Lawmaker Withdraws Bill That Would Have Targeted Muslim Garb

ATLANTA, GA — A bill in the Georgia House of Representatives that would have forbidden Muslim women from wearing burqas or face veils while driving in Georgia has been withdrawn.

House Bill 3, proposed by state Rep. Jason Spencer, a Republican from Woodbine, would have expanded a section of state law that was originally written to target the hoods worn by the Ku Klux Klan.

But Thursday, under bipartisan pressure in the legislature and facing cries of bigotry from citizens groups, Spencer said he was pulling the controversial measure.

"After further consideration, I have decided to not pursue HB 3 in the upcoming 2017 legislative session due to the visceral reaction it has created," Spencer said in a written statement.

Georgia's General Assembly is not yet in session. But Spencer had filed the bill on Monday, the first day lawmakers could pre-file legislation for the 2017 session, which begins in January.

Under Spencer's proposed bill, it would have been illegal to wear any sort of face covering in situations that include but are "not limited to operating a motor vehicle upon any public street, road, or highway."

It added the words "or she" behind the word "he" in the existing state law and would not have allowed photos for a state driver's license or other identification card to be taken of someone when their face is covered.

Georgia law already requires that a person's face be visible on state-issued photo IDs.

Critics decried the bill as bigoted, saying it serves no real purpose other than to single out Muslims in state law.

"On behalf of Georgia's Muslim community, we thank Rep. Jason Spencer for withdrawing House Bill 3," Edward Ahmed Mitchell, executive director of Georgia CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), said in a statement.

Mitchell said CAIR had reached out to Spencer in hopes of meeting with him, hearing his perspective and sharing the group's concerns about his proposed legislation.

"Although the controversy over HB 3 has come to a swift and welcome end, we still hope to eventually meet with Rep. Spencer in an effort to engage in dialogue, build bridges, and personally thank him for doing the right thing," Mitchell said.

Hours before pulling the bill, Spencer had defended it, telling WSB-TV that it was a response to constituents who were worried about Islamic terrorism.