Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 25. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 3A
Efforts to set standard time
all year proceed in state House
37. Assn, of oil-producing coun
tries
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - Georgia
would observe standard time
all year long under legislation
that cleared a state Senate
committee last week.
Senate Bill 100 would do
away with the current prac
tice of switching back and
forth between standard time
and daylight saving time
every six months.
“Most people want to stay
on the same time all year,”
Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savan-
nah, the bill’s chief sponsor,
told members of the Senate
Government Oversight Com
mittee.
Watson cited studies that
point to an increase in heart
attacks during the two weeks
in spring following the
switch from standard to day
light time.
On the other hand, judges
have been found to mete out
harsher sentences to criminal
defendants immediately fol
lowing the switch from day
light to standard time in the
fall, he said.
“It interferes with our
sleep ... for about a one- to
two-week period every fall
and spring,” he said.
Watson said his bill calls
for going on standard time
permanently only because
federal law prohibits states
from unilaterally going on
daylight saving time all year.
He said most people
would rather be on daylight
time permanently if given the
choice.
As a result, he has
amended his original bill to
provide that Georgia would
observe standard time all
year until Congress acts to
allow states to switch to day
light time permanently. If and
when that happens, the sub
stitute version of the legisla
tion the committee approved
on Wednesday would move
Georgia to daylight time all
year.
Before the vote, freshman
Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Stone
Mountain, said going on
standard time permanently
could hurt businesses in
Georgia. Earlier sunsets
would lead to fewer daylight
hours during the evenings for
shoppers, she said.
“I’m concerned this
would have a significant eco-
Week six has passed of the
2021 legislative session. We
are about halfway through
the session, and it’s almost
tomato seed-planting time for
me. The meetings are many,
and one-on-one discussions
about legislation are nonstop.
I have been getting lots of
emails and phone calls about
bills that are in committee or
on the floor for a vote. I do
my best to call folks back as
soon as I can—that includes at
7:30 in the morning ...sorry
about that. Of course, most
are on budget issues and elec
tions, followed closely by the
“Right to Visit Bill” (HB
290), and coming on strong is
HB 120, giving in-state tu
ition to illegal aliens who
have DACA status. I appreci
ate all the different sides of
these issues as we work them
out for Georgia. Please don’t
hesitate to let me know what
you think.
Casino gambling/gaming
is still being talked about in
the form of a constitutional
amendment that Georgians
would vote on. The proceeds
of gambling would go to
wards health care. If you
want more info or have a
comment, let me know by
using the contact info below.
I will be glad to send you the
most recent bill to look over,
too.
nomic impact, particularly in
the summer,” Jackson said.
But Watson, who is a
physician, said he’s heard
from trauma surgeons who
worry that later sunrises dur
ing the winter if Georgia goes
on daylight time permanently
would increase the risk of
children being hit by cars on
their way to school.
Watson’s bill isn’t the
The House unanimously
passed HB 163 to automati
cally enroll thousands of
Georgia’s most vulnerable
children in health insurance.
This would require the Geor
gia Department of Commu
nity Health to submit an
amendment to the U.S. De
partment of Health and
Human Services to imple
ment “express lane” eligibil
ity in Medicaid and the
PeachCare for Kids Program.
Upon federal approval of this
plan, the Georgia Department
of Human Services (DHS)
would automatically enroll
and renew eligible children
who already qualify for the
Supplemental Nutrition As
sistance Program (SNAP) in
Medicaid and PeachCare for
Kids. This bill was one of
those “why didn’t we do that
already” bills.
Who knew that it was
against the law to use a
mount for a telecommunica
tions device on the front
windshield of a motor vehi
cle? Well, it is, and HB 165
will make it easier to be de
vice hands-free while driv
ing.
Vaping has been an issue
here and across our state. We
passed HB 287, which will
require that mandatory in
struction on vaping be in
cluded when students are
only one before the General
Assembly dealing with time.
The House State Planning
and Community Affairs
Committee approved legisla
tion sponsored by Rep. Wes
Cantrell, R-Woodstock, last
month calling for Georgia to
observe daylight saving time
all year.
learning about alcohol and
drug use in every grade.
Adoption reform has been
a House priority for the past
few years. We have done a
lot, and this year we continue
to make it easier for Geor
gians to be able to adopt.
House Bill 154 will do many
things including lowering the
age at which a person is al
lowed to petition for adoption
from 25 to 21 years old. This
change would allow an older
sibling or another close rela
tive to petition for adoption
as an avenue for the child to
remain with these family
members if it is deemed as
the best option. It would cre
ate a civil cause of action to
address adoption scams
where individuals intention
ally misrepresent a preg
nancy or intention to place a
child for adoption. If you are
interested in adoption, I can
provide you with a copy of
the bill to review.
I greatly appreciate any
feedback I receive from my
constituents, and I welcome
you to contact my office for
questions or concerns about
the legislative session. My
Capitol office number is 404-
656-7153, and my email ad
dress is
rick.jasperse@house.ga.gov.
Please contact me any
time.
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12. New England state
14. Common gibbon
15. Tall coniferous tree
16. State capital
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48. Herbs
50. Ran after
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53. Barbary sheep
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55. Postscript
56. Drivers
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due north
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60. A facility equipped for sports
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Report from the Capitol
By State Representative Rick Jasperse
Clues Down
JASPER
55 Burnt Mtn. Road
Don t
Dillydally
we Ve got deals
right up
your alley.
OPEN Mon-Sat, 9 - 7
Phone: 706-692-9917