Rant: Georgia passes 'hate crimes' bill; silence follows. Plus today's headlines.

Share:

Listens: 0

HHPodcast: Newscast, rants from Northwest Georgia.

Miscellaneous


Today’s top headlines: State’s ‘Hate Crime’ bill needs only Kemp’s signature to become law after passage Tuesday by House, Senate. Business: Two hotels nearing completion in Cartersville — with a pair also due in Calhoun this year. Positive tests: 53 more in 24 hours in NW Georgia; now 1,613 locally; statewide, 67,678 and climbing by more than 1,000 a day. Wade Hoyt III resigns as Floyd County attorney, cites personal reasons. Virginia Harmon named interim county attorney. Ware Mechanical Weather Center: Half inch of rain Tuesday, a bit more possible today. High of 84 degrees. Truett’s Chick-Fil-A Sports Report: GHSA OK’s phased used of 30-second shot clock for basketball. Dr. Glenn White re-elected president of GHSA. RANT OF THE DAY: Pssst --the hate crimes bill passed. Just before dinner on Tuesday evening, this release arrived from state Rep. Vernon Jones, a Democrat from Lithonia which is way away from Northwest Georgia. It was his take on the passage of House Bill 426. “The Georgia House of Representatives voted 127-38 for the hate crimes bill today. It was a good step forward in the right direction although my amendment, which would have included political ideology, party affiliation and freedom of speech as protected classes, was not included in the final version of House Bill 426. I was still proud to support and vote ‘yes’ for this hate crimes legislation.” That was followed by a Tweet -- and nothing more -- from Gov. Brian Kemp's press team that reads: "@GovKemp commends the General Assembly’s bipartisan work and will sign House Bill 426 pending legal review." Twelve hours later, at 7 a.m. Wednesday, that is the collective response we've received on state lawmakers finally stepping up and joining most of the other 50 states in putting a "hate crimes" bill on the books -- again, pending Kemp's signature. So where are the normal self-accolades from our elected leaders on this one? And why was the Northwest Georgia legislative delegation so split on passing it?