| Week saw GOP advance agenda ATLANTA - Republican leaders of the General Assembly saw mixed results for their legislative agenda last week, with several major bills advancing while others lingered in doubt. Long before they won control of both chambers in November, Republicans had promised to push for tighter restrictions on abortion if they ever became Georgia's dominant political party. This week, that campaign pledge came closer to reality when the House voted 139-35 in favor of a bill that requires a 24-hour waiting period on abortions and puts in place stronger parental-notification laws for teenagers seeking to terminate a pregnancy. "I am trying to protect the health of the woman and the health of the unborn child if she decides to carry it to term," said Rep. Sue Burmeister, R-Augusta, the bill's sponsor. "This bill is not about ending abortion. It is far from that." The legislation would allow women to have an abortion 24 hours after talking with a physician about the medical risks and alternatives to the procedure. Still, some Democrats opposed the bill, saying it puts too little faith in doctors and insults women by stereotyping them as "emotional" and unable to make decisions on their own. "This is a woman's decision," said. Rep. Douglas Dean, D-Atlanta. "We are only taking advantage of this because it's a political bone in some of our communities." The bill now goes to the Republican-led Senate, where it faces almost certain approval. The GOP had a rough time Thursday when a measure that would temporarily shield economic-development negotiations from public view was abruptly yanked from the Senate floor after Republican sponsors of the bill began to doubt the proposal would pass. The measure in question would prevent the public from viewing ongoing negotiations that involve incentives offered to bring companies to Georgia until the deal is complete. It easily passed the House earlier this month. In other news, the Senate on Thursday passed a ban on smoking in most public places. Reporters Brandon Larrabee and Vicky Eckenrode contributed to this article.
Reach reporter Brian Basinger at (404) 681-1701 or brian.basinger@morris.com.
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