State House Moving Quickly to Finish Session

 The State House of Representatives is moving quickly to wrap up this year’s Legislative session and last week passed a number of bills covering a variety of issues. 

Speaking at Saturday’s Eggs and Issues breakfast in Hartwell, State Representative Alan Powell said he was surprised at how  much the State Legislature has gotten done this year.

 “I thought it was going to be a dull year, but this has been anything but a dull year,” he said. “Then I have to scratch my head and remember this is an election year so anything is possible.”

Among the bills passed last week, HB 875,  which would expand the number of places where licensed gun owners could carry their weapons, but would also allow private property owners the freedom whether to allow weapons on their property. 

HB875 now goes to the Senate for consideration. 

State Representatives also voted to approve HB697, which would restore full tuition reimbursement for HOPE Grant recipients who maintain at least a 3.5 grade point average in our technical colleges. 

Restoring these funds will not only help technical college students, they will help Georgia have a more skilled workforce. HB 697 now also goes to the Senate for its consideration. 

The State House also approved last week legislation that would provide the same level of insurance coverage for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment when the drugs are administered orally as is now provided when the drugs are taken intravenously. 

Currently, patients who take the chemotherapy treatment orally often end up with higher out-of-pocket costs because of the high price of the drugs. HB 943 requires parity of coverage for both types of treatment. 

That bill is now in the hands of the State Senate.