ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp signed controversial legislation Thursday denying the use of state funds for sex reassignment surgery, hormone replacement surgeries and other gender-affirming care sought by Georgia prison inmates.
Georgia House Democrats walked out of the chamber in protest when the Republican-controlled General Assembly gave final passage to Senate Bill 185 early last month on the next-to-last day of this year’s legislative session. Only two Democrats remained in their seats to vote “no” on the bill, which had cleared the state Senate in early March largely along party lines.
Republicans held out the bill as a fiscally responsible step amid widespread public opposition to spending tax dollars on such procedures for Georgians in the state’s custody. Supporters also pointed to exceptions in the bill that will allow the state Department of Corrections to pay for “medically necessary” treatments, including for those inmates born with chromosomal abnormalities resulting in ambiguity regarding their biological sex.
Democrats argued the legislation is a mean-spirited attack by the GOP affecting Georgia’s tiny transgender community at a time lawmakers should have been addressing more important priorities including education, health care, and public safety. Opponents noted that only five state inmates have asked for such health care.
Kemp signed the bill during a trip to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. He also signed several other measures related to public safety, including legislation granting the Georgia Bureau of Investigation subpoena power in investigating cyber crimes and doubling the indemnification benefit for public school employees killed in the line of duty from $75,000 to $150,000.
Kemp traveled to the Georgia Forestry Association offices in Forsyth later Thursday to sign legislation aimed at helping Georgia farmers and timber producers who suffered losses from Hurricane Helene.
House Bill 223 exempts federal crop loss payments and disaster payments from the state income tax, establishes a reforestation tax credit to help timber producers recover from the storm, allows local governments to temporarily suspend their collection of the harvest tax on timber producers to assist them in cleanup efforts, and provides a temporary addition to the state sales tax exemption on purchases of building materials to repair and rebuild poultry houses, livestock facilities, greenhouses, and other agricultural structures.
“Our farmers and foresters are tough people,” Kemp said. “Their commitment to moving forward after all they’ve faced is an inspiration to us all.”