Yesterday the Senate Judiciary Committee met to take up the adoption bill, HB 159. This Committee is chaired by the handmaiden of Senate Leadership always vigilant and helpful Senator Jesse Stone. He began the committee meeting as he often does- in a quiet and respectful nature, explaining in detail the work that has gone into the legislation at hand. In my experience this is his way of boring you to death before doling out the sucker punch of his substitutes.
If you recall, Chairman Stone offered the sub for Campus Carry in the 2014 session, which effectively gutted the bill. He offered the sub for Campus Sexual Assault for the 2016 session, in both instances bringing good, common sense to Georgia’s otherwise extreme legislation. It appeared yesterday this has become his legislative calling card. He has painted himself in the colors of a moderate. In his initial run for office, I remember a longer standing politico in Augusta (Stone’s district’s nearest metropolitan area) pondering the milquetoast nature of the Chairman. It is my personal belief that this is his means of a head fake. Stone gives you the idea that his humility is genuine and I can almost see him shrugging his shoulders as he tells one he is just grateful to be in the presence of other great leaders.
Don’t be ashamed if you were fooled. I certainly was.
I have always seen Chairman Stone to be very secure and confident in his control of his committee meetings, yet Stone seemed somewhat rambling in his opening statements yesterday. This was the first red flag. Continue reading “Adoption Bill Already In Peril?”
