Welcome to the Asian American Advocacy Fund’s Political Newsletter! We will share updates on political happenings, our work, and break down bills, laws, and how they impact Georgia’s AAPI communities.
We hope this will be an educational and helpful resource throughout the remainder of 2023 Georgia Legislative Session and beyond. Let’s get started.
Georgia’s Crossover Day, the final day for bills to pass from the House to the Senate or the reverse, came to an end on March 6 with mixed results.
Some bills such as HB 452, SB 221, and HB 136 never made it to the House or Senate floor, which means that they cannot be brought back up during this legislative session. Others crossed over, including SB 140 and HB 30. The Asian American Advocacy Fund will continue to fight in coalition to prevent these bills from moving to the Governor’s desk. Below you can see the results of Monday’s Crossover Day.
Wins
The following bills did not cross over, and cannot be brought up again this year:
SB 221 — Voter Suppression bill significantly expands mass voter challenges and we are deeply concerned about its impacts on our communities’ abilities to participate in fair and free elections.
HB 136 — Anti-Immigrant Mandated Reporting bill perpetuates anti-immigrant fear mongering specifically against undocumented individuals.
HB 452 — Discriminatory Property Ownership bill discriminates against Georgia’s immigrant and refugee communities and will impact their abilities to equitably own land in the state of Georgia. This bill also limits foreign investment and promotes anti-Asian hostility. We will continue to oppose a similar bill, SB 132, on the House side and make sure this bill never makes it to the Governor’s desk.
Losses
The following bills crossed over:
HB 30 — Redefining Antisemitism bill aims to create a formal definition for antisemitism to be used when determining matters related to hate crimes. We remain staunchly opposed to all forms of antisemitism, however share concern about the language and First Amendment implications of this bill.
SB 140 — Anti-Transgender Youth Healthcare bill would restrict Georgia families’ access to healthcare for transgender youth, jeopardize health care providers’ ability to do their jobs, and allow for government interference in families’ private health care decisions. This bill would ban certain pediatrician-recommended medicines that help transgender adolescents through puberty, and will put misinformation about gender-affirming healthcare into state law. This bill will be back in the Senate on Monday for some of the final steps of passage.
Actions:
Legislative Session is not over yet — we have less than 2 weeks to stop the bad bills still working their way through the system. You can find Calls To Action below that will allow you to contact legislators and voice your opinion on these bills.
SB 140 — Anti-Transgender Youth Healthcare Bill
Check out GA Equality’s call to action by clicking here
HB 30 — Redefining Antisemitism Bill
Check out AAAF’s call to action by clicking here
SB 132 — Discriminatory Property Bill
Check out AAAF’s call to action by clicking here
Sine Die is the last Legislative Day this year, March 29, so be sure to stay connected with us to be updated on the latest developments over the final 2 weeks of session.
