The House Reapportionment Committee plans 11 public hearings on redistricting, starting April 17 in Watkinsville. Other hearings will be April 18 in Atlanta, April 24 in Helen, April 25 in Augusta, May 1 in Perry, May 2 in Waycross, May 3 in Savannah, May 15 in Valdosta, May 16 in Albany, May 17 in Columbus and May 23 in Dalton. Senate State and Local Governmental Operations Committee approved bill for a pilot project in electronic voting. The measure also would move Georgia's primary from the third week of July to the first week of August and hold non-partisan elections during summer to reduce November ballot size. Staff and wire reports The Senate Finance and Public Utilities Committee was scheduled to decide whether to support a bill by Sen. Mike Polak, D-Atlanta, that would increase penalties on illegal use of the games while effectively making sure the games themselves stay legal.
State law prohibits cash payouts from the games.
But critics say that law is widely ignored and that, in other cases, players are encouraged to redeem prizes for cash. But critics say the bill doesn't go far enough and provides too many loopholes in a law that would be hard to enforce. Schneider and Polak fired back that the proposed bill to ban the games could be interpreted to outlaw children's video games and games that give prizes, like Skee-ball. We have to have law enforcement folks who are arresting and prosecuting folks who break the law,'' he said. Both Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and Gov. Roy Barnes have been keeping an eye on video gambling in Georgia, according to staff members, although neither has publicly announced a position on the bills moving through the Senate.