US EditionGeorgia lawmakers advance bills to curb protests, raise penalties
Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Senate Bill 443 raising fines for roadway obstruction to $5,000 and allowing civil suits for property damage, aiming to curb disruptive protests.
- On Feb. 19, the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously advanced a pared-down SB 443, removing felony language and striking sidewalk-obstruction provisions.
- Following high-profile shootings in Minneapolis, lawmakers advanced bills citing increased vehicle-related officer deaths and support from Georgia police and sheriffs groups, and Rep. Ginny Ehrhart supported HB 1076, which would impose felony penalties.
- Under the revised SB 443, simple roadway obstruction would be elevated to a high-and-aggravated misdemeanor with up to a $5,000 fine and allow civil suits, while House Bill 1076 would impose felony penalties of up to five years and a $100,000 fine.
- Civil liberties advocates warned SB 443 could infringe on protected protests, while Georgia police and sheriffs groups supported tougher penalties, support from prosecutors was described as neutral.
- The bill now heads to the Senate Rules Committee and could reach a full Senate vote with four days before Crossover Day on March 6, 2026, amid legal overlap concerns, Mazie Lynn Guertin said.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Georgia lawmakers push for harsher penalties against protesters
Bills that aim to restrain public protests advanced in Georgia’s House and Senate in the wake of shooting deaths in Minneapolis that shocked the nation. One would expose people charged with blocking roads to stiffer financial penalties. Another would make it a felony to use a vehicle, whether moving or stationary, to block local, state or […] The post Georgia lawmakers push for harsher penalties against protesters appeared first on The Georgia S…
Anti-protestor bill gets toned down as it advances through Senate
The Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 19 unanimously advanced a pared down version of Senate Bill 443, which would increase the criminal charges and penalties for obstructing a roadway. Because such charges are commonly made against political protestors, SB 443 has alarmed civil liberties advocates, who say it infringes on protected First Amendment activities. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Carden Summers (R-Cordele) and 16 other Republic…
Rockdale Citizen & Newton Citizen
Protesters in Georgia could face harsher sanctions under new state legislation
ATLANTA — Bills to restrain public protests have advanced in Georgia’s House and Senate in the wake of shooting deaths in Minneapolis that shocked the nation. One would expose people charged with blocking roads to stiffer financial penalties. Another would…
Georgia Today: Harsher penalties for protesters; Info on new measles case; Fulton focus on elections
On the Feb. 24th edition: Protesters in Georgia could face harsher penalties under new legislation; More details on the latest case of measles here in the state; And Fulton County leaders say they are focused on maintaining election integrity
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