Tag: Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission

Georgia State Sen. Bill Cowsert Promises Nonpartisan Investigation of DA Fani Willis to Determine Possible Misuse of Taxpayer Funds with Nathan Wade

Tom Pappert
Bill Cowsert

The Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations met for the first time on Friday since it was created following the adoption of SR 465, which allowed for the formation of the Senate committee to investigate the allegations surrounding embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

The committee is chaired by Senator Bill Cowsert (R-Athena), who promised that the Senate’s work will not seek to undermine any of Willis’ ongoing criminal cases, including her election case against former President Donald Trump. However, Cowsert suggested future funding for district attorneys could depend on the investigation’s findings.

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Georgia Senate Passes Bill to Allow State Commission to Investigate Prosecutors, Including Fani Willis

Tom Pappert
Fani Willis

The Georgia State Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that will strike the need for the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) to have its rules reviewed and approved by the Georgia Supreme Court, which would allow it to immediately begin investigating prosecutors, including embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Introduced by Senator Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) in early January, SB 332 would amend the 2022 law establishing the PAQC to strike the requirement for the commission to have its standards and rules reviewed and adopted by the Georgia Supreme Court. It now goes to the Georgia House, and if passed, would become law as soon as it is signed by Governor Brian Kemp.

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Eight New Bills Become Georgia Law, State Income Tax Rates Fall in 2024

Tom Pappert

Eight new bills became law in Georgia on Monday, with the most significant allowing Georgians with health insurance coverage to see medical specialists even if they’re referred by a physician not covered by the insurance network. Last year, Georgia lawmakers also passed significant legislation that provided income tax refunds to every Georgia taxpayer, created a commission to oversee elected attorneys, and created three new district judgeships, one of which will be filled by a state legislator.

Georgia’s CATCH Act, SB 20, requires insurance providers with network plans to maintain a sufficient number of doctors, physicians, pharmacies, clinical laboratories, and other medical treatment facilities, and empowers the Georgia Insurance Commissioner to determine the adequacy of such plans. The law also prohibits health insurance companies from denying preauthorization for healthcare services if a referral came from a physician outside of the patient’s network, such as an emergency room doctor.

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Georgia Supreme Court Pauses Commission Created to Check Prosecutors, Stalling Senate Effort to Rein in Fani Willis

Tom Pappert
Georgia Supreme Court

The Georgia Supreme Court refused to accept the proposed rules for the state’s new Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission (PAQC) in a ruling made Wednesday, effectively pausing the Republican effort to provide oversight for the state’s attorneys.

Georgia lawmakers passed SB 92 last year, creating the PAQC to provide oversight of elected district attorneys across the state. While independent, the legislation requires the Georgia Supreme Court to accept the PAQC’s draft standards and rules before the committee can enforce its decisions.

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40,000 Fulton County Criminal Cases ‘Frozen’ Because Fani Willis ‘Blindly’ Pursuing Trump, Says Former Sen. Kelly Loeffler

Tom Pappert

During an appearance on “The John Fredericks Show” on Thursday, former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler said the criminal justice system of Fulton County is “frozen,” with the county jail overcrowded and 40,000 criminal cases in the backlog, because District Attorney Fani Willis is “blindly” pursuing her cases against former President Donald Trump and those who helped him contest the 2020 election.

Loeffler told host John Fredericks, the publisher of The Georgia Star News, that Willis’s actions suggest “a two tiered system of justice” and said the Georgia Legislature should encourage the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) to fully investigate Willis, including how she is spending taxpayer money.

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Georgia State Senators Spar on Special Session over Trump Indictment

The Center Square

While one Georgia state senator wants a special session to potentially act on the district attorney prosecuting former President Donald Trump, another says it’s impossible.

Last week, State Sen. Colton Moore, R-Trenton, sent a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, calling for a special session “for all purposes, to include, without limitation, the review and response to the actions of [Fulton County District Attorney] Fani Willis.”

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