4 | April 18, 2019 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | NorthFulton.com
NEWS
State Legislature tackles election equipment, Medicaid General Assembly stalls on Atlanta airport takeover By CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com ATLANTA, Ga. — The 2019 legislative season is in the rear window. While controversial bills concerning abortion and Medicaid grabbed headlines, legislators quietly tackled topics like medical marijuana and hemp farming. Here’s a rundown of some key pieces of legislation and how local elected officials voted. Election Reform HB 316 Status: Signed by governor Summary: With this bill, Georgia is set to get new election equipment across the state in the form of ballot marking devices. The new equipment allows voters to cast ballots on a touch screen, similar to current equipment, then the machine will print out a paper ballot that will be scanned and counted. Democrats and cybersecurity advisors generally opposed these machines, arguing a paper ballot filled out by hand would be less expensive and less at risk for hacking. Republicans and election administrators generally supported the ballot marking devices, saying the technology will be more familiar to voters and more accessible for some voters with disabilities. The bill also addresses other concerns from the 2018 election. New provisions state that polling places cannot be changed 60 days before the election, the state must wait longer before removing inactive voters from the registration list, and election officials may not reject
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absentee ballots on the basis of a mismatched signature. Roll Call: Albers, Y Beach, Y Martin, Y Robichaux, N Medicaid waivers SB 106, Patients First Act Status: Signed by governor Summary: This bill allows the governor to seek certain federal Medicaid waivers. The waivers, if granted, give Georgia the ability to expand Medicaid under conditions different than those set by the Affordable Care Act. Democrats generally favor full Medicaid expansion which would expand coverage to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, with the federal government providing 90 percent of funding. This bill gives the governor significant leeway in what waivers the state will seek, but caps the income threshold at 100 percent of the poverty line and sets a 2020 deadline. Roll Call: Albers, Y Beach, Y Martin, Y Robichaux, N Abortion limits HB 481, Heartbeat bill, Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act Status: Passed by Legislature Summary: This bill bans abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, which usually occurs around six weeks into pregnancy, with exceptions for rape
and incest if a police report is filed and for medical emergency. It also changes Georgia’s tax and child alimony laws so that an unborn child is considered a dependent. Roll Call: Albers, Y Beach, Y Martin, N Robichaux, N Airport takeover SB 131, Georgia Major Airport Authority Act Status: Failed to pass Summary: This bill would have created an oversight committee to review the operations, contracts, safety and financing of the Hartsfield- Jackson airport, while keeping ownership with the city of Atlanta. The bill went through several iterations, with some legislators seeking full state takeover and others angling for no state intervention. In the last days of the session, a jet fuel tax exemption and other transportation legislation was tacked onto the bill. Ultimately, it failed to pass. Home design deregulation SB 172, HB 302 Status: Failed to pass Summary: This bill that would have prevented local municipalities from creating regulations for home designs, such as roof shape or materials, was opposed by several cities and the Georgia Municipal Association. Ultimately, it failed to make it out of committee in either chamber. Medical Marijuana HB 324, Georgia’s Hope Act Status: Passed by Legislature Summary: This bill legalizes the
• Sen. John Albers (R-District 56: Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Roswell) • Sen. Brandon Beach (R-District 21: Alpharetta, Milton, Cherokee County) • Rep. Chuck Martin (R- District 49: Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton) • Rep. Mary Robichaux (D- District 48: Roswell) production, manufacture and dispensing of low THC oil by licensing six medical marijuana dispensaries and allows the possession of 20 fluid ounces for registered patients. Roll Call: Albers, N Beach, Y Martin, Y Robichaux, Y Hemp Farming HB 213, Georgia Hemp Farming Act Status: Passed by Legislature Summary: This legislation legalizes the farming of industrial hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant used for textiles, paper, biodegradable plastics and other materials. This bill authorizes the state to issue hemp grower licenses and sets regulations. Roll Call: Albers, Y Beach, Y Martin, did not vote Robichaux, Y
See LEGISLATURE, Page 37
Fulton passes on assessor appointment By CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Fulton County Commissioners failed to approve the appointment of an Alpharetta attorney to the Board of Assessors for the third time at its April 10 meeting. In February, Commissioner Bob Ellis nominated Alpharetta attorney Ken Zdrok to replace real estate developer Salma Ahmed upon the completion of her four-year term in July. “He has a pretty deep experience with appraisal, valuation, appeals, compliance audits, really running the full gambit,” Ellis said previously. “I think he would bring a tremendous amount of depth to the Board of Assessors, which as we all know has had its challenges over the past couple of years.” The vote failed February 20 and March 6 and was tabled at the commission’s March 20 meeting. There was never a motion to deny the appointment, but due to a lack of affirmative votes, the motion failed each time. The April 10 vote marks the third time the motion has come up for a vote, and the clerk can now remove it from the agenda. Zdrok’s nomination was supported by several mayors and
city council members from North Fulton. “I hope that we will respect the wishes of a vast majority of elected officials in North Fulton that this position would represent,” Commissioner Liz Hausmann said. Alpharetta City Administrator Bob Regus appeared in person at the commissioners’ meeting asking, on behalf of the city’s mayor and City Council, to approve Zdrok’s nomination. “We’re concerned about the tax digest, not just for Alpharetta but for all of Fulton County.,” he said. “We know, especially with the commercial assessments, there’s a lot of money that’s left on the table, and if we can just get the digest right, we can give more tax relief, we can improve services.” Ellis and Hausmann listed complaints against the Board of Assessors’ behavior over the past several years such as the failure to keep assessments in line with increasing values, the findings of the State Department of Revenue’s review in 2017 and a lawsuit accusing assessors of sales chasing. “It’s clearly an area that, when you look at the facts of the matter, the board has had some clear deficiencies and where new blood with critical experience and background can only serve to benefit our citizens,” Ellis said.