The finish line of the 2023 Georgia legislative session is in sight. Monday marks the penultimate day of the session, and many bills may come up for a vote in either chamber at the drop of a hat or be pushed to the wayside, not to see passage this session. We’ll keep you updated as things progress, but first, let’s review this week.
Senate Bill 140 and our legal acton
Sadly, Republican lawmakers pushed through the harmful anti-transgender Senate Bill 140 on Tuesday despite overwhelming opposition. On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp quietly signed the bill, which will have harmful impacts for transgender and nonbinary youth and possibly some doctors who attempt to treat them.
Right after the signing, we issued a statement, saying we will explore all legal options in our efforts to advocate for trans youth and their families in the state. Let’s be clear: This law will have devastating effects on trans people who are already facing multiple barriers. Trans people already experience grave rates of poverty, isolation, and discrimination, and this law will only make matters worse.
We would be remiss not the mention that the governor signed SB 140 on Child Prevention Suicide Day at the Capitol. Fourty-five percent of transgender and non-binary youth across the United States seriously considered suicide in the past year, according to a survey released by The Trevor Project in December.
Time off for voting
Senate Bill 129, which would provide time off for employees in Georgia to vote early, was overwhelmingly passed by the House in a 161–9 vote on Thursday. The House bill was a substitute, so it will head back to the Senate for one final vote.
We expect this important piece of voting legislation to sail through this next step—fingers crossed. Thank you to Sen. Rick Williams for your work on this bill, which should improve the lives of Georgia voters. ACLU of Georgia Senior Policy Counsel Vasu Abhiraman recommended an amendment strengthening the law that the House Governmental Affairs Committee accepted and passed in its version of the bill.
Disability protest on the south Capitol steps
In advocacy under the Gold Dome this week, a coalition of disability rights advocates held a press conference and protest Tuesday, demanding the Georgia Legislature more fully commit to supporting and adhering to The Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as fund more intellectual and developmental disability waivers for state residents. More than 7,000 Georgians are currently on the waitlist to receive home- and community-based services from the state.
Zan Thorton, with the Georgia chapter of ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today), and another protestor laboriously climbed the south steps of the Capitol with draft resolutions in hand. Having reached the top of the staircase, Thornton said she hoped her act of crawling up the cold, hard-stone steps would make an impact. She believed it would, as 50-plus people watched her do so online. “Let’s just hope they listen and do something,” she said.
In the News:
Georgia governor signs bill limiting treatment to transgender minors
Georgia's governor signs ban on certain gender-affirming care for minors
Fight over medical care for transgender youth moves from Gold Dome to court
