Latest news with #RandyRobertson
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ban on taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners sparks Dem walkout in Georgia House vote
Georgia state House Democrats staged a walkout to protest a vote on a bill headed to the governor's desk for his signature prohibiting taxpayer-funded sex change surgeries for inmates. The bill passed on a 100-2 vote, and both recorded no votes were from Democrats. The legislation, SB 185, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Randy Robertson, bars the Georgia Department of Corrections from providing taxpayer-funded transgender medical treatments, including surgeries and hormonal treatments, to prison inmates. Robertson contends there are about five inmates incarcerated in the DOC that receive treatments. The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's desk for his signature. Prisoners Have No 'Constitutional Right' To Sex Changes, Red State Ag Tells Court In Brief Backing Trump "This disappointing stunt underscores a troubling disconnect between Democrats and the values of the people they serve," Republican House Majority Whip James Burchett told Fox News Digital. "They knew they had no response to the substance of the bill. So, rather than debate its merits, they chose to abandon their duties by leaving the chamber." Read On The Fox News App However, Democratic House Whip Sam Park contended it was Republicans playing politics, not Democrats. "Republicans continue to waste time on their manufactured culture wars while Georgians struggle with increasing costs of housing, food, healthcare and an increasingly uncertain economy due to Republican leadership in D.C.," Park said. "We walked out to make it clear: Georgia Democrats are here to fight for working families, not political distractions." Trans Inmate In Prison For Killing Baby Must Get Gender Surgery At 'Earliest Opportunity': Judge Georgia Republicans have taken an aggressive approach toward transgender issues this legislative session with the introduction of several bills that seek to align with President Donald Trump's executive orders. Some of those bills, in addition to SB 185, include blocking taxpayer-funded medical treatments for state employees, prohibitions on prescribing puberty blockers to minors and a ban on biological males competing in girls high school sports. It's unclear how much cosmetic or surgical transgender treatments cost each taxpayer in Georgia, but the Gender Confirmation Center estimates alterations can be anywhere from $8,000 to $50,000, depending on the type of procedure. Other states this year have moved to introduce similar bills banning taxpayer-funded transgender treatments for inmates, including Utah and Kentucky. California was among the first states to provide transgender procedures for prison inmates in 2017 after a legal battle launched by an inmate two years earlier. Aclu Sues Indiana Over Denial Of Sex Reassignment Surgery For Inmate Who Strangled 11-Month-old To Death In January and February 2025, Trump signed executive orders rolling back federally-funded "gender ideology" initiatives. These orders define "sex" strictly as male or female, mandate federal agencies to conform to this definition and prohibit transgender individuals from using single-sex federally-funded facilities. They also prevent federally funded transgender treatments for both inmates and minors and ban biological males from competing in women's sports. "Yesterday's walkout by Georgia Democrats during a vote to ban taxpayer-funded sex reassignment surgeries for prisoners is a disgraceful display of misplaced priorities," Rep. Houston Gaines, vice chairman of the Georgia House Majority Caucus, said. "By storming out of the legislative session, these lawmakers abandoned their duty to represent their constituents and engage in the democratic process, all to grandstand over an issue that most Georgians find absurd."Original article source: Ban on taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners sparks Dem walkout in Georgia House vote
Fox News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Ban on taxpayer-funded sex changes for prisoners sparks Dem walkout in Georgia House vote
Georgia state House Democrats staged a walkout to protest a vote on a bill headed to the governor's desk for his signature prohibiting taxpayer-funded sex change surgeries for inmates. The bill passed on a 100-2 vote, and both recorded no votes were from Democrats. The legislation, SB 185, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Randy Robertson, bars the Georgia Department of Corrections from providing taxpayer-funded transgender medical treatments, including surgeries and hormonal treatments, to prison inmates. Robertson contends there are about five inmates incarcerated in the DOC that receive treatments. The bill now heads to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's desk for his signature. "This disappointing stunt underscores a troubling disconnect between Democrats and the values of the people they serve," Republican House Majority Whip James Burchett told Fox News Digital. "They knew they had no response to the substance of the bill. So, rather than debate its merits, they chose to abandon their duties by leaving the chamber." However, Democratic House Whip Sam Park contended it was Republicans playing politics, not Democrats. "Republicans continue to waste time on their manufactured culture wars while Georgians struggle with increasing costs of housing, food, healthcare and an increasingly uncertain economy due to Republican leadership in D.C.," Park said. "We walked out to make it clear: Georgia Democrats are here to fight for working families, not political distractions." Georgia Republicans have taken an aggressive approach toward transgender issues this legislative session with the introduction of several bills that seek to align with President Donald Trump's executive orders. Some of those bills, in addition to SB 185, include blocking taxpayer-funded medical treatments for state employees, prohibitions on prescribing puberty blockers to minors and a ban on biological males competing in girls high school sports. It's unclear how much cosmetic or surgical transgender treatments cost each taxpayer in Georgia, but the Gender Confirmation Center estimates alterations can be anywhere from $8,000 to $50,000, depending on the type of procedure. Other states this year have moved to introduce similar bills banning taxpayer-funded transgender treatments for inmates, including Utah and Kentucky. California was among the first states to provide transgender procedures for prison inmates in 2017 after a legal battle launched by an inmate two years earlier. In January and February 2025, Trump signed executive orders rolling back federally-funded "gender ideology" initiatives. These orders define "sex" strictly as male or female, mandate federal agencies to conform to this definition and prohibit transgender individuals from using single-sex federally-funded facilities. They also prevent federally funded transgender treatments for both inmates and minors and ban biological males from competing in women's sports. "Yesterday's walkout by Georgia Democrats during a vote to ban taxpayer-funded sex reassignment surgeries for prisoners is a disgraceful display of misplaced priorities," Rep. Houston Gaines, vice chairman of the Georgia House Majority Caucus, said. "By storming out of the legislative session, these lawmakers abandoned their duty to represent their constituents and engage in the democratic process, all to grandstand over an issue that most Georgians find absurd."
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia Senate approves bill to ban cell phones in elementary, middle schools
The Brief The Georgia Senate passed a bill banning cell phones at public elementary and middle schools, effective July 2026 if signed into law. The "Distraction-Free Education Act" aims to eliminate cell phone use by students in grades K-8 during school hours. Lawmakers, including Sen. Randy Robertson and Sen. Jason Esteves, expressed strong support, citing improved student performance and reduced disciplinary issues in districts with existing bans. ATLANTA - The Georgia Senate passed a bill Tuesday banning cell phones at all public elementary and middle schools. Marietta City School District, DeKalb County School District, and Atlanta Public Schools already require students to secure their phones in lockers or pouches during the school day. The "Distraction-Free Education Act" would ban the use of cell phones by Georgia public school students in grades K-8 during the school day. What they're saying Sen. Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) called cell phones "a serious cancer in our classroom." Democratic and Republican senators expressed overwhelming support for HB340. It passed by a near-unanimous vote. Sen. Jason Esteves (D-Atlanta) remarked that local school districts with cell phone bans "have seen remarkable success. They've reported higher grades for students, fewer disciplinary issues, and more engaged students." SEE ALSO: Kids with smartphones reported higher well-being than kids without, study finds What's next The bill now heads to Gov. Kemp's desk. If he signs the bill into law, it will take effect in July 2026. SEE ALSO: Georgia House advances bill to ban cellphones in K-8 classrooms statewide Marietta City Schools shares details on cellphone ban: 'It's created a community among students' Cellphone ban: DeKalb County Schools approves $400K for smartphone pouch pilot program The Source FOX 5's Deidra Dukes spoke to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for this article.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Governor gets wish for 2025 Legislature as bill to limit lawsuit damage awards awaits his signature
Sen. Randy Robertson talks to Sen. Blake Tillery and Sen. Brian Strickland during the debate over the Kemp-backed bill creating new limits on lawsuits in Georgia. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder It's official: Legislation to intended limit damages Georgia juries can award is heading to the governor's desk. Kemp's legislative white whale, which will overhaul the way Georgia's civil litigation system functions and make it harder to prevail in lawsuits against negligent businesses, passed in a 34-21 vote Friday afternoon. The bill was forced to return to the Senate after being amended by the House, where it passed Thursday afternoon with the bare minimum 91 votes required to clear the chamber. The new limits to damage awards outlined in Senate Bill 68 are immensely popular with business interests like the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, but it took a good deal of arm-twisting by top GOP power brokers to convince enough legislators to jump on board. At the start of the 2025 session, Gov. Brian Kemp had pledged to drag lawmakers back to Atlanta for a special session if 'meaningful, impactful' changes were not made to the state's civil justice system by the end of the regular session on April 4. His office also threatened to back primary challengers to any Republicans who opposed the bill. Ahead of the Friday vote, Republicans in the Senate briefly paused floor proceedings to assemble for a caucus meeting attended by Kemp. The legislation also faced fierce opposition from Democrats, trial lawyers and survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking, who held waves of protests as the legislators debated the bill in the House Rules Subcommittee on Lawsuit Reform. The bill was eventually amended to carve out greater protections for survivors of human trafficking, but lawmakers in both chambers voted down amendments that would have extended similar protections to children, the elderly and sexual assault victims. As in the House, the final Senate vote did not fall cleanly along party lines. Sen. Colton Moore, a Trenton Republican whose votes are routinely out of step with his party, spoke out against the bill, and SB 68's supporters included a few Democratic defectors: Sen. Ed Harbison of Columbus and Sen. Emanuel Jones of Decatur. At a press conference held immediately after SB 68's passage, Kemp celebrated his legislative victory and commended lawmakers for their efforts in tackling such a complex issue. 'I was very excited to see bipartisan support in the House and in the Senate,' he said. 'I think that says a lot to the people of our state, regardless of the rhetoric that was going on around the bill and the tough politics around it, it shows that people were very thoughtful and that this is a big issue for our state.' Senate President Pro Tem John F. Kennedy, a Macon Republican who sponsored the bill, also applauded SB 68's passage, adding that the bill will 'continue to make sure that folks from the hardworking Georgians that have to pay insurance premiums to the rest of us that all want to live in this great state are doing so in a good, fair, competitive environment.' Democrats swiftly condemned the SB 68's passage, citing concerns that it could give companies less incentive to protect their customers. 'We know that unfortunately, at some of these businesses, people are going to be harmed,' said Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II. 'This bill was a response to that, and that's why I say the response was either protect Georgians or protect insurance companies, and it is clear that this governor and the Republican Legislature decided to protect insurance companies.' Trial lawyers, who warn about the unintended consequences SB 68 could create for Georgians seeking justice through the civil court system, also condemned the bill's passage. 'It will take years to know and understand the carnage this poorly written bill will leave in its wake as it is codified into law,' said Kara Phillips, a personal injury lawyer at the Atlanta firm Deitch & Rogers who has been speaking out against the bill. 'During that time numerous survivors and victims across the state of Georgia will not have access to civil justice. Today is a bad day for Georgians.' Though the most contentious part of the lawsuit debate is over, legislators still have some work ahead of them. A companion bill, Senate Bill 69, which was also authored by Kennedy, has yet to come up for discussion in the House Rules Subcommittee on Lawsuit Reform. It is expected to come up for a vote in committee next week. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia's 'anti-doxxing' legislation upsets the balance between free speech and privacy
Guest commentary warns Senate Bill 27, sponsored by Sen. John Albers (right) and pushed by Sen. Randy Robertson could criminalize sharing identifying information about someone that is already public. Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder (File) No one – whether they are a private figure or a public official – wants to be harassed online with their private information paraded about for others to use to target them or their family members. For instance, Eliud Bonilla, an American citizen, was temporarily removed from the voter rolls in Virginia due to a clerical error. Even though his voter registration was restored, a watchdog group published his personal information online, suggesting that he was a 'noncitizen voter' who had committed voter fraud, causing him to fear for his safety. This sort of thing shouldn't happen. Unfortunately, the legislative fix that the Georgia General Assembly is working on – Senate Bill 27 – isn't threading the needle quite right. In its current form, it would prohibit large amounts of truthful speech while still not effectively safeguarding people's personal information. Moreover, SB 27 would largely duplicate already existing laws that criminalize much of the conduct the bill seeks to prevent. The legislation makes it a crime to electronically post or transmit another person's identifying information, including their name or where they work, if that information is 'reasonably likely' to be used by another party to cause the identified person 'reasonable fear' of physical injury, significant economic injury, or mental anguish. There are several concerns with this expansive definition of criminal liability. First, it outlaws sharing identifying information that is already public. These days, people publicly post information about themselves online all the time, whether it's photos on Instagram or their employment history on LinkedIn. Yet, another person who shares this already-public information could still be criminally charged under SB 27 if a third party uses it to harass or intimidate the identified party. This leads to a second problem with the bill: It requires a person sharing identifying information about another to predict what a third party is 'reasonably likely' to do with it. For instance, someone who posts a critical comment in a Facebook group about a local official that includes the official's name and where they work, may find themselves arrested under SB 27 if another person in the group (whom the poster is unaware of) then sends violent hate mail to the official. SB 27 also contains no requirement that the third party's malicious use of the identifying information occur close to the time when the poster shared it. So, even if the hate mail was sent months after the post was made, the poster could still be charged. The uncertainty of trying to forecast the future actions of unknown third parties will leave would-be critics no choice but to stay silent if they want to avoid criminal liability under SB 27. A third problem with the bill is that it does not require actual injury to result from the posting of identifying information. It only requires that the information be used in a manner that would cause the identified person to have 'reasonable fear' of stalking or physical harm, or to experience significant economic harm or emotional distress. This adds yet another layer of unpredictability about what can lawfully be shared because of the subjective nature of what amounts to grounds for 'reasonable fear.' Taken together, SB 27's defects make it nearly impossible for would-be speakers to distinguish what information about another person can be electronically transmitted versus what could land them in jail. This will chill far more speech than the drafters of the bill likely meant to deter. As the United States Supreme Court has long recognized, laws with uncertain meanings as to what speech is prohibited 'inevitably lead citizens to steer far wider of the unlawful zone . . . than if the boundaries of the forbidden areas were clearly marked.' To be sure, SB 27 requires that the person transmitting the personally identifying information do so with 'reckless disregard' for how others might use the information, but that provides no safe harbor from criminal prosecution. 'Reckless disregard' can easily be alleged, even if it cannot ultimately be proven. Similarly, the bill contains a 'constitutional savings clause' that says it's not a crime if you post the information in furtherance of constitutionally protected activity. But, this is only an affirmative defense the poster will still have to prove. People will choose not to exercise their First Amendment right to speak, rather than risk fighting a criminal prosecution. Finally, SB 27 is largely duplicative of other Georgia laws that already prohibit the same conduct the bill seeks to deter. For instance, Georgia common law already recognizes the tort of publication of private facts. Georgia Code § 16-11-39.1 classifies harassing as any form of electronic communication being used to harm others. And Georgia Code § 16-11-37 punishes an individual who makes a threat of violent crime toward others. With such laws already on the books, SB 27 would be detrimental to First Amendment rights without actually providing significant additional protections to potential crime victims. The best course of action would be for the Georgia Legislature to reject SB 27. Short of that, the bill should be narrowed to restrict only the posting of identifying information that is not otherwise publicly available (e.g., bank account, Social Security, or unpublished cellphone numbers); require that the poster intentionally share the information for the sole purpose of causing violence or harassment toward the individual identified; and require that the sharing of the information cause actual harm (either physical, emotional or financial) to the identified person. Georgia lawmakers should take a critical look at SB 27 and either set it aside or significantly narrow it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
