By: Sen. Jeff Mullis (R – Chickamauga)
Once again, sleet and ice threatened metro Atlanta this week, forcing all state government offices to close at noon on Wednesday to ensure the safety of all state employees and Georgians. I think we can all agree that we were glad to see the winter weather pass and hope it will be the last of this kind of weather for the year.
On Monday, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 95. Currently, real estate brokers are only allowed to accept funds from designated escrow accounts which must be a federally insured bank checking account. SB 95 amends Georgia law to allow any FDIC insured account, including money market and savings accounts, to be used during a real estate transaction. SB 95 now goes to the House for consideration.
Senate Bill 34 passed with a vote of 50 to 2 and protects individuals who enter a parked vehicle to remove someone that is in imminent danger. SB 34 amends Georgia’s “Good Samaritan” law which offers protections for individuals rendering emergency care from liability of property damage or injury. Sadly, we have lost too many children who have been irresponsibly left in vehicles. This law simply protects those upstanding citizens who take action in hopes of protecting those in need of immediate help.
Police lineups have always been an efficient way to identify criminals or witnesses. Senate Bill 94 passed on Thursday by a vote of 53-0, and requires law enforcement agencies to adopt new policies regarding the identification of witnesses in a physical or photo lineup before July 1, 2016.
Senate Bill 88 authorizes employers to pay employee wages and salaries by a prepaid debit card from which funds may be withdrawn or transferred. Any employers who choose this method must provide their employees with an explanation of the requirements, along with the option to participate or not to participate. SB 88 passed in a vote of 43-8.
The Senate ended the week with Appropriations subcommittee meetings to review House Bill 76, which is the Fiscal Year 2016 general appropriations bill. Each subcommittee will conduct a careful line-by-line evaluation of the budget over the next several weeks to ensure we are making fiscally responsible decisions that contribute to the overall growth and prosperity of our state.
As always, I am honored to represent you in the 53rd Senate District. Please feel free to contact my office at any time to talk about pending legislation or address other concerns in our district – my door and phone lines are always open!
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For Information Contact:
Jennifer Yarber, Director
Jennifer.yarber@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028