Day 25 - 2/27/2007
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Rumors are rampant that the General Assembly will recess for a week or two in March to work on the budget. To date, the legislative calendar has only been set through this Thursday. While the Legislature may recess to reserve legislative days, any recess is expected to be a working break as committees will use the time to hold meetings and pass bills.
In the meantime, legislators are busy attending committee meetings and voting on bills. Some committee actions of interest today are detailed below.
After voting down HB 156, the Child Support bill last week, the House Judiciary Committee considered a committee substitute for the bill today. The current language, which was passed unanimously by the committee, would split the $25 annual fee evenly between the custodial and non-custodial parent.
The Senate Education and Youth Committee met to consider several bills today. The Committee unanimously passed SB 168, the Deaf Child’s Bill of Rights. In addition, the Committee passed SB 170 which allows American Sign Language to be accepted as a foreign language credit and SB 123 which allows twins to b placed in the same classroom upon the request of their parents. Finally, the Committee held HB 85 which would give home-schooled children access to extra-curricular activities at public schools.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee had a spirited hearing on SB 178, a bill to require that all entering 6th grade girls receive the HPV vaccine. Opponents included Concerned Women of America, Americans United for Life and the Georgia Christian Alliance who all stated that, while they think that the vaccine is important, they oppose mandating it. The opponents stated that they believe that patients should have a choice regarding whether to receive the vaccine. The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Don Balfour said that if he could just save some women from contracting cervical cancer, the mandatory vaccine would be worthwhile. Sen. Nan Orruck spoke in support of the bill and added that the vaccine would protect the many young girls who are the victims of sexual molestation each year. Senators Renee Unterman and David Adelman also spoke in support of the bill. SB 178 passed the Committee by a vote of 8-3.