GERALD GREENE: State House approves key legislation

The Georgia House of Representatives kicked off the fifth week of the 2023 legislative session by overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation to protect our critical infrastructure overseen by the Georgia Ports Authority, including the Port of Savannah.

House Bill 35 would give the GPA’s security employees the ability to preserve and protect its properties, projects and certain areas surrounding its coastal campuses. Local municipalities impacted by the port system have expressed their support for HB 35.

Additionally, we passed House Bill 52 on the House floor this week to update several other transportation and infrastructure laws. First, to protect the privacy of Georgians, this bill would exempt the Georgia Department of Transportation from open records when a driver’s data on public roadways reveals their vehicle information or other personally identifiable information. HB 52 also would allow coroners or county medical examiners to delegate medical personnel to perform certain duties when one of these serious accidents causes a significant disruption to traffic, which would give medical examiners more flexibility and allow medical personnel to arrive to the scene in a more timely manner.

Additionally, under this bill, the state would be able to provide permits to mobile home manufacturers to transport units that are up to 84 feet in length.

The House also passed legislation to update two laws that would affect Georgia drivers. Currently, Georgia’s Spencer Pass Law requires drivers to safely change lanes or slow down when approaching stationary emergency or service vehicles on our roadways so that drivers do not pass directly next to stopped emergency vehicles. House Bill 119 would update this law to also require drivers to move over for any disabled vehicle, such as another car or tow truck, that displays flashing hazard lights and/or yellow, amber, white or red lights if it is safe to do so.

House Bill 120, which also was passed, will update the list of individuals with a suspended, revoked or canceled license who are eligible to apply for a limited driving permit, which restricts where and when these individuals are allowed to drive. Under HB 120, individuals convicted of driving under the influence of a controlled substance or marijuana could also apply for one of these limited driving permits.

I had the honor of presenting House Bill 77 on the house floor to my fellow representatives. This bill would add a fourth Superior Court judge in the Dougherty Judicial Circuit. This fourth judge would first be appointed for a year and a half, and a nonpartisan successor would be elected in 2024. It is my pleasure to assist in helping Dougherty County by providing this much-needed judgeship.

My colleagues and I took time to honor Louis Graziano on his incredible bravery as a U.S. soldier in World War II. Born in 1923, Graziano is the last surviving World War II veteran to witness Germany’s surrender. Graziano was a master sergeant and fought in the third wave of the Omaha Beach invasion on D-Day. After D-Day, he also fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and he took part in the June 6 invasion of Normandy in 1944. He then served at the Special Headquarters Command in Reims, France, where he witnessed Germany sign the surrender document and then took the Germans to meet Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Graziano’s visit to the state Capitol coincided with his 100th birthday.

We are almost halfway through the 40-day legislative session. Each day we get closer to the infamous “Crossover Day,” which is the last day a bill can pass out of the House or Senate for the first time and still remain eligible to become law this year. As your representative, it is extremely important for me to hear which issues are significant to you and your family, especially before the Crossover Day deadline. If you find yourself in Atlanta during the legislative session, feel free to schedule a visit to my Capitol office. You may call my office at (404) 656-9210, or email me at [email protected].

As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your state representative.

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