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HB 1226- Crimes; justification for use of force in defense of self or others; revise standards – OPPOSE
On Tuesday, the House Judiciary (Non-civil) Committee heard HB 1226, Rep. David Clark’s bill to expand Georgia’s “Stand Your Ground” Law. We’ve included the recording (minutes 13-48) because it is truly hard to believe that this legislation passed committee. The sponsor, author and multiple legislators acknowledged problems with the bill’s language but rejected an amendment to address them. Here’s what to know:
HB 1226 would revise Georgia’s “Stand Your Ground” statute by:
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Creating the presumption that any claim of defensive use of force is reasonable
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Eliminating key exceptions, including for people who provoke violence or are the initial aggressors
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Removing the current bar on invoking defensive use of force while actively committing another felony
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Adding a confusing provision that appears to limit defensive use of force in public places
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There is no evidence of a widespread issue requiring these changes in Georgia:
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From 2003–2012, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation recorded only 21 cases of justifiable homicide.
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The bill appears to have been prompted by a tragic 2024 incident – a fatal shooting during a drunken brawl at a wedding in Butts County. It’s a terrible story but it should not be driving statewide policy.
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PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW to stop this from passing in the House. Call the following representatives to oppose HB 1226- “Crimes; justification for use of force in defense of self or others; revise standards.”
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Contact Information:
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Speaker of the House Jon Burns: (404) 656-5020, jon.burns@house.ga.gov
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Speaker Pro-Tempore Jan Jones: (404) 656-5072, jan.jones@house.ga.gov
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Majority Leader Chuck Effstration: (404) 656-5052, chuck.efstration@house.ga.gov
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Majority Whip James Burchett: (404) 656-5024, james.burchett@house.ga.gov
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Majority Caucus Chair Bruce Williamson: (404) 656-5025, bruce.williamson@house.ga.gov
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Majority Caucus Vice-Chair Soo Hong: (404) 656-5025, soo.hong@house.ga.gov
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Rules Committee Chair Butch Parrish: (404) 656-5141, butch.parrish@house.ga.gov
Call to action from Georgia Coalition Indivisible via Georgia Majority for Gun Safety
HB 1262 – Increasing Insurance Enforcement Penalties – Support
Lead Sponsor: Rep. Lumsden (R-12th)
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What HB 1262 does: Increases fines the Insurance Commissioner can impose on insurance companies that violate state law, from $2,000/$5,000 to $10,000/$25,000 per violation. Stronger penalties would apply to violations of mental health parity, surprise billing, and other consumer protection laws.
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Consumer impact: Georgians benefit when insurance companies face real consequences for breaking consumer protection laws. Higher penalties motivate insurers to follow mental health parity and surprise billing rules.
Please call House Health Insurance Subcommittee asking them to please pass HB1262 Increasing Insurance Enforcement Penalties.
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HOUSE INSURANCE COMMITTEE
Tell the Senate: Not a penny more for ICE brutality
On January 24, federal forces with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) killed
Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. This was just over two weeks after the killing of Renee Good.
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These killings are a direct result of unchecked violence, impunity, and abuse carried
out by federal immigration enforcement agencies against members of our communities.
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Congress is currently negotiating funding for DHS, which includes ICE and Border Patrol.
We are demanding our Members of Congress draft a new bill that, at minimum:
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Ensures there is not one penny more for ICE or CBP
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Pulls ICE and Border Patrol out of Minneapolis and the rest of our communities
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Prevents ICE or Border Patrol enforcement at designated ‘sensitive locations’ such as houses of worship, day cares, and hospitals
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Restricts ICE and Border Patrol’s ability to target people based on their race, language or accent, place of employment, or location at the time of the apprehension
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Ends the administration’s unlawful practice of warrantless home entry and arrests
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Call Senator Warnock (D.C.: 202-224-3643; Atlanta: 770-694-7828) and Senator Ossoff: (D.C.: 202-224-3521;
Atlanta: 470-786-7800:
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Script:
"Hi, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a constituent from [Your City].
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I’m calling to urge Senator [Name] to refuse to vote for any appropriations bill funding the Department of Homeland Security that fails to rein in ICE.
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Alex Pretti and Renee Good’s killings are unacceptable. Enough is enough.
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We can’t wait around while ICE harms more people. Senator [NAME] must demand ironclad restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol, including getting ICE and CBP out of our communities, ending the blank check for their brutality, and creating clear guardrails to stop warrantless arrests, profiling, and enforcement at sensitive locations like schools or hospitals.
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Thank you."
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IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.​​​​
End Mandated Local Law Enforcement Cooperation With ICE in Georgia
Since it was signed into law in May 2024, Georgia state law H.B. 1105, the Georgia
Criminal Alien Track and Report Act of 2024, has created an unprecedented burden
on local law enforcement and resulted in residents living in terror across the state.
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H.B. 1105 created a mandate for local law enforcement and jails to enter into
contracts, most commonly known as 287g agreements, with ICE. These
agreements effectively deputize county sheriffs and city police to carry out
immigration enforcement duties. Since H.B. 1105 became law, Georgia went
from 6 agencies participating in 287g agreements to 49, as of January 2026. H.B. 1105
has incentivized racial profiling and resulted in mass arrests of individuals who, in many cases, have not committed any crime.
Recently introduced legislation, H.B. 1053, would do many things to address these issues, including:
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make it easier for immigrants who are victims of crimes or human trafficking to report their situation
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repeal provisions requiring local law enforcement and jail cooperation with ICE
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repeal provisions under current law that allow the withholding of funding for local municipalities or local law enforcement agencies in violation of compliance with federal immigration authorities.
Demand your representatives support H.B. 1053 to end the statewide mandate for local law enforcement agencies to assist ICE.
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This content was kindly contributed by 5Calls.
Tell Your Senators: Vote NO on Voter Suppression
From Indivisible.org:
Republicans are once again pushing for a series of voter suppression bills–all variations of their infamous “SAVE Act” which would create unnecessary obstacles for millions of eligible Americans trying to register to vote.
This voter suppression legislation would require every voter to show proof of citizenship, like a passport or original birth certificate bearing their current legal name, when registering to vote in federal elections. That might sound simple, but the reality is that millions of eligible voters don’t have these documents readily available. Because these bills would require showing this proof in person, they would eliminate online and mail-in voter registration. These bills wouldn’t improve election security–would just make it significantly harder for everyday Americans to vote.
If passed, these bills would disproportionately impact:
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Married women and others who have changed their last names, many of whom don’t have birth certificates matching their legal name
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Trans and nonbinary people
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Naturalized citizens who could face additional barriers and intimidation
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Military members, tribal citizens, and working-class Americans, who may not have easy access to these documents
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Rural Americans who would no longer have access to online and mail-in voting
And others!
We’ve seen the damage of similar laws in states like Kansas and Arizona, where thousands of eligible voters were blocked from registering. Those without citizenship status are already barred from voting in federal elections, and states have secure systems in place to verify voter eligibility.
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Call Senator Warnock (D.C.: 202-224-3643; Atlanta: 770-694-7828) and Senator Ossoff: (D.C.: 202-224-3521;
Atlanta: 470-786-7800:
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Script:
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"Hello, I’m a constituent from [part of state], and I’m calling to ask [Senator] to vote against the SAVE Act, the MEGA Act, or any bill that attacks our voting rights.
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There are already strict laws in place preventing anyone who is not a citizen from voting in federal elections. These bills aren’t about election security—they are a blatant voter suppression tactic designed to make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to register and vote.
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Tell [Senator] that I expect them to protect voting rights—not make voting more difficult. I urge them to vote NO on any bills that would disenfranchise Americans."
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IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.​
Support S.B. 320: The Georgia Civil Rights Act
From 5Calls:
The state of Georgia is one of only three states that lacks comprehensive civil rights protections. Current law has no language barring employers from discriminating on the basis of race or religion. Furthermore, Georgia law lacks any civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people, meaning people who identify as LGBTQ+ can be fired, evicted and denied service in public places with no legal recourse.
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Since 2017, state lawmakers have attempted to expand our civil rights protections. S.B. 320, The Georgia Civil Rights Act, establishes clear, statewide protections against discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The bill prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, familial status, or national origin. It also bans racial profiling and requires data collection on traffic stops.
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Texas, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Mississippi all have more comprehensive discrimination protections than Georgia. In a time where we are facing a rollback of civil rights at the federal level, it is more important than ever to codify state protections.
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Call Matt Brass (770-265-6100) and demand that he support S.B. 320. All Georgians deserve equal protection under the law.
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Script:
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"Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from Newnan.
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I’m calling to urge Rep. Brass to support S.B. 320, the Georgia Civil Rights Act. This legislation deserves a committee hearing. I ask that you support this bill and work with your colleagues to push this legislation forward.
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Thank you for your time and consideration."
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IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.
Fight the Trump Administration's Election Interference
From 5Calls:
In an attempt to exert control over our elections, Trump called on Republicans to “nationalize the voting." While the federal government lacks the legal authority to do so, the Trump administration has continued to perpetuate misinformation about the 2020 and 2024 elections, and they have taken extraordinary steps to interfere with states’ authority over their election systems and voter data.
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The FBI conducted a raid at the election headquarters of Fulton County, Georgia, and seized records from the 2020 election, including ballots, voter rolls, and digital data.
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AG Pam Bondi informed Minnesota governor Tim Walz that she would pull ICE out of Minnesota if the state turned over their sensitive voter registration records to the federal government, an egregious abuse of power.
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The Trump administration has sued more than 20 states for refusing to hand over their voter files; the DOJ has demanded access to states’ voter rolls, 2020 and 2024 election records, and other sensitive election data that federal law prevents the DOJ from accessing first-hand.
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Trump signed an executive order to ban all mail-in voting across the country, an unconstitutional act the federal government does not have legal authority to do. He also signed an executive order to require proof of citizenship when registering to vote; federal courts have struck parts of this order, finding that the executive branch lacks this authority.
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The Trump administration has implemented “a searchable national citizenship data system” to ensure that only American citizens are voting, yet the secrecy surrounding the creation of the database is leading many to suspect it could inaccurately disenfranchise eligible voters. Election officials have also raised concerns about the federal government collecting and storing this private data and what the data could be used for.
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This administration’s continual attempts to chip away at voters’ rights and take control of our independent election systems are an existential threat to our democracy. Demand you representatives in Congress forcefully condemn this unconstitutional interference and urge your state leaders work to protect the integrity of our elections.
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Call Brian Jack (D.C.: 202-225-5901; Newnan: 770-683-2033).
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Script:
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"Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from Newnan.
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I’m calling to express my concerns about the Trump administration’s ongoing interference with our election systems. I ask that Rep. Jack defend the integrity of our elections by publicly condemning the DOJ’s unlawful seizure of state voter records and Trump’s unconstitutional calls to nationalize the election.
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Use the above bulleted information for additional talking points as needed.
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Thank you for your time and consideration."
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IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.
Oppose Expanded Surveillance of Immigrants in Georgia through Unwarranted DNA Collection
From 5Calls:
Current Georgia law mandates DNA collection of individuals subject to an immigration detainer for individuals convicted of a felony. Georgia Senate Bill S.B. 116 would expand this practice to include subjects who have only been charged (not convicted) with a misdemeanor or felony. It is important to note that an immigration detainer is not proof that an individual has violated federal immigration law. This dangerous bill would result in a significant expansion of the state’s DNA database, which raises concerns about privacy and racial profiling.
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DNA profiles contain sensitive, private information, including health information, ancestry, and predictive data indicating predispositions to certain illnesses. This private information, once collected, becomes accessible to any local, state, or federal law enforcement agency pursuant to any official criminal investigation. This sets a dangerous precedent.
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Demand your representatives reject S.B. 116.
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Content for this call topic kindly contributed by GLAHR, Project South, 50501GA, and Necessary Trouble.
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Call Matt Brass (770-265-6100).
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Script:
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"Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [Town/city].
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I’m calling today to urge Rep. Brass to vote NO on S.B. 116. This bill would expand the attacks on our most vulnerable minority and immigrant community members and would not make our communities any safer.
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Thank you for your time and consideration."
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IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is tallied.