2019 Georgia General Assembly Session (Atlanta, Savannah: flat fee, sale, crime)

[Airforceguy]

A bill to allow horse racing passed a senate panel today....

Georgia has taken a step toward allowing horse racing in the state.

A Senate panel on Wednesday gave approval to a bill that would allow up to three horse-racing tracks in Georgia.The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Brandon Beach, said Wednesday’s 5-2 vote was the first time the proposal has cleared a Senate committee.

https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regi...CaG0E1kEXItwM/

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

A bill to allow horse racing passed a senate panel today....

https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regi...CaG0E1kEXItwM/

So they can pass a bill for horse racing, but not casino gambling so I can play Texas Hold 'Em.

[Airforceguy]

Rep. Sandra Scott (D-Rex) is proposing a bill that would create a lottery scratch-off to help homeless veterans...
Proposed bill would create lottery game to help homeless veterans

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

The Georgia General Assembly sends its first bill of 2019 to Governor Brian Kemp on the 14th day of the legislative session.

The bill, Senate Bill 25, clarifies an existing Georgia state law dealing with when motorists are allowed to pass a stopped school bus.

Last year, legislators passed a law allowing Georgia motorists to pass a stopped school bus on the opposite direction of a road if both directions of that road are divided only by a middle turning lane.

School transportation officials throughout the state protested that measure as unsafe for school children. SB 25 corrects that situation by saying that motorists traveling on the opposite direction of a roadway must stop for a stopped school bus if the roadway is only divided by a middle turning lane.

Legislature Sends First Bill Of 2019 Session To Gov. Kemp (Georgia Public Broadcasting)

Glad they got that bill through. The fact that it passed both chambers without a single No vote is telling.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

A bill to allow horse racing passed a senate panel today....

https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regi...CaG0E1kEXItwM/

That is very sad to me...

[citidata18]

CON repeal clears Georgia House committee

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/..._news_headline

A committee in the Georgia House of Representatives approved legislation Monday that would overhaul the state's health-care planning process.

The bill, passed by the Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care, would replace Georgia's decades-old certificate of need law (CON) governing proposals to build new health-care facilities or provide new health services with a new licensing process supporters say would be less restrictive and take less time to process.

The legislation is backed by physicians wishing to own and operate freestanding single- and multi-specialty centers that have found it difficult to obtain certificates of need from the state because of opposition from nearby hospitals.

While supporters say relaxing the rules governing new construction of health-care centers would increase access to quality health care, particularly in rural Georgia, hospital executives say competition from privately owned health facilities not legally required to treat patients regardless of ability to pay would drive rural hospitals out of business.

The committee approved two amendments to the bill on Monday. One would make it easier to challenge license applications submitted by physician-owners of specialty centers by reducing the burden of proof for existing hospitals from "clear and convincing evidence" they would suffer harm if a new facility were allowed to open nearby to "a preponderance of evidence."

The other change would help physician-owners of freestanding specialty centers by letting them count indigent care they provide in settings outside their center – including at hospitals – toward the amount of indigent care the legislation would require them to perform at the center.

Before Monday's vote, Rep. Butch Parrish, R-Swainsboro, noted that similar legislation is now before the Georgia Senate, making it likely the proposed repeal of CON will undergo many changes before the bill comes up for final passage.

"This is the beginning of this process," he said. "I suspect this will get much scrubbing as it moves through."

Several Democrats voted against the bill in the committee, making it clear it will need significant support from Republicans to make it through the General Assembly.

The CON repeal could reach the full House later this week.

[Airforceguy]

Imagine this: Thanks to a new state law, your neighbor can finally finish their home redesign, complete with bright orange paint and a two-car garage coming right up to the street. It’s an obvious eyesore, but one local governments are powerless to stop.

That’s the future many local officials fear if a state bill is passed that would prevent cities and counties from setting exterior design standards on homes.The bill, currently making its way through the state Legislature, would prevent local rules governing things like color and material, number of rooms and other general design elements on single- and double-family homes.

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/citie...LOwu6pcIAz5cO/

[MattCW]

Sounds good to me. Usually anything soundly opposed by governments, is something I am 100% for!

[bu2]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Sounds good to me. Usually anything soundly opposed by governments, is something I am 100% for!

Yep. These communities with standards create a mess that just happens to be the taste of a handful of people. I'm reminded of Plano, Texas where you went about 3 miles down Coit Road with nothing but dark red brick doctor's boxes. I happen to like those, but it was ridiculous to have everything look alike.

[Airforceguy]

Gov. Kemp said that while he opposes gambling, he won't stand in the way of an amendment that would allow voters to decide if casinos should be legal in Georgia.

Gov. Brian Kemp said he remains a staunch opponent of legalized gambling but signaled he won’t stand in the way of a constitutional amendment that would let voters decide whether to allow casinos in Georgia.

The governor’s spokesman said in a statement Tuesday he “remains opposed to casino gambling but hardworking Georgians will have the ultimate say if a constitutional amendment is placed on the ballot.” His aides added that Kemp, who campaigned against the expansion of gambling, will insist that the new funds be used for the popular lottery-funded HOPE scholarship if a constitutional amendment passes.

https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/ke...kyZJBvBwpxo5K/