Senate keeps working through week three
During our third week of the 2018 Legislative Session, we continued to pass legislation and honored many distinguished guests. In addition to voting on legislation on the Senate floor, we have also been very active in our committees. The Rules Committee, which I chair, has been very busy setting the calendar for the bills we will be voting on each day. We have also set our legislative calendar through Sine Die, which will fall on Thursday, March 29, and will serve as the final day of the 2018 Legislative Session.
It was a privilege this week to welcome members of the DeKalb County Fire and Rescue Team. In the early hours of the morning of January 3, 2018, dozens of firefighters rushed into an Avondale Estates apartment complex that was engulfed in flames. Among these individuals was Captain Scott Stroup, who heroically caught a young girl after her father desperately dropped her from nearly three stories up. These public servants put their lives on the line every day and as a volunteer firefighter myself, I felt truly blessed to have the opportunity to welcome them.
The Senate passed two pieces of legislation this week, the first being Senate Bill 194. This legislation relates to garnishments and defines rules for the introduction of evidence presented by defendants or third-parties, increases the maximum amount of disposable earnings that can be subject to garnishment and clarifies the rules on where and how documents are to be served.
The second was Senate Bill 327, relating to the requirements placed on medical examiners under the provisions of the Georgia Death Investigation Act (GDIA). The GDIA requires that in cases of “suspicious or unusual activity,” an autopsy is to be performed by the county medical examiner or a coroner. Under SB 327, deaths that do not occur as a result of foul play while the deceased was not under the care of a physician, are removed from this category, unless the initial medical examiner feels the need to further investigate. The bill will allow more discretion on the part of medical examiners, reduce bureaucratic overreach and free up time for coroners and county medical examiners to focus on serious crimes.
This week, we will have much more legislation on the Senate Floor for a vote and we will send several bills in and out of committees. As always, I am proud to serve the citizens of District 53, and please do not hesitate to reach out to me if I can ever be of assistance.
Sen. Jeff Mullis is chairman of the Rules Committee. He represents the 53rd Senate District, which includes Catoosa, Dade, and Walker counties and portions of Chattooga County. He can be reached at his office in Atlanta at 404-656-0057 or by email at jeff.mullis@senate. ga.gov.