The Georgia House Committee on Governmental Affairs on Feb. 27 gave a favorable report to a piece of legislation that, if signed into law, would provide “preferential treatment” for some senior citizen voters.
House Bill 559 was initially introduced to the Georgia General Assembly on Feb. 22, 2023.
Two Democrats and four Republicans sponsor the bill, including District 4 state Rep. Kasey Carpenter, R-Dalton.
“During the period of advance voting established pursuant to subsection (d) of Code Section 21-2-385, each elector who is 75 years of age or older, who is accompanied by one or more children of three years of age or under or who is disabled, shall upon request to a designated office employee or other individual, be authorized to vote immediately at the next available voting compartment or booth without having to wait in line if such location utilizes direct recording electronic voting systems or be authorized to go to the head of any line necessary to cast a written absentee ballot,” the most recent iteration of the bill language reads.
The proposed legislation would also be applicable to in-person Election Day voting — with the most recent version of the bill specifying the hours between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The Georgia House Committee on Education also gave a favorable report to another Carpenter carry-over bill from 2023 on Feb. 22.
House Bill 822, also sponsored by District 45 state Rep. Sharon Cooper, a Republican, and District 108 state Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat, seeks the amendment of the Quality Basic Education Act “so as to provide the prescribed course of study in sex education and HIV prevention instruction is age appropriate and medically accurate and promotes sexual abstinence.”
Under HB 822, local boards of education are tasked with establishing curricula standards, with the bill proposal requiring such standards to relate to “the significance of personal boundaries and responsibility in relationships,” among other variables.
Another proposed amendment under HB 822 would require certain kindergarten through ninth-grade courses to provide “age appropriate” instruction regarding the prevention of sexual abuse and assault.
“All curricula and courses of instruction implemented under this code section shall emphasize sexual abstinence as the best method of optimizing student health because it is the only completely reliable method of avoiding pregnancy (and) sexually transmitted diseases,” the bill text reads, “including human immunodeficiency virus and other physical, mental and emotional harms from underage sexual activity.”
Also receiving a favorable Georgia House committee report on Feb. 27 was House Bill 1366.
Carpenter is the only Republican sponsor of the bill, which seeks to designate April as Black Women’s History Month in Georgia.
The other five sponsors of the bill are Democratic legislators.
“There is a need for public education, awareness and discourse to address the impacts Black women have had and continue to have on the state of Georgia and all its people,” the bill language reads. “Officials and departments of state, county and municipal governments, boards of education, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, businesses and all citizens are encouraged to participate in appropriate ceremonies, programs and activities that commemorate and honor the contributions of Black women throughout each April during Black Women’s History Month.”