Freshman Lawmaker Apologizes for Dropping Controversial Anti-Loitering Bill

Speaking on the House floor, the freshman legislator from Cherokee County said he was sorry for embarrassing his constituents and fellow lawmakers.

“In hindsight this rookie mistake was silly. I am mature enough to admit that. At the time though I thought I was fulfilling a campaign promise to hit the ground running,” said Moore.

He dropped House Bill 1033 in an effort to eliminate the state’s anti-loitering laws. He says they allow police to unlawfully ID people without cause.

Under the bill, related laws protecting children from convicted sex offenders would have been effectively repealed.

Friday, the bill was publicly condemned with an intensity rarely seen at the Capitol.

Moore said he knew the bill was controversial but thought the time to review and fix any issues was after it was assigned to a committee.   

“I had no idea that anyone other than assigned committee members would be looking at the legislation I dropped. That is why I didn’t question the controversial language that legislative counsel included. That was obviously a mistake,” said Moore. “Had I reached out to other members, that mistake could have easily been avoided.”

But he also chalked up the incident to a lack of help from more experienced colleagues.

“Not a single member reached out to me on HB 1033 prior to signing up to speak at the well last Friday,” said Moore. “Those who spoke publicly aired what should have been a quiet, private, constructive conversation the night before.”

House leaders have continued to hammer Moore. Majority Leader Larry O’Neal rejected the notion Moore was entitled to additional training or some type of privacy before his bill reached committee.

“He was provided a rule book like we all are. He was provided a training guide like we all are. And I know for a fact that he spent three or four long visits in the speaker’s office with various members of leadership mentoring him on all aspects of what goes on here,” said O’Neal.

Some of the harshest criticism against Moore is coming from high-dollar donors to Meagan Biello, one of Moore’s political rivals in Cherokee County.

Speaker David Ralston, who contributed $1,300 to Biello’s last campaign, dismissed that connection.

“When I sent her that contribution I had no idea he was going to introduce a bill that would repeal restrictions on pedophiles and sex offenders in Georgia, and if I would have known that I wish I could have sent her more,” said Ralston.

Ralston said for Moore to blame House leaders for any part of the episode is “mind-boggling.” And despite Moore pulling the bill from consideration Monday, Ralston continued to blast him for not explicitly disowning the contents of the bill.