GA Bills Would Stop Pay To Suspended Officials Under Indictment

DALLAS-HIRAM, GA — Two measures aimed at taking paychecks away from suspended public officials under indictment are on their way to the Georgia Senate floor.

One of the measures, Senate Bill 218, sponsored by state Sen. Larry Walker of Perry, would provide “for the suspension of compensation for certain public officers who are suspended because of indictment for a felony.”

If passed, the bill would apply to officials like suspended Paulding County District Attorney Dick Donovan. Indicted on felony charges of bribery, false swearing and violation of oath of office in connection with sexual harassment allegations by a former employee, Donovan was suspended from office on Feb. 24 by Gov. Brian Kemp. Donovan has since denied the charges.

One of the bill’s 16 co-authors is freshman state Sen. Jason Anavitarte of Dallas, who has called repeatedly for Donovan to resign after he was indicted.

The other measure is Senate Resolution 134, which proposes amending Georgia’s constitution to allow suspending pay to officials indicted for charges related to their job performance. If the resolution is passed, the amendment would eventually have to be approved by Georgia voters.

“I feel like we are charged as elected officials and state senators to be good stewards with the taxpayers’ dollars,” Walker said Tuesday as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Walker filed the measures a few weeks after the Atlanta paper reported that indicted Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck had been paid more than $300,000 in salary and benefits following his 2019 suspension and replacement.

Both SB 218 and SR 134 passed the Georgia Senate government oversight committee on Tuesday.