Georgia senate passes bill curtailing charitable bail funds for protest groups

Bill passed by Republican-dominated state senate may exacerbate deadly overcrowding in Fulton county jail

The Georgia state senate passed legislation Thursday mostly outlawing bail funds for protest groups, and added dozens of offenses to the list of charges requiring cash bail to secure release.

The passage of SB63 by a 30-17 vote in the Republican-dominated state senate arrives as three activists operating the Atlanta Solidarity Fund face state-level racketeering and charity fraud charges in connection with the prosecution of dozens of protesters against Cop City", an Atlanta project to build a police-training facility.