Wednesday, February 14, 2001
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Wednesday, February 14, 2001 |
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Westmoreland: Slow session is good news By JOHN
THOMPSON
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland is calling in a Fayette connection to help interpret one of Gov. Roy Barnes' initiatives. Westmoreland believes some of Barnes' proposed legislation would actually weaken the state's DUI laws and has asked Fayette County Solicitor Steve Harris to research Barnes' teen driving proposal. One part of the governor's bill that Westmoreland believes will not pass is the ban on 16-year-olds driving in an 18-county Atlanta region. "I just don't think that's going to make it. That actually may be something they've thrown in there as a bargaining chip," he said. As the session reaches its halfway point, Westmoreland is generally happy with some of the legislation passed. The session has been dominated by the governor's bills, including the changing of the flag, which has slowed the session down. "That's a good thing. The less we do up here, the better it is for the people of Georgia," he said. Westmoreland has also been busy authoring and co-authoring legislation. Several of his bills revolve around the way judges are selected. The Sharpsburg legislator wants all judges elected, instead of some of them being appointed by the governor. "I just believe it would take some of the politics out of the process," he said. Westmoreland also is sponsoring a bill that would give citizens the right of choosing whether their case is heard before an appointed or elected judge. The representative also wants judges to have the ability to discuss issues. "Right now, judges may be asked about DUIs, but say they can't talk about it because they may have a DUI case. I want them to be accountable just like we are," he said.
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