Georgia lawmakers passed a bill that would change how wrongfully convicted people are compensated.

Several states are considering moves to change how they compensate people incarcerated after wrongful convictions.

Republican lawmakers across the country are pushing to increase the use of cash bail and pretrial detention.

A Senate committee on Thursday, March 18, 2021, revived a proposal pushed by Robertson to declare more protests illegal and enact harsher penalties for acts including blocking highways. The Senate Public Safety Committee on Thursday voted 5-3 for the amended version of House Bill 289, which previously dealt with requiring a drug and alcohol education course for teens seeking a driver's license. Georgia lawmakers often remove old language and replace it with an unrelated proposal in the closing days of a session. The new proposal Thursday mirrors Senate Bill 171, a measure that Republican Sen. Randy Robertson of Cataula introduced earlier. “This is based on the insurrection we’ve seen happen throughout our country this past year,” Robertson told the committee Thursday.

ATLANTA – Aspiring Georgia sheriffs would have to earn their law enforcement certification before they pin on their badge under a bill advancing in the state Senate. AdNow, any sheriff elected who is not certified is required to complete training within six months. Robertson said he couldn’t think of any sheriff elected in recent years who failed to win certification. The Georgia Sheriffs’ Association has long sought to require certification before running. DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann retired in 2019, days before he dropped an appeal and the council revoked his certification.