On Day 38, lawmakers debate COVID vaccine proof, trucks weights as transgender care ban becomes law

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Inside the Georgia House of Representatives, all is quiet before a busy session day.

Credit: GPB / File

The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to wrap up Wednesday with the adjournment of the assembly or 'Sine Die,' as it is known in Latin.

But on Day 38, lawmakers produced a flurry of activity, including approval of the Senate's version of the 2024 budget.

Here's what else happened:
 

COVID-19

The House gave approval to a bill Thursday that would permanently ban state agencies from requiring people show proof of COVID-19 vaccination as a condition to receive government services. 

Senate Bill 1 passed the Senate on Day 14 of the session, so the bill now heads to Gov. Brian Kemp's desk to be signed into law. 

The ban is currently in effect, but the law will end in June if lawmakers do not extend it. SB 1 removes that sunset clause from the law. 

Public schools would not be able to require students show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 if the bill becomes law. Republicans said the bill was necessary to ensure that Georgians won't be discriminated against because of vaccine status. 

"We do not want discrimination when it comes to the state, its subdivisions, its agencies, its authorities to be able to provide services, necessary services to our citizens," Rep. Todd Jones (R-South Forsyth) said. 

Over 1 million people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19 so far, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Dolezal said that COVID-19 death rates have dropped since the beginning of the pandemic, but many public health officials have attributed the downturn to vaccines and effective treatments. 

The CDC says COVID-19 vaccines are safe and recommends that children six months and older be vaccinated. 

SB 1 passed the House 99 to 69 in a mostly party-line vote. 

Truck weights

In the Senate, lawmakers weighed House Bill 189, which deals with truck weight regulations. The Senate passed the bill, but amended it to allow local law enforcement to purchase scales to weigh trucks and enforce weight limits. The amendment also gave local law enforcement probable cause to pull trucks over and weigh them.

Sen. David Lucas (D-Macon) said the state needs to put money in to fix roads and bridges that have been damaged by heavy trucks.

Republicans agreed that higher truck weights can be bad for infrastructure. 

"It is universally agreed that increasing truck rate will increase road degradation," Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) said. 

Supporters of the bill said it aims to bring the trucking industry to the table for a conversation, and that infrastructure will be addressed next year. 

The bill includes a sunset clause for July 2024. 

HB 189 passed the Senate 44 to 5.

Georgia Promise

The House engaged in a contentious debate over Senate Bill 233 — The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act. SB 233 created a $6,500 scholarship for children of the bottom 25% of public schools to use to attend private school, home school, tutoring or other services.

Critics of the bill said it could drain resources from public schools that may already be struggling with funding. 

"We talk about our public schools failing, but there is an assumption that all private schools are passing schools." Rep. Segun Adeyina (D-Grayson) said. He said that private schools should be evaluated before they are allocated resources. 

Supporters of the bill say that it will give families an opportunity to customize education to fit their children's needs.

The bill was tabled after debate.

Gender-affirming care

Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 140 into law. The controversial bill prohibits medical professionals from prescribing hormone replacement therapy to transgender minors, or performing gender-affirming surgery on them. 

"As Georgians, parents, and elected leaders, it is our highest responsibility to safeguard the bright, promising futures of our kids — and SB 140 takes an important step in fulfilling that mission" Kemp said. 

SB 140 received significant pushback from the transgender community and its allies. The ACLU of Georgia previously announced that it would sue the state if Kemp did not veto the bill.