refuse me admission. To all the services that every other Georgian is entitled to. gas stations that refuse to serve me, restaurants that won’t let me sit down, doctors that refuse to take care of my children, all of which are important to me and my family. Across the country, RFRA has already opened the door to discrimination in public health, child welfare and adoption, marriage-related services, employment, and public accommodations.”
Deal’s veto of an earlier religious freedom bill came amid pressure from major Georgia-based companies, who said the bill could make it harder to attract workers to the state. I was disappointed.
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce issued a joint statement opposing Senate Bill 180.
“For decades, Georgia has benefited from positive partnerships between the business community and elected leaders to promote the state as a global trade center. “Georgia’s stable governance attracts industry and serves its people well, and we oppose any effort, including SB180, that would undermine the strong reputation of the state we have built together.” said in a statement.
Cole Muzzio, president of the influential conservative lobbying group Frontline Policy Action, celebrated the bill’s passage.
“With the passage of RFRA in the state Senate, we are one step closer to restoring our Founding Rights,” he said in an email to supporters. “The balancing test provided in SB 180 is fair, correct, consistent with federal law, and consistent with Governor Kemp’s campaign.”
Before Gov. Brian Kemp can sign or veto the bill, it must first pass the state Legislature. To do so, they need time before Congress adjourns on March 28.
library
A watered-down version of a bill to withdraw Georgia from the American Library Association has passed the Senate. Author Sen. Larry Walker (R-Perry) said he learned about ALA when his local library used ALA grants to purchase books about diversity and LGBTQ+ issues, some of which He said it was in the children’s corner.
She said she learned through further research that ALA’s current president had described herself as a Marxist lesbian in a tweet.
“Before tackling this issue, I had put libraries in the same category as moms and apple pie, and I envisioned a learning haven where children’s imaginations could run free and unhindered. I was shocked to find that this is a place where I can find inspiration and inspiration for the future.”The legacy of knowledge accumulated by civil society is furthered by the American Library Association, an organization in Chicago. It can become a political battleground for radical policies. ”
The ALA accredits schools that train librarians, and Walker said under his bill Georgia universities would have to pay for their accreditation with private funds rather than state funds. Libraries in the state cannot use private funds or state funds to become members of ALA.
Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, characterized the bill as a political ploy, pointing to data showing Georgia ranks near the bottom of child literacy rates among states.
“Colleagues, it’s really ironic that we’re focusing on what kids should and shouldn’t be able to read when two-thirds of kids can’t read at grade level. I think it’s really ironic that so many bills are being introduced instead of “actual five-alarm fire issues, many of which don’t read very well, if at all. That is the question we should discuss today. That’s money we should be talking about putting into the budget. ”
ahead of the times
Several bills that culture warriors had hoped for, or feared, missed crucial deadlines.
A bill that would eliminate sex education for elementary school students, a bill that would hold school librarians responsible for distributing materials deemed harmful to minors, and a bill that would make transgender students use the restroom that matches the gender listed on their birth certificate. A bill to limit the amount did not advance.
But Culture Clash fans don’t have to mourn or celebrate just yet. Crossover Day marks the end of a bill’s ability to pass most smoothly, but “dead” bills can take on new life when grafted onto other bills, sometimes in surprising ways. .