Sen. Randy Robertson. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
A bill banning gender-affirming treatments for inmates in state custody passed the Georgia Senate Monday.
Senate Bill 185’s sponsor, Cataula Republican Sen. Randy Robertson, said there are three lawsuits ongoing from inmates seeking gender-affirming care and he wants to nip the issue in the bud.
“When you see the tsunami coming, a lot of people wait until it’s at the shore, to start sandbagging and evacuating everybody and doing what you need to do,” he said. “I think if you look at the temperature that not only are we experiencing here in the United States, and obviously by these three lawsuits, people are attempting to do this, and it is the responsibility of this body and the body across the way to make sure we are prepared for what comes down the road, because as someone who understands crisis management and other things, you don’t wait.”
The bill passed with some bipartisan support, with several Democrats joining all Republicans voting in favor of the bill, and others simply not voting. Sens. Sonya Halpert, Ed Harbison and Elena Parent crossed party lines to support the bill, while Sens. Tonya Anderson, Jason Esteves, Randal Mangham and Nikki Merritt did not vote.
Sen. John Albers. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Roswell Republican Sen. John Albers gleefully pointed out the disunity among the Democrats.
“Let’s be honest, you as Democrats, in your own caucus are divided on this issue,” he said. “Throughout the last several votes, some of you voted with us, and others took a walk and did not vote at all. The overwhelming number of Georgians and Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, support this bill and the others. Candidly, if you vote against this bill, you are politically tone deaf.”
Parent proposed an amendment that would have allowed some inmates to continue taking hormones they had already been taking.
“I don’t believe that taxpayers should be responsible for funding the surgeries outlined in lines 68-69 and 71-72, including gender affirming surgeries, cosmetic procedures, or prosthetics,” Parent said. “But on the other hand, I believe that denying transgender prisoners access to gender affirming hormones that they are already taking, and in some cases may have been taking for years, is cruel and unnecessary.”
Sen. Sonya Halpern. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
The Senate voted down the amendment.
Halpern characterized the bill as a distraction.
“Not one tax dollar in Georgia has ever been spent on sex change surgeries for inmates, so let’s not pretend this is about fiscal responsibility,” she said. “This bill simply makes explicit what is already the practice in Georgia, and yet here we are debating this as if it were some looming crisis, as if Georgia’s prisons were on the verge of becoming gender-affirming care centers at the taxpayer’s expense. Let me be clear, that is not the reality here in Georgia.”
“But I am also a pragmatist,” she added, “and the simple truth is that I cannot in good conscience support taxpayer-funded medical procedures for prisoners that we do not provide to law-abiding citizens who are struggling every day to afford basic health care.”
Sen. Josh McLaurin. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Democrats who opposed the bill characterized it as cruel and unconstitutional.
“I know good and well that public polling does not support gender-affirming care for people who are incarcerated,” said Stone Mountain Democratic Sen. Kim Jackson. “But I am keenly aware of our history, a history in which public opinion has often not been on the right side of justice, a history in which public polling has often sided with the majority and further isolated and forsaken the minority. I know this is not politically popular, but I stand here today urging my colleagues to vote no on this bill, to vote no as a sign of your commitment to humanity. Vote no for dignity. Colleagues, I beg you, do not let public polling persuade you to do something that you know in your heart is fundamentally unconstitutional, and quite frankly, is downright immoral.”
Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Sandy Springs Democrat, said the bill could be seen as a violation of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.
“The Eighth Amendment being the one that says no cruel and unusual punishment,” he said. “I.e. you can’t deny medical care while you’re incarcerated because you don’t have the means to go get your own care. You’re stuck. So the state has to provide your health care. And the study committee in question was the safety and welfare of all individuals in the Georgia Department of Corrections. And yet, this bill just exempts medical care from one group of those individuals.”
Robertson said he welcomes prospective lawsuits.
Sen. Ben Watson, sponsor of the Senate’s puberty blocker ban. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
“People came to the committee and said this will open up more opportunity for individuals to sue, and my response to that is I’m fine with that,” he said. “Every piece of legislation that comes out of this building is subject to being challenged in court. We say it many times, you can write the best piece of legislation you want, but until it is evaluated and pressure-tested by a man or woman wearing a black robe, then you really don’t know how good the legislation is.”
The Senate has previously passed anti-transgender bills including bills to ban gender-affirming treatments from transgender state employees and their children on the state health care plan and to keep transgender girls off girls’ school sports teams. The House has passed its own transgender sports ban. The bills have until April 4 to make it to the governor’s desk.
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www.youtube.com – FOX 5 Atlanta – 2025-04-03 18:11:58
SUMMARY: Jose Monroy, 20, appeared in Gwinnett County court for a bond hearing related to charges stemming from the murder of 16-year-old Mia Campos last July. Initially charged with false statements, the charges expanded to include felony murder, malice murder, and fetocide, as investigations revealed he was the father of Campos’s unborn child. Prosecutors oppose bond, citing Monroy as a flight risk, a danger to the community, and a potential witness intimidator. The case also includes allegations of child molestation and statutory rape. Monroy remains in jail following additional charges of sexual abuse. The hearing is ongoing.
Jesus Monroy faces charges of malice murder and felony murder in the death of 16-year-old Mia Campos. On April 2, 2025, he had a bond hearing.
FOX 5 Atlanta delivers breaking news, live events, investigations, politics, entertainment, business news and local stories from metro Atlanta, north Georgia and across the nation.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-03 13:43:00
(The Center Square) – Georgia senators tacked a diversity, equity and inclusion bill into legislation initially addressing teacher leave while diversity bills are also moving through the Tennessee General Assembly.
In Georgia, the original version of House Bill 127 would have increased the number of sick leave days but didn’t make it to the Senate floor.
Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, said decisions on “admissions, employment, promotion, work assignments, resource allocation and other fundamental decisions in whole or in part” are based on “race, color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender ideology or sexual orientation,” in a late Thursday night Senate session.
The comments drew the ire of Sen. David Lucas, D-Macon, who Burns called a friend.
“I used to be your friend,” Lucas said before questioning Burns and going to the well to oppose the bill.
“I am appalled that you have the mitigated gall to bring such a thing into this body,” Lucas said. “You’re drinking Trump Kool-Aid.”
Senate Democrats introduced multiple amendments. Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes proposed the addition of a line that said, “Academic Freedom in the State of Georgia is under greater threat than ever. Please help.” The amendments were rejected and the bill passed 33-21.
It goes back to the House for reconsideration of its changes.
Tennessee Sen. Jack Johnson’s “Dismantle DEI Act” and “Dismantle DEI Departments Act” were given thumbs up by the Senate State and Local Government Committee and referred to the full Senate calendar.
Senate Bill 1083 prevents local governments and higher education institutions from making decisions based on diversity policies. State and local governments and higher education institutions would be prohibited from having diversity, equity and inclusion departments under Senate Bill 1084.
Sne. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, said the bills are “taking out things that prohibit people from discriminating against people.
“I think we are creating a mess that serves very little purpose,” Yarbro said during discussion of the bills on Thursday.
Johnson said the Lee administration did not bring the bills. He did reference President Donald Trump’s “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” executive order issued on Jan. 20 as a reason for the bill.
“Diversity is a wonderful thing but diversity for diversity’s sake alone and making diversity the No. 1 priority over merit and over running an effective and efficient state government, I think that is wrong,” Johnson said.
The House version of Johnson’s bills, sponsored by Rep. Aron Maberry, R-Clarksville, were deferred to the Wednesday meeting of the House State and Local Government Committee.
SUMMARY: The Club Car Championship, Savannah’s only professional golf tournament, begins today at The Landings, featuring 156 emerging golfers from the Korn Ferry Tour. This is the eighth annual event, offering a chance to win a $1 million purse while supporting local charities through ticket sales. Highlights include military appreciation day, a Spin Doctors concert, and the Seersucker Blazer award. Tickets start at $10, with free admission for military and first responders. The tournament runs from April 3-6, showcasing top talent and providing networking opportunities for sponsors, making it a significant event for the community and golf fans alike.
