Election reform, medical cannabis and horse racing on the line ahead of Crossover Day

ATLANTA — Tuesday is crossover day at the state capitol.

If a bill wants to become law, it must first pass out of either the House or Senate by the end of Crossover Day, or by most accounts, it’s dead for the year.

A lot of the big issues have been solved, but Georgia’s Speaker of the House told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot that there are some other issues that will get one last chance to make it out, including election reform and horse racing.

“It’ll be a busy day,” Ralston said.

He said they’ll try and deal with medical cannabis and possibly granting more licenses for producers and distributors.

We could see a vote on raising legislative pay. And then there’s election reform.

The House will vote on a bill that will clean up some of last year’s controversial election reform bill but will include Ralston’s provision that will allow the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to independently investigate allegations of voter fraud.

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What he thought would get non-partisan support, didn’t.

“I thought that would be the most non-partisan, good government provision of all the election stuff, and I’m finding I’ve got critics on both sides,” Ralston said.

Elliot also obtained video from the Senate rules committee with chairman Jeff Mullis wearing a riding cap, signaling that the Senate will vote on horse racing and pari-mutuel betting

That is something Mike Griffin with the Georgia Baptist Convention opposes.

“The horses’ nose is going to be under the tent,” Griffin said. “Pari-mutuel betting is not as benign and innocent as it looks. It may be the lesser of the three evils, but it’s still evil.”

And those other evils, according to griffin, are casino gambling and sports wagering.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Shooter accused of gunning down man near Atlanta Beltline denied bond Tom Arnold was found shot to death along Elizabeth Avenue last month.

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