Immigration

The killing of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley motivated Republican legislators to prioritize bills seeking more stringent immigration enforcement.

Pending bills would require local law enforcement and governments to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, preventing sheriffs from releasing people from jail after they’ve posted bail instead of holding them for potential deportation.

One measure, House Bill 1105, would require law enforcement officers to verify the immigration status of people they arrest and require sheriffs to comply with requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain them for an additional 48 hours until they can be transferred to federal custody.

Another proposal, House Bill 301, would allow any citizen to sue local government officials who they don’t believe are enforcing immigration laws.

Okefenokee Swamp

Advocates seeking to protect the Okefenokee Swamp are hoping for a late-session bill that would curtail future mining.

The legislation, Senate Bill 132, wouldn’t prevent state environmental authorities from issuing permits for a 582-acre mine along the east side of the Okefenokee.

But the bill would pause permitting of new mines that use the same kind of “dragline” technique to dig up a compound used in toothpaste and paint.

Despite broad support for conserving one of Georgia’s natural treasures, the bill hasn’t advanced in the state Senate after clearing the state House on Tuesday.

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