Mothers who

breast-feed their babies are breathing a sigh of relief because of a bill

that state Sen. Donzella James introduced.

The bill has

passed the House and Senate and, if signed by Gov. Roy Barnes, will allow

mothers to breast-feed in public, without any fear of reprisal.

"It allows

mothers to feed their babies without the fear of arrest," James said.

The General

Assembly had passed a similar law in 1999, but the law said the women

had to feed their children discreetly.

"Some

restaurant owners were saying they didn't want this in their restaurant.

One woman was threatened with arrest in a mall," James added.

James is pleased

her fellow legislators went along with amending the law, and is hoping

to have similar success with other legislation she has introduced.

Among the bills

she has introduced is a bill calling for pricing on prescription drugs

that provides discounts for seniors.

She said many

elderly Georgians are faced with the prospect of buying food or prescriptions

on a monthly basis and she wants to see that changed.

James has also

introduced Senate Bill 427, which would make it an aggravated misdemeanor

for a person who tests positive for driving under the influence to have

a minor in the car.

"This

is putting many of our children at risk," she said.

Like many other

legislators, James has also introduced a bill to deal with skyrocketing

natural gas prices. James' bill would allow the state Public Service Commission

to pick an appropriate provider.

"It's

time for them to start doing their job," she said.