Tagged david ralston

Georgia House Speaker Addresses “Concerns” over “Religious Liberty” Legislation

Republican House Speaker David Ralston talked to the AJC about his thoughts on anti-LGBTQ “religious freedom” legislation, of which Gov.-elect Brian Kemp has expressed support. “I’d have to think through a...

Georgia State Capitol

Final efforts to pass anti-LGBTQ adoption bill fail as Georgia legislative session ends

Last-ditch efforts to pass an anti-LGBTQ adoption bill failed on the final day of the 2018 Georgia legislative session on Thursday, and for the fifth straight year, the session ended with the state avoiding pas...

House Bill 159 adoption

Georgia Senate passes adoption bill without anti-LGBT provision

The Georgia Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would rewrite the state's adoption laws for the first time in 27 years, and they did so without adding an anti-LGBT provision back in. House Bill 159 passed by ...

Georgia State Sen. Jesse Stone (R-Waynesboro)

Georgia Senate committee strips anti-LGBT language, passes adoption bill

The Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted 8-2 in favor of a bill to update Georgia's adoption laws without an anti-LGBT provision that caused the bill to stall in the final days of last year's l...

Jeff Graham, Josh McKoon and Park Cannon

2018 Legislative Preview: Lawmakers, activists weigh in on religious exemptions, hate crimes bills

Passing a modernized adoption bill is a top priority for the General Assembly and statewide LGBT advocacy group Georgia Equality in 2018, but a continued discussion looms over potentially discriminatory languag...