2018 Legislative Session
LEGISLATION
ACLU of Georgia focused special attention on FIVE areas in the Georgia Legislative session. We used the following tactic: direct lobbying, working with coalition partners, media outreach, and mobilizing ACLU members and supporters through email alerts, People Power, social media post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as ads on Facebook and Instagram. For the last days of the session, we organized volunteers to lobby their legislators.
Criminal Justice Reform
Senate Bill 407 is Governor Deal's comprehensive criminal justice reform bill. Central to the bill are improvements to pretrial justice in Georgia, primarily as it relates to misdemeanor cash bail.
ACLU of Georgia position: SUPPORTED
Outcome: Bill was PASSED
Voter Rights
Senate Bill 309 and Senate Bill 363: These bills limit voter rights by rolling back from 8pm to 7pm, the closing time for voting inside the city of Atlanta and reduced weekend early voting throughout the state.
ACLU of Georgia position: OPPOSED
Outcome: Bill was DEFEATED
Senate Bill 375 gives faith-based child-placing agencies a license to discriminate against LGBT parents who are looking to provide a safe and loving home to abused and neglected children.
Immigration
Senate Bill 452, known as the "Deportation Pipeline Bill," would transform local police officers into federal immigration officers and mandate that, on the basis of a suspicion alone, they detain or transport people to a state or federal detention center.