Lowering taxes? Of course. Improving education? Absolutely. Reducing crime? For sure.
But missing from the lists of legislative priorities of Coastal Georgia lawmakers in the upcoming session of the Georgia General Assembly has been any mention of two hot-button issues that could drop on their desks: election reform and legalizing sports betting and casino gambling
At a recent legislative preview on Skidaway Island, Sen. Ben Watson (District 1) and Rep. Jesse Petrea (District 166) indicated they had no stomach for another legislative brawl over voting and the election system.
When two members of the audience criticized what they said were the failures and weaknesses of the voting system, the two lawmakers, both Republicans, didn’t respond with pledges to return to the legislative trenches for another fight about voting.
Legalizing gambling? The issue didn’t even come up.
But Georgia’s legislature is still likely to take up this pair of highly controversial issues when it convenes Jan. 9 for 40 days of debate and horse trading.
Both Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and grassroots Republicans want changes in Georgia’s voting laws. And Rep. Ron Stephens (District 164), who introduced legislation legalizing gambling in the last session, said yesterday he’s set to do it again.
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