SB 315 - Senate wrapup

Friday, the Georgia Senate passed SB 315, sending it to the House for consideration. The final vote was 41-11.

My previous comments on the bill can be found here and here.

During the deliberations on the Senate floor prior to the vote, Senator Bruce Thompson (one of the bill’s sponsors) made comments in support of the bill. Of note, Senator Thompson referred to the EFF as a “…radical group out of California, with just a few members”, referring to the concerns they (along with others) raised, as “noise”.

During the deliberations on the floor, Senator Jennifer Jordan raised several of the concerns that I have previously voiced about the bill, along with some I had not. After answering a few of Senator Jordan’s questions, Senator Thompson refused to yield the floor, effectively cutting off Senator Jordan from asking any further questions.

Senator Jordan offered an amendment from the floor, seeking to define unauthorized access as bypassing controls with malicious intent. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 33-20.

The Senate floor debate, including the exchange between Senator Jordan and Senator Bruce Thompson, as well as additional comments made by Senate Minority Leader Steve Henson about Senator Thompson’s cutting off Senator Jordan’s attempts to question him about aspects of the bill, can be viewed here.

The bill has been assigned to the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee for consideration.