Thursday on “Politically Georgia,” host Bill Nigut talks to his Capitol-based colleagues Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Maya T. Prabhu on Crossover Day.
Crossover Day is the deadline for a bill to pass from one chamber to another. However, if a bill doesn’t make it over, it can be attached to another bill later in the session. Legislators have a full agenda and will try to advance big bills today addressing the film tax credit, local libraries, discussions about gender identity in the classroom, and religious rights. However, the issue of border security looms largest following the killing of nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus. Authorities say the man charged in the crime entered the country illegally.
State Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch introduced a Senate resolution just two weeks ago to support increased protections for America’s borders. The Lumpkin County Republican says we need to see more action on the border at the federal level. Earlier this month, U.S. House Republicans blocked a bipartisan border deal and foreign aid package. But Gooch says he’d like to see the border addressed in separate legislation.
“We’d love to see (President Joe Biden) step up and address that issue specifically about the border crisis and not try to commingle the issue with Ukraine and the Russia issue or the Israel and Palestine issue. Let’s focus on one issue with a single piece of legislation.” Biden and former President Donald Trump will visit the border today.
On the other side of the aisle, state Sen. Jason Esteves also discusses the border issue. Esteves is Puerto Rican and a part of the Hispanic Legislative Caucus. “What happened last week on UGA’s campus is a tragedy. I think we all have to acknowledge that,” the Atlanta Democrat says. “We also have to understand we have public safety issues across the state to prevent crimes of opportunity like we saw in Laken Riley’s case. That response should be separate from the political firestorm that we’ve seen Republicans play into.” One of those bills Georgia Republicans have introduced is House Bill 1105, which would impose penalties on sheriffs and jailers who do not cooperate with federal immigration agents.
Friday on “Politically Georgia,” we answer your questions from our listener mailbag. If you have a question for our crew, call us at 404-526-2527.
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