Georgia Legislative Watch

The following is a detailed list of the Georgia Senate votes today and anyone not listed voted ‘yea’ on the measure in question. Time is computed from when the President of the Senate orders the Secretary to read the bill until the President gavels the issue as settled after the vote and is noted here primarily to give an idea of how contentious the issue at hand was on the floor of the Senate. As a rough guideline, a bill on the floor for 3 to 4 minutes received no debate at all.

Senate Bill 20, banning sanctuary cities, passed as amended by a vote of 37 – 9 with 4 excused absences and 6 Senators not voting on the bill. The nays were Senators Brown (D-Macon), Butler (D-Stone Mountain), Hooks (D-Americus), Lester Jackson (D-Savannah), Jones (D-Decatur), Orrock (D-Atlanta), Ramsey (D-Lithonia), Reed (D-Atlanta), and Curt Thompson (D-Norcross). Senators Fort (D-Atlanta), Tate (D-Atlanta), Steve Thompson (D-Marietta), and Unterman (R-Buford) were excused, and Senators Adelman (D-Decatur), Butterworth (R-Cornelia), Harbison (D-Columbus), Henson (D-Tucker), Shafer (R-Duluth), and Stoner (D-Smyrna) did not vote on the bill. This bill was on the floor for 10 minutes and 39 seconds.

Senate Bill 30, requiring gasoline suppliers to offer unblended gasoline, had three amendments fail on voice votes but the bill itself passed by committee substitute by a vote of 35 – 13 with 8 excused absences. The nays were Senators Adelman, Balfour (R-Snellville), Butler, Butterworth, Harp (R-Midland), Heath (R-Bremen), Henson, Judson Hill (R-Marietta), Moody (R-Alpharetta), Orrock, Stoner, Curt Thompson, and Weber (R-Dunwoody). Senators Brown, Fort, Hamrick (R-Carrollton), Johnson (R-Savannah), Reed, Tate, Steve Thompson, and Unterman were excused. This bill was on the floor for 1:09:51.

Senate Bill 38, allowing dead bodies to be used to train cadaver dogs, passed with one amendment by a vote of 43-0 with 9 excused absences and 3 not voting. Senator Williams (R-Lyons) voted present. Senators Brown, Fort, Hamrick, Johnson, Reed, Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), Tate, Steve Thompson, and Unterman were excused, and Senators Grant (R-Milledgeville), Murphy (R-Cumming), and Weber did not vote on this bill. This bill was on the floor for 3 minutes, 56 seconds.

Senate Bill 76, removing the requirement that certain reports be reported to the Department of Insurance, passed by a vote of 45-0 with 9 excused absences and 2 not voting. Senators Brown, Fort, Hamrick, Johnson, Reed, Seabaugh, Tate, Steve Thompson, and Unterman were excused, and Senators Grant and Murphy did not vote on this bill. This bill was on the floor for 3 minutes, 4 seconds.

Senate Bill 79, allowing for transparency in regards to child deaths or near deaths for children in State care, passed by committee substitute with one amendment by a vote of 45-0 with 11 excused absences. Senators Brown, Fort, Grant, Hamrick, Johnson, Murphy, Reed, Seabaugh, Tate, Steve Thompson, and Unterman were excused. This bill was on the floor for 3 minutes, 59 seconds.

Senate Bill 89, allowing food and drink to be consumed in mass transit stations, passed by committee substitute by a vote of 43-4 with 9 excused absences. The nays were Senators Douglas (R-Social Circle), Grant, Heath, and Bill Jackson (R-Appling). Senators Brown, Fort, Hamrick, Johnson, Reed, Seabaugh, Tate, Steve Thompson, and Unterman were excused. This bill was on the floor for 8 minutes, 20 seconds.

Senate Bill 105, allowing certain health reimbursement arrangements, passed by a vote of 48-0 with 9 excused absences. Senators Brown, Fort, Hamrick, Johnson, Reed, Seabaugh, Tate, Steve Thompson, and Unterman were excused. This bill was on the floor for 2 minutes and 42 seconds.

Senate Bill 120, changing some requirements of MARTA’s accounting practices, was passed with one amendment by a vote of 39-9 with 9 excused. The nays were Senators Balfour, Butterworth, Douglas, Grant, Heath, Bill Jackson, Powell (D-Blythe), Shafer, and Smith (R-Rome). This bill was on the floor for 5 minutes, 42 seconds.