[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6099759,"mediaKeyId","2816173-bb43ba2ee7fe0fb65bf65e2326f86c51","parentId",2816173,"title","Georgia House tightens fentanyl trafficking penalties after heated debate over mandatory minimums","audioSeconds",2157,"startMs",6428000,"endMs",8585000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2816173-bb43ba2ee7fe0fb65bf65e2326f86c51&start=6428&end=8585","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2816173-bb43ba2ee7fe0fb65bf65e2326f86c51/thumbnail_6428000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6099759/Georgia/Georgia-House-tightens-fentanyl-trafficking-penalties-after-heated-debate-over-mandatory-minimums","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099759-ea1b0f26912deba3778a2cc874054ff3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771108143&Signature=itzMGc4nXmaa3eZrl88s6Pk8~KtC-rNUZPxZuX72LL7Ni49HHENdY76OnkrL7oFpAs80oXD42mIVuUZNIi1unt5g7E2B4WxZCaRtVed7pCPdeTiwBm9Wpm7dIGbrNUq0Voo7-hHaDCyeXR6K~Ho0AUMDjPHnFHs725sdmpkPcVabv-0GeMY~GRzr~ycaIdT3Ab6UMl2m80qLJrq-Op1RqKiLL2VdLmfGV7Y1ZTw3VEZT8xsuJ7YFp0G6Tatknz8Vi9dB8syNh5X5Ti3Hn9YXcxBNufmsTOKiABALOAnqFBfLeb5sJyt4j~mjvFDBFxCE4-ZjNlNnEQwgNxdqDD~2Pw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Georgia State Legislature ","date","2025-03-28T00:00:00Z","article","The Georgia House on Friday approved Senate Bill 79, increasing penalties for fentanyl trafficking and raising mandatory minimum sentences for larger quantities of the synthetic opioid, voting 131-31.

Supporters framed the bill as a public‑safety response to a sharp rise in fentanyl deaths and large drug seizures they said show organized traffickers are bringing lethal quantities into Georgia. “This amount right here would kill everybody in this chamber,” Representative James Burchett said, holding up a prop while describing how small quantities of fentanyl can be deadly. Burchett, who presented the bill, said penalties rise with weight and include mandatory minimum terms of years in prison for higher weights, with a limited provision allowing departure from the minimum in narrow circumstances.

Opponents chiefly criticized the bill’s mandatory minimum sentences. “But the reason why I oppose this bill is because of the mandatory minimums,” Representative Scott Holcomb said, arguing that mandatory minimums do not deter crime and constrain judicial discretion. Holcomb noted that existing state efforts such as Austin’s Law do not include mandatory minimums and urged alternatives that focus on detection, prosecution capacity and prevention.

Other lawmakers urged passage as a necessary tool against a rapidly worsening overdose crisis. Representative Tran described local overdose incidents and the difficulty rural areas face in obtaining treatment and naloxone, and Representative Tyler Paul Smith recounted an investigation and autopsy photos that convinced him of the need for stronger trafficking penalties.

After passage, the House also voted 99-62 to immediately transmit the bill to the Senate.

What the bill does: As described on the House floor, Senate Bill 79 raises trafficking thresholds and ties increasingly severe mandatory minimum penalties to larger quantities of fentanyl. The measure includes a mechanism for judges to depart from mandatory minimums when narrowly defined conditions are met.

Why it matters: Lawmakers said the bill is aimed at large trafficking networks that import and distribute fentanyl, not at casual users. Supporters said the penalties will deter trafficking, protect communities and give prosecutors and judges tools to punish major distributors. Opponents said mandatory minimums historically have not deterred crime, risk longer prison terms without improving public safety and could overwhelm correctional resources.

Votes and next steps: The House approved the bill 131-31. The chamber also approved immediate transmittal to the Senate (99-62); the bill will now go to the Senate for consideration.

Representative James Burchett, who spoke for the measure, and Representative Scott Holcomb, who opposed the mandatory minimums, were among the more prominent floor speakers. Several members said they supported the overall goal of reducing fentanyl harm while differing on sentencing policy.

The House’s debate included multiple personal appeals from members describing local overdoses and family losses; members on both sides invoked recent seizures and fatalities as reasons for urgent action.

No technical implementation details, funding impacts, or enforcement roll‑outs were specified on the floor; the bill will proceed to the Senate for further consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Session Day 37: 03.28.25 (House)","oneSentenceSummary","The Georgia House on Friday approved Senate Bill 79, increasing penalties for fentanyl trafficking and imposing higher mandatory minimum sentences for larger quantities, passing the measure 131-31.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Georgia , Georgia","taxId",77688,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6099749,"Votes at a glance: Georgia House actions on March 28, 2025",5128,3991000,9119000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2816173-bb43ba2ee7fe0fb65bf65e2326f86c51&start=3991&end=9119","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2816173-bb43ba2ee7fe0fb65bf65e2326f86c51/thumbnail_3991000.jpg","/articles/6099749/Georgia/Votes-at-a-glance-Georgia-House-actions-on-March-28-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099749-f248cb5c000d0ef359793f4530b6ca9f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771108143&Signature=Q1xN5Yxwp1f~9n5f-S095cDnbux-tShs4fC4nhbYzBsPLj1YYKJeOQ8kUa9CugBED0S42ocM55pRnz5PMKuu4AjkkQI2xOkSnLQR8NEkf1wkVqDpEyKo-0QINHyQIZlDpfMFgwEupLLuZGhBg-m5vqQ072t6HlHiG2R4K4zbvzlXxJeLu5whjuhxM-upkJmFh5Nb6jpklkwT5NbgmT1Cvhv3dfp3fJiIWnDaGNBpqme3NThTGQJufOoL6IS3tiRlrFnpQc72zu48B88BKKxAh0hOAEtN3FXwnb5LxyIc1ITnwfVLS9Y95W3DpldMrXcfcI7UoCBFaEZ5ZyWEn~ro0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia House took final action on multiple bills and resolutions on March 28, 2025. Below is a concise summary of motions, votes and outcomes recorded on the floor.

Key floor outcomes

- House Bill 428 (in vitro fertilization language): House agreed to the Senate substitute to House Bill 428 (codifying access language related to in‑vitro fertilization and related legal language changes). Vote recorded on the floor: yeas 160, nays 0. (Presenter: Representative Franklin.)

- Senate Bill 180 (high‑demand apprenticeship): Passed on third reading after floor explanation. Vote: yeas 158, nays 0. The bill expands who may apply under the high‑demand apprenticeship program to include apprenticeship sponsors and trade associations, according to the floor presentation. (Presenter: Representative Matt Dubnick.)

- Local calendar (multiple local bills relating largely to homestead exemptions and local charters): The House passed the local calendar as a whole on a recorded vote; the yays were 160, nays 0. These were uncontested local bills that require a two‑thirds roll call for passage.

- Senate Bill 245 (grandparents visitation): Passed on the floor by recorded vote; the yeas were 160, nays 1. Sponsors described the measure as allowing grandparents who already have visitation rights to request revisions under certain circumstances (incarceration, death, disability of a parent) at most once every two years and requiring clear and convincing evidence that visitation is in the child’s best interest. (Presenter: Representative Townsend.)

- Senate Bill 147 (reentry documents and support for inmates exiting custody): Passed 163-0. The bill directs coordination for providing state‑issued identification, birth certificate copies and records to support employment for persons exiting incarceration, among other items, according to the chairman presenting the bill. (Presenter: Chairman Werkheiser.)

- House Bill 584 (Senate substitute): The House agreed to the Senate substitute to House Bill 584 (transferring regulation and mandatory reporting for certain behavioral health facilities from the Department of Community Health to the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities). Vote: yeas 163, nays 0. (Presenter: Chairman Petrie.)

- House Bill 86 (judicial pay): The House disagreed to the Senate amendment to House Bill 86 and immediately transmitted the House position back to the Senate following the disagreement. The chair stated the disagreement is meant to preserve the House’s original approach to judicial pay and to allow more study of a late amendment that touched executive branch pay provisions. (Mover: Chairman Leverett.)

Other notes

- Several ceremonial resolutions and recognitions were adopted by unanimous consent or voice vote; these included recognitions for community groups, athletic teams and visiting delegations.

- Multiple members used morning and afternoon orders to recognize constituents, nonprofits and local achievements; those ceremonial remarks do not change policy but were recorded on the floor.

For the floor record: the local calendar passage and multiple unanimous recorded votes show the House passed several noncontroversial items quickly, while contested, higher‑impact policy items such as Senate Bill 79 (fentanyl trafficking penalties) drew extended debate and separate coverage.

Votes below list each formal action and the vote tally noted on the House floor.","A roundup of final actions and notable floor motions taken by the Georgia House on March 28, 2025, including passage of several bills, unanimous local calendar passage, and the House disagreeing to a Senate amendment on judicial pay.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6099754,"House approves lower threshold for school equalization eligibility, adds penalty for deep millage cuts",420,5544000,5964000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2816173-bb43ba2ee7fe0fb65bf65e2326f86c51&start=5544&end=5964","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2816173-bb43ba2ee7fe0fb65bf65e2326f86c51/thumbnail_5544000.jpg","/articles/6099754/Georgia/House-approves-lower-threshold-for-school-equalization-eligibility-adds-penalty-for-deep-millage-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6099754-184fad77cd13382e6c3521807f359ad3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771108143&Signature=Txq1nZ7oJkbyomPSChiv0b4S~R0hYycbcQWYxowhUPu6zJEc2rmxPoIZ36RktU~B4J-qcTSRaYxmvNCNAFqJWglv~hzPSlQ-VH1SG8wyZe746nPImvf5iBqnlJ29XDubWvyN2W5CnxL7Q~rhJ8w2szBkKyPcZ-XMQE1zt02b-87RhCasiT54GJP1ZSr3Hj6QdMri6SxCn6BmBeGJBS7TQ0P7ndc29vrwuloVN5sU4X~DsCZquSeq4IB02pDc-etl-gtZg-SGEOimd5B3oRDhPgFEkGf1ABJxtUmN1rWJ9QHHzz9TuCUsNcOjZfiNLAuqo4EaThUDQguAKueKcCbTZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Georgia House on Friday approved Senate Bill 44, which lowers the threshold for school equalization eligibility from 14 mills to 10 mills and adds a 25% penalty on equalization funds for systems that roll back their millage below the new threshold. The chamber passed the measure with a recorded vote of 138-23.

Sponsor remarks: The member presenting the bill said the change does not alter the equalization formula itself or the local five‑mill share but would allow — not require — local school systems that receive equalization to roll back millage to the new, lower minimum over time. The presenter described the penalty as a “stick” to discourage precipitous drops in local effort: if a system goes below 10 mills it would incur a 25% penalty on equalization funds under the new provision.

Debate and concerns: Representative Martin voiced reservations, asking for a broader review of the Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding formula before making changes to a single component. Martin said QBE is a “complicated” formula built on many pillars and cautioned that differential millage actions by some counties could shift burdens across the system. Other members supported the bill, saying it preserves local control while offering a pathway for millage reductions.

Vote and next steps: The bill passed the House 138-23 and will proceed in the legislative process. Lawmakers did not provide a detailed fiscal note on the floor; technical details and potential fiscal impacts on individual school systems would be clarified in committee reports and the bill text.

Who spoke on the floor: The bill’s floor presentation and explanation came from the member representing the bill’s sponsors; Representative Martin spoke in opposition and asked colleagues to consider a comprehensive review of QBE before adjusting thresholds.

Context: Supporters said the bill will give some systems flexibility to reduce local millage; opponents warned the change could have unintended consequences for statewide school funding without concurrent review of QBE and local effort calculations. The statute referenced on the floor relates to state equalization grants and annual calculations.","The Georgia House voted to lower the equalization threshold from 14 to 10 mills and added a 25% penalty for school systems that roll back millage rates below 10; the bill passed amid debate about effects on the QBE funding formula and district contributions.","actionData","errors"]

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Georgia House tightens fentanyl trafficking penalties after heated debate over mandatory minimums

Votes at a glance: Georgia House actions on March 28, 2025

House approves lower threshold for school equalization eligibility, adds penalty for deep millage cuts