Legislation Made Simple
Sine Die! That’s the Latin phrase used at the legislature to herald the last day of the session, which occurred on Holy Thursday (March 28, 2024). For our wrap-up show we tell which bills passed, which didn’t, and which will probably return in some form next year. The issues we cover include religious freedom, sports betting, parental rights, pornography, marijuana, and more.
Our show will go into hiatus until January 2025 when the legislature reconvenes, but we’ll keep our ears to the ground until then so we can tell you what to expect. Talk to you in 2025!
Going into the final week of the 2024 legislative session (which, more importantly, is also Holy Week), we observe the frantic race to pass some bills and stop others before it all comes to a grinding halt at midnight on Thursday, March 28. On our show this week we’ll focus on some of the bills we’ve been following – dealing with religious freedom, gambling, parental rights, pornography, marijuana, and more – and tell you which are stalled and which are on the move (perhaps with the help of perfectly legal sleight of hand). The plot thickens!
Dr. Gregg Raduka of Georgians for Responsible Marijuana Policy
We look at an issue that has loomed large in Georgia over the past few years: the legalization (for some purposes) of marijuana. We are joined by the preeminent expert in Georgia, Dr. Gregg Raduka of Georgians for Responsible Marijuana Policy. Explaining the science of marijuana and addiction, as well as the experiences of other states that have legalized the drug, Dr. Raduka warns of severe health effects and increased social costs. He also explains the state of the law in Georgia with respect to so-called medical marijuana, “hemp edibles,” etc., and what bills he and his team are monitoring in the legislature this session. This is part 2 of a two-part interview
Dr. Gregg Raduka of Georgians for Responsible Marijuana Policy
We look at an issue that has loomed large in Georgia over the past few years: the legalization (for some purposes) of marijuana. We are joined by the preeminent expert in Georgia, Dr. Gregg Raduka of Georgians for Responsible Marijuana Policy. Explaining the science of marijuana and addiction, as well as the experiences of other states that have legalized the drug, Dr. Raduka warns of severe health effects and increased social costs. He also explains the state of the law in Georgia with respect to so-called medical marijuana, “hemp edibles,” etc., and what bills he and his team are monitoring in the legislature this session. This is part 1 of a two-part interview
As the legislature has just completed the critical Crossover Day (which at least theoretically determines which bills are still alive to be enacted this session), we take this show to update the fates of the various bills we’ve been following. We discuss religious liberty, gambling, child-protection, the death penalty, immigration, and more. We also explain the significance of the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling on the status of human embryos created for IVF.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 2241
- The Truth About Alabama’s Ruling on IVF
- Alabama Rules that Embryos are Children
- What is the Catholic Church’s position on IVF?
Crossover Day – the day by which a bill must pass one chamber of the legislature in order to be considered by the other chamber – is Thursday, February 29, 2024. On this week’s show, we update our listeners on the various bills we’ve been watching - which ones have passed a committee, which have passed the full House or full Senate, and which haven’t moved. The bills we discuss concern gambling, education, protecting children from pornography, religious freedom, and the death penalty. Check the bill-tracking spreadsheet on the Legislation Made Simple page on TheQuestAtlanta.com for details about each bill.
Matt Sharp, Senior Counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom
We talk to Matt Sharp, Senior Counsel and Director of the Center for Legislative Advocacy at the nonprofit law firm, Alliance Defending Freedom. Matt explains the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which is pending in Georgia as SB 180 – what problem it seeks to address, how it would work, and why he thinks Georgia should join dozens of other states in protecting its citizens’ religious freedom through RFRA.
Resources
- GA SB180: Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act
- Alliance Defending Freedom
- Matt Sharp: Senior Counsel, Director of Center for Legislative Advocacy
- Why GA Needs a Religious Freedom Restoration Act (video)
- Citizen Impact Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act
- ADF Church Alliance The Equality Act would fundamentally threaten American freedoms
Rhonda Thomas, founder of the pro-family group Truth in Education
Rhonda Thomas discusses two bills in the Georgia Senate that aim to protect children from pornographic materials in school libraries. She explains how this problem came to be, what ramifications it has for children, and how parents can engage with the effort to de-porn school libraries through such organizations as Georgians for Responsible Libraries.
Resources
- SB 154
- SB 390
- Truth in Education
- Georgians for Responsible Libraries
- Most States Have Exempted School Libraries From Obscenity Laws, By Alice Giordano, Epoch Times, pdf
- Georgians for Responsible Libraries GAFRL.com Obscene Books. Legislative Day at the Georgia State Capitol. Guest speaker Jaco Booyens
- How to spot trafficking? 5 Things to Know
Dr. Michelle Cretella, pediatrician, writer, researcher, and speaker
Several bills are being introduced in the Georgia legislature to protect children from exposure to pornography in schools, in libraries, and online. We talk with pediatrician Dr. Michelle Cretella about the toxic effects of pornography on the developing child and adolescent brain - and how that poison results in social, behavioral, and spiritual dysfunction. Dr. Cretella paints a troubling picture but offers advice to parents about how to “porn-proof” their children.
Resources
Dr. Quentin Van Meter, Pediatric endocrinologist
In 2023 the legislature passed a bill to protect minors from being administered cross-sex hormones and surgeries to make them look and sound like the opposite sex. That legislation, though, did not protect these trans-identifying children from being given harmful puberty-blocking drugs. Legislation to fill this gap may be introduced in the 2024 legislative session. Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Quentin Van Meter discusses how these drugs work, what physical and mental problems they can create, and why other states are beginning to ban them.
Resources
Les Bernal of Stop Predatory Gambling
Given the sprint in the Georgia legislature to pass one or more bills to legalize online sports betting, we invited Les Bernal of Stop Predatory Gambling to tell us the inside story of online gambling and why he thinks it’s bad for families (and therefore for society). Les, a devout Catholic who lives in Massachusetts, is a nationally-recognized expert on the gambling issue who testifies throughout the country, including in Georgia, to warn legislators of the risks. This enlightening interview is a companion piece to the two shows on legalized gambling Legislation Made Simple did in 2023, one with Mike Griffin (January 28, 2023) and the other with Dr. John Kindt (February 4, 2023).
Resources
The Georgia General Assembly is back in session, and Legislation Made Simple returns to get listeners up-to-speed on the legislative process in Georgia, in preparation for upcoming weekly discussions of specific issues being debated at the Georgia Capitol. Learn how the Georgia legislature operates, how a bill gets enacted (or defeated), and who is in leadership roles in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and various committees. Discover how you can affect legislative decision-making by meeting with your representative/senator, attending and testifying at committee hearings, and generating public support for your preferred position.
Visit the Legislation Made Simple website page for helpful links to stay informed and be more involved in what’s going on under the Gold Dome.
Dr. Quentin Van Meter, Atlanta pediatric endocrinologist and past-president of the American College of Pediatricians
In part 1 of our discussion with Dr. Quentin Van Meter, he told us the history of transgender ideology and why it’s medically unsound. In this episode, he expands on the severe problems that can result from medical interventions to “affirm” a child’s confusion about his sex. He also gives advice about what parents can do if confronted with this situation.
Resources
- Information about the American College of Pediatricians
- Information from the American College of Pediatricians website on gender confusion and transgender identity
- Video titled The terrible fraud of ‘transgender medicine’ - a presentation by Dr. Quentin Van Meter at the Teens4Truth Conference held in Ft. Worth, TX, on Nov. 18, 2017. Dr. Van Meter who was in the Johns Hopkins Univ. Hospital group where “transgender medicine” was developed describes the lies, bad medicine, and fraud behind that movement.
- Article: “Dr John Money and the sinister origins of gender ideology”
Dr. Quentin Van Meter, Atlanta pediatric endocrinologist and past-president of the American College of Pediatricians
Dr. Van Meter explains the origin and history of the “transgender” phenomenon and outlines the medical risks – physical and psychological – of “gender-affirming treatment” for children and teens who identify as transgender. He relates why the American College of Pediatricians has labeled use of puberty blockers, wrong-sex hormones, and surgeries for these young people as “child abuse.”
Resources
- Information about the American College of Pediatricians
- Information from the American College of Pediatricians website on gender confusion and transgender identity
- Video titled The terrible fraud of ‘transgender medicine’ - a presentation by Dr. Quentin Van Meter at the Teens4Truth Conference held in Ft. Worth, TX, on Nov. 18, 2017. Dr. Van Meter who was in the Johns Hopkins Univ. Hospital group where “transgender medicine” was developed describes the lies, bad medicine, and fraud behind that movement.
- Article: “Dr John Money and the sinister origins of gender ideology”
A wrap-up report on the legislative session that ended March 29, 2023
We discuss the bills that passed (some protections for trans-identifying youth, a ban on mandatory Covid vaccinations) and those that failed (expanded gambling, school vouchers, and massive mental-health overhaul). We also preview the 2024 session to predict what issues might be revisited. We encourage listeners to use the off-season to get to know their legislators.
Resources
- Visit www.legis.ga.gov for information on bills, committees, and legislators.
