Day 40: Sine Die. An amended SB160 passed the GA Capitol. Urge Governor Deal to veto SB160. Gun Bill SB101 did not make it out of Conference Committee.

Day 40: Sine Die. An amended SB160 passed the GA Capitol. Urge Governor Deal to veto SB160. Gun Bill SB101 did not make it out of Conference Committee. 

Thursday 03/28/2013. Sine Die, last day of the Georgia Legislative Session 2013. After a slow session compared with other ones, Sine Die ended in long day with hectic last 4 hours. Among the bills that we were campaigning against, an amended version of SB160 passed both chambers less than 30 minutes from midnight, after being discussed in an informal Conference Committee, between votes and other bills, which lasted more than 4 hours. The only questioning against SB160 in the House came once again from the relentless voice of Rep. Pedro Marin, and the bill just went straight to vote in the Senate, with not even an option to questioning by the Lt. Governor. SB160 was voted Y=113 N=54 in the House and Y=43 N=9 in the Senate. As the time I am writing this, the final language of SB160 is not online yet. However, we can check on the hardcopy that we got that the final language of SB160 does not prevent DACA recipients of getting Driver Licenses. This new version also removed the problem with Homestead Exception, and Tax Credits. It did keep the language referred to the passports. The next step is to get the analysis of the full bill by our attorney friends, and to draft the veto campaign.

So for starters, we need to contact governor Deal. It is true that Gov. Deal has a story of supporting immigration bills like this. Nonetheless, we cannot allow that attacks like this go without resistance; it would only encourage them to produce more bills like this in the future.

Gov. Nathan Deal

Phone (404) 656-1776

Email http://gov.georgia.gov/webform/contact-governor-domestic-form
Message: “VETO SB160”

Thanks for your hard work. More updates regarding the veto campaign coming.

In a happier note, the SB101, a bill that got attached several parts of the HB512, did not make it out of Conference Committee. Congratulations to the friends that worked on that campaign.