Albers Voices Support for Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Submitted by Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell)

We have successfully completed day 27 and what I believe to have been the busiest week yet. I am extremely proud of what the Georgia State Senate has accomplished thus far and with less than a month left to vet and vote on legislation, we will push even harder to make a positive difference in Georgia.

Last week, we passed Senate Bill 34, an amendment to Georgia’s “Good Samaritan” law. The bill will protect individuals who enter a parked vehicle to remove individuals who are in imminent danger. SB 34 will amend Georgia’s “Good Samaritan” law protecting 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.

SB 95, which was passed last week, will affect many of my constituents who work in the real estate business, and I believe it is important to keep all of you informed about changes related to different industries in Georgia. SB 95 changes the depositing requirement by providing that any funds collected through a real estate transaction must be deposited into a “federally insured account at a financial institution” rather than in a “federally insured checking account” of the real estate agent or broker.

This week, we passed several bills that are designed to improve the education experience for our youngest citizens. Tuesday, we passed SB 89, the Digital Classroom Act, which encourages all instructional material purchased by local boards of education to by in digital or electronic format by July 1, 2020. This bill suggests that all students are provided with a free laptop, tablet or other wireless electronic device.

However, not all school boards have the funding needed to purchase these devices. For this reason, funding assistance will be provided through state appropriations to assist certain districts. It is my hope that our students will be able to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century, and this bill allows for that to happen. As the sponsor of this bill, I worked diligently to ensure its passage through the Senate and will do whatever is needed to see SB 89 pass the House.

After several hours of debate, the Senate passed Governor Deal’s “Opportunity School District” legislation. SR 287 calls for a constitutional amendment that will authorize the creation of the “Opportunity School District” and will need approval from Georgia voters. Upon ratification of the constitutional amendment by voters in the 2016 General Election, SB 133 will establish a state-wide school district that will provide oversight for public schools that are defined as persistently failing for three consecutive years.

On Thursday, the Senate took a step towards ensuring the citizens of Georgia have the freedom to express their religious beliefs with the passage of SB 129, the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act. SB 129 was written to closely mirror the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed in 1993. This bill restores a higher standard for the state government to restrict the free exercise of religion. Thirty states already have a version of this bill in place and I hope that Georgia will become the thirty-first.

We are fast approaching day 30, which is the final opportunity for each chamber to vote on their respective bills and to decide whether it will pass and move to the other chamber to potentially become Georgia law. Next week the General Assembly will be working diligently and as your Senator, I will do my best to ensure that the Senate is passing sound legislation that is in the best interest of the citizens of District 56.

I am humbled that you chose me to represent the 56th Senate District and I will do my best to ensure that your best interests are in the forefront of my decision making process. If you have any questions or concerns regarding pending legislation, please feel free to reach out to me at any time!

Sen. John Albers serves as chairman of the State and Local Government Operations. He represents the 56th Senate District which includes portions of north Fulton and Cherokee counties. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at john.albers@senate.ga.gov.

Photo credit: Georgia General Assembly