UPDATE: Lawmakers face deadline on gambling, medical marijuana bills

ATLANTA (AP) Monday marks a key deadline for Georgia lawmakers, who are rushing to wrap up the 40-day legislative session by late March.

Bills must pass at least one chamber by the 30th day to remain alive for the year. There are some ways to get around that deadline, but the House and Senate still are expected to work late into the night.

Top issues still waiting for action in either the House or Senate include:

CASINOS AND HORSE RACING

Two measures that would open Georgia to casino gambling await a House vote on Monday.

The bill and accompanying constitutional amendment would allow up to four casinos in Georgia, with two in the metro Atlanta area. The version of the bill approved by the committee increased casinos' state tax rate to 20 percent. Previous versions called for a 12 percent tax but allowed for six casinos.

Those details in the proposals from Republican Rep. Ron Stephens of Savannah were first unveiled Thursday and quickly scheduled for a Friday vote by the chamber. House Speaker David Ralston then delayed a floor vote, urging members to gather feedback over the weekend.

A Senate proposal to allow bets on horse racing received approval from a committee early this session. But Democrats opposed the measure, and Republicans need their support to pass a constitutional amendment through the chamber.

The measure from state Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, hasn't been scheduled for a floor vote.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA

State Rep. Allen Peake's proposal to allow state-licensed manufacturers of medical marijuana products to operate in the state has been dramatically scaled back in the face of opposition from Gov. Nathan Deal.

A committee last week stripped language from the bill permitting a few companies to grow marijuana in Georgia for making cannabis oil, but it preserved portions that expand the medical conditions eligible for the treatment in Georgia.

The bill up for a House vote on Monday would add 7 medical conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, to those allowed to possess cannabis oil with a doctor's permission and inclusion on a state registry. It also allows manufacturers of the oil to legally ship it people on the state's registry.

Lawmakers last year approved allowing people with certain medical conditions to legally possess cannabis oil in Georgia. Patients say they still must travel to states where the product can be manufactured, at a high cost and risk of legal trouble while crossing state lines.

Peake, a Republican from Macon, has said he's disappointed that won't change this year but plans to continue working on the issue.

CIVIL RIGHTS

Georgia is one of five states without a so-called ``public accommodation'' law, and a measure to change that hasn't been scheduled for a House vote yet.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Rich Golick, R-Smyrna, would prevent businesses from discriminating based on race, nationality, religions or sex. Democrats tried but failed to add protection for gay and transgender people before a committee approved the bill in early February.

IMMIGRATION

Monday's Senate calendar includes a bill stating that people who came to the U.S. as children and have been permitted to stay under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, can only receive drivers' licenses that explicitly state they are not citizens.

The bill sponsored by state Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, would require that those licenses include the words: ``DRIVER'S PRIVILEGE CARD ONLY,'' ``NOT FOR ID PURPOSES,'' ``LEGAL PRESENCE, NO LAWFUL STATUS,'' and ``UNDER GRANT OF DEFERRED 94 ACTION.''

The Senate also is scheduled to vote on a constitutional amendment that would name English as the state's official language. State law already contains that designation.

TAX REFORM PACKAGES

The Senate is also expected to consider a constitutional amendment requiring an income tax cut if the state's reserve fund is full and tax revenue continues to climb. Cuts would continue over time if those conditions are met.

Constitutional amendments must pass both chambers with support from two-thirds of members and get voters' approval in a statewide election.

Critics warn the proposal would limit Georgia's ability to prepare for challenging financial times, such as a recession, and would decrease funding available for transportation, schools and other state expenses that continue to climb.

FANTASY SPORTS

Fantasy sports sites could operate legally in Georgia under a bill proposed by Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford. The sites, particularly large operators FanDuel and DraftKings, have come under scrutiny in Georgia and other states where regulators argue that they violate state laws against gambling.

Unterman's bill says the sites could not be considered gambling or betting.

Lawmakers in roughly 19 states are reviewing proposals to regulate the fantasy sports industry, including California, Indiana and Virginia.