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heads up, Georgians! Senate Bill 10 -- the very bad street racing bill -- is headed to committee tomorrow afternoon. we need you to take action against this pointlessly punitive and harmful legislation. small thread:
firstly, GA already has laws that criminalize drag racing! SB10 would increase penalties & create new offenses, but it won't stop people from participating in car events. Efforts to curb drag racing by penalizing spectators have failed in other cities. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2020/12/02/street-racing-in-dallas-and-car-takeovers-have-gotten-worse-during-the-pandemic/
SB10 requires the forfeiture of the car involved, until adjudication, regardless of whether the owner was even the one racing. adjudication can take up to 2 years. what about families who rely on 1 car to get to work, school, doctor’s appointments, etc.?
SB10 would also add SO MANY points to a driver's license. no other offense listed on Georgia’s Point Schedule earns more than 6. SB10 would require 6 points on the first conviction, 8 on the second, and 12 on the third. For comparison, failure to report an accident is 3 points.
It should go without saying that any legislation that sends more people to jail during a pandemic is...bad. Legislators should focus on mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in jails, not pass legislation that would worsen the public health crisis (while also being ineffective)
legislators who are (justifiably) concerned with the safety issues posed by drag racing should consider non-punitive measures, like creating or encouraging the use of legal and safe racing areas. there are ways to actually address this that don't just cause more harm.
please, please let these legislators know that we are not going to stand for pointless sentence enhancements and car forfeitures and increased jail time. we can work together towards real solutions, but this is NOT it. script, contact info, and more here: https://www.schr.org/stop-senate-bill-10/
