ATLANTA, Ga. (WJBF) - State Republicans at The Capitol passed a sweeping elections bill that Governor Brian Kemp signed into law just hours later Thursday night.
Senate bill 202 will bring lots of changes to mail in voters that some say could hurt African American voters while proponents say it's needed for safer elections.
Atlanta Bureau Chief, Archith Seshadri, talks to Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock about the changes.
Senator Raphael Warnock says the new voting law in Georgia is a step back.
Warnock said, "They are trying to make it harder for people to vote than make it easier."
Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock says what happened with SB 202 is undemocratic and unamerican and he will fight in Congress to fight for a Voting Rights Act to make sure every American vote counts.
It's urgent, our democracy is in a 911 emergency.
The law would make it a crime to pass out food or water to voters in line, require id proof for absentee voters and restrict the use of drop boxes.
There's major problems with what they passed. And as bad as it is, what they were trying to pass was even worse. SB 202 will allow for a hostile take over of local boards of elections if the Georgia legislature filled with politicians doesn't like the outcomes of an election.
Democrats call it a modern era Jim Crow law and say its retaliation for Georgia flipping blue in the recent elections. Republicans say the law will secure elections and prevent voter fraud.
Our own Secretary of State said the recent election was not ripe with fraud. We counted the votes not once, not twice, but three times.
Several groups filed lawsuits saying the law violated the voting rights act.
"What the state legislature did yesterday was try to arrest the voices and votes of the people," said Senator Warnock.
As Governor Kemp signed the law, state police arrested a Georgia lawmaker, Democratic Representative Park Cannon, after she said she wanted to see the governor sign it and knocked on the door.
Canon was charged with two felonies and later released from the Fulton County jail last night.
Governor Kemp responded to President Biden's attack on Election Integrity Legislation.
Kemp tweeted,
| “It is obvious that neither President Biden nor his handlers have actually read SB 202, which I signed into law yesterday. This bill expands voting access, streamlines vote-counting procedures, and ensures election integrity. There is nothing ‘Jim Crow’ about requiring a photo or state-issued ID to vote by absentee ballot – every Georgia voter must already do so when voting in-person. President Biden, the left, and the national media are determined to destroy the sanctity and security of the ballot box. As Secretary of State, I consistently led the fight to protect Georgia elections against power-hungry, partisan activists. As Governor, I won’t back down from keeping Georgia elections secure, accessible, and fair.” |
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