Thompson: Smokefree Cars for Children Act Has Bipartisan Support

Submitted by State Senator Bruce Thompson (R-White)

In four legislative days last week, the Senate passed fifteen Senate Bills, one Senate Resolution proposing a constitutional amendment and one House Bill. The topics of this legislation ranged from technology in our schools to guidance for the insurance industry.

The Senate approved the Governor’s proposals for a state-wide Opportunity School District. Through Senate Resolution 287 and Senate Bill 133, the state will have the authority to assist and improve schools that have failed to meet performance standards for 3 or more consecutive years.

This legislation is built on a model that has worked in a number of other states. This plan would give schools selected for the new district more ability to control where their funding goes, improve the educational culture at the school and provide a better chance of success for its students.

Our education system is a vital aspect of building an informed society, training our state’s workforce and developing tomorrow’s leaders. Sadly, there are a number of students in schools that are underperforming.

The Senate also passed Senate Bill 129, called the “Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” The bill protects Georgia citizens from the state government infringing on their free exercise of religion. This bill protecting religious freedom is incredibly important to me.

SB 129 would put a higher standard that is currently in place in thirty other states by either judicial precedent or state statue into Georgia law. Congress passed this standard into law through The Religious Freedom and Restoration Act of 1993. The bill says that the government can only infringe on the exercise of religion if it has a “compelling interest” in that infringement. This is a daunting legal standard that reinforces the religious freedoms outlined for us in the Constitution.

One of the bills I have authored this session Senate Bill 130, called the “Smokefree Cars for Children Act,” has passed the Senate Health and Human Services committee with bipartisan support after our long legislative day Thursday. The bill protects children in development stages of life from entrapment with secondhand smoke. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta helped extensively with this measure, and I thank them for their assistance.

This week, the General Assembly will be in session Monday, Wednesday and Friday for legislative days 28, 29 and 30, respectively. Day 30 is critical in the legislative process in Georgia. Called “Crossover Day,” it is the hard deadline for Senate Bills to be passed by the Senate and pass over to the House for their consideration. House Bills must crossover to the Senate in the same manner. Several Senate Bills have already crossed over to the House and a large number of bills will be passed before the end of day 30.

If you’d like to read full versions of the House bills that have crossed over to the Senate or Senate bills that are being passed over to the House, you can go to www.legis.ga.gov.

Before the rush of action in the last thirteen legislative days, I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to be the voice for District 14 in the Georgia Senate. If you have questions or concerns about bills in the Senate or coming to the Senate, please let me know.

Sen. Bruce Thompson represents the 14th Senate District, which includes portions of Bartow, Cherokee and Cobb counties. He may be reached at 404-656-0065 or by email at bruce.thompson@senate.ga.gov.