ATLANTA — A bill to limit street protests had a setback at the state Capitol Thursday. A committee hearing shut down when the sponsor of the bill didn’t show up to tell members why they should pass it.
The bill is a Republican measure to curb street protests. A quiet protest sprang up across from the Capitol Thursday morning. The bill would require those protesters to get a city permit first.
Critics of the bill packed the hearing room. But after a lengthy delay, House members learned the Senate sponsor wouldn’t be there to present the bill, which is essential for legislation to pass. The meeting was abruptly called off.
The bill would
- Require protesters to apply for permits, giving cities up to three business days to issue them
- It would add criminal penalties for protests that get dangerous
- And would make cities liable for lawsuits if they fail to control them.
"So if me and my friends are just walking down the street, is that a demonstration? Do I have to get a permit for that?" asked Jillian Eller of Atlanta, who was part of the sidewalk protest outside the Capitol Thursday.
"They would have had to have had a permit. They might have had to have liability insurance," said Isabel Ortero of the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, who was among those protesting the bill.
"This is needed legislation if you want to live in a safe community," Sen. Randy Robertson (R-Columbus) told the Senate earlier this month, shortly before it passed on a party-line vote.
Robertson was the no-show when a House judiciary subcommittee met Thursday to hold a hearing on the bill. More than a dozen people had signed up to speak on the measure.
The committee called it off with no indication they’ll consider it again.
Robertson was at the Capitol Thursday, seen at another committee hearing talking about an unrelated bill. He did not return a text message seeking comment.