House Special Rules Committee advances multiple designation bills, OKs blood-plasma awareness day and reinsurance resolution

The Georgia House Special Rules Committee advanced a slate of largely noncontroversial bills recognizing state symbols and observances and approved a resolution about reinsurance during a committee meeting and hearing. Lawmakers also approved a bill designating Feb. 17 as Blood Plasma Donation Awareness Day.

The items reached the committee after prior testimony; presenters generally did not repeat testimony and the committee used voice votes to move most items to the Rules calendar. Representative Sharper presented House Bill 259 (LC394556), which would designate the second Monday in August of each year as Local Elected Officials Day in Georgia. "This is not a day off holiday. It's just recognition of our locally elected officials, day in Georgia," Representative Sharper said. The committee voted to pass the bill on to Rules.

The meeting also moved several state-designation bills forward with little debate: House Bill 466 (LC620080) to make the Marsh Tacky the state heritage horse; House Bill 493 (LC620092) to make Pineywoods cattle the state heritage cattle breed; House Bill 146 (LC473231) to designate April as Black Women's History Month in Georgia; and House Bill 718 (LC590125) to establish the first week in April as Women's Golf…