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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2006 > January
January 2006
Legislators look to help ailing Delta Air Lines
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
House leaders announced Tuesday that they will attempt for a second straight year to lend financial aid to ailing Delta Air Lines, possibly with up to $28 million.
Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter (R-Alpharetta) said the leadership will be introducing legislation to allow Delta and other airlines to take advantage of tax credits given to other companies for job training.
Delta has earned $28 million in job training credits, but current law says the credits can only be used to offset income, Burkhalter said. “Everybody knows since 9-11-2001 most airlines, including Delta, has not earned a profit,” he said. “Thus they have not been able to recapture those credits they have earned.”
The legislation will allow them to claim the tax credits against withholding, rather than income taxes, Burkhalter said. “We think this is a novel approach and something they deserve.”
He said officials are checking, but believe the change will have little or no impact on the state budget. “And it will allow Delta as they go through bankruptcy court to have another asset they can claim to help get out of bankruptcy, hopefully sometime next spring,” Burkhalter said.
Delta currently pays about $5.5 million a month to the state in withholding taxes.
“We just want to make another statement that we’re pro-business and we want to do everything we can to support Delta and its workers,” House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) said. “Delta’s coming out of this. We’re going to be there to help them.”
The General Assembly, on legislation that started in the House, last year set a cap on taxes on jet fuel, one of the major expenses for Delta and other airlines.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
House bill protects “Merry Christmas”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House injected itself into the so-called “War on Christmas” today, passing a bill that prevents state and local governments from banning their employees and students from “verbal expressions” celebrating any public or legal holiday.
“Simply put,in the state of Georgia, it’s going to be OK to say Merry Christmas in the public workplace and in our schools,” said Rep. Clay Cox (R-Lilburn), the bill’s sponsor.
The bill passed the House 136 to 25 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Some Democrats questioned the need for the bill.
“I’m just trying to understand why this is not covered by the federal law that allows freedom of speech,” said Rep. Roger Bruce (D-Atlanta).
Rep. Tom Bordeaux (D-Savannah) said he could see the effects of the national debate over “happy holidays” or “Merry Christmas” in the recent holiday season. “People would say to me Merry Christmas, not with the joy of Christ in their heart, not with the joy of light come into a dark world, but as a weapon, as an ax, a banging on the door - a ‘here I’ll show you’,” Bordeaux said.
He cautioned legislators about passing a “bill saying you can say Merry Christmas, when it’s used to pound on people, not love people.
“As a Christian, I don’t believe that’s what my God and savior want me to do, in terms of acting as a legislator,” Bordeaux said.
Some Democrats tried at one point to table the bill, but, when that failed, voted for it.
“I don’t want to vote against Christmas. I love Christmas,” said Rep. Randall Mangham (D-Stone Mountain).
Some conservatives in the recent holiday season declared that there was a war on Christmas and claimed that state workers in Illinois and elsewhere were forbidden from saying “Merry Christmas” at work.
Cox said he heard from teachers, public employees and students who were afraid to say “Merry Christmas, but he provided no specifics.
“This clarifies that in Georgia at least free speech and free expression - especially religious expression - will be protected,” he said.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should teachers and students be able to wish each other a “Merry Christmas” at school? Rep. Clay Cox (R-Lilburn) has introduced House Bill 950 which prohibits any government agency, including local school boards, from adopting a policy restricting the use of “verbal expressions relating to the celebration or observance of any public or legal holiday.” Cox said he introduced the bill after hearing from schoolteachers and students that they were discouraged from saying “Merry Christmas.” Similar arguments were had when certain retailers encouraged their employees to wish customters “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas” — though Cox’s bill would not affect businesses. Should the Legislature get involved in such an issue? Or is it much ado about nothing?
Taylor proposes constitutional amendment to protect HOPE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor wants a constitutional amendment to force voters to approve any changes in the HOPE scholarship, which he said is too valuable to be left up to the whim of lawmakers.
Taylor said this afternoon that his proposed amendment, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown (D-Macon), would prevent HOPE funding from being cut unless the program is significantly cutting into reserves, and only if two-thirds of the General Assembly and voters approve it.
It also would protect lottery funds from being used for anything but HOPE and pre-kindergarten classes, as does a proposed amendment working its way through the General Assembly sponsored by Gov. Sonny Perdue.
Perdue, who is up for re-election, and Taylor, who is running against him this year, are battling to be the champion of the popular scholarship program, which has helped hundreds of thousands of Georgia voters and their families.
Taylor accused Perdue of cutting the program in 2004, when requirements and benefits were tightened because of fears that the program would run out of money. Since then, lottery sales have continued to increase, lessening the possibility of a shortfall.
The lieutenant governor said he wants to restore cuts made to the program in 2004. He called Perdue’s proposed amendment “a fraud� because it doesn’t protect HOPE from future cutbacks.
“If I run into any opposition on my proposal, I think I am looking at somebody who plans to cut the HOPE scholarship in the future,� Taylor said.
Perdue spokesman Dan McLagan said he hopes Taylor will support the governor’s initiative. When asked about Taylor’s comments, McLagan said, “It’s a campaign year. We’re governing.�
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
The Ten Commandments in Public Buildings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do the Ten Commandments belong in courthouses and other public buildings? House Speaker Glenn Richardson called the commandments, and other historical documents, “the backbone” of the United States. Richardson said he’d like to see a bill pass the Legislature allowing local governments to display the Ten Commandments. The ACLU has said such a display violates the constutitional prohibition on government endorsement of a particular religion. Who’s right?
Calculating Child Support Payments
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Who should pay more child support — the parent who has custody or the one who doesn’t? Georgia legislators are working on changes to the laws that determine the calculation of child support. Critics of current law say judges often only consider the income of the non-custodial parent when determining child support payments. Legislators last year passed a bill requiring judges to consider the incomes of both parents. This year, they are re-fining the law and working on formulas for splitting up the costs of rearing a child among the parents.
Perdue signs voter ID bill into law
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue today signed into law a revised version of last year’s controversial voter identification bill that calls for free photo ID cards to be issued to voters in all 159 counties of the state.
The bill effectively overrides last year’s bill, which mandated that voters show a picture ID at the polls but has not been enforced, based on a federal judge’s ruling that it was tantamount to a poll tax.
Voter rights groups have vowed to file suit, seeking to overturn the newest bill.
Perdue told reporters at a late-morning bill signing that he does not believe the new bill is legally vulnerable.
“I don’t know on what basis it could be throw out,” the governor said. “I think it cures the objections that were expressed from the plaintiffs and from the bench. What could be more fair? On what basis could it be thrown out? All you have to do is demonstrate that you are eligible to vote in Georgia in that district. The silly thing about poll tax this cures. This just closes the mouthes of plaintiffs in this effort.”
The new bill mandates photo IDs for voters, who in past elections have been able to use everything from utility bills to a signed affidavit to demonstrate their identity. It requires a public education program on the change and dictates that local voter registration offices will make photo ID bills for voters who do not have a valid driver’s license or state-issued ID card.
The U.S. Justice Department must approve the new law before it can be enforced.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Senate votes to prevent PSC from regulating broadband, wireless
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Senate on Thursday voted 46-3 with no debate in favor of a bill that prevents the Georgia Public Service Commission from regulating broadband, wireless and Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP – a technology that allows phone service over a broadband connection.
“This is considered necessary to maintain the enormous investment being made by the industry in broadband in the areas of broadband service, voice over Internet protocol, and wireless service,� said Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), the bill’s sponsor.
The PSC currently does not regulate those industries.
BellSouth and several other companies supported the bill, arguing that it would encourage telecom investment because government would not be able to interfere.
But some critics express concern about the bill. They argued that shutting out the PSC could be unwise at a time when the technologies are still evolving. Telecom industry experts say that VoIP is likely to become the dominant way most phone calls are delivered, even though the change will be virtually invisible to average consumers.
The Senate approved an amendment to Senate Bill 120 allows the PSC authority over consumer complaints regarding the new technologies.
Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown (D-Macon), Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), and Sen. Horacena Tate (D-Atlanta) voted against the bill, which now goes to the House for approval.
The Senate convenes next at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
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Cox: Lawmakers should debate re-regulating natural gas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Cathy Cox said this morning that lawmakers ought to be debating whether to re-regulate the natural gas industry as Georgians face record home heating bills this winter.
Cox, the Secretary of State who faces Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor in the Democratic primary, decried the General Assembly’s lack of action on slowing costly natural gas bills. Lawmakers have approved Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue’s decision to cut the state sales tax on home heating fuel in half, however, that only saves consumers $6 on a $300 bill.
Perdue, who is seeking re-election, helped write the gas deregulation bill in the 1990s and said recently the system is working.
Cox, following a chilly rally on the Capitol steps this morning, disagreed with that assessment.
“I think we ought to be very seriously looking at the re-regulation of natural gas,” she said. “What is it we’ve gotten from the deregulation that our governor championed a few years ago? As far as I’m concerned, we’re paying extra for a lot of middle-level marketers who all have to buy the same gas from the same provider.”
Cox made the statements as she began a three-day state tour to talk about her proposal to tighten state ethics laws. Her Capitol rally was attended by about 100 people, including more than a dozen lawmakers who are backing her campaign.
The Democratic hopeful said lawmakers haven’t done enough to improve education and transportation problems in the state because of non-stop partisan bickering that must stop before any real progress is made. She portrayed herself as the solution to the problem of good ol’ boy politics, although, as a legislator and then Secretary of State, she’s been at the statehouse nearly as long as her two opponents, Taylor and Perdue.
On a topic sure to arouse strong debate this year, Cox said the federal government has “dropped the ball” by failing to deal with the country’s illegal immigration problem. But she indicated that state legislation to keep illegal immigrants from getting state services may not be needed.
“We already have policies in place to assure citizens are getting the services we provide here,” she said. “I agree with a lot of other leaders … that not educating people is a big mistake. We have to make sure we benefit our citizens first … but education is something we ought to make sure is available to all.”
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Nurses and Prescription Drugs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia is the only state in the U.S. where advanced practical nurses cannot write prescriptions for patients. Some lawmakers want to change that by pushing a bill giving the nurses that authority. A major doctor’s group opposes the change, saying only physicians have the appropriate training and education to prescribe medicine. But nurses say they are qualified and trained to write prescriptions and they would still consult with doctors when prescribing drugs. Would you trust an advanced nurse to prescribe your medications?
Georgia chief justice: “Legal crisis created by the disintegration of the family”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s chief justice told state lawmakers today that the time has come to deal with “the legal crisis created by the disintegration of the family.�
The growing dysfunction of Georgia’s families is exacting a great toll on the state’s legal system, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears told a joint session of the state House and Senate in the House chambers.
Civil cases involving domestic relations disputes now outnumber all misdemeanor and felony cases combined, and two-thirds of the young people convicted of major felonies from 1970 to 1995 came from single or no-parent homes, she said.
“We must restore the importance of marriage and family as the foundation of our society,� said Sears, as lawmakers in the crowded chamber stood and applauded.
Sears, who last year became Georgia’s first African-American female chief justice, was warmly received during her State of the Judiciary speech. In 2004, she withstood a hard-fought re-election campaign by a conservative challenger who called her too liberal for the state’s highest court.
But in her first address to the General Assembly, Sears took time to talk about family values, while also addressing courthouse security, judicial independence, new justice initiatives and the state’s new public defender system.
Sears praised Fulton County’s new family court pilot project that consolidates multiple domestic relations cases involving the same family under one judge. This helps keep the decision-making process consistent, she said.
Sears noted that a large and growing body of social science research shows that the well-being of children is strongly linked to a healthy marriage. “So devising strategies for Georgians to get married and stay married to the people with whom they have children must be an important aim of government and the court,� she said.
The chief justice also implored lawmakers to work with the judiciary to improve security in the state’s courthouses. She cited the “horrific incident� on March 11, 2005, when Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes, court reporter Julie Brandau and sheriff’s deputy Hoyt Teasley were shot to death at the Fulton County courthouse.
“Hard working, decent court officials, litigants and their families should never, ever have to face violent attack for carrying out their duties,� Sears said. “We look forward to working with you to find solutions for the security problems we face.�
Sears told the General Assembly that new drug courts have been “a resounding success.� They now operate in 39 judicial circuits and the goal is to have the drug courts operating in all 49 circuits, she said.
Sears asked the General Assembly to approve funding for 10 new judgeships to meet increasing case loads statewide. She also urged lawmakers to keep their commitment to fund Georgia’s new public defender system, created by the Legislature in 2003.
“That system, I am pleased to report, is off to a great start,� Sears said.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
House approves Cobb school redistricting bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House voted 111 to 47 today in favor of a contentious local bill dealing with school redistricting in Cobb County.
House Bill 1068, sponsored by Rules Committee Chairman Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), would prohibit the school system from using race as a factor in redrawing attendance lines for all public schools in Cobb County.
Ehrhart lives in the southwest Cobb area that would be affected by a pending Cobb County School Board decision to redraw attendance lines for McEachern High School and a new high school opening north of McEachern, which is off New Macland Road.
The Cobb schools proposal would redefine attendance areas to avoid an overwhelmingly black enrollment at McEachern.
Some lawmakers have protested Ehrhart’s involvement because students in his neighborhood would remain at McEachern. One of Ehrhart’s children is in middle school, about to attend high school.
Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan (D-Austell) denounced Ehrhart’s bill and declared a vote for it as “voting for segregation in Cobb County.�
“I don’t believe it’s the case, in fact, I’m certain it’s not the case,� House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) said, cutting off Morgan’s microphone at one point in the debate.
Morgan and a handful of black House members protested the Legislature’s involvement in a local issue.
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Voter ID bill approved
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A controversial bill to require that voters show a state-approved photo identification card at the polls won final legislative approval this morning.
The Georgia House, by a vote of 111 to 60, signed off on technical changes made Tuesday to the bill by the state Senate.
The bill, which is expected to be challenged by the ACLU and other groups, now goes to the governor to be signed into law.
GOP leaders introduced the bill, in hopes of appeasing a federal court judge who barred the state from enforcing a similar measure passed last year on grounds that it was tantamount to a poll tax.
The new bill mandates that all 159 county voter registration offices be available to make picture IDs for voters who don’t have a valid driver’s license or state-issued ID card.
State Rep. DuBose Porter of Dublin, the Democratic leader in the House, denounced passage of the bill as unnecessary and an attempt by the GOP “to rig this November’s elections.”.
He said the GOP has not been able to document a single case of fraud involving election-day voting.
“Aren’t we just speaking about a problem that doesn’t exist?” Porter said.
House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) argued that there is a real problem. “There is not a substantiated case because they don’t check for ID, so they don’t know people aren’t showing up with proper ID. That’s why it’s not caught.”
In a short but heated exchange that followed, Porter said Republicans fail to acknowledge that current law requires voters to have one of 17 forms of identification.
Richardson shot back: “And those IDs as you wrote them when you were in charge allowed a sex change court order to be acceptable as ID to vote in the United States of America.
“We found that unacceptable,” he said. “That was listed in the code … an order from the court approving a sex change operation, a utility bill was what you thought was acceptable ID.”
He cut off further discussion of the bill, saying he was exercising his discretion and following his believe that further debate would not change the vote outcome.
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Government Taking of Private Property
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Government has the power - through something known as eminent domain - to take private property through forced sales for public benefit. It’s most often used to string power lines, build roads, schools and other public needs. Recently, however, some local governments have targeted property labeled as “blighted,” and condemned it to make way for “urban renewal” projects. But in doing so, the government has sometimes turned the property over to private developers to build shopping centers and other ventures believed to be better for communities. Georgia legislators are worried that some governments are over-reaching their eminent domain powers. Several legislators have filed proposals making it more difficult for government to take private land. Should it be tougher for government to seize private property, even though the landowner is compensated for it? Or is seizing blighted property to make way for new projects - even private ones - okay?
Scott to serve on Georgia Sports Hall of Fame board
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) on Tuesday named famed University of Georgia receiver Lindsay Scott to serve a four-year term on the board of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.
Scott earned an undying place in UGA football annals when he caught a Buck Belue pass and bolted 75 yards in the final minutes of the 1980 Georgia-Florida game for the winning touchdown.
Scott now lives in Valdosta with his wife and three children.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Senate OKs new voter ID bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia lawmakers on Tuesday once again approved a bill requiring voters to show a form of government-issued photo identification at the polls, a measure that has become the most politically and racially charged issue before the General Assembly and has garnered national attention.
The state Senate voted 32-22 in favor of the bill on mostly partisan lines, despite the protests of many Democrats who complained that the bill would not effectively combat voter fraud and would disenfranchise poor, black and elderly voters.
Republican leaders said that they had listened to those concerns and have worked to make the new voter ID bill a better piece of legislation. They also said they are confident that the measure will withstand any legal challenges.
Last year, the General Assembly approved and Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a bill requiring government-issued photo identification for voters. But in October, U.S. District Judge Harold temporarily suspended law, saying it would be an unconstitutional poll tax and would not effectively combat voter fraud.
Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams (R-Lyons) called Murphy a “hand-picked� judge and said that Senate Bill 84 now addresses Murphy’s concerns. Two weeks ago, the House approved the measure with changes that require the state to provide voter education, issue free voter identification cards, and to make the voter cards available in every county in Georgia.
“We listened to the judge, we listened to your judge,� Williams said. “We have passed this bill, which makes it free, makes it available in 159 counties, and we’re educating the public.�
The bill now goes back to the House, because the Senate approved another change to the bill that makes the free Georgia voter identification card available only to registered voters. In addition, voters must show some evidence that they are registered to vote in the state when they ask for a free card.
The debate Tuesday lasted for nearly than six hours, and was often emotional and tense.
Several Republican leaders vociferously refuting accusations that the voter ID bill was a racially motivated attempt to suppress voting by African-Americans and other minorities. “
Why should I accept that a system designed to verify identity through the use of photo ID, has a disparate impact on the minority community?� asked Sen. Preston Smith (R-Rome). “This is the soft bigotry of low expectations. We should not accept that minority citizens are somehow less capable of obtaining a photo ID than others.�
GOP leaders also argued that the measure would be an effective tool in battling voter fraud and protecting fair elections.
“Isn’t it our responsibility, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, isn’t it our responsibility to minimize the potential for fraud?â€? asked Cecil Staton (R-Macon), the bill’s sponsor. “Isn’t that our job? This bill, for me, is not so much about the past. It’s about the future. It’s about protecting one person, one vote.â€?
But Democrats rattled off a long-list of concerns with the photo identification provision. They filed about a dozen amendments to SB 84, none of which passed. Senate Minority Leader (D-Macon), along with several Democrats, said that the the bill would not effectively fight voter fraud.
“This has nothing to do with fraud,� said Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown (D-Macon). “If we were really interested in fraud we’d be focused on absentee ballots, because that’s where examples of fraud exist.�
In the visitor’s gallery, several consumer advocates who have opposed the legislation watched the debate closely.
“”The fact that SB 84 does not address or impose a photo ID requirement on the two areas in which there have been substantial evidence of both actual and potential voter fraud — registration and absentee ballots — belies the sponsors’ premise,â€? said Bill Brown, communications director for the AARP of Georgia.
Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) said that the bill was an attempt by Republicans to maintain power. “It’s about keeping people who tend to vote Democratic from the polls,� Fort said.
Sen. Regina Thomas (D-Savannah) said that Senate Bill 84 was “an unfunded mandate.� She asked GOP leaders how counties would handle the extra work of dispensing the voter photo identification cards. A move by Democrats to scuttle the bill – at least temporarily – because it did not have a fiscal note failed.
The state Senate approved SB 84 last year, but the photo identification provision was rolled into another piece of legislation, House Bill 244. That bill cleared both chambers, was signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue, and was approved by the U.S. Justice Department approved the law, as required by the Voting Rights Act.
The issue heated up again in the fall when an internal Justice Department memo leaked to the Washington Post revealed that the staff members who reviewed Georgia’s law recommended against approval, but were overruled by the GOP-appointed leadership of the department.
This year, Republican leaders in both the House and Senate declared that passing a voter identification bill that can withstand judicial scrutiny is a top priority.
But Neil Bradley, a lawyer with the ACLU’s voting rights project who is one of several lawyers who filed suit against the 2005 legislation, expressed certainty Tuesday that the new legislation will be challenged in court.
“It’s a cosmetic change that does not alter the fundamental problem that Georgia will now continue to insist on photo IDs and the failure to have one on Election Day will deny you the right to vote,â€? Bradley said.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Abortion and Sonograms
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sen. Nancy Schaefer (R-Clarkesville) has proposed a bill that would require abortion providers to offer women seeking the procedure an opportunity to view sonogram images of their unborn fetuses. Schaefer reasons that women might change their minds after viewing the fetal development. Former Georgia governor and U.S. senator Zell Miller has said that viewing the sonogram images of his great-grandchild caused him to switch positions and oppose abortion. Is this a good idea, or is it disrespectful and cruel to subject women seeking abortion to those images?
House takes up indigent defense bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After a week break for the MLK holiday and budget hearings, House members reconvened at 1 p.m. to handle routine business, including retirement bills and SB 203, a measure dealing with the state’s new indigent defense program.
State Rep. Wendell Willard (R-Sandy Springs) said a conference committee hashed out a version of the bill that should help bring in more money for the program and assure better accountability.
State Rep. Keith Heard (D-Athens) took the well to denounce SB 386, legislation to redraw the boundaries of Senate districts 46, 47 and 49.
Heard and others have said the measure is designed to hurt state Rep. Jane Kidd (D-Athens), an announced candidate for state Senate District 46, and splits the city of Athens between Senate districts.
Heard accused the bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Ralph Hudgens (R-Comer) of “meddling” in Clarke County politics. The bill passed the Senate on Jan. 13 34-18 and is now pending in the House.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
First bill to clear Legislature halves home heating fuel tax
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue’s proposal to cut the state sales tax on home heating fuel sailed through the Senate on Monday and became the first measure to pass both chambers in the 2006 session.
The Senate voted 51-3 in favor of House Bill 970, a measure that halves the tax on natural gas and liquid propane from 4 cents to 2 cents per dollar. On a $300 winter heating bill, the change would save the consumer $6, or $5 on a $250 bill.
Once Gov. Sonny Perdue signs the bill into law, it becomes effective through March on liquid propane and through April on natural gas. Perdue is expected to sign the bill this week.
Republican leaders praised the measure as another example of the Governor’s efforts to help Georgia taxpayers. Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), who introduced the bill in the Senate, said that the state collected extra revenues due to the increase in natural gas and liquid propane prices following last year’s natural disasters, particularly Hurricane Katrina.
“The Governor and many of us believe it is unfair for the state to benefit on such an essential commodity due to natural disasters,� Seabaugh said. “This was the best way to give those dollars back to the people of Georgia.�
But several Democrats grumbled that the bill did not provide enough relief for the rising home heating fuel costs faced by many Georgians.
“It’s good as far as it goes, but it’s too little, too late,â€? said Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta). “We should have done this in September. We should not have waited until January to get this done.â€? Fort said he wanted to propose an amendment to remove the entire four percent sales tax for a period of time.
But he was unable to do so because at the start of the debate, Seabaugh made a motion to engross the bill - a procedure that prevents lawmakers from proposing and voting on amendments to the bill. The motion to engross passed 33-20, and sparked some partisan bickering. After the motion to engross, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor sarcastically asked Seabaugh, “to speak to his perfect legislation.�
“Thank you Mr. President, I’ll take that as a compliment,� Seabaugh retorted.
Sen. Steve Thompson (D-Powder Springs) said that the bill would not help people on fixed incomes because their home heating bills are so high.
“Let’s do something for the public that has some teeth to it, and quit putting on a show cause we’re not doing anything,� Thompson said. Sen. Regina Thomas (D-Savannah), one of the three senators who voted against the measure, said that lawmakers should consider regulating the natural gas industry.
“It’s a feel good thing to say we want to give you a break on taxes in an election year,� Thomas said. “This is a joke and I’m not going to be a part of it.�
Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown (D-Macon) and Sen. Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain) also voted against the bill.
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Abortion foes brave downpour
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A sea of anti-abortion supporters set off under a heavy downpour for a silent one-mile march through the streets of downtown Atlanta shortly before 1 p.m. today in the annual “Together for Life” rally.
The event, held annually at the Capitol since the 1970s and sponsored by Georgia Right to Life, has coincided with the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, which made abortion legal in the U.S. Both Gov. Sonny Perdue and former U.S. Sen. and Georgia Gov. Zell Miller addressed the crowd, many of them huddling under umbrellas and holding red octagons reading “Stop Abortion Now.”
Perdue presented Right to Life officials a proclamation for the “National Sanctity of Human Life Day,” telling the crowd he is proud to fight to save unborn children. Miller, a lifelong Democrat who had a widely-publicized political change of heart that made him the darling of conservatives, apologized to the crowd for staying in the Capitol and not joining the marchers during his years in the Georgia governor’s office. He joined marchers after his speech. Miller was scheduled to speak last year, but instead was invited to attend the inauguration of President Bush.
Shortly after Miller’s remarks, speakers played the sound of a fetal heartbeat, while a trumpeter played “Taps.” The crowd turned to its left to make the journey through downtown streets in the cold and rain. Though past crowds have reportedly reached up to 5,000, today’s crowd was significantly lower. No official estimate was immediately available.
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Broader Use of Deadly Force
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s already legal to use deadly force to defend your home from a threatening intruder. But some state lawmakes want to expand such use-of-force to crimes outside of the home. Supporters say armed citizens willing to fend off an attack would be a deterrent to crime. Critics say it could lead to unnecessary confrontations between trigger-happy Georgians. Are laws giving Georgians greater leeway in using deadly force a good idea?
Making Divorces Harder to Get
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia state lawmakers this year are likely to debate a proposal that would require couples with children who want a divorce to wait four months and take a minimum three-hour class on the effect of divorce on families. The proposal would not affect divorcing couples without kids. They’d still be able to get a no-fault divorce in 30 days. Folks who support the measure say it would protect children. But critics say that the government should stay out of people’s personal lives. Should lawmakers make it harder for couples with kids to get a divorce?
Unterman criticizes Cox’s ethics plan
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Senate Republican on Thursday criticized Secretary of State Cathy Cox for her recent proposal on ethics reform.
Cox, a Democrat who is running for governor this year, released a “government reform platform” on Tuesday that called for the state to let judges, rather than partisan politicians, appoint the State Ethics Commission. She also proposed making all county races non-partisan.
Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford), chairwoman of the Senate Ethics Committee, called Cox’s announcement “a case of too little, too late,” and accused her of “abusing the system.” Unterman said that she thinks Georgia’s ethics laws could be stronger, but she credited the Republican Party for passing legislation last year that strengthened many of the state’s ethics provisions.
Morton Brilliant, Cox’s campaign manager, said that Unterman’s comments are a “great example of why the state needs a new governor who can change the tune and tone under the Gold Dome.”
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Buckle up, buddy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thanks to former state House Speaker Tom Murphy (D-Bremen) pickup truck drivers in Georgia do not have to wear seat belts. Murphy, who despised the restraints, had the law changed to exempt pickups. Some state lawmakers having been trying ever since undo Murphy’s exemption. One group estimates that 26 deaths per year could be avoided on Georgia’s highways by pickup truck drivers and passengers buckling up. There are now bills pending in the state House and Senate to include pickup trucks in the seat belt law. Should pickup drivers and passengers be forced by law to buckle up?
Bible classes for Georgia schools?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia public school students would be allowed to study the Bible under a plan proposed by Democrats in the state Senate Wednesday.
The bill authorizes the state school board to approve an optional course that would teach about the Bible’s influence on literature, art, culture and politics.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Tim Golden of Valdosta, chairman of the Senate’s Democratic caucus. Golden said it would allow for “nonsectarian, nonreligious academic study” of the Bible and would require it “be taught in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students.”
Sen. Doug Stoner of Smyrna, a co-sponsor of the plan, said the Bible was a major influence on works from Shakespeare’s plays to the Reverend Martin Luther King.
Civil liberties activists say there are ways to teach the Bible in public school without violating the Constitution, but that such a class would create potential problems. Maggie Garrett, legislative counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union’s chapter in Georgia, said even if the curriculum is carefully worded, a teacher could use the class as an opportunity to preach religious faith.
For more comments go to the “Chatter” blog entry of 1/19/2006
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Please Open Your Textbooks to John 3:16
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday proposed legislation allowing study of the Bible in Georgia public schools. But this is not your mama’s Bible study. The proposed legislation would offer an academic examination of the Bible as an important literary and historical document - and its influence on modern-day culture - in a “nonsectarian” and “nonreligious” manner. Should Georgia public school kids study the Bible - or are such teachings best left to churches and private schools? For more comments on this topic, go the the “Chatter” blog, 1/19/2006
How tough on child sex crimes?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It sounds like a no-brainer to get tough on those who commit sex crimes against children - especially in an election year. House Majority Leader Jerry Keen has introduced legislation that would set 25-year minimum sentences for those who rape, kidnap or molest children 14 and under. But critics of the proposed law are troubled by so-called mandatory minimums. They worry it will take away discretion from judges, prosecutors and defense lawyers to negotiate appropriate punishments on a case-by-case basis. They also say it doesn’t address treatment or rehabilitation for sex offenders. And eventually, the costs of imprisoning more people in Georgia - already with the fifth-highest prison population in the nation - will be borne by taxpayers. Are these legitimate concerns - or is Keen on the right path?
Senate readies for week of budget hearings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The controversial photo identification bill approved by the House on Thursday is on hold in the Senate for at least the next week.
The Senate met for less than thirty minutes Friday morning. The business of the day consisted mostly of the prayer of the day and a few announcements. As usual, a handful of bills were heard on first reading and assigned to committee.
Next week, both the House and Senate are in recess for lawmakers to attend budget hearings.
The Senate meets next at 1 p.m. on Monday, January 23.
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Higher Learning and Illegal Immigrants
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should illegal immigrants living in Georgia be allowed to attend the state’s colleges and universities? If so, should they be allowed to pay in-state tuition rates? Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) withdrew a bill that would have prohibited illegal immigrants from enrolling in the state’s colleges and universities. Rogers and others believe they should not be rewarded for being in the U.S. illegally. But opponents of the bill say a college education could prevent those illegal immigrants from becoming criminals or a burden on taxpayers. Who’s right?
Voter ID bill re-written to clear legal challenges
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House approved changes today to a voter ID bill it hopes will pass legal muster.
Senate Bill 84, which now heads to the Senate for consideration, would allow all Georgians to receive a free photo identification card in order to vote. The bill would require that all of Georgia’s 159 counties set up a system where the cards can be issued locally.
Last year, the Legislature passed a law requiring Georgians to show a government-issued photo identification at the polls when voting. It reduced the number of approved pieces of identification a voter could present from 17 to seven, including a driver’s license, state-issued ID card, passport or military ID card.
The law met stiff resistance from opponents who said it was a political strategy to disenfranchise the poor, the elderly and minorities — groups that tend to vote Democratic. They argued that it created unnecessary obstacles to voting, particularly for poor people who could not afford to pay for an ID card, or could not easily get to far-away state driver’s license stations throughout the state.
The law stated that people who could not afford a card could get it for free, but it required them to sign a statement swearing indigency.
Opponents of the law, including AARP of Georgia, the League of Women Voters of Georgia and the ACLU, challenged it in federal court. A judge ruled in favor of the opponents, temporarily suspending enforcement of the law. Judge Harold Murphy said charging people to get an ID to vote was an unconstitutional impediment to voting and amounted to a poll tax.
On only the fourth day of the legislative session, House members spent more than four hours debating proposed changes to the law. The law now states that everyone, regardless of income, can get a free picture ID from the state in order to vote. It also requires every county in the state to have a place to get the free ID. Republican leaders said they hope the changes to the law will address concerns about access to the polls and affordability of the ID cards. Democrats argued that the changes make no difference, because it still sets up an additional obstacle to voting for people who otherwise meet the criteria to vote. Despite impassioned pleas from many Democrats, particularly African-Americans, the bill passed 110-64.
The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.
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Senate bill aims to shield children from adult Web content
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Senate Republican wants to protect the e-mail addresses of children from Internet predators and spammers with a bill called the “Georgia Child, Family, and School Communications Protection Act.�
The measure, announced by Sen. Greg Goggans (R-Douglas) on Thursday morning, would establish a registry for parents and schools to register children’s e-mail addresses in order to protect them from inappropriate or adult content.
Senate Bill 425 would direct the Department of Family and Children Services to establish the Georgia Child, Family, and School Communications Protection Service. The service would set up procedures to prevent the use or disclosure of e-mail addresses and instant messenger IDs.
“I am very concerned that in this age of technology that it has become too easy for spammers and predators to bombard children with inappropriate adult content,� Goggans said.
Parents, guardians or schools would register the e-mail addresses of minors. A person or business would be prohibited from sending a registered child any message that advertises a product or contains content that a children are prohibited from purchasing or viewing.
A person who violates the law, if approved, would be found guilty of a computer crime and a felony punishable by incarceration up to five years or a fine not to exceed $200,000, or both.
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Senate looks to improve insurance of state workers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Senate Democrats introduced several bills on Thursday that would give lawmakers more say in decisions affecting the state health insurance plan for teachers and state employees.
Last fall, hundreds of state employees complained when the state Department of Community health chose United Healthcare of Georgia to run the State Health Benefit Plan. The new health insurance provider did not have contracts with medical centers in many parts of the state, particularly southwest Georgia. Many doctors initially refused to join the plan because of concerns they had about the contract.
Many of those problems eventually were worked out – but the experience left bitter feeling among many state employees about the changes to their health insurance plan.
The State Health Benefit Plan covers about 635,000 people, including active and retired state workers and their dependents.
Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Tim Golden of Valdosta said that lawmakers, employees and healthcare providers all should have more input on major changes to the State Health Benefit Plan in the future.
“All of those groups have a large stake in what we do at the state level related to health insurance,� Golden said.
Golden introduced Senate Bill 407, a measure that would require the Governor and the Department of Community Health to commission a survey and analysis of healthcare plans across the nation. The study would look at the cost, access and quality of those plans. A final report would be due in December 2006 in time for the findings to be considered by the 2007 Legislature.
Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen (D-Albany) introduced Senate Bill 412, a measure that would create a State Health Benefit Plan Advisory Committee composed of educators and other state employees covered by the plan. They would be asked to make annual recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature about the plan.
Senate Bills 410 and 411, introduced by Sen. Horacena Tate (D-Atlanta), would create a Joint Legislative Study Committee on the State Health Benefit Plan. The committee would hold a series of public meetings across the state and then issue a report of their findings.
The bills all were assigned to the Senate Insurance Committee for review and discussion.
Senators on Thursday also debated their first bill of the 2006 Legislative session: Senate Bill 386. The bill seeks to change the boundaries of Senate districts 46, 47, and 49 —- areas near Athens, Georgia.
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Gas Bill Too High?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By now, you’ve probably gotten your first winter natural gas bill. Luckily, the weather’s been relatively mild so far. Still, you may know someone who’s gotten a $200 or $300 - maybe even higher - monthly bill. Gov. Sonny Perdue has proposed cutting the 4 percent state sales tax on natural gas in half - the Legislature must approve it. It would save consumers $2 on a $100 gas bill and $4 on a $200 gas bill. Is that enough? Should state lawmakers do more to lower natural gas bills? Or should they let the market dictate gas prices? What’s the government’s role in controlling natural gas prices?
Reactions to Perdue’s speech
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor
For nearly 20 years, I’ve taken the same approach to every legislative session: focus on the needs of everyday Georgians, to make sure this government — your government — works for you. All of you.
Right now the state of Georgia provides HOPE Scholarships to every child who graduates with a “B” average, scholarships that allow them to attend any Georgia university tuition free…. Every single one.
We provide HOPE Scholarships to every high school graduate, scholarships that allow them to attend any Georgia technical college for free…. Every single one.
We provide Pre-Kindergarten to every four-year-old in Georgia who wants it…. Every single one.
I was proud to lead the legislative fight for these groundbreaking programs.
It is time to lead again.
It is time to provide heath insurance to every child in Georgia….every single one.
Regardless of who they are … Who their parents are … Where they live … Or how much their parents make.
I’ve fought for children’s health care my entire career … a fight that led to PeachCare, a program that now provides health coverage for more than 200,000 Georgia kids.
Yet too many families and their children fall through the cracks, struggling in gaps left by a patchwork of healthcare programs.
We are talking about displaced workers who lose their coverage through no fault of their own … think of the thousands of Georgia employees who will soon be without healthcare at Delta … GM … and BellSouth, just to name a few….
We are talking about thousands of families without healthcare who make too much money to qualify for help.
Let me repeat that: these families make too much money to qualify, but they don’t make enough to afford basic health insurance. So their kids end up with no health insurance at all. It was the same problem families had with college tuition before we passed HOPE. And it’s wrong.
This idea comes from a program in place in Illinois. We will adopt it to the needs of Georgia and make it our own. We call it PeachKids. And it will provide health insurance for every child in Georgia.
Now get ready for the usual suspects to come forward … the ones who say it can’t be done.
The same people who told me HOPE couldn’t be done….
The same people who said Pre-K couldn’t be done….
But we got them done.
And we will get PeachKids done.
No matter what it takes. No matter how long it takes.
Listening to Governor Perdue today, it is clear that we now agree on a few issues we have disagreed on over the last few years.
An important one is reducing class size.
In every part of Georgia, there are overworked teachers in overcrowded classrooms
Governor, I hope we can work together to reduce class size in this state.
I also support your effort to increase teacher pay.
But one time election-year proposals will not solve our education problems.
We need to worry about teacher pay, class size and our kids’ education not just in election years, but every year.
And that goes for tax cuts too —
We haven’t passed a tax cut for families in several years. As the proud sponsor of the largest tax cut in our state’s history, I will support any new tax cut — including a childcare tax credit — for Georgia families.
As you all know, the HOPE Scholarship has a special place in my heart.
Over the past few years — over my objections — HOPE has been cut, needlessly and too often.
Today, students and their families are reaching into their pockets to buy things HOPE use to pay for. That’s wrong.
The greatest college scholarship program in the nation deserves better than that.
It is time to RESTORE all HOPE cuts that were made.
The Governor also proposes a Constitutional Amendment to protect HOPE, and I will support any effort to do that.
But you have to read the fine print. And when you do, you’ll find out that this amendment does not … I repeat … DOES NOT protect the HOPE program from future budget cuts by Governor Perdue or anyone.
If this amendment passes, HOPE can still be cut … at any time … for any reason … and by any amount.
In the end, protecting HOPE requires leadership and a real commitment to keeping it strong.
I was there when HOPE started. I have that commitment. And I will be watching … every minute … to make sure the HOPE scholarships are protected.
As we work to make our kids as healthy as they can be and give them the best education we can- we also need to protect them from a constant cultural assault that undermines our values.
So let’s prohibit the sale of extremely violent and sexually explicit video games to children under age 18.
Let’s establish uniform rating guides for all forms of entertainment so parents can get reliable information about content.
And let’s give parents more input about the content of the health and sexuality curriculum being taught in schools.
Let’s protect our kids and make these simple ideas the law of the state.
And that brings me to one final point. I will support any measure that helps and honors the outstanding men and women serving in our military.
I believe in Georgia. And, for nearly 20 years, I’ve gone to work every single day thinking about one thing: what can we do to improve the lives of everyday Georgians … each and every one of you.
YOU should be the focus of this session.
Your family. Your schools. Your health. Your values. Your life.
I am ready to go to work for you.
God bless you … and God bless the great state of Georgia.
Secretary of State Cathy Cox
Three years of bickering under the Gold Dome meant teachers weren’t treated like professionals and classes got larger. Now that we’re in an election year we’re finally beginning to see a renewed focus on education, but it doesn’t make up for the ground we’ve lost. If our state’s leaders had spent the last three years cooperating and working for all the people of Georgia, we would be much further along in improving our schools and strengthening higher education.
We face enormous challenges to provide affordable health care for more Georgia families and small businesses, in educating our children in world class public schools, and in solving our difficult transportation problems so we can finally get Georgia moving again.
The uninsured don’t have a powerful lobby roaming the halls of the Capitol. Parents with kids in school don’t have unlimited political money with which to wallpaper the offices of our elected leaders. Commuters don’t have Gold Dome insiders on their side to twist the arms of Georgia’s political elites to finally bring forward the solutions we need. And we heard nothing whatsoever in the Governor’s message today about improving traffic or assuring access to health care for most Georgians — the quality of life issues that we must address.
Good ol’ boy politics has simply gone bad. Its time has passed. Cleaning it up once and for all is at the heart of my campaign for Governor.
In the coming days I will be offering my plan to make Georgia government serve everyday Georgians and face up to the critical needs of her citizens — the way it should have all along. We can change Georgia — restoring faith and confidence in a government that works for each and every Georgian, regardless of their personal wealth or political influence. Working together, I am confident that change is exactly what we’ll achieve.
Charles Bullock, political science professor at UGA
Lest anyone have doubts, there could hardly be clearer evidence that it is easier and more fun to govern when the state treasury is full as opposed to when the wolf is at the door. With state revenues running well ahead of projections, the governor could use his state of the state address to outline a number of popular funding initiatives.
Education was the area that received top billing and in which Gov. Perdue most fully fleshed out his proposals. Education, like most areas in the budget, was put on a diet in recent years when the state struggled to meet its obligations and stay solvent. Now with revenues rising, K-12 education is faring better than other areas in competing for new dollars.
Much of what the governor proposes for education should please classroom teachers, a group that numbers approximately 100,000. Public school teachers have traditionally been in the Democratic Party corner but searched for a new home in 2002 in reaction to what they judged to be unfair criticisms from Gov. Barnes. Gov. Perdue has not repeated the Barnes’ mistakes by blaming teachers for the continuing poor performance of Georgia seniors on the SAT tests. Instead Perdue is seeking a reaffirmation of support from educators in the upcoming election.
The FY 2007 budget promises to improve the finances of the teaching corps with the largest pay raise of the Perdue governorship which will seem even larger than last year’s raise since the state will step in to shoulder increased charges for health insurance.
Reducing class sizes in K-8 will make teaching and maintenance of discipline easier. This should promote the task of education.
Teachers, who often chafe under and resent the lack of understanding that they perceive coming from the administrators under whom they work, may also be pleased with the proposal to have at least 65% of the education budget go into the classroom rather than fund salaries for additional legions of coordinators and assistant superintendents and principals.
The speech offered a buffet of non-controversial proposals. The governor supports investing to create new jobs, while opposing meth use, sexual predators and use of eminent domain to give property to developers whose schemes might increase property tax revenues. These should all pass and become part of the governor’s platform for why he deserves another term.
Having burgeoning coffers allowed the governor to propose targeted tax relief for various subsets in society. Grateful beneficiaries include working families, those who heat with petroleum produces, small businesses and the elderly.
I heard nothing about using some of the extra revenues to replenish the rainy day fund. Perhaps I missed that. But if that was not in the speech, it may be because not many Georgians see a direct benefit from that use of extra tax dollars.
There was very little in the speech that had not been already mentioned, so no surprises.
If the legislature delivers on what the governor seeks — and it would be surprising if he did not get all of this through the General Assembly — he will be well positioned to answer the question: What have you done for me lately?
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Perdue’s State of the State speech
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Senator Johnson, Representative Burkhalter … Members of the General Assembly. Constitutional officers and members of the judiciary. The Consular Corps and other distinguished guests. And, most of all, my fellow Georgians:
Today marks the fourth time you’ve allowed me to come before you to report on the state of our great State of Georgia.
In my first address I spoke of dark clouds and a troubled economy battered by recession. The seas were stormy, but we were determined to find our way to a New Georgia – safe, healthy, educated and growing.
Last year, I reported an economic recovery was underway. Georgians were going back to work. The clouds were parting.
Today I’m happy to say that our progress has continued over the last twelve months. Our job growth has surged. Our communities and our state grow stronger each day.
We’re putting the dark clouds behind us. And we have many more sunny days ahead.
With our economy growing again, we should give credit where credit is due.
Georgia’s economic comeback is, above all, a tribute to our strengths as a state and to the optimism and enterprise of our citizens.
I’m proud of the millions of Georgians who have done the hard work of leading our recovery –
The small business owners who grow companies that create good jobs for Georgia families.
The investors and entrepreneurs who take the risks of bringing new ideas to market.
The Georgia workers who are more productive and better prepared to compete in the global economy.
I’m proud too of the thousands of new Georgians who move to our state each year from across the country and around the world. Georgia today is the 9th largest state and one of the fastest growing in the nation. At last count, there are over 9 million Georgians.
People keep coming to our state because Georgia is a great place to live, to get an education, to work and to raise a family.
Georgia is a state of opportunity. Our job is to make sure it remains so. And the best way for those of us in public office to do that is to remember that government doesn’t create jobs, growth and prosperity – our people do.
Government’s role is to create fertile opportunities for Georgians to succeed and prosper. Today I want to share with you my 2006 legislative agenda and budget priorities, which do exactly that.
My agenda for Georgia is based on what Georgians themselves have told me are their priorities – education … children … jobs … safe communities. And a state government that lives within its means and that respects individual liberty.
This should be a familiar list, because these have been my priorities from my first day in office. This year, thanks to our growing economy, we have additional resources to invest in our priorities. I am projecting one and quarter billion dollars in new revenues for 2007.
That strong revenue gain gives us all a sense of relief. But our improving revenues are no cause for complacency.
A growing population is good, but more Georgians means more kids in our schools, more drivers on our roads, more patients in health care system. These are the unavoidable obligations that come with growth, just like the arrival of a new baby at home. Meeting those obligations will consume much of our new revenue.
But not all of it. What makes this year’s budget different is what we’ve done together over the last three years to make our state government more efficient and effective.
The $640 million deficit we inherited three years ago made changing state government’s culture of spending not just a good idea, but also a necessity.
We asked each state agency to identify its core mission and to prioritize its budget requests. We took a hard look at every program and cut those we could do without.
I established the Commission for a New Georgia and asked some of our state’s top business leaders to recommend ways we could improve the operations of state government. Implementing their recommendations has already saved the taxpayers millions of dollars. And those savings will multiply over the years.
In total, thanks to our sound fiscal management and conservative budgeting, we reduced the size of state government by over $1 billion per year, while also creating a surplus and rebuilding our rainy day fund.
Because we made the tough decisions then, we are now able to make some of the important investments we had to defer when times were lean, just as we must do in our family budgets.
And we will begin with our top priority – education.
My education budget has a strong classroom focus because the classroom is where learning happens. It is only common sense that we should spend our education dollars where they can do the most good and have the biggest direct impact on student achievement.
That is exactly why I’ve asked you to establish a standard for local school districts to spend at least 65% of their budgets in the classroom.
I believe that, next to having parents involved in their children’s education, the single best thing we can do for our students is to keep dedicated and experienced teachers in our classrooms.
Of course, we all know that a teacher’s workday begins long before the first class starts and continues long after the last bell sends the students home.
As the son of a teacher, I also know this from personal experience. My mother taught English, but she taught her students much more than the fundamentals of reading, writing and grammar. She taught them lessons of character and responsibility and helped them gain the confidence and skills they needed to succeed.
Each of us recalls those teachers who inspired us and challenged us to excel. Those of us who are parents know the importance of good teachers in our own children’s’ lives. And everyone recognizes the critical role teachers play in preparing the next generation to assume their roles in society.
That is why all of us appreciate the demanding and important work that Georgia’s teachers do. And that is why I want to give all of our teachers a well-deserved 4% pay raise.
More than half of teachers will receive a 7% raise. Just as importantly,,, my budget also provides teachers health insurance with… NO increase in premiums.
And let me tell you one more thing. As long as the people of Georgia trust me to be their Governor, our Georgia teachers will remain the highest paid teachers in the Southeast.
Today, I want to share with you, and our teachers, some additional good news. As we all know, many of our teachers dig into their own pockets each school year to purchase classroom materials and supplies.
Teachers buy extra pencils and notebooks for their students … decorations for the bulletin board … materials for a class project … the list is just about endless. But the important point is that teachers are spending their own money to help our children learn.
That dedication deserves recognition. It also deserves a little bit of extra help from us. That’s why I’ve included $10 million in my budget to provide every Georgia teacher with one of these … the Classroom Gift Card.
The Classroom Gift Card works just like the store gift cards that many of us found in our stockings at Christmas. Each Classroom Gift Card will be worth 100 dollars that teachers can use to purchase school supplies during Georgia’s Back To School sales tax holiday this fall. It’s just one more tool we can provide our teachers to help them do their important job.
Of course, showing respect for teachers means not just rewarding their hard work, but understanding that they are the ones on the front lines and who deserve a listening ear for their ideas. As I announced yesterday, this year we will meet another top request from teachers by reducing class sizes in grades K-8 through my Truth in Class Size legislation.
My budget includes $163 million for class size reductions. My budget also includes $447 million in bonds for classroom construction, for new equipment and for buying 1000 new school buses. That means new buses for every county in the state.
A strong classroom focus will help every district and every school improve. But there is another critical ingredient for raising student achievement – and that’s leadership.
Every team needs a great leader to set a great example. In our schools, that’s the principal’s job. And in those schools that most need improvement, solid leadership from the principal’s office is essential.
With many of our most experienced principals approaching retirement, we must now recruit and train the next generation of educational leaders. My budget includes $3 million to recruit High Performance Principals to lead our Needs Improvement middle and high schools.
High Performance Principals have a proven record of raising student achievement results in the schools they lead. These are the leaders we want in our most challenged schools.
Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, sadly, nearly 40% of our students drop out of high school before earning their diplomas. In a state with as much promise as Georgia, that’s an unacceptable waste of talent. It’s high time for Georgia to make sure more of its students graduate from high school.
In the competitive global economy, dropouts will pay a steep price for their incomplete education. The jobs with a future are knowledge jobs. And you’ve got to have the knowledge before you get the job.
Our employers also pay the price of high dropout rates when they can’t find enough skilled workers. That is why my budget targets $23.3 million to raise Georgia’s graduation rates. This will put a completion counselor in every single high school in Georgia, with the sole purpose of working individually with students to encourage them to complete their education.
Overall, my budget devotes over 72% of our new revenues to education. They say the best time to plant an oak tree is 100 years ago. But the second best time to plant an oak tree is today. My friends, with this budget we are planting a forest of oaks for Georgia’s children and their future.
Getting a good education and finding that first job are doors of opportunity that should be open wide for every young Georgian.
Before I discuss our broader plans to spur job creation in Georgia, I want to highlight one initiative that is introducing a special group of young Georgians to the workplace.
The TeenWork initiative offers summer employment opportunities to teens in foster care. Last summer over 400 foster teens were employed by state agencies and private companies. Before starting work, each teen received training in basic job skills such as how to apply for a job, proper business attire and good time management.
Foster kids often lack the mentors and role models to teach them workplace fundamentals. The TeenWork program has given these foster teens a successful start in their working careers. But that doesn’t surprise me.
I’m proud to tell you that the TeenWork Initiative was created by the First Lady’s Children’s Cabinet, chaired by the best champion Georgia’s children have ever known — my lifelong partner and the love of my life, Mary Perdue.
Through the Our Children Campaign, Mary has encouraged thousands of Georgians to get involved in meeting the needs of abused and neglected children within their communities. She has organized three statewide Summits on our Children to raise public awareness of children’s issues.
Last year, Mary and the Children’s Cabinet helped launch the Foster Family Foundation of Georgia. The Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization that will recruit, train, and support both foster and adoptive families.
That’s only a fraction of Mary’s many efforts to improve the lives of Georgia’s children. I’m not bragging when I say I work hard as your Governor. But I want you to know that your First Lady works just as hard for this cause so close to her heart.
And, Mary, I want you to know how proud I am of you and the example you set of caring for all of Georgia’s children.
In a very real sense, everything we do to strengthen and improve our state is for the sake of our children and grandchildren.
I know that being a proud father and grandfather strengthens my determination that the next generation of Georgians will inherit from us a state where they can aspire to a better education, a better job and a better life. And a state with its priorities clear … and its books in order.
Yes, we want these things for ourselves. But, above all, don’t we want to leave our children a better world?
Yet, for many parents, improving life for their children isn’t just about hopes and dreams for the future … it’s also a question of economic survival in the here and now.
For today’s families, child care is a critical need. That is why I am proposing we enact a Georgia Child Care Tax Credit in addition to the existing federal tax credit.
The new Georgia Child Care Tax Credit will return $50 million to working parents by 2008, to help with child care expenses.
Helping parents and families afford child care is the kind of practical step that government should take to help create the conditions for prosperity.
Government should be about the business of empowering Georgians to learn more, earn more and save more.
Government should also make the wise long-term investments that will help our economy keep growing and keep creating jobs for decades to come.
You see, in the 21st century global economy we have only two options. Georgia can lead or Georgia can be left behind.
I want to guarantee you this – as long as I’m your Governor, Georgia is going to lead.
To lead, we must innovate. That means, we must become a State of Innovation.
That means making innovation our competitive advantage in every area of our economy – in our existing industries, in our homegrown small businesses and in the growth industries of the future, such as life sciences and nano-manufacturing.
These are the industries that will cure cancer … improve our food safety and supply … and provide new sources of energy to power our lives and propel our state’s economy forward.
Building an innovation economy requires three main ingredients: people, capital and infrastructure.
Georgia is investing in all three areas. We’re investing $80 million this year alone.
Our Eminent Scholar program already brings world-class researchers to Georgia – the scientists and inventors whose research changes lives and becomes the basis for new companies and new industries.
Bringing university research from the lab to the market has helped us create successful companies in Georgia like Mindspring, now Earthlink … and medical science leaders like Inhibitex and Theragenics.
At our Centers of Innovation, we are bringing our best university research together with top Georgia companies to make new advances in logistics, data processing, aeronautics, agriculture. New advances that will help Georgia companies become more competitive, grow more rapidly and create more jobs.
In the area of investment capital, we will budget $5 million to expand our Seed Capital Fund for early stage bioscience entrepreneurs. And $5 million for the Life Sciences Facilities Fund to help provide growing bioscience firms with the facilities they need to continue their growth here in Georgia.
To strengthen our investment infrastructure, I am recommending investments in nanotechnology, energy and broadband technology.
My budget includes $38 million in bonds to complete the construction of a Nanotechnology Research Center at Georgia Tech to establish Georgia as a global leader in this emerging industry.
To ensure Georgia’s energy future, I am budgeting $2 million to seed research on developing alternative fuels, such as expanding our BioRefinery program at the University of Georgia.
Bio-fuels convert materials like wood chips, peanut hulls and other organic matter into viable energy sources. As a strong agricultural state, Georgia should be, and will be, a leader in this field. We’ll be able to meet more of our own energy needs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil … and turn a profit.
The third area of investment is broadband. I call broadband the new dial tone. Today, we could not imagine any business, much less an entire community, operating without access to reliable telephone service. Today, broadband internet access is just as important for our 21st Century communications infrastructure.
The goal of my Broadband Initiative is to ensure that every Georgia community is plugged in to the global economy with the broadband connectivity that individuals and businesses need.
I will ask the OneGeorgia Authority to establish a $5 million grant program to support rural broadband access. In addition, I am also proposing a $5 million initiative at the Georgia Technology Authority to partner with at least three Georgia cities to bring wireless broadband – WiFi – to their areas.
With these, and the many other investments included in my budget, we will continue Georgia’s transformation into a State of Innovation that will provide a growing economy, good jobs and thriving communities for our citizens.
As we build an educated and growing Georgia, we must also act to create a safer Georgia.
We must get dangerous sexual predators off our streets and away from our children.
I know that with the General Assembly’s help, Georgia will have the toughest sexual predator law in the nation by the end of this session.
And to ensure that we have enough prison space to keep dangerous criminals locked up, I am recommending $45 million to add more than 4,300 beds to the State’s prison system and reduce the jail backlog burden on our counties.
Unfortunately, we are all too aware of a growing plague in our state – methamphetamine. Meth destroys lives, attacks families, and undermines communities. Georgia has been a leader in battling the meth scourge. But we need to do more.
My budget includes $1 million to create a GBI “MethForce� to target and investigate meth-related crimes statewide.
I have also invited U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to come to Georgia and discuss stronger state and federal coordination of anti-meth efforts. He has accepted and will be here next month.
We will not allow the scourge of meth abuse to run unchecked in our state. Georgia will fight back … and Georgia will win.
That’s just the nature of our people. Show us a problem and we will find a solution.
That problem-solving, “get it done� attitude that comes so naturally to Georgians is exactly what they expect from their state government.
Another thing they expect and deserve is efficient, customer-friendly service.
One example of the emphasis we are placing on customer service was the excellent work of Joe Doyle and the Task Force he led to identify specific ways we can and will ensure that government services are easier to access, faster to complete and delivered by friendly people, with a smile.
Let me share just one success story with you. It is a story still in progress, because we’ve still got work to do. But I am proud of their results so far.
Last year at this podium I said that if government didn’t have a monopoly on the business of issuing drivers licenses, we’d be out of that business. I think that accurately summed up the frustration many Georgians felt over the long lines and headaches at the DMV.
So we created a new Department of Driver Services with one core mission — getting Georgia drivers their licenses quickly, efficiently, and courteously.
Commissioner Greg Dozier and the nearly 750 Driver Services employees have taken their mission to heart and taken the licensing process to a whole new level.
We are hiring more license examiners, opening new service centers, enabling online change of address, and otherwise making the license renewal process more pleasant and convenient for busy Georgia drivers.
How much progress have we made? Well, radio listeners know that Neal Boortz is not exactly low maintenance when it comes to government services. But even Neal took time on the air to compliment his most recent license renewing experience.
So to Greg and all his team at the Department of Driver Services – thank you, and keep up the good work.
Just as Georgians expect our government to provide excellent service, we also expect, and rightfully so, that government will respect our individual rights and liberties, including our property rights.
Last summer the Supreme Court of the United States took a hammer to property rights with their eminent domain decision. The Court ruled that government can use its awesome power to condemn your property and give it to another private owner, for private profit.
I say now what I said then – the Court got it wrong. That’s not the America I grew up in … and that’s not the America I want to live in. Private property is one of the bedrock foundations of our freedom. And I stand with Georgians in saying — we will do whatever it takes to protect our personal property rights.
But government has another awesome power – the power to tax. Whenever government takes more than it needs of your money we have a responsibility to give it back. And that is exactly what my budget does.
When rising gas prices brought a revenue windfall to government last fall, we returned $77 million to taxpayers by suspending the sales tax on gasoline.
When skyrocketing natural gas prices produced another windfall to the state and made it more expensive for Georgians to heat their homes this winter, I asked the General Assembly to ratify my Executive Order cutting the sales tax on natural gas for home heating in half, giving up to $20 million back to Georgians.
On behalf of the people of Georgia, I want to thank you for your speedy action today on this important item.
There is another giving back story I want to share with you. We’re giving back to Georgia seniors. They’ve worked hard and paid taxes all their lives. As we move toward my goal of eliminating the income tax for seniors, this year we will begin giving seniors $285 million in tax savings.
Additionally, we’ve provided $60 million in tax relief for small business.
We reformed our corporate tax system to provide greater incentives for companies to locate and grow in Georgia.
My proposed Land Conservation Tax Credit provides tax savings of up to a quarter of a million dollars for land donated by individuals, and half a million for corporate donations.
Along with the $5 million in my budget for local land conservation grants, this credit will help us reach Georgia’s conservation goals.
Our annual sales tax holidays have helped Georgia parents pay for back to school clothing and supplies with over $10 million in savings.
We acknowledged the sacrifices of our National Guard by exempting the military income of Guard members on active duty from income tax – a well-earned savings to military families of $4.5 million.
And we’ve delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in property tax relief to Georgia home owners. My budget this year fully funds the homestead tax exemption at $434 million.
Collectively, including my new proposals, we will have provided Georgians with more than two billion dollars in tax relief since I took office.
Spending only what we need and no more. Constantly seeking new efficiencies. Aggressively returning money to the taxpayers.
That’s what is means for government to “live within its means.� That’s what it means for those of us entrusted with the management of government to meet our obligations of stewardship.
The people of Georgia are the owners of our state, the ultimate shareholders to whom we are all accountable.
As a growing economy brings a brighter revenue picture, we will not lose sight of these cornerstone truths.
We will continue to ask the tough questions and scrutinize every program and every line item. We will continue investing in Georgia families and their kitchen table issues, like education, jobs, and safe communities.
But one thing we won’t do is go back to the bad spending habits of the past. As I said here last year, we’ve already burned the ships that could take us back. We’re committed now to going forward, to building a New Georgia on the foundations of openness, accountability and stewardship.
In recent months, I have traveled to nearly every corner of our state. I’ve met with hundreds of Georgians. Farmers and students, small business owners and factory workers, young parents and retirees.
They share with me their stories of success … their plans … their dreams … and their optimism about Georgia’s future.
I feel very strongly about my responsibility to all of our citizens, as I know every member of this Legislature does.
But I must admit that there is one group of Georgians toward whom I feel an extra measure of responsibility – our men and women in the Armed Forces serving overseas.
Especially on my mind are the troops of the Georgia National Guard’s 48th Brigade, currently on active duty in Iraq.
I had the privilege of spending the Thanksgiving holiday with our troops in the Middle East.
I was humbled to travel to Iraq, and Afghanistan to express the gratitude, pride, and support that Georgians feel for these men and women — our neighbors and family members — who are giving so much to defend our freedom.
I let our troops know that Georgians are keeping our promise to care for their families while they are away. Many Georgia companies and individuals have given to the Georgia National Guard Foundation, which I encourage you all to support.
Tens of thousands of Georgians are lending their support in countless other ways, including through their prayers.
As I visited with our soldiers, I asked if there was anything I could do for them.
They wanted Georgians to know that they understand their mission to help a true democracy take root in Iraq and they are committed to finishing the job.
Some wanted me to bring personal messages to their loved ones, which I did.
Others asked, “Governor, I want to know if there will be a job waiting for me at home when we finish the job here.�
Last May, I proudly stood with our troops at Fort Stewart to salute them and wish them Godspeed as the 48th deployed to Iraq. But what I’m looking forward to this year is standing with our troops when Georgia welcomes them home.
This is the year the 48th comes home. And the least we can do as we welcome them back is ensure that every returning service member finds a job waiting for them in Georgia. As their Governor and commander-in-chief I have made a solemn pledge to our Guard members that this will be true.
Will you help me keep that promise?
Our citizen soldiers are performing heroic, world-changing work. Not only by fighting bravely, but through the small, day-to-day human victories. In this war against an inhumane creed of terrorism, our innate compassion and humanity are the most effective — and gentlest — weapon.
Thanks to Georgians, a better world is already coming into view for one young Iraqi – baby Noor.
It was members of Georgia’s 48th Brigade who helped give new life to 3-month-old Noor, an Iraqi newborn with a severe spinal cord defect that was untreatable in Iraq.
Our citizen-soldiers arranged to fly baby Noor and her grandmother to Atlanta, where doctors at Children’s Health Care are have performed the life-saving surgery she needs at no charge.
Baby Noor is still here in Atlanta, undergoing treatment. But when she returns to her parents in Iraq, she will bear a new name, a name that carries with it the promise of hope.
Her family has decided to call this precious little girl … Georgia.
One of the soldiers of the 48th whom I met during my visit was Private Shane Parham of Social Circle. Private Parham served as a gunner on a Humvee. He was injured in the line of duty when his Humvee rolled over and is now back home in Georgia.
Shane has been recommended to receive the Bronze Star.
When he is not wearing our country’s uniform, Shane serves the people of Georgia in the uniform of a Walton County deputy sheriff.
As a father of three young daughters, Shane Parham’s love of children has given him a special insight into the significance of the work he and his comrades in the 48th are doing.
When he got back from Iraq, he had this to say: “If we can get these Iraqi children to like us, our children will not have to fight theirs.�
That may be the wisest comment I have heard on the conflict in Iraq. Differences of religion, politics and culture aside, Iraqis love their children too, just like we do in Georgia.
And just like Georgians, Iraqi parents want a better life for their children. That was something they could never hope for. Now, thanks to a young Georgia father named Shane Parham … and his thousands of fellow service members in the 48th Brigade and across the Armed Forces … Iraqis have hope.
We are proud to have Private Shane Parham and his wife Wendy with us in the gallery today, along with Georgia’s Adjutant General David Poythress.
Please join me in thanking General Poythress, Private Parham and all of our troops who are defending our freedom here and overseas.
Don’t let anyone tell you our troops aren’t making a difference. Everything we hope to build in Georgia and every dream we hope to attain for our state is made possible by the shield and protection that they provide.
They make possible the progress I expect to report when I return here next year. And they help ensure that for Georgia, as for all of America, our best days are always ahead of us.
God bless America and God bless Georgia.
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Education a winner in Perdue’s proposed spending plan
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue, heading into his first re-election bid, has proposed a record $18.6 billion budget that will keep crews busy building schools and give many Georgians with children a tax break.
In his fourth State of the State address, Perdue on Wednesday afternoon told a joint session of the state House of Representatives and state Senate that most of the new spending will be doled out to education beginning with the July 1 fiscal year. The budget is $1.2 billion higher than last year’s spending bill.
“My agenda for Georgia is based on what Georgians themselves have told me are their priorities – education … children … jobs … safe communities,� Perdue said. “And a state government that lives within its means and that respects individual liberty.�
Perdue said his budget devotes over 72% of our new revenues to education.
“They say the best time to plant an oak tree is 100 years ago,� Perdue said. “But the second best time to plant an oak tree is today. My friends, with this budget we are planting a forest of oaks for Georgia’s children and their future.�
Perdue’s budget also has $10 million for so-called “classroom gift cards� that work just like the store gift cards . Each card will be worth 100 dollars that teachers can use to purchase school supplies during Georgia’s sales tax holiday this fall.
Some Democratic critics have accused the state’s first Republican governor in 130 years of pandering to election-year politics with his proposals. Perdue’s strategists are well aware that opposition from teachers was a key factor in the upset of former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes four years ago.
Ten months from now, Perdue will face the winner of what is expected to be a heated Democratic gubernatorial primary between Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor and Secretary of State Cathy Cox.
Most of the $866 million in new construction projects proposed by Perdue would be spent on everything from helping fast-growing systems like Gwinnett build new schools to $37.5 million for a teaching laboratory building at Georgia State University and $38 million for a nanotechnology research center at Georgia Tech.
“My education budget has a strong classroom focus because the classroom is where learning happens,� Perdue said. “It is only common sense that we should spend our education dollars where they can do the most good and have the biggest direct impact on student achievement.�
Teachers and professors would get a 4 percent raise, and other state employees would get 2 to 4 percent more, depending on how much they currently earn. The state would pick up the full cost of health insurance premium costs. An extra $10 million is in his budget to pay for school supplies so teachers have to buy less, and millions are packed into the spending plan to help students who are falling behind in class.
All the money is available because an improving state economy has filled the government’s coffers with tax collections, and the roll is expected to continue into next fiscal year. Revenue is up 8.2 percent for the first six months of fiscal 2006.
During his speech, Perdue called on lawmakers to approve a tax credit for parents with child care expenses. Phased in over three years, the $40 million-to-$50-million tax break would give Georgians an income tax credit that could add $50 to $150 in annual tax relief for families with child care expenses, the governor’s office said.
The governor’s budget proposal, which the Republican-controlled Legislature begins reviewing next week, would establish a $5 million grant and loan program to help rural areas develop broadband access and another $5 million would be used for an initiative to bring wireless broadband to three cities. The cities involved have not been chosen.
The governor wants to spend $1 million to fund a 15-agent methamphetamine force with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, and another $40 million to increase capacity in state prisons with more than 4,000 extra beds.
Critics say Perdue’s plan doesn’t make up for the $1 billion in spending cuts the governor has made since taking office in 2003. That money was cut from basic K-12 funding for schools — money schools get for each student — and Democrats argue that it caused nearly 100 school systems to raise local property taxes.
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Broadband bill is introduced in Senate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state Senate quickly breezed through their legislative business Wednesday morning, meeting for less than an hour.
Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) introduced Senate Bill 404, a measure that would create the Georgia Broadband Education Commission, a panel that would educate the public about the benefits of broadband technology and improve its use in Georgia. In addition, the commission would handle the payments of any penalties relating to local exchange companies.
Seabaugh also filed a companion measure, Senate Resolution 675, that would amend the state constitution to create a Georgia Broadband Education Trust Fund for the purpose of educating Georgians about broadband technology.
Sen. Kasim Reed (D-Atlanta) introduced a bill that would exempt qualifying airlines from sales taxes for a limited time period. During the Legislature’s special session in late August, Reed tried unsuccessfully to help ailing Delta Airlines by urging the General Assembly to pass a measure that would have exempted the airline from sales taxes for 12 months.
The Senate meets again at 2:45 p.m. this afternoon to hear Gov. Sonny Perdue’s State of the State address. The Senate formally meets for business again at 10 a.m. Thursday, where lawmakers likely will debate SB 203, a measure that pertains to the collection of fees for indigent defense.
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Something for everyone?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What a difference an election year makes. Gov. Sonny Perdue gave his annual “State of the State” speech today before a joint session of the House and Senate. An improved economy allowed him to deliver plenty of good news - a child care credit, raises for teachers, gift cards so teachers can buy classroom supplies, money to fight crime and the high-school dropout rate, money to attract technology companies and entrepreneurs. Does the governor have his priorities straight? What would you spend your tax dollars on if you were in charge?
House gives voter ID bill priority
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House ended a quiet second day at 10:35 a.m., with plans for a busy Wednesday session that starts at 12:30 p.m. and includes the governor’s State of the State address.
A revised version of last year’s controversial voter identification bill appeared to be still on the fast track to the full House. House Rules Committee Chairman Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) said his committee will consider the bill, SB 84, and amendments Wednesday at 10 a.m. The bill would mandate that voters show a photo identification card at the polls, and it would allow people to get a free ID card - for voting purposes only - at one of the 159 county voter registrars office.
A contentious debate is expected on the new bill, which Republicans said should appease a federal court judge who in October barred the state from enforcing last year’s voter ID requirement. Emmett Bondurant, an attorney who filed suit over last year’s law, told a House committee on Monday that he does not believe either version of the bill is constitutional. He said Georgia’s Constitution is very specific that only convicted felons and those declared incompetent can be barred from exercising their right to vote.
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Senate bills target sex offenders
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Senate met for less than an hour Tuesday morning. Several bills filed before the start of the Legislative session were heard on first reading and then referred to committee. Some of those measures include bills by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) and Sen. Judson Hill (R-Marietta) to toughen registration requirements and other laws pertaining to convicted sex offenders.
In the Georgia Senate, all bills are read once and then referred to a committee. If the bill or resolution passes out of committee, the measure gets a second reading. Then the Senate Rules Committee determines when and if the bill goes on the debate calendar. That’s when a lot of fireworks over controversial issues erupt at the Capitol.
The Senate meets again at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Breaking news
Showing picture ID to vote
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Republican Legislature wants everyone who votes to show government-issued photo ID at the polls - in most cases a driver’s license, military ID or passport - to help prevent voter fraud. Democrats have fought the bill and a judge has suspended enforcement of the law, which passed last year. On Monday, Republicans proposed to make it easier to get a picture ID, making them available where you register to vote and making them free to anyone who needs one. Is requiring Georgians to show photo ID to vote a reasonable law, or is it an unnecessary obstacle to voting?
Read the story at ajc.com
See the bill at Georgia General Assembly Web site
Senate Republicans tip hand for 2006 legislative session
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Republican leadership of the Georgia Senate revealed more of their 2006 Legislative agenda on Monday. Not surprisingly, many of their top priorities reflected some of the issues Gov. Sonny Perdue is pushing.
Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams (R-Lyons) said that his chamber’s first order of business likely would be a vote on Perdue’s proposal to cut natural gas and propane taxes in half. In December, Perdue signed an order that would halve a 4 percent state sales tax on residential natural gas for January-through-April bills. If approved by the Legislature, Perdue’s cut would reduce a $100 natural gas bill by $2 and a $200 bill by $4.
Williams also said the Senate would begin looking at Perdue’s education and transportation proposals. The education law, if approved, would require schools to spend at least 65 percent of their federal, state and local funding in the classroom. The governor’s transportation measure would provide $234 million over two years for local transportation improvements in all 159 counties.
In general, Williams and Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) repeated their pledge to have a short session and to focus on a few issues. Johnson earlier in the day said that he wanted each senator to consider every bill “as if you’re getting a tattoo� and think about what it is going to look like 20,30, or 40 years from now.
Williams said that he wanted the Senate to build on last year’s successes. “We thought we had one of the best sessions…that we’ve ever had in passing many pieces of strong legislation.�
The first bill that the majority Republican Senate and House passed in 2005 was a bill that set limits on jury awards on non-economic damages in medical malpractice suits. Some GOP members, however, expressed concerns about a provision in the bill that would allow medical malpractice victims in emergency room cases to prevail in court only after proving by clear and convincing evidence that an ER health care provider committed “gross negligence.”
Williams said that lawmakers likely would look at a bill changing that provision. “I think that has legs,� Williams said.
In addition, the Senate also plans to take up a bill restricting illegal immigrants from receiving state funded services, as well a bill that would significantly change the controversial photo identification voter law, passed in 2005.
Williams said a new Senate bill would make the voter ID cards free and easily available to all Georgians.
Senate leaders said they hope the House will move quickly on an eminent domain bill filed by Sen. Jeff Chapman (R-Brunswick) that the chamber passed last year. That bill would prohibit government from taking private land for private purposes.
And, Williams said that the Senate will look closely at a bill filed last week by Sen. Cecil Staton (R-Macon) that would allow private developers to issue bonds for water, sewer, road and other infrastructure projects necessary for residential development.
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House Republicans introduce new voter ID bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Leaders in the Republican-controlled House opened the 2006 legislative session today with promises of fast action on natural gas tax relief, eminent domain and voter ID.
House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) put priority on a new voter ID bill, designed to replace one that was passed last year but was temporarily suspended by a federal court judge.
Richardson said the new bill, which could reach the House for a vote as early as this week, would allow Georgians who don’t have either a driver’s license or state-issued photo identification card to get a free “voter ID” card at their county voter registration office. The bill also would change state law so driver’s license offices can issue free state IDs to people who cannot afford them, he said.
House Democrats, some of whom staged a walkout over last year’s bill, immediately denounced the rush to act on voter ID so quick in the 40-day session.
“To do it today, prior to any public or any legislative dialogue, is sending the wrong message, and I think sending this session in the wrong direction,” said House Minority Caucus Chairman Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus).
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Senate recognizes new member in short first day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s Senators put aside their political differences – at least for a few hours – during the first day of the 2006 Legislative session.
The Senate recognized its lone new member, state Sen. Ed Tarver (D-Augusta). Tarver replaced state Sen. Charles Walker (D-Augusta), who in December began serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison for tax evasion, mail fraud and conspiracy charges.
“He has increased the average height and intelligence of this body,� quipped Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) about Tarver during his brief welcome address to the Senate Monday morning.
Johnson also thanked Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, a Democrat who is campaigning for the governor’s seat, for his years of dedication to state service. Johnson said that Taylor epitomized the Southern gentlemen and that he and his family had made many sacrifices to serve the state of Georgia. “Nobody would question that he has been a fighter for the people of Georgia,� Johnson said.
After a few more brief announcements, the Senate adjourned without taking up any bills – a usual practice for Day One, which is mostly ceremonial. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
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Senate open for business
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The hallways of the Gold Dome were unusually quiet in the minutes leading to the opening of the House and Senate on Monday morning. Only a relatively small number of lobbyists and spectators stood in the hallways.
Shortly after 10 a.m., the Georgia Senate opened without much fanfare. Instead, Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, the president of the senate, jumped right into the usual order of business by quickly dispensing with the roll call and then introducing the pastor of the day.
Taylor welcomed Dr. William E. Flippin, senior pastor of Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church in Atlanta. Flipppin encouraged Georgia’s senators to “stand on the side of the poor, oppressed and the needy.”
“The first requirement God has for us is to do justice,” Flippin said. “We must stand on the side of justice. We must do what is right.”
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Tell the Georgia Legislature what to do
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
They’re ba—a-a-a-ck! Two hundred and thirty six legislators have reoccupied the Capitol just as they do every January. You put ‘em there and they work for you. So before they depart in the spring, what do you want them to do? What’s tops on your list of things they should do to improve life in Georgia?
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