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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2006 > February
February 2006
House looks to honor former Capitol postmaster
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wiley T. Nixon, whose friendly face and motorized scooter were welcome sights at the state Capitol, will be paid a lasting tribute if the Georgia House has its way.
All 180 members of the Georgia House signed a resolution, which passed Tuesday, to name the Capitol post office for Nixon, its late postmaster.
Nixon, 62, died last April of complications from heart problems. He had suffered hearing problems and a speech impediment since birth, and in later years crippling arthritis.
Nixon came to the Capitol as a House doorkeeper in 1969 – recruited by former longtime House Speaker Tom Murphy (D-Bremen) – and was its postmaster at the time of his death.
“The life of Wiley Nixon touched every person in this chamber,� said state Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville).
Loudermilk said Nixon, who in later years maneuvered through the Capitol by scooter, always met lawmakers with a smile and an offer of help.
Former House Speaker Terry Coleman (D-Eastman) said Nixon was “a great young man, a great person.�
“He would do anything for you,â€? Coleman said. “He just kind of made a place for himself in this great institution and felt like he was a part of it - which he was.”
Nixon supervised nine employees and two post offices at the Capitol that deliver thousands of pieces of mail twice a day.
His small office was decorated with photos of himself with the likes of Murphy, former President Jimmy Carter and Braves Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, just some of the many friends he made over the years.
He often said his chief duty as postmaster was to keep 236 legislators happy. Sometimes that meant fixing a lawmakers’ eyeglasses on the fly or cashing their payroll checks.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Bill would allow harsher sentences for minors convicted of murder
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill that would allow a judge to sentence a minor convicted of murder until the age of 21 cleared the Georgia Senate with no opposition (45-0) Tuesday.
Under current Georgia law, children younger than 13 who are convicted of murder or other serious crimes face a maximum of two years confinement. A Juvenile Court judge may later add another two years.
“That’s what we really wanted to do – make sure we weren’t harming children in an effort to give juvenile judges a little more authority,� said Sen. Bill Hamrick (R-Carrollton), the bill’s sponsor.
Hamrick successfully proposed an amendment that would limit the scope of the bill only to murder, not crimes such as kidnapping, rape, aggravated sodomy, aggravated sexual battery, aggravated child molestation and armed robbery.
Hamrick filed Senate Bill 522 because of the high-profile murder of Amy Yates, an 8-year-old Carrollton girl, in 2004. Police charged a 12-year-old boy, and he is serving the remainder of his maximum two-year sentence in a residential psychiatric treatment center.
The measure now goes to the House for approval.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Categories: Breaking news
Somber House honors fighting ace
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A somber Georgia House of Representatives paused today to remember Brig. Gen. (retired) Robert L. Scott, a Macon native and World War II fighting ace who wrote of his wartime exploits in the best-selling “God is My Co-pilot.�
Scott, 97, died Monday at a Warner Robins nursing home. He gained national prominence during World War II, first for his exploits in the China-Burma-India theater, then with the book, which was made into a feature-length movie in 1945.
The House stood in silent prayer after a tearful House Ways & Means Committee Chair Larry O’Neal (R-Warner Robins) remembered Scott as “a great friend and personal hero.�
O’Neal and Scott were together about three weeks ago, and O’Neal told the House of how Scott struggled to get up from his wheelchair for the singing of the National Anthem.
“It brought tears to my eyes,â€? O’Neal said. “I believe Scotty’s now and will be forever with his co-pilot.â€?
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Illegal immigrants and employers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should employers be penalized for hiring illegal immigrants? State Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) has proposed financially penalizing employers who hire illegal immigrants. His Senate Bill 529 would prohibit an employer from claiming a worker’s salary (of more than $600 annually) on their state income tax unless the employer keeps records indicating the worker is legally in the country. Do you think this is a good idea?
Recognizing red clay
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What’s your idea for an official state symbol? A few years back, a state lawmaker had grits declared the official state processed food. Last year, the green tree frog became the official state amphibian. This year, state Rep. Bobby Franklin (R-Marietta) wants to make red clay Georgia’s official dirt. What else should Georgia officially recognize?
Teen marriage
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should teens be able to marry at any age if the girl is pregnant? The General Assembly is considering legislation to eliminate a loophole in state law that allows Georgians to marry at any age if a pregnancy is involved. That loophole angered the relatives of a 15-year-old Gainesville boy who used it to marry his alleged pregnant lover, 37-year-old Lisa Lynnette Clark, in November. The House has passed a bill that would force a 16- and 17-year-old to get parental consent to marry. Children under 16 would be banned from getting married unless a pregnancy is involved an a judge approves. So, should teens be able to marry at any age if the girl is pregnant?
House votes to close marriage loophole for minors
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House voted to close a loophole that allows children under 16 to marry if a pregnancy is involved.
The bill, which passed 142-27, was in response to a law that allows children under the minimum age of 16 to get married without parental consent if a pregnancy is involved. Georgia is one of few states with such an exception.
That loophole angered the relatives of a 15-year-old Gainesville boy who used it to marry his alleged pregnant lover, 37-year-old Lisa Lynette Clark, in November. Days later, Clark was arrested and charged with child molestation because of her relationship with the boy, her teenage son’s best friend.
Many lawmakers didn’t know the exception, approved decades ago, even existed. It was approved to prevent out-of-wedlock births by making it easy for anyone pregnant to get married.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bobby Franklin (R-Marietta), had the strong backing of Republicans and Democrats. It would make 16- and 17-year-olds get parent consent to marry, and force children under that age to get approval from the courts.
“This is a strong, pro-family bill,” Franklin said.
Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) said, “I don’t think we as legislators should let what I consider babies get married without parental consent.”
However, Rep. Randal Mangham (D-Decatur), said it would push girls into having abortions if they couldn’t get married, or force the state to support their children.
“What is worse, paying welfare to some girl … or giving her a chance?” he asked.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Breaking news
Legislature approves “65 percent” education funding bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Governor Sonny Perdue’s proposal to direct 65 cents of every education dollar to the classroom gained final legislative approval Thursday.
The Georgia Senate voted 33-19 in favor of the latest version of the bill. Perdue and the Legislature’s Republican leadership have argued that the measure will help boost classroom achievement in the state.
“Consistently, in those school systems that spend more than 65 percent in the classroom, those test scores go up,� said Sen. Ronnie Chance (R-Tyrone), the bill’s sponsor. “That’s what this bill is about.�
However, a report released Wednesday from the education division of the credit-rating and financial services company Standard & Poor’s found that in 25 states, including Georgia, there was “no significant correlation” between the percentage of money spent on instruction and performance on standardized tests.
Sen. Michael Meyer Von Bremen (D-Albany) questioned the data the Governor’s office relied on in formulating the 65 percent proposal in light of the Standard and Poor’s study. Other Democrats also expressed concern about whether the 65 percent rule would infringe on the power of local school districts to make their own decisions about spending, and whether the bill would amount to an unfunded mandate.
But Republicans quickly dismissed those concerns and criticism of the Standard and Poor’s study. Sen. Bill Stephens (R-Canton) argued that the state used more comprehensive data than the Standard and Poor’s study. And he questioned the wisdom of relying too much on the company in making decisions.
“Is it not true that Standard and Poor’s once had very good things to say about buying Enron stock?� Stephens said during the debate.
The short debate on Senate Bill 390 – which was not listed on the Senate’s official debate calendar for Thursday – also provoked a sharp comment from Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, who is running for governor this year.
As the Senate prepared to take up a measure on the state’s Civil War Commission after the vote on the 65 percent education bill, Taylor said: “Isn’t it ironic that we’re going to talk about the Civil War after we’ve been ambushed this morning?�
SB 390 now heads to Gov. Perdue to be signed into law.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Home heating
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should the General Assembly approve a bill that would likely add a surcharge to gas bills to build a pipeline that may mean lower natural gas prices in the future? Atlanta Gas Light and House Republicans are pushing a bill to make it easier for AGL to get approval to build a new gas pipeline and charge customers for it. Supporters say the pipeline would mean more competition and more fuel down the road. Opponents say they’ve heard that before, such as when the state deregulated the natural gas industry in the late 1990s. So, should lawmakers approve the bill, which could lead to a monthly surcharge for customers, with hopes it will bring lower fuel rates in the future?
House bill targets Ga. 400 toll cheats
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The House overwhelmingly approved a measure this morning to make it easier for the state to go after Ga. 400 toll plaza cheats.
The House voted 158-1 for a bill backed by the State Road and Tollway Authority to close a loophole in the current law that it says has made it almost impossible to prosecute toll violators.
A camera aimed at Ga. 400 snaps cars that cruise through the Cruise Card lane without a valid card. Giving notice of card malfunctions and updating account information will be up to toll customers.
The bill before the Legislature links the violation to the car that is driven through the toll plaza, not the person driving. The car’s owner could be fined up to $70 per violation — regardless of whose foot was on the gas — and the vehicle’s registration be suspended until the owner paid up.
The measure now heads to the Senate.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Breaking news
Bill to create north Fulton city clears House
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
North Fulton residents of Johns Creek would get a chance to create their own city under legislation that overwhelmingly passed the House this morning.
The bill, which was approved without debate 138-8, would let residents of the unincorporated area of about 65,000 vote on cityhood in the July primaries.
If they agree to make their area a city, elections for mayor and council seats would be held in November.
“I have never seen so many people want a little piece of self-government,” said House Speaker Pro-tem Mark Burkhalter (R-Alpharetta), who sponsored the bill. “You can’t turn your face on the will of the people of Fulton County.”
Legislators opened the floodgate for a slew of new cities last year when they approved a referendum to create Sandy Springs.
That led residents in other unincorporated areas of Fulton County to seek cityhood because they said, like Sandy Springs, that they were poorly served by the county government.
Several other pieces of legislation to create Fulton County cities are expected to be debated this session.
The Johns Creek bill now moves to the Senate, where it is expected to win approval.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
FDR Day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should Jan. 30 be declared Franklin Delano Roosevelt Day in Georgia? FDR guided the country through the Great Depression and World War II, and he brought the country Social Security and several other social welfare programs. He put Warm Springs, Ga. on the national map, visiting there for two decades to treat his polio and building the Little White House, where he died in 1945. However, a Republican lawmaker wants to stall an FDR memorial bill because the president had an affair with his wife’s social secretary. So, should the General Assembly pass a bill honoring FDR, or should they kill it because of the affair?
Are you a toll cheater?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Have you ever run through the Ga. 400 toll booth without paying? Do you see others do it? And does the prospect of stepped up enforcement worry you?
Debate begins on Immigration Compliance Act
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A long-anticipated debate over legislative efforts to address illegal immigration in Georgia began in earnest today at the state Capitol.
People on both sides of the issue packed a room in the Coverdell Legislative Office Building in Atlanta to learn about and comment on Sen. Chip Rogers’ (R-Woodstock) Senate Bill 529, known as the “Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act.� Rogers bill seeks to crack down on illegal immigrants and those who employ them.
Rogers spent the first hour of the public hearing going over details of the bill. Rogers opened his analysis of the bill by saying that he’s worked with many groups on the legislation, including construction contractors, homebuilders, manufacturers, law enforcement officials, the Mexican consulate, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and others.
“At the end of the day I hope we can come up with a piece of legislation that will deal with an issue that is of great concern to a lot of people throughout the state of Georgia,� Rogers said. “It is a topic that has certainly come to the forefront nationally, and in the state, over the last few years. It is a topic that many people want to see action on. But it is a topic that deserves a lot of respect and I think that working through these issues with people that you agree with and those that you disagree with is very important in drafting proper legislation.�
To assist him in explaining the intent of his legislation, Rogers was joined at the committee by Michael Hethmon, a lawyer with the Federation for Immigration Reform and Bob Keller, executive counsel of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia.
Sen. Brian Kemp (R-Athens), chairman of the Senate Public Safety and Homeland Security committee, said Monday he called the hearing to go through the bill in detail and to give both sides ample opportunity to weigh in on it. The committee is not scheduled to vote on the bill today.
Rogers said earlier today the bill will likely undergo many changes between now and when it will be voted on by the committee — which could come as early as Friday, or next week. Some of the language in the bill needs fine-tuning, he said.
Among the provisions in the current version of Rogers’ bill:
—Denies certain taxpayer-provided benefits to anyone 18 and older who cannot show evidence of legal status in the United States.
—Forbids employers from claiming illegal immigrants’ wages as a tax write-off.
—Prohibits state and local governments from awarding contracts to companies that hire illegal immigrants.
—Establishes penalties on the state level for human trafficking.
—Requires local law enforcement officers to report illegal immigrants arrested and taken into custody for criminal violations to federal immigration officials.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
teacher raises
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should teachers get a 7 percent raise next year, regardless of their performance or their school’s performance? Gov. Sonny Perdue’s budget plan, which is currently being debated, is promising all 100,000 public school teachers in the state 4 percent raises. More than half of all teachers will also get 3 percent raises as part of the state’s career ladder that rewards them for teaching another year. The raises are not tied to performance. So, in an economy where few are seeing raises above three or four percent, should teachers get 7 percent ?
Halftime at the Legislature
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What do you think the Georgia General Assembly should do in its second half? In their first 20 days in session, legislators tinkered with voter ID requirements, trimmed your natural gas bill by about $6 a month, and started talking about cracking down on illegal immigrants. There are 20 days left. What bright ideas do you have for lawmakers to tackle? Or do you think we have enough laws and these guys should just go home for the year?
This might include banning Harry Potter’s “every flavor” jelly beans
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you went to college in the ’60s or ’70s, every now and then, while trucking down the sidewalk, you’d find yourself enveloped in the unmistakeable haze of burning marijuana. The smell wasn’t offensive, but neither was it perfume. And the taste — there’s a reason you didn’t sample pot by slipping a pinch ‘twixt cheek and gum.
But now someone has decided to go and make hemp-flavored candy. Bertie Bott’s Every Flavored Jelly Beans gone awry. As if snot-flavored candy wasn’t enough.
Which means someone — specifically, state Sen. Vincent Fort of Atlanta — must draft a law against it. Marijuana-flavored candy. Not snot-flavored candy. It’s S.B.511.
You can’t argue with Fort’s intent. He says marijuana-flavored candy “may serve as a gateway” to future use of the real stuff, or worse. And he says merchants who sell the stuff are creating new customers for drug dealers.
But how can you legislate against a flavor? What if the maker says it’s not marijuana — it’s oaky Marlboro with a teasing aftertaste of Virginia Slims? And what other flavors can we outlaw? Asparagus?
One more thought. Exactly what purpose is served by candy that gives the user pot-breath? To give you a leg up during job interviews? Or is this some new trend the dating world insists on — halitosis without stupification?
House bill protects doctors in executions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House overwhelmingly approved legislation today to protect physicians who assist the state in carrying out the death penalty through lethal injection.
Lawyers for anti-death penalty doctors have sued to try to force the state to punish doctors who participate in executions, alleging they are violating the American Medical Association’s code of ethics, as well as their Hippocratic Oath.
HB 57, which passed 157 to 1 without debate, would protect any doctor or medical professional who assists in an execution from having their state license challenged, suspended or revoked.
It would apply to executions that take place after July 1.
State Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), chairman of a House judiciary committee, said this only became an issue after the state decided in 2001 to allow lethal injection as an alternative to the electric chair.
“Since then there have been challenges to the licensure of people who participate,� Ralston said.
Last July, Dr. Arthur Zitrin, a retired psychiatrist and death penalty opponent from New York, filed suit in Fulton County Superior Court to try to force the state Composite Board of Medical Examiners to take action against Georgia doctors who help with state executions.
In 2004, Zitrin tried without success to get the composite board to revoke the license of a doctor who helped the state Department of Corrections carry out lethal injections.
The medical board refused to investigate Dr. Hothur V. Sanjeeva Rao, who later quit helping the prison system perform executions.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Zoom, zoom, zoom. Here comes NASCAR.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The green flag is up. The House on Wednesday unanimously approved a $5.2 million tax break for a NASCAR hall of fame in Atlanta. Next comes a $3 million grant and an $18 million loan.
Maybe that, and the prospect of big crowds, will be enough. Maybe it won’t. North Carolina has promised nearly four times as much for a Charlotte location. Its legislature last year slapped down a $102.5 million hotel/motel tax, plus a $20 million hunk of land. That covers all but a measley $15 million or so of the total cost.
Who knows what Daytona has offered.
Here’s the question – well, questions: What’s a tourist shop loaded with Jeff Gordon shot glasses and T-shirts worth to you? Do we tell Sonny Perdue to unlock the vault and match Charlotte dollar for dollar — or are we being played? Do we want to know the details? Or should we just instruct our public servants to do what they have to do, and send us the bill later?
Brook trout wiggles up Legislative stream
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With apologies to the largemouth bass, the Georgia House today voted to put another fish on the list of official state symbols.
“We’re not taking anything from the largemouth bass,” said Rep. Bobby Reese (R-Sugar Hill), who sponsored HB 1211 to make the Southern Appalachian brook trout the official state cold water game fish.
If the Senate and governor sign off on his bill, the brook trout will join an elite but growing group of state symbols - the green tree frog (state amphibian), the peanut (state crop), honeybee (state insect), grits (state processed food) and, of course, largemouth bass (state fish).
The brook trout is the only native trout, Reese said.
“This bill is just to bring attention to the species and to educate people about the bill,” he said.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Delta would get tax break under House bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House today offered a little good news to ailing Delta Air lines, unanimously approving a bill that could save the carrier $28 million in the next 12 months.
That seems like a drop in the bucket of red ink that just had Delta posting a $1.2 billion net loss in the final quarter of 2005.
But House Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter (R-Alpharetta) said it sends an important message to all Georgia companies that “we mean business, and we’re going to be with them in good times and bad.”
House Bill 1157, which passed the House 167 to 0, would change a state law that allowed Georgia businesses to claim a $500 credit against their state income taxes for each employees whose job would have gone away without retraining.
The bill would give companies the ability to claim the tax credits against withholding taxes they collect from employees and send to the state. It would not affect any tax refund due the employee, Burkhalter said.
He said Delta, like most airlines, has not turned a profit since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and so has not been able to take advantage of the credits against any income taxes.
Burkhalter said Delta earned about $28 million in job training credits through December and would, under this bill, be allowed to use those credits over the next 12 months to offset their monthly payments of $2.5 million to $4.5 million a month in state withholding taxes.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Locking junk food out of public schools
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not that everyone notices, but we’ve got a statewide election for agriculture commissioner this year. Democratic incumbent Tommy Irvin, who served in the office since 1969, before “MAS*H” was even a movie, is running for re-election. He’ll face one of at least three Republicans now in the race.
One of those Republicans, state Sen. Brian Kemp of Athens, has decided to rally suburban women to his side. He wants to take the lead in getting junk food out of Georgia public schools. By negotiation if possible, by legislative fiat if necessary.
What say you? No more Snickers, no more Cokes, no more Skittles for breakfast. Is Red Bull a health food drink? If not, would a high school junior make it through calculus?
Is the man stepping over the line? Should ag commissioners stick to peanuts?
House approves fee on illegal immigrants’ wire transfers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After two hours of contentious debate, the Georgia House approved legislation today that would impose a 5 percent fee on illegal immigrants who use wire transfers to send money out of the country.
The “Illegal Immigration Fee Act,” the first bill focusing on illegal immigration to reach a legislative chamber, passed 106 to 60.
Supporters of HB 1238 billed it as a small step to recouping some of what state government spends on health care, mostly emergency room care, for illegal immigrants.
Detractors argued that it would penalize hard-working people, many of whom are doing jobs that Americans don’t want. They also suggested the fee on wire transfers could send more undocumented workers underground and harm U.S. companies.
State Rep. Tom Rice (R-Norcross), the bill’s chief sponsor, said the fee would allow illegal immigrants to pay back some of the costs they impose on the health care system.
“All it says is: If you are here illegally, and you seek to transfer money out of the country by wire, you will be asked to pay,” Rice said. “We’re not going to send you to jail or get the immigration bus after you.”
He said estimates show that about $1 billion is wired out of Georgia each year to Mexico.
The fee would not apply to anyone who can prove they are in this country legally by presenting one of more than a dozen documents, including a driver’s license or passport.
The bill was amended on the House floor to exempt the fee if the illegal immigrant can produce a pay stub or a tax return that shows they’ve paid taxes in Georgia.
Democrats lead the floor fight against the bill. But state Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton) was an exception.
Scott declared the need for immigration reform because of the impact that illegals are having on crime, public schools and even his personal comfort level. “It bothers me that the children of an illegal immigrant in this country will have the same rights to citizenship as my child,” he said.
But Scott said he believes Rice’s bill would “tax people who are doing the best they can to provide for their families.
“I’ve got a moral problem with that,” he said.
Scott said illegal immigration should be addressed at the federal level and said he feared, with Rice’s bill, the state is “headed down the road with piecemeal immigration reform, instead of meaningful immigration reform.”
Rep. Al Williams of Midway was one of several Democrats to denounce the bill as punishing those who are struggling to make a living and “good enough to pick our onions, gather our straw, wash our dishes.
“You cannot be a persecutor of the least of God’s people, and convince your people back home you love the Lord,” Williams said.
The bill now goes to the state Senate, where a comprehensive bill dealing with immigration, has been introduced.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Child-care tax credit headed to governor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s working families will get a break on their income taxes this year under a child-care tax credit approved by the General Assembly.
Gov. Sonny Perdue announced his intention to help working families with their child-care expenses through a tax reduction during his State of the State speech in January.
State lawmakers moved quickly on the governor’s initiative. House Bill 1080 passed the House earlier this month with a unanimous vote, and cleared the Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 50 to zero. Perdue is expected to sign the measure into law soon.
“Child care is a critical need for many families in Georgia,� Perdue said in a statement. “Assisting hard working parents with these costs is a practical step government can take to help create conditions for economic prosperity and improve the safety and well-being of our young people.�
Sen. Casey Cagle (R-Gainesville) said the measure will save many Georgia families about $50 to $150 per year, depending on their child care costs and income level.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Smoltz a big hit at Legislature
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz got a hero’s welcome as he stopped by the Georgia House of Representatives today enroute to spring training.
Lawmakers gave him a standing ovation and lined up to have photos made with him.
A House resolution, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter (R-Alpharetta), pays tribute to Smoltz for his 19 years with the Braves, as well his involvement with the Alpharetta Police Athletic League, the Atlanta Community Food Bank and other community groups.
Burkhalter said Smoltz’s success on the baseball field “pales to what he does off the field. He is a man of God, and he lives by the Word of God.”
Smoltz said Alpharetta would be his lifelong home and vowed to try to be a good role model to children.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Brook trout may swim into state law books
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Southern Appalachian brook trout could go from the frying pan into the state law books.
The House Rules Committee took the bait today and passed on to the full House a bill to make the Southern Appalachian brook trout the official state cold water game fish.
The Legislature already has designated dozens of official state symbols, including the green tree frog as the official state amphibian; the peanut as the state crop; the honeybee as the state insect; grits as the state prepared food; and knobbed whelk as the state seashell.
The largemouth bass already claims the title of official state fish.
State Rep. Bobby Reese (R-Sugar Hill) told Rules Committee members that the Southern Appalachian brook trout is worthy of symbol status as the state’s only native trout.
“They’re tasty, too,” he said.
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
When the death of one is the death of two
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Let’s get a bit serious. Say a woman buys a home pregnancy test kit, uses the paper strip, and finds out she is — in the phrasing used by mothers-to-be everywhere — just barely pregnant. She walks out her front door, and is felled by a bullet. Is the shooter guilty of one murder — or two? Two bills now sit in the legislature which would allow for the prosecution of anyone who caues the death of an unborn child, regardless of the stage of pregnancy. One of them is House Bill 243, sponsored by state Rep. Sue Burmeister (R-Augusta). No prosecution could arise from an abortion, according to H.B. 243. But abortion-rights advocates still say the bill threatens a woman’s right to choose because it assigns legal rights to a fetus. Would this bill errode abortion rights or give prosecutors an important tool to charge someone who attacks a pregnant woman?
Tattling on teen drivers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you sometimes have the urge to rat out a bad teen-age driver to his parents, to John Law, to the entire world? House Bill 1069 could give you that satisfaction. State Rep. Jack Murphy (R-Cumming) has introduced the bill. It would require 16- and 17-year-old drivers — who have been found guilty of serious traffic offenses, including DUI— to sport placards on their cars with something like 1-800-ROLLING-LAWSUIT. Or they could be saddled with Global Positioning System units that would track their cars’ speed and movements. Do these kids need and deserve that kind of Big Brother? And should a bumpersticker of shame be reserved only for teen-agers?
Coretta Scott King Portrait in Capitol
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should Coretta Scott King’s portrait hang next to her husband’s in the state Capitol? The portrait of late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. hangs outside of the governor’s office, alongside a host of governors, presidents, soldiers and other prominent Americans. Some legislators are hoping to add a portrait of King’s widow to the walls - next to King’s. But House Speaker Glenn Richardson did not embrace the idea on Thursday, saying limited space in the Capitol should be reserved primarily for elected officials. He favors hanging a portrait of longtime former House Speaker Tom Murphy. Does Coretta Scott King deserve a permanent place of honor on the Capitol walls?
Bill gives school leave to children of military personnel
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House unanimously passed legislation today that would force local school systems to grant students up to five days of excused leave if they have a parent being deployed to war or on leave from the military.
“This is just one more piece of legislation that emphasizes our commitment to our soldiers,” said Rep. Mike Coan (R-Lawrenceville) before the House’s 159-0 vote for HB 984.
Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway) said the legislation is particularly important in military communities, like his near Ft. Stewart. “It’s quite a thing to watch your mother or father go into a war zone or overseas,” Williams said. “I think we’re certainly sympathetic.”
The bill in part reads: “A student whose parent is in military service in the armed forces of the United States or the National Guard, and such parent has been called to duty for overseas deployment or is on leave from overseas deployment, shall be granted excused absences, up to a maximum of five school days per school year, for the day or days missed from school to visit with his or her parent prior to such parent’s deployment or during such parent’s leave, and such student shall be credited as present by the school in which enrolled.”
Permalink | | Categories: Breaking news
Ewing elected Secretary of Senate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Senate elected Robert F. Ewing to the position of Secretary of the Senate on Thursday morning.
Ewing replaces Frank Eldridge Jr., who served in the position for 14 years until his death from a heart attack early Saturday morning.
“I can think of no better person to step into the big shoes of Frank Eldridge than Bob Ewing,� state Sen. Terrell Starr (D-Jonesboro) said. Ewing, a native of New England, moved to DeKalb County, Georgia about 27 years ago and began working in the office of the Secretary of the Senate.
Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) credited Ewing with transitioning the Senate from mainframe to PC computer processing, modernizing the production of the Senate journal, designing the layout of the Senate’s electronic voting system and developing an archival system for Senate bills.
Johnson said that Ewing had helped to make the General Assembly on of the most efficient branches of state government.
“This is indeed a bittersweet occasion,� Ewing said in a brief address to the Senate, “Frank has taught me a lot over the years. I am honored and humbled by your faith in me. I pledge to each and every senator to do my utmost to make this as much of a seamless transition as possible.�
The Senate met for about 90 minutes, passing several bills, including a measure that designates February 6 as Ronald Reagan Day in Georgia.
The Senate meets next at 1:30 p.m. Monday.
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Illegal immigrant legislation introduced
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Legislation to crack down on illegal immigrants in Georgia — and businesses that hire them — was introduced today in the state Senate, setting the stage for a heated debate in coming weeks at the state Legislature.
State Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) introduced the Georgia Security & Immigration Compliance Act (Senate Bill 529), which would:
Prohibit compensation to illegal immigrants to be declared a deductible business expense
Require that any publicly funded contract include language prohibiting the contractor or subcontractor from knowingly hiring someone in violation of federal immigration law
Require verification of eligibility for adult applicants for public benefits.
Set tough new penalties for human trafficking
Estimates on the number of illegal immigrants in Georgia range from 250,000 to 800,000. Proponents of a crackdown say illegals sap resources from state programs and take jobs from legal residents. Critics of the proposals say illegals take jobs that nobody else wants and help underpin the economy while having a minimal impact on public programs.
Rogers has said his bill is an attempt to begin a dialogue on illegal immigration, which is expected to be one of the hot-button issues this year at the General Assembly.
“Any person that compensates another person $600 or more during the year would have to receive from that person some documented evidence that they are here legally,” Rogers said. ” If they don’t, they cannot declare what they’ve paid them as a legitimate business expense. “If you were to hire someone to do landscaping and you paid them $200 that obviously would not be included in this .â€?
Rogers said he used the $600 figure because that is the trigger for employers filing a Form 1099.
In an earlier version of the bill, Rogers had proposed that employers be required to verify the legal status of their employees. However, he backed away from that idea after complaints from the business community and advice from immigration lawyers who said it would not withstand court scrutiny.
Under SB 529, the Department of Revenue would be responsible for enforcement of the compensation portion of the bill.The bill instructs the revenue commissioner to “promulgate rules and regulations deemed necessary” to administer the compensation portion of the bill.
“We want to make sure employers do not get a tax benefit for hiring someone illegally,” Rogers said.
The bill has been assigned to committee, and debate on the issue is not expected for a week or so.
“I want to give the other side time to bring in any witnesses they want,” Rogers said. “So we probably won’t have hearings on this for a week to 10 days. We want to make sure that anybody who wants to speak on this has the opportunity to be here.â€?
Rogers has worked with State Sen. Sam Zamarippa (D-Atlanta) on the bill. Zamarripa, however, has said the thinks any solution to the illegal immigration problem should come from the federal, not the state level. Zamarripa chairs the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.
On Sunday afternoon, groups on both sides of the issue are planning demonstrations at the state Capitol. A group called Coalition for a New Georgia, organized by the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, is holding a 2 p.m. rally in support of “real immigration reform.” In response, the Dustin Inman Society, an anti-illegal immigration group headed by Cobb County resident D.A. King, announced its own plans to “protest violation of immigration and employment laws” at 1:30 p.m.
— Staff writer Carlos Campos contributed to this article
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Legislature making every day special
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Legislators appear to be pushing to make every day special in Georgia.
On a day when the state Senate gave final approval to an annual Reagan Day in Georgia, a bill presented to the House today calls for an annual prison chaplain appreciation day on the fourth Monday in March.
Other resolutions introduced this session have called for a special day honoring the births of former President Jimmy Carter, late President Franklin Roosevelt and civil rights leader Coretta Scott King.
The House and Senate are not in session tomorrow to allow for committee meetings, including one to open up the process for allowing legislators and their local leaders to seek grants for hometown projects, often called pork-barrel.
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Stem cell research
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should the state encourage stem cell research? Several Senate and House Democrats say they will support legislation that would encourage such research in Georgia to help find cures for diseases such as Alzheimer’s Parkinson’s and cancer. Scientists and advocates for the disabled say embryonic stem cells hold the promise of treatments and cures for many diseases, but many religious groups oppose such research because extracting stem cells from an embryo destroys it - and, in their view, ends a human life. What’s more important ?
Law would prohibit MARTA arrests for selling tokens at face value
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House passed legislation Wednesday that would prohibit MARTA police from arresting customers who give away transit tokens or sell them at face value.
The bill was introduced after MARTA police were publicly derided for arresting Atlantan Donald Pirone last fall.
Pirone was on his way to a job at the Georgia World Congress Center when he spotted a fellow MARTA rider having trouble getting a transit token out of the machine.
He said he gave the passenger token, and the passenger insisted on giving him its $1.75 face value.
MARTA police detained Pirone for two hours and cited him for violating a law that prohibits the sale of tokens by anyone but transit system employees.
Jocelyn Baker, spokeswoman for MARTA, said Wednesday that officials with the Fulton County Solicitor’s Office have notified the transit system “they will not be pursing the case� against Pirone.
State Rep. Harry Geisinger (R-Roswell), a member of a legislative committee with MARTA oversight, said good Samaritans like Pirone would no longer face punishment under his bill, which cleared the House 157 to 0.
He said the existing law was “so bad� a person could not buy tokens and give them to friends so they could all ride a train together.
“This simply corrects that problem,� said Geisinger.
He said Pirone’s arrest received national and international attention.
“The perception was MARTA looked foolish,� Geisinger said.
MARTA estimates it has $10 million a year in fare-related losses, and its executives wanted, with the existing law, to make sure they “got anybody and everybody,� Geisinger said.
Baker said MARTA officials’ only concern is financial. “As passenger revenues make up a significant portion of MARTA’s operating budget, our main concern is and always has been that anyone who rides the system has paid the appropriate fare.�
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Land conservation measure approved by unanimous vote
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With no debate, the Georgia House today gave its strongest stamp of approval to Gov. Sonny Perdue’s plan to offer income tax credits for farms, foresters and others who agreed never to convert their land holdings into subdivisions or shopping malls.
Perdue’s land conservation measure passed the House 156 to 0 and now goes to the state Senate.
State Rep. Jay Roberts (R-Ocilla), the governor’s floor leader,said HB 1107 would allow a landowner to claim a credit against the tax liability up to 25 percent of the land’s value.
The cap would be $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations, Roberts said.
The taxpayer would be required to give a conservation easement or agree to preserve the land “forever – for future generations to come,� he said.
Ten states have similar programs, Roberts said.
Environmental groups supported the bill, citing U.S. Department of Agriculture studeis showing that Georgia farms anad woodlands are being converted to urban uses at an alarming rate - 1.05 million acres between 1992 and 1997.
“We applaud our representatives for taking an important step toward keeping Georgia Green,” said Jill Johnson, environmental advocate for Georgia PIRG.”Citizens statewide are concerned about the rapid rate at which our green spaces are being developed. We know that permanently conserving green space will help promote clean air and water, provide wildlife habitat and protect our quality of life. A recent satellite survey by the University of Georgia’s Natural Resources Spatial Analysis Laboratory found that the 16-county metro Atlanta region is losing 54 acres of tree canopy and gaining more than 28 acres of impervious surface every day.
Governor Perdue’s Advisory Council for the Land Conservation Partnership recommended establishing a land conservation income tax credit in their comprehensive report in 2004. The proposed tax credit is similar to a popular North Carolina program, in place since 1983, which has permanently conserved more than 138,600 acres of land worth $505 million.
Since 1974, Georgia has invested over $331 million to acquire 368,000 acres of land. Georgia PIRG staff spoke with almost 30,000 Georgians and worked closely with The Nature Conservancy, Georgia Conservation Voters and other land conservation organizations to garner support for the legislation.
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U.S. Army general gets rousing reception at joint session
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House and Senate gave a hero’s welcome today to Maj. General William G. Webster Jr., commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division and Fort Stewart.
In a speech to a rare joint session of the House and Senate, Webster described some revolutionary changes that his troops witnessed in Iraq, including a 10-fold increase in Iraqi security forces in Baghdad and three elections.
Webster’s speech was interrupted several times by thunderous applause from lawmakers and received a standing ovation. “We know that Georgia and the local communities in which we live are behind us —- that support is never in doubt,” Webster said.
He thanked lawmakers for laws they’ve passed to help the military, including ones to restrict encroachment near military bases, ones to restrict predatory lending in base communities and in-state tuition for military dependents.
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Senate pays respects to Kemp, Eldridge
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A somber mood permeated the Georgia Senate during its brief session on Wednesday.
Several lawmakers expressed sorrow about the deaths on Saturday of former Sen. Rene Kemp (D-Hinesville) and of Secretary of the Senate Frank Eldridge Jr.
Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta) said that while he and Kemp appeared to be very different on social and political issues, they worked together on several bills.
“He had a real concern for real people,� Fort said. “He wanted to do what was right.“
Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) asked all members of the chamber to sign their names onto resolutions honoring Kemp and Eldridge.
The Senate brightened when the chamber honored former Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine for his community service work. Glavine, who was present, did not address the chamber.
The Senate also approved a few bills Wednesday, including part of Governor Sonny Perdue’s education initiative. Senate Bill 468, sponsored by Sen. Dan Moody (R-Alpharetta), allows the State Board of Education to establish a grant program to attract high performing principals to struggling high schools.
Moody said that about 300 schools across Georgia would qualify for some of the $3 million grant. The grant would provide supplemental income – up to $15,000 – for qualified principals.
“We all know that leadership is a critical ingredient to the success of any school,� Moody said. The measure passed 44-2.
Senate lawmakers also approved a measure sponsored by Sen. Greg Goggans (R-Douglas) that would establish a registry for parents and schools to register children’s e-mail addresses to protect them from inappropriate or adult content.
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.
The bill passed 49-0, and Goggans said he had received signatures of support on the bill from all 56 senators.
The Senate recessed at about 11:20 a.m. to go into a joint session with the House to hear an address by Maj. Gen. William Webster, 3rd Infantry Division Commanding General. Webster is scheduled discuss the mission of the 3rd Infantry Division and recognize the state of Georgia for the efforts to support the military.
The Senate meets next at 9 a.m. Thursday.
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Taxes on Bibles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should a sales tax exemption on the Bible and other sacred religious texts be extended to cover any spiritual or metaphysical book? A federal judge ruled on Monday that a state law allowing people to buy the Bible without paying sales tax is unconstitutional, because it favors some religions over others. The lawsuit was brought by a man who said he was charged sales tax when he purchased a sacred Hindu text. The law exempts taxes from some Christian and Jewish texts, and the Quran, the holy book of Islam. Should state lawmakers extend the sales tax exemption to all books concerning spirituality of any kind? Or should they abolish exemptions for all books, including the Bible?
Cellphone Contracts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Are you bothered when cellphone companies make you sign a new contract every time you make changes to your plan? In what is likely a “there oughtta be a law” moment at the Capitol, state Sen. Cecil Staton of Macon has filed a bill prohibiting cellular providers from requiring customers to extend their contract in order to change their plans. Some consumers complain that cellphone companies require a new contract even for something as seemingly simple as buying a new phone. Cellphone providers worry about government intervention in their business. Should the Legislature get involved in this matter?
House honors Eldridge, Kemp
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House paused today to remember Frank Eldridge Jr., longtime secretary of the state Senate, and René Kemp, a longtime former legislator. Both men died Saturday. Family said Eldridge likely died of a stroke or heart attack. Kemp lost a long battle with prostate cancer.
Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Dallas) and Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons Island) left shortly after the House convened at 1 p.m. to fly with Gov. Sonny Perdue to Eldridge’s funeral in Waycross.
A bill that would have allowed cities to raise the fines for ordinance violations from $1,000 to $2,500 was sent back to committee after some members questioned whether it would just become a revenue-raising tool for local governments.
House members overwhelmingly approved “Mattie’s Alert,” a tool to get law enforcement to move quickly on reports of missing people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other mental problems.
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Ralph Reed’s Race for Lieutenant Governor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Would Ralph Reed be a good lieutenant governor for Georgia? Twenty-one Republican members of the Georgia Senate have signed a letter asking Reed, former leader of the Christian Coalition and the state GOP, to withdraw from the July Republican primary. Reed is running against their colleague, Sen. Casey Cagle. The senators cite Reed’s work for Jack Abramoff, a Washington lobbyist who pleaded guilty last month to fraud charges. Reed’s camp says he is a man of integrity who should not be penalized for his association with Abramoff. Should Reed stay in the race? Would you give him your vote?
Illegal Immigration
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Who should be held accountable for the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in Georgia? Businesses that hire them? The federal government? Are we ourselves part of the problem, hiring them to landscape our yards and shingle our roofs? The Georgia Legislature is discussing several ways to discourage illegal immigration. Will they be able to make any realistic impact on the problem?
Immigration bill gets strong criticism
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State Sen. Chip Rogers’ revised draft bill on illegal immigration received strong criticism at the 2006 Annual Hispanic Caucus Breakfast early Thursday, even as the breakfast sponsor, the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, tried to distance itself from the topic.
“This bill makes everyone in the state a criminal,” said Sen. Sam Zamarripa, (D-Atlanta). “I would just like to see a cage built around the state the way people are talking about implementing (Senate Bill) 170.”
Zamarripa was referring to Rogers’ new five-part bill, which includes parts of previous inititatives aimed at illegal immigrants and requires the state to devise a system to require that employers verify the legal status of people they hire. His previous initiative on the issue merely required the state to insure its contractors verify employee status.
At the breakfast, Jerry Gonzalez of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials distributed a critical analysis of Rogers’ bill. But Sara Gonzalez, president of the Hispanic chamber of commerce and no relation to him, emphasized the paper did not come from her group.
“We know that changes are coming,” she said. “But we cannot just build a fence or just tell all these people to go home. Sen. Rogers is a reasonable man. I’m sure things will work out. I trust that Sen. Rogers will help us and we will help him in any way we can.”
Rogers, who was present at the breakfast but did not speak, has said his initiatives are an effort to deal with a problem the federal government has all but ignored. But Zamarripa and others say the state is the wrong venue for such reform and urged comprehensive federal immigration reform.
“We all agree the system is broken,” Zamarripa said. “The driver to fix this thing is real.”
Congress is expected to take up immigration reform this month.
The federal government already has a system, called the Basic Pilot Program, that allows employers to call a number to verify Social Security numbers given by prospective employees. and people on every side of the issue have called for expanding the program and making it quicker.
Federal law also penalizes employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. But for years, immigration officials have privately complained that they routinely get little budget or personnel to enforce those rules inside the United States. They and immigration critics say Congress finds it more palatable to throw resources at enforcing the U.S.-Mexico border without addressing the chief lure for illegal immigrants: jobs.
For their part, employers have complained that they can’t tell whether the documents prospective hires present are real or fake. Many simply find it easier to hire contractors, thus disposing of their liability.
Zamarripa said he plans to introduce three bills aimed at dealing with illegal immigration, including one he said would go after the people he believes are the state’s biggest purveyors of fake documents: the unregulated immigration paperwork providers known as “notarios” who, he said, promise everything from green cards to drivers’ licenses to work permits for a steep fee, but in the end just hoodwink people seeking legal status.
Zamarripa’s other initiatives would establish a state office of immigration management and information, which would help implement federal immigration legislation, and would create a blue ribbon commission appointed by the governor to study the problem.
Teodoro Maus, a longtime Atlanta resident and former Mexican consul here, said Zamarripa’s measures may help mollify immigration hard-liners, and he acknowledged the necessity of punishing fake-document purveyors. But the real reform, he said, should come at the federal level.
Zamarripa said he knew about Rogers’ latest bill, but did not see it until it was released to the press.
“It’s very onerous,” he said. “It deputizes everybody and criminalizes every aspect of contact with the undocumented community.”
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House cracks down on pedophiles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House declared war Thursday on sex offenders who prey on children, passing mandatory 25-year sentences for some crimes and requiring lifetime electronic monitoring for the worst violators.
The bill passed 144 to 27 at about 3:45 p.m, after nearly four hours of debate.
The GOP leadership in the House has been working since last summer on the bill, which increases stiffer penalties for several crimes, including those against children under 14 years old. For example, incest, a crime that currently carries a sentence of 1- to 20-years would be punishable by 25 to 50 years in prison if the victim is under 14.
One of the biggest debates has been over whether the bill casts “too wide a net” and could snare teens engaging in consensual sex.
Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), chair of the House Judiciary-Non Civil, said the public is clamoring for tough laws against sex crimes on children.
“I don’t think there was an issue I heard more about (last year), other than possibly eminent domain,” he said.
He acknowledged the complexity of the issue and the legislation. “It’s a tough bill, but this is a tough problem,” Ralston said.
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Perdue’s HOPE amendment falls short
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue’s election-year bid for a constitutional amendment to keep lottery funds from being spent on political pork failed this afternoon after Democrats argued a better plan was being rejected for political reasons.
The Senate voted 35-20 in support of Perdue’s “Hope Chest” amendment, but a two-thirds vote of the 56-member body was needed to get it onto the ballot this fall. There will be a re-vote Friday, but Democrats, who claimed they were shut out of the process, don’t expect anything to change.
“This is a Hope Chest full of worthless trinkets,” said Sen. Steen Miles (D-Decatur).
The Republican governor proposed the constitutional amendment to limit HOPE spending this year because lawmakers had spent $1.8 billion in lottery proceeds over the years for things other than HOPE scholarships and pre-kindergarten classes. Included were satellite dishes, computers, school construction and hometown projects. Those expenditures have been discontinued under Perdue.
However, Democrats said they don’t trust Perdue on HOPE, particularly since he proposed cutting out book and fee payments to scholarship students in 2004 on the recommendation of a panel studying the program’s future.
Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor, a Democrat running against Perdue this year, said the governor’s proposal wouldn’t prevent future cuts to the HOPE scholarship program. He is pushing a plan that would require Georgia voters to approve any spending cuts, knowing it’s unlikely ever to happen since the program is so popular.
Taylor, the Senate’s president, began today’s debate by referring to Perdue’s plan as the “governor’s HOPEless amendment.”
Senate Republican leaders, who run the chamber, got their GOP colleagues to engross the governor’s bill, meaning Democrats couldn’t try to pass Taylor’s plan instead.
Senate Higher Education Chairman Seth Harp (R-Midland) said the move was an attempt to stop Democrats from “ambushing” the governor’s bill.
“I can think of nothing more important than a HOPE scholarship,” Harp said.
Democrats responded that Republicans were merely trying to make sure Perdue could run as a champion of HOPE, and trying to keep Taylor from doing the same.
Sen. Steve Thompson (D-Marietta) told Republicans, “You have an opportunity to improve on your idea, and shut the door. This is about the governor’s race, and it’s all about politics.”
Sen. Regina Thomas (D-Savannah) said of Perdue’s plan, “This amendment does not and will not protect HOPE. You just want this propaganda on the ballot to make people think you’re doing something.”
The governor’s office decried the Senate’s action.
“Today, the Democrats put politics and pork-barrel spending above the children of Georgia,” said Dan McLagan, the governor’s spokesman.
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Child care credit clears House; goes to Senate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Nancy Badertscher nbadertscher@ajc.com
The governor’s election-year plan to give a child-care tax credit to working parents won the unanimous stamp of approval today of the Georgia House.
“This will have a positive effect on Georgia working families, 70 percent of whom make $75,000 or less a year,� said Rich Golick (R-Smyrna), one of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s floor leaders.
HB1080, which passed the House 154 to 0 and goes to the Senate, could save parents of two or more children $120 on their 2006 taxes, $240 on their 2007 taxes and $360 on their 2008 taxes.
The cost to the state is estimated at $11.7 million for the first year and about $50 million for all three years, Golick told the House.
He said about 200,000 families are expected to qualify.
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Paper Record for Voting Machines
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Would you like to verify a paper record of your vote after you’ve cast your ballot on an electronic voting machine in Georgia? Critics of the machines say they can be manipulated to rig elections and believe such a record will help ensure that a voter’s intentions were properly recorded. Some Georgia legislators, including Sen. Bill Stephens (R-Canton) - who is running for Secretary of State, the state’s chief elections official - agree and have filed legislation asking for a so-called voter-verfied paper audit trail. Do you trust the machines to accurately record your vote? Would a paper record to compare your choices on the electronic touch screen boost your confidence in the system?
Bill could boost pensions of black police officers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House unanimously approved legislation today that enables black police officers to join a pension fund that for almost 30 years denied some of them membership on the basis of skin color.
Some House members applauded as the electronic voting machine showed only “Yes” votes for a bill that personally impacted one of their own - freshman state Rep. Willie Talton, a black Republican from Warner Robins.
Talton, a 40-year law enforcement veteran and the longtime chief deputy in Houston County, told House colleagues before the vote how he tried to join the Peace Officers’ Annuity and Benefits fund as a young police officer in the 1960s and was denied membership on the basis of race.
He said he didn’t keep the “very discouraging” rejection letter, believing “time would take care of it.”
“And I’m here today to witness that time has taken care of it,” Talton said.
State Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta), sponsor of House Bill 101, said the legislation is a “win-win” for both the officers and the pension fund.
The bill, which still requires approval of the state Senate, would let any active police officer who worked before 1976 buy time in the Peace Officer’s Annunity and Benefits Fund.
The fund was created in 1950, but many black police officers and sheriff’s deputies say they were shut out on the basis of their race until the 1970s.
The fund’s administrators have said that blacks were never formally excluded and have shown evidence that some black officers were members. But they have acknowledged that some officers may have felt excluded during the era of racial segregation.
Officers who opt to add years in the fund would have to pay $10 for every month of service they wanted to add. The state would pick up the rest of the tab, estimated at $1.5 million for the next 30 years, assuming all 2,186 active officers who served prior to 1976 would buy four years of service.
Officers who have retired are not eligible to join the fund. Only a constitutional amendment approved by voters could change that.
House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) had come out in favor of the bill, saying to deny membership in the retirement fund on the basis of race is “patently, on its face, wrong.”
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Legislation would protect display of 10 Commandments
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House overwhelmingly approved legislation today that authorizes local governments to display the Ten Commandments in public buildings.
The bill, which passed 140 to 26, would require that any display also include copies of the Mayflower Compact and the Declaration of Independence. It also mandates that the Georgia attorney general represent any local government that is sued over the displays.
Two House members, who represent Barrow County, sponsored the bill after the Barrow County Commission was sued by the ACLU over a copy of the Ten Commandments that was posted at the local courthouse in Winder. A judge ordered the plaque taken down last July, and the county did not appeal. Habersham County lost a similar lawsuit.
The ACLU also is expected to challenge HB 941, if it is approved by the state Senate and signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue.
Even though the bill was supported by a majority, it sparked a passionate floor debate in which both supporters and opponents quoted scripture and some of the founding fathers.
Rep. Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson), one of the bill’s co-sponsor, said the displays are intended to give the public a better understanding of the “role of religion” in the founding of the state and nation.
Rep. Fran Millar (R-Dunwoody) questioned whether this bill should be a priority for lawmakers.
“I’m a lot more concerned about academic achievement and the dropout rate … then where we hang the Ten Commandments,” Millar said.
He also questioned whether “the Word of God” should be lumped with the Mayflower Compact and Declaration of Independence.
“Are we demeaning the Bible,” Millar said.
Rep. Douglas Dean (D-Atlanta) accused House members of trying to use the Ten Commandments for political grandstanding.
“We’re denying the Almighty God’s Word by calling this a historical document.”
State Rep. Ed Rynders (R-Albany), one of the bill’s supporters, called it a defensive manuever against assaults on Christmas and Christianity.
“Are you ashamed to say Merry Christmas? Are you ashamed to say I support the Ten Commandments?” he asked colleagues. “God, I hope not.”
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Bill would strengthen open government
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sen. David Adelman (D-Decatur) filed a bill Wednesday that would require a 2/3 vote of the House and Senate and the governor’s approval to close any state government meetings or records from public review.
The bill seeks to amend the state Constitution to require a supermajority vote to close any state records and meetings. The bill will be introduced and assigned to committee Thursday. If the measure is approved by both the Senate and the House, Georgia voters would give the final green light through a statewide ballot initiative.
Adelman said he already has bi-partisan support for the measure.
“If we think it’s important enough to amend the state constitution to protect hunting and fishing as we did last year, it’s certainly important enough to amend the constitution to protect open government,” Adelman said.
The General Assembly last year debated several controversial bills on open government and records.
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Sen. Starr honored for WWII service
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state Senate had a light calendar Wednesday.
State senators and the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust honored Sen. Terrell Starr (D-Jonesboro) for his Navy service in World War II.
After several other announcements and resolutions, the Senate voted unanimously to designate a portion of US 441 that runs through Habersham and Banks Counties as the J. Alton Wingate, Sr. Memorial Parkway.
Wingate was a prominent Georgia banker who died Aug. 16, 2005.
Sen. Nancy Schaefer (D-Cartersville) sponsored the legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Robert Brown (D-Macon) addressed the Senate briefly, criticizing the chamber’s Republican leadership for not moving quickly enough on issues that matter to Georgians such as health insurance, education and eminent domain.
The Senate meets next at 10 a.m. Thursday.
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Republican offers ‘hot chicken protection bill’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Republican lawmaker from Gainesville has drafted a bill that would restrict police from stopping any truck hauling live poultry on a hot day.
State Representative Carl Rogers drafted the proposal — being dubbed the “hot chicken protection bill.”
The measure bans police from stopping trucks carrying chickens when the temperature is above 85 degrees unless the officer suspects illegal activity. Even then, it limits the stops to ten minutes unless an arrest is made.
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Guaranteed College for Top Performers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should the top 10 percent of the highest-performing graduates of Georgia public schools be guaranteed a seat in a public college or university? House and Senate Democrats on Tuesday announced such a proposal, saying it would help make sure that the state’s brightest students stay in Georgia. They also say it would help rural and inner-city high school students, who they say are accepted at lower rates — though some education officials disputed that belief as a “myth.” Texas and Florida already have similar plans in effect. Do you think this proposal has some merit?
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