Monday, April 8, 2013
Thompson, who represents parts of Gwinnett County in the Georgia Senate, to discuss impact of the session on the county.
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Monday, April 8
Join State Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Tucker) at a public town hall meeting to discuss the 2013 Legislative Session of the Georgia General Assembly and its impact on Gwinnett County. The town hall meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Frank Van Otto Training Room at the Laenceville Police Station, 300 Jackson St. Sen. Curt Thompson serves as Chairman of the Special Judiciary Committee. He represents the 5th Senate District, which includes portions of Gwinnett County. He may be reached at 404-463-1318 or by email at curt.thompson@senate.ga.gov.
Friday, March 29, 2013
The 'campus carry' provision was a sticking point in the 2013 legislation.
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Friday, March 29
The controversial Georgia legislation aimed at loosening gun restrictions went down to the wire in the 2013 General Assembly -- and did not pass. Senate Bill 101 never came to a vote on Thursday (March 28), the final day of the 2013 Georgia legislative session. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the legislation got hung up on the provision that would allow firearms to be carried on college campuses. Senate Bill 101 also would have allowed guns in churches and allowed local school boards to arm administrators. Reportedly, House and Senate negotiators had agreed, after urging by Gov. Nathan Deal, to allow concealed weapons permit holders to carry weapons on college campuses -- with the stipulation that permit holders between 21 …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Georgia General Assembly passed a resolution that favors a new state line. Sen. David Shafer of Duluth sponsored resolution in Georgia Senate.
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Wednesday, March 27
Remember the water wars in Georgia and the Southeast of a few years ago? Well, they're baaack. Both houses of the Georgia General Assembly have passed a resolution proposing that the Georgia-Tennessee state line be changed. The reason? According to House Resolution 4, so that Georgia "shall be able to exercise its riparian water rights to the Tennessee River at Nickajack." The 2013 resolution and the so-called border dispute date way back. According to the resolution, the state line is at the 35th parallel and would have been on the northernmost bank of the Tennessee River at Nickajack. However, a flawed 1818 survey "erroneously placed the mark of the 35th parallel approximately one mile south of the actual location of the 35th parallel of…
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The Georgia House already had passed the boater-safety bill named for children who were killed on Lake Lanier in 2012. The governor is expected to sign the bill.
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Thursday, March 21
A bill that would lower the state's Boating Under the Influence legal limit and institute boating safety regulations now has cleared both houses of the Georgia General Assembly. On Thursday (March 20), the House passed Senate Bill 136 by a 146-17 vote. The Gainesville Times reported that the "nay" votes are believed to be related to hunter-safety provisions of the bill. The Senate unanimously passed the bill earlier in March. Gov. Nathan Deal is expected to sign the bill, which carries the names of Griffin and Jake Prince of Buford, and Kile Glover of Atlanta. They were all killed in water-safety related incidents last year on Lake Lanier. Does this legislation make you feel safer on Lake Lanier? What other changes are needed? Add your …
Friday, March 8, 2013
HB 512, which would reportedly allow guns in bars, churches and unsecured government buildings, passes the Georgia House.
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Friday, March 8
A Georgia bill that would loosen restrictions on where firearms could be carried moved closer to becoming law this week. HB 512, also known as the Safe Carry Protection Act, passed the Georgia House on Thursday (March 7), by a vote of 117-56. It was the last day in the 2013 General Assembly session that the bill could "cross over" to the Senate. The bill, among other things, would allow guns on college campuses, something the University System of Georgia has lobbied against. Also, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it would allow guns in bars, churches, unsecured government buildings and courthouses, and would allow school boards to arm administrators in schools. Checking the votes: Duluth State Reps. Brooks Coleman (R-District…
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
An education advocate questions the impact of this piece of proposed legislation.
Does anyone remember the constitutional amendment battle last year? The battle where our Republican leadership wanted us to pass an amendment which expanded the role of government in Georgia and removed local control by giving it to an appointed State Charter Commission? We bought that one hook, line and sinker. Republicans convinced Republicans – some, not all – to forget about the other part of the party platform that talks about limited government and local control. The same group is back at it in the legislature trying to pass more bills which will eventually destroy our open public schools (vs. closed charter public schools – try moving here in January and getting into one). Why? Because promoting charter schools and vouchers is also …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
A Georgia legislator has proposed a resolution aimed at expressing remorse for the state’s "past practice of condoning involuntary servitude.” What do you think of the proposal?
A practice that ended before the birth of anyone alive today is the focus of legislation in the Georgia General Assembly. Last week, State Sen. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, held a press conference to announce his filing of Senate Resolution 28, a resolution that aims to “[express] remorse for the state's past practice of condoning involuntary servitude,” or slavery. A copy of the resolution is attached to this article in PDF form. According to Loudermilk, passage of the resolution would mark the first official acknowledgement of the injustices of slavery and serve as “an official expression of regret and remorse for the condoning of the institution of slavery in Georgia. “The injustices brought on by the institution of slavery in our …
Monday, January 21, 2013
Thompson serving as chairman of the Special Judiciary Committee in the current term of the Georgia General Assembly.
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Monday, January 21
State Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Tucker) has been named chairman of the Special Judiciary Committee for the 2013-14 term of the Georgia General Assembly by the Senate Committee on Assignments. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to use my legal background as a practicing attorney to provide leadership for my colleagues in the Special Judiciary Committee,” said Thompson in a press release issued by the Senate Press Office. “I look forward to bridging the partisanship divide while representing the minority voice as a chairman.” The first term of the 152nd Legislative Session of the Georgia General Assembly convened Jan. 14 at the Georgia State Capitol. Thompson’s Senate District 5 includes part of unincorporated Duluth. The Special Judiciary …
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The 40 days of the next General Assembly session will not be boring.
As we turn the calendar to 2013, we leave behind a year of successes and failures. It is easy to begin listing the failures, but I refuse to invest my time in being negative. Rather than dealing in the past, let us look forward into the future in our state of Georgia. On the second Monday of January, the Georgia General Assembly will open for the 40-day legislative session. There are some new people in places of leadership under the Gold Dome. Hopefully, this will be positive in terms of moving legislation that is needed to help make our state stronger in ethics reform and care for those who need a voice. Without making sweeping statements about former or even current leaders, I choose to deal with issues. When this session begins, I will …
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Candidates Mark Gorman, Mark Williams to face each other in July 31 GOP Primary. Winner to challenge incumbent Democratic State. Rep. Pete Marin in November General Election. Incumbent State Rep. Brooks Coleman draws challenger in Republican Primary.
Two Republicans qualified to run for the District 96 state representative post in the July 31 GOP Primary. The winner will face incumbent District 96 State Rep. Pedro “Pete” Marin, D-Duluth, in the Nov. 6 General Election. House District 96 includes parts of Duluth and Norcross. Running against each other in the GOP Primary for House District 96 will be Norcross carpenter Mark Gorman and Duluth resident Mark Williams, an owner of Norcross-based Printing Trade Company. Marin is a business consultant. Boundaries for House and Senate districts in the Georgia General Assembly, including H.D. 96, were redrawn as a result of the 2010 Census. Incumbent District 97 State Rep. Brooks Coleman, R-Duluth, has drawn an opponent in the GOP Primary. Law …
Frances Van Keuren
1:06 pm on Friday, March 29, 2013
I am happy that the gun law did not pass. I taught at the Univ. of Georgia for 30 years and was there when George Zinkhan, a marketing professor, gunned down three people at the community theater. I saw what this tragedy did to his wife, and I am certain that more tragedies would have occurred had guns been allowed on campus. more ›