Local News
The journey of Senate Bill 5
Ralston: ‘Still time to take a look at it’
DALTON — The legislation in the Georgia General Assembly that seeks to drop the exemption of pickup truck drivers and riders from wearing seat belts — Senate Bill 5 — was first proposed in 2006.
“The bill passed the Senate then with only 10 or 12 members voting against,” said state Sen. Don Thomas, the bill’s creator. “It went to the House and was put in the Ag Committee, and the chairman of the committee put it under a sub-committee chaired by Jay Roberts (D-Ocilla). (House) Speaker (Glenn) Richardson told them to sit on it there. They sat on it two years and wouldn’t let it out.”
In 2008, the Senate voted on the bill again and there were only four dissenting votes, Thomas said, but it stayed under the same House sub-committee. In 2009, there were enough votes to get the bill out of the sub-committee, but the chairman called it up for a vote on a day when one of the members was in the hospital, so with the tie vote the chairman voted against it.
“They did vote to keep it for consideration, and that means it kept it alive and it can be voted on at anytime,” Thomas explained.
At one point he said he and other sponsors tried to put the bill on fresh legislation as an amendment, but Thomas said Richardson called Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and told him any bill with seat belts as an amendment was “dead on arrival.”
SB 5 is also sponsored by the following senators (with districts): Jack Hill, 4th; Seth Harp, 29th; Doug Stoner, 6th; Judson Hill, 32nd; and Curt Thompson, 5th.
But with a new sheriff in the house due to the ascendancy of Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) to House Speaker, Thomas believes the time has come to pass the bill.
“Ralston has told the Ag Committee chairman (now Tom McCall, R-Elberton) he wants to vote on it,” Thomas noted, “and the governor (Sonny Perdue) has told Jay Roberts it’s a new era and it’s time to vote on it and allow it to pass.”
Ralston said on Saturday that the Legislature — which starts back to work Monday after taking a “midway break” for two weeks — has been focused on the state budget. When asked if a vote had been set on SB 5 in the House, he replied, “No, I’m not aware that any has been.”
“Besides the budget, we have other issues like transportation and water, but we have not set aside much time for anything else,” he said. “I don’t want to say whether any decision has been made whether (SB 5) will be voted on or not, but we’ve got 20 more days ... I think we’ll still have time to take a look at it.”
If the legislation passes, farmers in agricultural settings will be exempted from wearing seat belts. Thomas said several organizations and businesses have lined up to endorse SB 5, including the American Automobile Association, Georgia Trial Lawyers, Georgia Municipal Association, Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Hospital Association, Medical Association of Georgia, Safe Kids Georgia General Assembly, State Farm Insurance and Georgia Chamber of Commerce.
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Public gets ‘sneak peek’ at Crown Gardens and Archives work
Sam Brown, left, a member of the Crown Gardens restoration team, talks with Hal Millsap of Dalton, who was born in the Crown Mill Village, Saturday about the restoration, which includes a bust of Brig. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Matt Hamilton/The Daily Citizen
When Karen Smith was born her parents brought her home to 410 Chattanooga Ave., just down the street from Crown Garden and Archives, the primary repository of Dalton’s history where much-needed restorative efforts are under way. Her husband, Michael, grew up a little further south, near the intersection with Selvidge Street.
Continued ... - Whitfield candidates stress personal communication as key to runoff chances
- Early voting in Dalton under way; Chatsworth on Monday
- Murray school board candidates prepping for runoff
- Whitifield, Murray candidates respond to questions
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