Perhaps Georgia's House Industrial Relations Committee staged Monday's surprise vote on S.B. 469—the draconian bill that would infringe upon the rights of Georgians to speak out for economic justice or choose whether to support a union—as an apt welcome for Wisconsin's Gov. Scott Walker as he came to Atlanta for a Republican fundraiser.  

The Republican-led committee held the sudden vote on Monday morning with little notice, posting the hearing on the calendar less than an hour prior—and waiting until just 10 minutes beforehand to post a note on the hearing room door. Not surprisingly, the measure easily sailed out of the committee without any legislators present to represent Georgia's working families. The committee also voted to pass S.B. 447, which would gut unemployment insurance down to the fewest number of weeks in the country. 

Yesterday we told you about a proposed draconian new law in the Georgia legislature (SB 469) that could make union picketing a felony. Here are two new developments. The sheriff of Georgia’s biggest county says the bill would put him in the job of policing free speech and today a group of union, community and faith activists spoke out against the bill.

Some Georgia lawmakers want to make legitimate union picketing and other common protest activities felonies that not only could result in one-year jail terms but up to $10,000 in fines.