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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2006 > March
March 2006
Higher fines for Atlanta-Buckhead bars
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State lawmakers have approved legislation that would let the city of Atlanta to charge higher fines on bars that violate local liquor licenses. House Bill 1501, sponsored by Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta), affects only the city of Atlanta and the Buckhead bar district. It would raise the maximum fine for liquor violations from $1,000 to $2,500 In the city. Is this a good idea?
School club bill goes to governor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Parents will get more information about school clubs and be given the chance to exclude their children from certain campus activities under a bill headed to the governor.
“You can’t make an informed choice if you don’t have all of the information,â€? said Sadie Fields, chairman of the Christian Coalition of Georgia, which supported the bill. “There are some clubs that may fly in the face of traditional family values and parents have the right to know.â€?
After wrangling all session with whether to require parental permission before students participate in school organizations, including controversial gay and lesbian support groups, state lawmakers Thursday reached a compromise.
Under Senate bill 413, principals must inform parents at the beginning of the year what extracurricular options are available and allow them to fill out a form indicating which clubs are not OK for their child. Students also must get written permission to participate in clubs that form after that initial notification is sent home.
While conservative groups championed the plan as a “parental rightsâ€? issue, critics derided it as an intrusion into teacher-run activities.
“Ask your child. Visit your school. I mean there’s nothing that can be better than that,â€? said Edward R. Gray, executive director of an Atlanta gay and lesbian advocacy group that opposed the bill. “I don’t understand the need for a form to guide family conversations.â€?
Groups representing school administrators fought off what they saw as a burdensome requirement when the State Board of Education considered a similar rule last summer. But politicians, determined to see something done, revived the issue at the beginning of the session. A legislative tug-of-war ensued with the House and Senate passing competing versions.
The bill went to a conference committee this week after the Senate demanded students get written permission for every activity and the House demanded parents give notice only when they didn’t want their children involved.
“You know how much time and energy we’ve spent on this,â€? remarked Herb Garrett, executive director of the Georgia School Superintendents Association, which opposed the idea but worked for a compromise. “What we wanted was something everybody could live with, and we can live with this.â€?
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Lots of pork slipped into budget
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Republicans railed against budget pork when they were the minority party at the Capitol, but now that they’re in charge, they’ve loaded up next year’s spending plan with more than 300 local grants.
The $6.5 million worth of local assistance grants - called pork by Democrats and Republicans for years - were slipped into next year’s $18.6 billion budget behind closed doors. House and Senate members didn’t learn of them until about 8 p.m. tonight, when they got their first look at the budget tracking sheet that lists how the money is being spent.
Many of the allocations, which ranged from a few thousand to $150,000, didn’t list where the money was going, only in general terms how it would be spent. One notation, for instance, listed $45,000 being spent to “renovate livestock facility,” but didn’t say whether it was a public or private facility.
Only a few years ago, when Democrats were in power, Republicans regularly got up and public griped about local projects snuck into the budget at the last minute aimed at helping hometown legislators.
This time around, the budget was essentially negotiated by two lawmakers, House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans) and Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Hill (R-Reidsville) behind closed doors. The six-team group of negotiators didn’t meet until 5 p.m. Thursday, then quickly agreed to the plan Harbin, Hill and their staffs developed.
The local projects included a little something for everyone. For instance, $30,000 was put in the budget to help restore a theater in Harlem, in Harbin’s home county. Another $5,000 was put in to resurface a track at Reidsville Middle School in the hometown of Hill.
DeKalb County schools got $2,000 to address the high school dropout problem in local assistance grants, despite the fact that the same budget included more than $15 million for dropout programs across the state. Lawmakers agreed to spend $35,000 to improve the annual Big Pig Jig festival site in Vienna, while $6,000 is going to beautify city hall in Baxley and $100,000 would be used to renovate the FDR golf course in Warm Springs.
Legislators had the extra money to spend because rising revenues - up about 10 percent for the year - left them flush with cash. The local assistance grants were cut back in 2003 when tax collections flagged, but Republicans promised their members they’d put them back in once revenue flowed again.
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Higher fines for Atlanta bars OK’d
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The General Assembly gave final approval Thursday to legislation allowing the city of Atlanta to charge higher fines on bars that violate local liquor licenses.
House Bill 1501, sponsored by Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta), said the bill in its final version affects only the city of Atlanta and the Buckhead bar district.
If signed by the governor, it would raise the maximum fine for liquor violations from $1,000 to $2,500 In the city.
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Religion, politics mix it up
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lawmakers proved Thursday there may be proof to the adage that religion and politics don’t mix.
With only hours to go in the 2006 General Assembly session, the House and Senate were at loggerheads over legislation to allow public displays of the Ten Commandments.
The House had been content to require that the displays include the Declaration of Independence and the Mayflower Compact.
The Senate threw in the Magna Carta, “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Francis Scott Key, the national motto, The Preamble to the Georgia Constitution, The Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution and the description on the imae of Lady Justice.
The House version specified the Ten Commandments from the King James version of the Bible.
Rep. Tommy Benton (R-Jefferson), the bill’s chief sponsor, asked the House to accept the Senate version. But under rules established by House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) a single member could object.
A conference committee of three House members and three senators was expected to try to negoiate a compromise before the session must adjourn at midnight.
Benton representes Barrow County, which was sued by the ACLU over a copy of the Ten Commandments that was posted at the courthouse in Winder. A judge ordered the plaque taken down, and the county did not appeal.
Benton has 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.
The ACLU is expected to challenge House Bill 941, if it is approved by the legislature signed into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue.
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Police get second chance at benefits
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Active police officers who in the past were denied retirement benefits because of their race or ethnicity have a second chance to obtain benefits under legislation given final legislative approval Thursday.
House Bill 101, which now goes to the desk of the governor, allows active law enforcement officers who were on the job in Georgia before 1976 to buy back time in the Peace Officers’ Annuity and Benefit Fund.
They must provide proof of that prior employment and give a sworn statement that they were denied membership in the retirement plan or were actively prevented from making application because of their race or ethnicity. A person who submits false information can be subject to a $5,000 fine.
“It’s a great day for peace officers across this state and a great step to bringing closure to Jim Crowe and the impact that segreation had on our police officers,” said Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta), a longtime champion of restoring retirement benefits to black officers.
He said he expects “a few hundred” officers to qualify,” but will know an exact number after Dec. 31, the deadline for them to make application.
Brooks this year also proposed a constitutional amendment to open the benefits plan to retired police officers who also were denied benefits before 1976.
That proposal had not made it out of committee on the last day. Brooks said he’s committed to introducing the same measure next year.
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Illegal immigrants and fake documents
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia lawmakers this week passed legislation to crack down on illegal immigration. But supporers and critics alike agree that it will be hard to enfoce the proposal as long as fake identification documents are easy to obtain. How can the state — or the federal government — control these bogus documents?
Illegal immigration and Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia lawmakers on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 529, which targets illegal immigrants and the people who employ them. Some critics argue the state should not address the issue. They say it should be left to Congress. Should the state take on the issue or should it be left to the feds?
Law would require courthouse security plans
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House passed legislation Tuesday setting up a system for all 159 counties to establish a courthouse security plan.
Senate Bill 462, which passed the House 129 to 32, is an outgrowth of a debate over courthouse security that began after last year’s fatal shooting spree at the Fulton County Courthouse.
Legislators were in session March 11, 2005, when rape suspect Brian Nichols allegedly killed a judge, court reporter and sheriff’s deputy.
“That great tragedy gave rise to an examination of how we protect our courthouse facilites,” said Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), who brought the bill to the full House.
Ralston said the bill requires every county sheriff to develop a courthouse security plan and submit it to the chief Superior Court judge for review and possible modification.
The bill requires that the sheriff provide the county commission with an estimated cost of the plan and an implementation schedule. It does not mandate that the county commission provide additional funding.
Ralston said the expectation is that sheriffs will fund the plan out of their budgets. The bill now goes back to the Senate for approval of minor House changes.
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District attorneys get pay boost
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state’s 49 district attorneys will get a $7,000 raise in their base pay under legislation given final legislative approval Tuesday.
A bill, sponsored by Rep. Mack Crawford (R-Zebulon), would make the increase effective July 1 and would boost DAs pay to about $7,500 less than the salaries for Superior Court judges. DAs currently have a base pay of about $100,000.
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Law increases penalties for child murderers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The 2004 strangulation death of Carrollton 8-year-old Amy Yates has motivated the Georgia General Assembly to increase the potential penalties for child murderers.
“Amy’s Law, which won final legislative approval Tuesday, would give juvenile court judges the authority to lock up a child who murders until age 21.
Current law says that children under 13 can be sentenced to a maximum of two years of confinement for murder.
In Amy’s case, a 12-year-old neighbor was sentenced to at least one year in a residential psychiatric treatment facility. Amy’s body was was found April 26, 2004 in the trailer park where she lived, hours after she left home to ride her bicycle to a friend’s house.
Sen. Bill Hamrick, (R-Carrollton), the bill’s sponsor, said the existing state law imposed harsher penalties on students who brought a weapon to school than it did to children under 13 who kill.
“It just doesn’t make sense to the public that any murder, whether committed by a juvenile or adult, would only merit a two-year sentence,” Hamrick said. “This is supported by most everybody who weighed in -children’s groups, prosecutors.”
Hamrick’s proposal was attached to House Bill 1145, a measure that forces the juvenile courts to order mental evaluations if there is any question of a juvenile suspect’s competency to stand trial.
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Plan to abolish car tag tax to be studied
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A proposal to abolish the state’s annual car tag tax will be studied by House lawmakers over the summer.
The House on Tuesday approved creation of a study committee to assess the feasibility of eliminating or phasing out the tax, which generates about $500 million a year, mostly for local governments.
Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter (R-Alpharetta) said any proposal would guarantee that locals are reimbursed by the state so they don’t lose any money.
Georgians, at or near their birthday, have to register their vehicles and pay a tax that’s based in part on the vehicle’s age. About 8 million cars, trucks and SUVs are licensed in the state each year.
Burkhalter has said House Republican leaders don’t believe “Georgians shouldn’t have to pay government to own their vehicles, whether they’re rich or poor, have a broken-down pickup truck or a couple of cars.
“And what worse a birthday present can you get than to have to buy [your tag] on your birthday?” he said recently.
House Democrats have said the idea has merit, provided it does not shift the tax burden to farm and home owners.
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Budget impasse grows heated
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a show reminiscent of some of the old battles of Democratic leaders, Republican House Speaker Glenn Richardson and GOP counterpart and Senate President Pro-tem Eric Johnson took turns publicly denouncing each other over a budget impasse that has the two chambers snarling at each other.
Lawmakers are set to adjourn the 2006 session on Thursday, and as of this morning, budget negotiators had made no headway toward agreeing to an $18.6 billion spending plan that must be approved before they go home.
A quick-tempered Richardson (R-Hiram), took to the well this morning and accused Johnson of trying to trade an agreement on the budget for Senate consideration of a House leadership-sponsored bill that would make it easier for Atlanta Gas Light to build a pipeline and charge ratepayers.
“I told him, hell no,” said Richardson. “I am not going to continue playing games with the budget. We are not going to trade bills for votes.”
Richardson said Senators want to insert language in the budget telling the judiciary how to spend money, a violation of judicial independence, he argued.
“This dispute is about a power play and about putting power over politics,” he said.
However, by telling House members about the AGL offer, Richardson broke legislative taboo against relaying private conversations.
Johnson (R-Savannah), reacted angrily, although he didn’t dispute Richardson’s characterization of the offer. He criticized the speaker for saying it was a mistake to allow the Senate to have its own budget office that, sometimes, works against the wishes of the House.
Johnson said, “There is an arrogance across the aisle in thinking the Senate should not have a seat at the (budget) table.
“We are down to hours of maybe getting out of here without a budget.”
Such threats, and arguments, are common over the budget. However, a few things make it different this time.
First, this is the first time the Republican leaders have publicly gone into the well to personally chastise each other. While Richardson and Johnson have had disagreements, they’ve generally aired them privately.
Also, this debate isn’t really about big items in the budget. Both sides agree to 7 percent raises for prison guards and patrolmen, 4 percent for teachers and most state employees, record education spending and $1 billion to build schools and roads.
And thirdly, it’s extremely late to not have started work on the differences between the two bodies over the budget. Budgets generally take a few weeks of negotiating. When House and Senate negotiators got together shortly before noon, they had 60 hours left to get their work done before the end of the session.
As of early this afternoon, leaders of the two chambers were considering proposals to break the impasse, and finally meeting in public.
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Illegal immigrants and amnesty
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state Legislature is poised to pass a far-reaching bill addressing illegal immigration. However, that bill does not deal with amnesty, which is being debated at the federal level. Some believe illegal immigrants already in this country should be given a path to citizenship. Others think they should have to go back to their home countries and apply for U.S. citizenship. What do you think?
Legislature approves Bible classes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill clearing public high schools to teach Bible classes has been approved by the Legislature and is on its way to Gov. Sonny Perdue to be signed.
The Senate voted 45-2 on Monday to agree to some House changes to the plan, which would let local school systems create classes on the Old Testament and New Testament.
The proposal, originally introduced this year by a group of Senate Democrats, surprised many Republicans, who hold majorities in both the House and Senate.
Republicans quickly substituted their own version, which specifies that the Bible itself would be the course textbook.
The proposal, authored by Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, also requires that the courses be taught “in an objective and nondevotional manner with no attempt made to indoctrinate students.”
Supporters say studying the Bible would give students a better understanding of art, music, literature, politics and other aspects of Western society.
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Bill makes killing a pregnant woman at any stage a double slaying
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A person accused of killing a pregnant woman could be tried on two murder charges under legislation unanimously approved Monday by the Georgia House.
Rep. Sue Burmeister (R-Augusta) said the bill mirrors federal legislation signed into law by President Bush in 2004 after the high-profile murder of Laci Peterson and her unborn son, Conner, in California.
It establishes “The Unborn Victims of Violence Act,” a measure that some pro-choice advocates had decried as a back-door attempt to assign legal rights to a fetus.
But Burmeister told House members that it’s been written into the bill that it will not affect a woman’s right to an abortion, and the bill passed with no debate by a vote of 155 to 0.
“It is a common-sense law that I believe even Lacy Peterson would support if she were alive today,” Burmeister said.
Current Georgia law defines feticide as the killing of a fetus that has reached “quickening,” usually around the 20th week of pregnancy.
Senate Bill 77, which goes back to the Senate for final approval, states that anyone can be prosecuted for assault, manslaughter or murder of a fetus, regardless of the stage of pregnancy.
Leola Reis, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Georgia, said her group still believes “there are better ways to deter violence against pregnant women” than SB 77, which was sponsored by Sen. Renee Unterman (R-Buford).
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Change in law seeks to expedite reports of child abuse
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The General Assembly has passed and sent to the desk of the governor a bill designed to expedite reports of suspected child abuse.
Rep. Sue Burmeister (R-Augusta) said current law requires non-parents who attend to children — teachers, hospital workers, social workers — to report suspected abuse “as soon as possible,” which can be interpreted as hours, days or weeks.
Senate Bill 442 requires oral reports of suspected child abuse within 24 hours, even if that’s just a call to 911, Burmeister said.
She said the bill also prohibits changes to the initial report that’s made in a suspected abuse case. The bill, which previously passed the Senate, cleared the House 149 to 0 on Monday.
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Legislation sets up process to remove public defenders
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia General Assembly gave final approval Monday to legislation that sets up a process for removing public defenders accused of criminal wrongdoing or misconduct.
Since a statewide public defender system was created a year ago, one public defender has resigned after being accused of wrongdoing.
Arthur English, the former chief public defender for Fayette, Spalding, Pike and Upson counties, resigned in November to avoid being fired by the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council. He has been indicted on four felony charges for allegedly receiving stolen property - a front-end loader, a washer-dryer, an off-road vehicle and a trailer.
A fifth felony count accuses him of making a false statement when he told a tax official the trailer was “homemade” and did not have a serial number.
English has denied knowing the items were stolen.
Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) said Senate Resolution 793 sanctions the council’s plan for removing public defenders for criminal behavior or for repeatedly neglecting the duties of their job. He said the goal is to “continue to grow and improve our public defender system in Georgia.”
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House members say farewell
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two House members with aspirations of higher office said their farewells today, while the House’s only Independent left legislators laughing as he talked of retiring after eight years.
Reps. Stacey Reece (R-Gainesville) and Jack Murphy (R-Cumming) both plan to run for the Senate this year. Reece is hoping to succeed Sen. Casey Cagle of Gainesville, who is running as lieutenant governor on the GOP ticket. Murphy plans to run to replace Sen. Bill Stephens, a Republican candidate for secretary of state.
Rep. Ron Dodson, an Independent from Lake City in deep South Georgia, made light of all the changes that have occurred in the Legislature since his election in 1998, including three state flags and changes in House speaker.
“I’ve served under the longest serving speaker (Tom Murphy), the shortest serving speaker (Terry Coleman) and the greatest Republican speaker in the history of Georgia (Glenn Richardson), Dodson said.
House members openly laughed when he recalled devoting many days on redistricting, getting public feedback from across the state on proposed district lines and then poring over potential maps. The day the issue reached the floor of the House, he said, “we voted on a map I’d never seen before.”
Reece said he’ll never forget the friendships he’s made in the House. “It has been a pleasure to consider all of you personal friends,” he said. “You have stood with me in some of my darkest moments.”
Murphy said he was a businessman used to being in charge and felt the legislative experience had humbled him. “I can’t think of anything greater to happen to me than when I got elected to the House of Representatives.”
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Illegal immigrants and wire transfers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill now before the state Legislature aimed at illegal immigrants and their employers has been amended to include a section on wire transfers. Essentially, it would add a 5 percent surcharge for any illegal immigrant who wires money out of the country. A portion of the surcharge would be used to pay for health care. Do you think this is a good idea?
House votes to ban demonstrations at funerals
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
House members voted Friday to ban demonstrations at funerals, declaring that the feelings of grieving families of slain soldiers and other dead should override the free-speech rights of protesters.
The bill, which passed 144-15, bans “disorderly or disruptive” conduct at funerals. It was filed in response to anti-gay demonstrations that members of a Kansas church have staged at funerals across the country, including those of civil rights champion Coretta Scott King and Iraqi War soldiers.
Supporters and opponents of the bill denounced the protests by the Rev. Fred Phelps and his fundamentalist congregation in Kansas as unseemly. But some House members insisted that the protesters’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech should prevail.
The bill prohibits offensive signs and abusive language within 500 feet of a funeral service, something the ACLU has said would likely be ruled unconstitutional.
Rep. Ron Forster (R-Ringgold), who brought Senate Bill 606 to the floor of the House, said the protests are “so vile and repugnant” that 15 states have or are in the process of passing similar legislation.
“Can you imagine a group coming [to the funeral] of your military father, son, mother or daughter … yelling things?” Forster asked. “All we’re saying is, during these tender moments, these type of demonstrations are not allowed.”
Rep. Ed Rynders (R-Albany) said demonstrating for political purposes at a funeral is in “incredibly bad taste.
“I would never do that. My momma didn’t raise me that way,” Rynders said.
But he said he said the constitutional issue of freedom of speech might be a bigger issue than placing restrictions on “people who go out there and behave like we wouldn’t behave.
“I would ask you to seriously think about whether it’s a bigger danger [than] squashing and stepping on their rights to do that,” Rynders said. Rep. Douglas Dean (D-Atlanta) said: “Next year, we’ll be down hear passing laws against speaking at funerals.”
Rep. Chuck Sims (R-Ambrose), a funeral director, told House members that a funeral “is not a place to issue some kind of statement.
“A funeral is a time when we all should reflect on someone’s life and their intimate relationships,” Sims said.
Phelps and some members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas have picketed at the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq, claiming the deaths were God’s reaction to the United States’ tolerance for homosexuality.
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Hispanics protest legislation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
More than 100 Hispanic high school students waved Mexican flags and shouted “Justice” outside the state Capitol today to protest the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act, which passed the House or Representatives on Thursday.
“Everybody should have the same rights,” said Griffin High School student Zoila Ochoa who skipped school for the protest. “We just want justice.”
Many of the protesters waved Mexican flags and some sounded loud air horns. The crowd cheered loudly as several cars dove by, their passengers waving Mexican flags out the open windows.
Luis Rogue, an 18-year-old who attends Druid Hills High School, said he came with a group of students from Cross Keys High School
“I think the Hispanic population is a big part of the workforce,” Rogue said. “I think this bill discriminates against people who work hard.”
Rogue said his family members are legal residents and have been in the country 13 years. His dad works construction, he said, and his mother works in a restaurant.
The students were protesting Senate Bill 529, which is aimed a illegal immigrants and their employers.
The protest was not limited to the Capitol.
Hispanics stayed away from gas stations, restaurants and other businesses Friday to protest Georgia legislation cracking down on illegal immigration.
A stretch of Buford Highway usually bustling with Latino shoppers looked like a ghost town as many Hispanic-owned groceries, retailers and other stores stayed shut. And businesses that did open saw fewer customers.
Asif Khan, clerk of a Texaco near Chamblee, said Hispanics normally make up half the gas station’s clientele. But by 9 a.m., not a single Latino had passed through, said Khan, who was leisurely flipping through the newspaper. “I actually have time to read this,” he said.
Outside, Jody Darby wondered why he was the lone driver pumping gas. “I thought ‘Is it a holiday or what?,’” he said.
The March 17 Alliance of Georgia — a coalition of Hispanic clergy, business owners and activists — called on Hispanics to not buy anything today as a way of signaling the Latino community’s importance to the state’s economy. They also asked Hispanic workers to stay home if they could do so without jeopardizing their jobs. That piece of the partial boycott appeared to be getting less compliance.
Manuel Garcia said he and his 15-man landscaping crew were told they’d be fired if they didn’t show for work today. That’s why they were busily sprinkling pine straw around bushes and flower beds at warehouses along Best Friend Road in Norcross. “We have families to support,” Garcia said.
The workers went out their way to buy water yesterday, however, and brought their own lunches to avoid having to purchase anything today.
Ali Mesghali, owner of Rumi’s Kitchen on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, said two of his cooks approached him to tell him about the boycott.
With a staff that’s a good mix of Hispanic and American workers, Mesghali closed the Persian eatery for lunch Friday, choosing instead to open for the day at 5 p.m. for dinner.
“We wanted to support the Spanish people,â€? Mesghali said. “I told them that if this is what you believe, I’m supporting you guys.â€?
Authored by state Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) the immigration bill has passed the state Senate and House, but the chambers passed different versions and a final bill could be fashioned by a conference committee before the Legislature adjourns.
Rogers’ bill attempts to prohibit adult illegal immigrants from getting taxpayer-funded benefits to which they are not entitled. It also attempts to ensure that companies with public contracts hire only workers in the country legally, and it would financially penalize private employers who hire illegal immigrants. The bill also would establish tough penalties for human trafficking.
House members added a provision in committee that would require illegal immigrants to pay a 5 percent surcharge on money they wire out of the country. That has upset some senators who might try to remove that section.
There are an estimated 250,000 to 800,000 illegal immigrants in Georgia — though no one has a precise number. Proponents of a crackdown say illegal immigrants burden schools, prisons and the health care system without footing an equal part of the tax burden. Opponents of Rogers’ proposal say immigrants are here seeking a better life, do pay taxes and take only the jobs Americans refuse.
Pilot program to test paper receipts for electronic voting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House unanimously approved legislation Friday that could create a paper trail of ballots cast on the state’s electronic voting machines.
SB 500, introduced by Sen. Bill Stephens (R-Canton) would set up pilot programs in Bibb, Camden and Cobb County for this year’s November general elections.
“This is going to be a way to verify that our voting system is trustworthy and honest,” said Rep. James Mills (R-Gainesville), who brought the bill to the floor of the House.
Under Stephens’ bill, which is headed back to the Senate for approval of some House changes, calls for machines to be set up in one precinct in the three counties and produce a paper record of each voter’s electronic ballot. Voters will not take the ballot with them. They would only be able to view it and confirm that the choices on the paper receipt match those made on the electronic touch screen.
Portrait honoring former Speaker Tom Murphy unanimously approved
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House put aside partisan politics today and unanimously passed a resolution authorizing a portrait of legendary Speaker Tom Murphy to hang in the state Capitol.
Murphy, the nation’s longest serving state House speaker, has been out of office since late 2002 and has been in failing health in recent years.
Current House Speaker Glenn Richardson, a Republican from Hiram, suggested the tribute to Murphy, a lifelong Democrat from Bremen, but and found support for the idea crossed party lines.
All 180 members of the House - 100 Republicans, 79 Democrats and one Independent, were recorded voting in favor of hanging Murphy’s portrait on the third floor of the Capitol.
Richardson, who had his share of public disagreements with Murphy, told House colleagues he is in awe of the man who stood for election 21 times, served in the General Assembly for 42 years and was speaker through parts of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
“You can’t do that unless you have great character, integrity, intelligence and wisdom,” said Richardson, who is in his second year as speaker. “I’m going to tell you what: It’s not an easy job. There are days I wonder how he did it. But he gave his heart his soul, his all to the state of Georgia.”
Rep. DuBose Porter of Dublin, the leader of House Democrats, once challenged the cigar-chomping, Stetson hat-wearing Murphy for the speaker’s job.
“We may have seen the world a little different at times,” Porter said from the well of the House. “But I loved that man because he loved this state. He loved this body.”
He credited Murphy for standing his ground early in his tenure as speaker to guarantee that the General Assembly was an independent body, not subservient to the governor.
Porter said Murphy saw the state through a remarkable era of growth and change and, though he was a champion of rural Georgia, acknowledged that “Atlanta’s growth was important to us.
“He had a way of reaching out and bringing people together for the right things of this state,” Porter said.
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hate crimes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should criminals get stiffer sentences if they commit a crime because of “the victim’s race, religion, gender, national origin, or sexual orientation?” The Senate yesterday approved a new “hate crimes law” that allows a judge to increase the sentence 50 percent if the crime is committed for one of those five reasons. A similar laws was thrown out by the courts. Critics say the law isn’t needed, and that a “crime is a crime,” no matter the motive. So, should criminals get stiffer sentences for committing crimes defined as “hate crimes?”
House kills ATV safety bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state House killed legislation Thursday that would have imposed new safety standards for the estimated 200,000 all-terrain vehicles that Georgians use in hunting, farming and joy-riding.
The bill, championed by Rep. Chuck Sims (R-Ambrose) and Sen. Ross Tolleson (R-Perry), required anyone 16 and under to wear a helmet, be closely supervised by an adult and stay off the public roads, rights of way and road shoulders. It also would have required all other ATV drivers to have a valid driver’s license.
Sims said the objective of Senate Bill 400 was to cut down on ATV accidents, which killed five children in his district in 2003 and about 30 ATV riders across Georgia since then.
But the bill, which had passed the Senate, failed in the House 54 to 100, after some contentious debate.
“We’re really infringing on other people’s lives with this,” said Rep. Timothy Bearden (R-Villa Rica), who argued that many parents and children like spending time together on their ATVs.
Rep. Barbara Massey Reece (D-Menlo) argued against the bill, saying that children in rural areas have family responsibilities that require them to ride ATVs, some at a very young age. She criticized a provision requiring a licensed driver 18 or older to be within 300 feet of an ATV driver 16 or under.
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Immigration compliance bill sails through House
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed the most sweeping bill aimed at illegal immigration ever to appear before the state Legislature.
House members voted 123-51 in favor of the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act after 90 minutes of debate in what was a virtual slam-dunk of the complex legislation.
The legislation , known as Senate Bill 529, now goes back to the Senate, which must approve House changes. If senators disagree with those changes, a conference committee will be appointed to work out the differences.
The bill attempts to prohibit adult illegal immigrants from getting taxpayer-funded benefits to which they are not entitled. It also attempts to ensure that companies with public contracts hire only workers in the country legally and it would financially penalize private employers who hire illegal immigrants. The bill also would establish tough new penalties for human trafficking.
House members added a provision in committee that would require illegal immigrants to pay a 5 percent surcharge on money they wire out of the country, and that has upset some senators who might try to remove that section.
State Rep. Dan Lackly (R-Peachtree City) told the House the bill is a simple case of “right versus wrong, legal versus illegal.â€?
Lackly and other speakers pointed a stern finger at the federal government, which they said has failed to fix a broken immigration system.
“There comes a time when the states have to stand up as one and send a message to the federal government,” Lackly said. “The people of our country want our borders secure. The people of this country do not want to be overrun by illegal immigrants.â€?
But Rep. Pedro Marin (D-Duluth), one of two Hispanics in the House, said the bill does not provide “meaningful immigration reform.â€?
“This bill is not the right first step,” he said. ” It addresses symptoms of the problem, not the cause, which is a broken federal immigration system.â€?
Polls show that more than 80 percent of Georgians want the Legislature to deal with illegal immigration.
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Desert Storm general visits General Assembly
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Retired General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. stopped by the General Assembly this morning to thank lawmakers for their support for a new National Infantry Museum, which has been housed at Ft. Benning.
A short address by Schwarzkopf, commander of forces during Operation Desert Storm, was interrupted by standing ovations from lawmakers.
“It’s really a great tribute to infantrymen way back to the George Washington days until today,” he said of the museum. “Most of the times the infantrymen fought in the first battles and many of them fought until the last.”
He also asked for lawmakers to continue supporting the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We’re involved in another fight over there now, and many of the same people who were with me during Desert Storm are there,” he said. “We’ve lost over 2,000 great patriots …. your hearts goes out to every single one of them. In Desert Storm, we only lost 146 people. When you compare that with the sacrifice being made today, you realize how important it is that they continue to have your support.
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nursing home costs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lawmakers are about to pass a bill that would allow the elderly to get state-supported nursing home care while hanging onto up to $100,000 in assets. Currently, the law is $25,000, and state officials say they will aggressively go after the assets of seniors to pay for their nursing home care. Critics say old folks wanting taxpayer-supported nursing home care could lose their homes. So, should the state be trying to recover the assets of the elderly to pay for their nursing home care, or should they get to keep up to $100,000 in assets?
General Assembly honors late Capitol postmaster
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wiley T. Nixon’s skill as chief postmaster at the Georgia Capitol helped state government run smoothly every day.
But his kindness and generosity earned him the respect and admiration of powerful lawmakers.
Nixon, 62, of Carrollton, died in April at Floyd Medical Center in Rome of complications from heart problems.
On Wednesday, the Georgia General Assembly paid tribute to Nixon’s more than three decades of public service by giving final approval to a resolution naming the Wiley T. Nixon Capitol Post Office in his honor.
The resolution passed 50-0.
“He was respected by all for his wisdom, wit and storiesâ€? Sen. Preston Smith (R-Rome) said. “Most of all, I believe Wiley will be remembered as a kind and generous man. The General Assembly will be poorer in his absence, but we were blessed by his presence here for 36 years.â€?
Nixon often could be seen buzzing around the Capitol on a motorized scooter. Arthritic legs and hips had made walking difficult.
He began his career at the Capitol as a doorkeeper in 1969 —- recruited by former longtime House Speaker Tom Murphy. He 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.
Wiley’s widow, Shirley Nixon, was in the Senate Wednesday.
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senior tax break
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Is another tax break for retirees a good idea? The House is considering a bill that already passed the House raising the amount of money retirees can exempt from their state income taxes. Three-fourths of the benefit would go to seniors earning more than $75,000 a year, according to one study. providing them an extra $72 million a year. Opponents say upper-middle and upper-class retirees don’t need another tax break when, in many counties, they already pay little or no school property taxes. They say supporters are pandering for votes. However, supporters say it will keep financially solid Georgia seniors from retiring to lower-tax states like Florida, and will attract retirees to live in the Georgia, where they will spent their income. So, is passing the retiree tax cut a good idea?
Paying for pork
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What local projects should taxpayers across the state be expected to fund? The state Senate is expected to pass a budget plan Wednesday that includes about $1 billion in construction projects for schools, college buildings and libraries. Also, the state would pay for an $8 million expansion of the river walk in Savannah, where tourism brings millions each year to city and county tax coffers. The question is, should state taxpayers - such as folks in the metro Atlanta area - be paying for local projects, like the river walk in Savannah, or an $11 million trade center in Columbus, or ball-field lights and school band uniforms in Eastman or Perry?
House passes bill allowing state-funded Bible courses
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Public high schools may offer state-funded courses on the Bible under legislation overwhelmingly approved Monday by the Georgia House.
“This is already being done in several states,” said state Rep. James Mills (R-Gainesville). “It’s passed Supreme Court muster.”
The bill passed 151 to 7 and now goes back to the Senate for final approval.
In committee, some House members voiced concern that the measure favors Christianity over other religions. But no House member rose to speak against it Monday.
Senate Bill 79, sponsored by state Sen. Tommie Williams (R-Lyons), requires the State Board of Education to adopt curricula for two electives—- “History and Literature of the Old Testament Era” and “History and Literature of the New Testament Era” —- by the middle of next school year.
The bill does not mandate that school systems offer the course or that students attend the class.
While the bill specifies that the courses must be taught in an “objective and nondevotional” manner, the exclusion of other religious books makes it objectionable, Maggie Garrett, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, has said.
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Delaying divorce
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should Georgia couples have to wait to get a divorce? The legislature is considering a measure that says, in essence, that couples with children seeking a no-fault divorce can’t get a final decree any earlier than 120 days after they are legally separated. The measure is watered down from the original legislation, which would have made couples wait to divorce whether they had children or not. So, should the state make couples wait to get a divorce, or should the state keep its nose out of the whole thing?
To honor Jane Fonda - or not
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Did Jane Fonda deserve to be honored by the Legislature? On Wednesday, a resolution slipped through the Georgia Senate honoring the actress’ community service and charitable work in Georgia. Thursday, senators realized what they had done and rescinded the resolution. Opponents pointed to Fonda’s anti-war activism, especially the time she posed with a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. Should Fonda’s work for pregnant teens and other needy people in Georgia outweigh her activist past? Or is her opposition to the Vietnam War and other American policies too much to overlook?
Governor proclaims “Atlanta Motor Speedway Day”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the past two years, Gov. Sonny Perdue has made a proclamation around this time of year for NASCAR Day. On Thursday, however, the proclamation he made was for Atlanta Motor Speedway Day.
Perdue rejected the notion that the change has anything to do with NASCAR’s recent rejection of Atlanta as the home of its museum.
Perdue spokeswoman Heather Hedrick said the two descriptions are often used interchangeably in the governor’s office. She said the press releases for the past two years both called it Atlanta Motor Speedway Day.
“The bottom line is that we are celebrating Atlanta Motor Speedway Day, which is NASCAR in Georgia. It is an economic driver for the entire state,â€? Hedrick said.
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What’s brewing between Republicans and Georgia’s schools?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A certain pattern has emerged from the dust. Take a look at three big items that died on Monday or the wee hours of Tuesday:
— A measure to cap increases in property tax assessments to 3 percent never made it to the House floor for a vote.
— Gov. Sonny Perdue’s constitutional amendment to emphasize the state’s ability to farm out some social services to religious organizations failed to get its two-thirds vote.
— Ditto for Perdue’s “HOPE Chest” amendment.
What do all three have in common? All were opposed by Georgia's education community. Not just teachers and their unions. We're talking school superintendents and school boards. The governor's legislation to mandate 65 percent of school spending in classrooms isn't getting unanimous applause, either.
The tug-of-war between Republicans and educators isn't necessarily a partisan affair. (It's hard to take Democrats seriously on education when they have yet to field a single candidate for state school superintendent.)
Yes, teacher unions lean to the Democratic side. But school superintendents don't. Neither do school boards — not these days.
So what's going on here? There seems to be some philosophical difference building over how schools should be run — with school systems demanding stability and lawmakers emphasizing the tax burden, along with alternative approaches like vouchers.
Or does it date back further? Are we seeing a quiet resurgence of the days when to be a Republican was to be in favor of obliterating the U.S. Department of Education and dismantling school bureaucracies — wherever they're found?
“Vigilant citizen” honored by House
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House paid tribute Wednesday to Decatur resident Tracie Lee Dean whose gut instincts and tenacity are believed to have saved a 3-year-old girl and 17-year-old boy from lives of sexual abuse.
“Her story serves as a reminder to all of the tremendous difference a single vigilant citizen can make,” state Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) said. “Ms. Dean did an extraordinary thing in discovering a child who was abused and doing something about it.”
Dean’s story, which has drawn national attention, began on a trip home to Decatur from Diamond Head, Miss., in January.
Dean stopped at a gas station in Evergreen, Ala., where she saw a little girl who looked troubled with an unfriendly older man.
With her intuition telling her something was wrong, Dean dialed 911 to give police a description of the man’s vehicle and its license plate.
She was assured police would look into it, but didn’t stop there.
She proceeded to scour websites dealing with missing children and finally found a young child in Ohio whom she thought was the girl at the gas station.
She tried without success to get help from the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and drove 300 miles back to the gas station to review the store’s security tapes, where a local deputy began helping her.
By the next day, the suspicious man and a woman were both both arrested on charges related to the sexual abuse of the 3-year-old, and also a 17-year-old boy.
State Supreme Court Justice Harris Hines told House members that Dean is “a children’s advocate,an extraordinary lady and a genuine hero.”
“Her good deeds have won the hearts and applause of all who love Georgia’s greatest treasure: it’s children,” Hines said.
He said authorities believe that because of Dean’s efforts two children have been removed from “what is believed to be an environment of unutterable horror.”
Dean said she accepted the recognition on behalf of the many groups who work to help missing and exploited children every day.
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Bill prevents PSC from regulating broadband, wireless, VoIP
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill that would prevent the Georgia Public Service Commission from being able to regulate high-speed Internet, wireless service and Voice over Internet Protocol won final legislative approval on Wednesday and was headed to the desk of the governor.
SB 120, which was being pushed by BellSouth and other telecommunications companies, passed the Georgia House by a vote of 157 to 4. It had previously passed the state Senate.
“The purpose of this bill is to protect and foster economic development in the emerging communication technologies of broadband, wireless and voice over internet protocol,” said Public Utilities & Telecommunications Committee Chairman Jeff Lewis (R-White), who squired the bill through the House. “It is to protect it from unnecessary, and quite possibly, detrimental regulation.”
Some critics of the bill argue that shutting out the PSC could be unwise at a time when the technologies are still evolving. Telecom industry experts say that VoIP —- a way of delivering calls using Internet technology —- is likely to become the dominant way most phone calls are delivered, even though the change will be virtually invisible to average consumers.
Lewis said the bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), was the result of about a year’s worth of work by a group that included representatives from telephone companies, wireless phone companies, Internet providers, consumer groups and the PSC.
“In my mind, I have no doubt this bill is critical to keep Georgia on the forefront of growth in these communication emerging technology,” he told the House. “The heart of the bill limits the areas over which the PSC can exert its jurisdiction. Specifically, it walls off those areas of broadband, wireless and voice over internet from unnecessary regulation, thereby, allowing the market to continue to foster the explosive growth we’re seeing in these areas right now.”
Lewis said consumers have already seen lower prices and more options as a result of market forces.
State Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (D-Atlanta) questioned whether lawmakers should be limiting the PSC’s power.
“It seems like we keep limiting what the Public Service Commission can do and their role,” Benfield said. “They may not have anything to do pretty soon if we keep on this track.”
The PSC is a regulatory board with varying degrees of oversight over the land-line telecommunications, transportation, electric and natural gas industries. When consumers have a problem, they can turn to the PSC for help. However, the commission does not have regulatory authority over “emerging” telecommunication technologies such as the ones covered by the bill.
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Bill to honor Jane Fonda creates furor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jane Fonda’s name still raises the blood pressure of many Georgia veterans more than 30 years after her famous pose on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun.
So the idea of honoring “Hanoi Janeâ€? for her recent charitable and public service work didn’t go over too well with some members of the Georgia Senate on Wednesday.
Sen. Steen Miles (D-Decatur) introduced a resolution recognizing the two-time Academy Award winning actress for her efforts to help women and children globally, particularly her work as the founder and chairwoman of the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP).
Senate Resolution 1189 seemed to breeze through the Senate without a raising an eyebrow - as do hundreds of honorary and commemorative resolutions each year.
But Sen. John Douglas (R-Covington), a retired Army major and the chairman of the Senate Veterans and Military Committee, stood up as the Senate was adjourning and briefly voiced his strong opposition to the resolution. His words provoked a strong response from Miles, who argued that Fonda’s work deserved recognition. She then criticized her fellow lawmakers for not considering enough legislation to help the state’s most vulnerable residents.
“We have been very, very hypocritical when it comes to taking care of the least of these and the lost,â€? Miles said from the Senate well. “We can’t even get a hearing on providing health insurance for all the children of Georgia.â€?
Miles’ speech, however, may have backfired. When she wrapped up, Douglas immediately made a motion for the Senate to reconsider its approval of SR 1189. The Senate will decide on whether to rethink the honorary resolution at 9 a.m. Thursday.
“I think Jane Fonda is less worthy than any living American to be honored by our Senate and the people of Georgia,â€? Douglas said later in the day. “It starts off with her actions during the Vietnam War and it continues today. No amount of good work now will make up for her past actions against the military and our country.â€?
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Is representation without taxation constitutional?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During the hub-bub of Crossover Day on Monday, our state Senate passed a proposed constitutional amendment that largely exempts old people from the state income tax as of 2009.
The original measure was the handiwork of state Sen. Casey Cagle of Gainesville, the Republican rival to Ralph Reed in the race for lieutenant governor. He proposed a $50,000 exemption for anyone over 62, and a total exemption for anyone over 65.
Democrats reined Cagle in slightly — and he needed their votes for the two-thirds passage. As it now stands, [S.R.1085](http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2005_06/sum/sr1085.htm) would let residents discount the first $75,000 they earn at age 62. And $100,000 after age 65.
The House must approve this, also by a two-thirds margin. After that, it goes on the November ballot.
Now, we all like old people. The older we get, the more we like them. The older we baby-boomers get, the more we understand burdens of the elderly, and the more we want to ease their way. Because "them" is "us."
Others make the argument that Georgia needs the elderly for the sake of economic development. All that pension money has to go somewhere.
But on nearly every radio and TV talk show, you'll hear someone say that anyone who's on welfare, who's not contributing to the system, ought not be allowed to vote. If you don't contribute, you shouldn't have a say-so in the affairs around you. Ditto this, ditto that.
Using that logic, if we exempt seniors from paying taxes, doesn't this thrust them into that same category? Forget whether one group is socially valuable and another isn't, whether we like one and not the other. Does this not create a special category of people — a very large category in coming years — who will have a say-so in the affairs around them, but no stake in the cost?
We argue that taxation without representation is unconstitutional. But is there a case to be made that representation without taxation is just as dangerous?
The difference between a Georgia Republican and a Washington Republican
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Years ago, leading Democrats in Georgia — the Herman Talmadges and Richard Russells — would find a way to be somewhere else whenever the Democratic National Convention was held. Fishing trips, sick or dying mothers, and visits to overseas military bases would magically spring up. It was a way to draw a line between themselves and the mess in Washington.
So there we were yesterday, in a small press conference called by four Republican state senators and Herman Cain. Cain is the pizza guy, author, radio talk show host and former GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate. The four senators were Mitch Seabaugh of Sharpsburg, Chip Pearson of Dawsonville, Chip Rogers of Woodstock, and Casey Cagle of Gainesville. (Seeing Cain and Cagle, a candidate for lieutenant governor, in the same room was interesting, but beside the point for today’s discussion.)
The topic was a Senate resolution to create a study committee to look at capping the growth of state government in Georgia by gearing it to population increase and inflation. Results must be produced by Dec. 1, 2006. After the November election. The legislation in question is S.R. 1091.
Here’s the point: A huge federal deficit and the rise of “big government conservatism” in Washington, all under the GOP banner, has frightened some Republicans and angered others. Seabaugh & Co. said they’re not trying to make any statement, or send any message to Washington. But when pressed, they said they aren’t happy with the situation. “I am disgusted,” Cain said.
GOP lawmakers haven’t begun trolling for sick mothers, to avoid being seen with President Bush. But around the state Capitol, they have been overheard saying, “I’m a Georgia Republican, not a Washington Republican.”
Today’s question is: what’s the difference? And please, step away from the talking points. Let’s be thoughtful about this.
Constitutional amendment for HOPE falters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Passage of a major piece of Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue’s election year agenda - a constitutional amendment on lottery funding of HOPE and pre-kindergarten - was hinging late Monday on an 11th hour change of heart by the Georgia House.
House Democrats early in the day blocked Perdue’s proposal from getting the required 91 votes, or two-thirds majority, required for a constitutional amendment.
But the full House later agreed to reconsider and then table the measure, leaving open the possibility that it could be brought back up for another vote in the final hours of a marathon Crossover Day.
Crossover Day, set by the GOP majority as the 30th day of the 40-day session, is generally considered the deadline for bills to clear one chamber and have a chance of becoming law.
Perdue’s bill failed in the state Senate last month, based on a similar block vote by Democrats.
In the House, where the vote was 102 to 68, supporters argued that a constitutional amendment would ensure that lottery funds are preserved for the highly popular HOPE scholarship and voluntary pre-kindergarten programs.
Opponents argued that Georgia voters already passed a constitutional amendment in 1998 that declares those two programs to be the funding priorities. Democrats also have suggested that Perdue wants to use the amendment to show he’s a champion of HOPE and to deflect criticism about his past record, particularly his proposal in 1994 to cut payments for students’ books and college fees.
House Higher Education Committee Chairman Bill Hembree (R-Douglasville) said the constitutional amendment will preserve “the greatest program in the educational history of this state.
Hembree said $1.8 billion - that could have been bankrolled for HOPE and pre-kindergarten - has been spent over the years on school metal detectors, satelitte dishes, computers, school construct and other projects of questionable merit.
“In 2002, $300,000 went to GPTV (Georgia Public Television) so our students could watch panda bears,” Hembree said.
State Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) argued that the amendment “doesn’t end tinkering.”
She said it does eliminate the options that voters have signed off on to use some lottery funding that doesn’t take from HOPE and pre-k for technology and school construction.
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House rejects pharmacists’ “right to choose”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House balked Monday at passing legislation that would allow pharmacists to refuse on moral or religious grounds to fill any prescription that they believe could terminate a pregnancy.
But House members later agreed to reconsider their 82 to 78 vote, which was nine votes shy of a 91-vote majority. That left open the possibility that the measure could be brought back for yet another vote in the final hours of a marathon “crossover day.”
By tradition, bills that don’t pass at least one chamber by the end of crossover day are generally considered dead for the 40-day session. A bill similar to HB 1445 has already cleared the state Senate.
On a crossover calendar packed with 60 bills, the bill by Rep. James Mills (R-Gainesville) sparked one of the liveliest debates.
Mills argued that a pharmacist or pharmacy employee “should not be put in a position to lose his livelihood over his strong moral beliefs.”
He said his bill would give pharmacists protection similar to ones offered to doctors, nurses and hospitals that object to abortions and refuse to perform them. “He [the pharmacist] should have the right to choose,” Mills said.
Opponents argued that the bill is an attempt to interfere in women’s reproductive and could be detrimental to rape victims and other women who use certain contraceptives.
“I don’t understand how this General Assembly can continue to pass legislation that infringes on women’s rights,” said state Rep. Douglas Dean (D-Atlanta).
State Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan (D-Austell) argued that, if they passed the bill, lawmakers would be interfering with private decisions made by a woman and her doctor.
“We’re injecting ourselves once again in the bedrooms,” she said. “Control seems to be the theme of this Republican legislation. Control everything.”
State Rep. Jeanette Jaimeson (D-Toccoa) said passage of the bill could create a hardship in rural areas of her state that have only one pharmacy.
Mills’ bill says a pharmacist who puts in writing his or her objections to abortion would not have to fill a prescription if he or she believes the drug would have “the effect or possible effect of terminating a pregnancy.
It states that a pharmacist who rejects a prescription on that basis cannot be disciplined or face other recriminatory action. It requires that the pharmacist “make all reasonable efforts” to locate another pharmacist who is willing to fill the prescription.
On March 2, the Senate approved three anti-abortion bills, including one sponsored by Sen. Jim Whitehead Sr. (R-Evans) that would protect from disciplinary action pharmacists who refuse to dispense medication that terminates a pregnancy. Planned Parenthood and other groups have said they favor the Senate bill over Mill’s legislation and say it would not affect emergency contraception such as Plan B.
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Lawmakers busy on “crossover day”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Legislators began the marathon race this morning to push through bills they hope to pass this year. Bills must pass either the House or the Senate by the end of the day to have a shot at becoming law.
By noon, the House had passed about 11 of the 60 bills on its calendar. The Senate was moving at a faster clip and had passed 17 of the 49 bills it was scheduled to consider.
In the House, most of the bills drew few questions and no debate.
An exception was House Bill 1473, which Democrats hope to use to force a change in the state’s estate recovery plan to seek reimbursement from patients who receive long-term care through Medicaid.
The bill would raise the cap on assets that cannot be touched from $25,000 to $100,000. The state recently notified nursing home patients that it would seek their assets when they die to reimburse the government for Medicaid services .
State Rep. DuBose Porter (D-Dublin), the Democratic leader in the House, argued that a higher threshold would prevent the elderly from having to choose between Medicaid or their homes.
About 40,000 Georgians have received letters from the state telling them it will launch the asset collection program in May.
Debate also started at 11:40 a.m. on one of the other big measures on the calendar, Gov. Sonny Perdue’s bill to protect HOPE scholarship money.
The Senate’s Republican leadership had predicted a fairly smooth day instead of the usual frenzy that characterizes “crossover day.”
“It appears that we’re on track to finish our business today,” said Preston Smith (R-Rome), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Most of the controversial bills introduced in the Senate this year have already been debated - such as a bill requiring voters to show a government-issued photo identification at the polls - leaving today’s calendar relatively non-controversial.
Early in the day the Senate approved a proposal for a constitutional amendment that would give the state’s senior citizens a tax break by a vote of 49-2.
Senate Resolution 1085 would give people age 70 and older a tax exemption for the first $100,000 of all income beginning Jan. 1, 2009. The measure also excludes retirement income up to $75,000 from income tax for Georgians between 62 and 70 years of age.
Sen. Casey Cagle (R-Gainesville), who is running for Lt. Governor this year, sponsored the original bill, and Sen. Doug Stoner (D-Smyrna) and Tim Golden (D-Valdosta) offered two amendments, which were accepted by the Senate. Their amendments raised the cap on non-taxable income from $50,000, the limit in the original bill.
The resolution now goes to the House for approval. The measure also needs the governor’s signature and then must be approved by Georgia voters in a referendum to become law.
The Senate’s GOP leadership also decided to delay until next year a vote on a potentially controversial bill to create the City of Dunwoody. Sen. Dan Weber (R-Dunwoody) said Saturday that the postponement of Senate Bill 568 would give voters more time to consider the pros and cons of incorporating the north DeKalb community, which has an estimated population of 40,000.
Weber’s bill, if approved by the Legislature and Gov. Sonny Perdue, would have let voters decide in a referendum whether they’d like a city government of their own with a mayor and council.
The Senate approved a resolution creating a North Fulton Boundary Commission to study the boundaries of Alpharetta, Mountain Park, Roswell, and if approved by the General Assembly this year, the cities of Milton and Riverside.
Lawmakers also approved the creation of a Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission and a Georgia Broadband Education Task Force to educate citizens about the new technology and encourage its use in the state.
A proposal to create a newborn umbilical cord blood bank at one or more of the state’s public universities sailed through the Senate shortly before noon with a vote of 54-0.
Senate Bill 596 initially set off a firestorm of debate among lawmakers, scientists, advocates for patients with degenerative and debilitating diseases, and conservative Christian groups because of a provision that would have banned some forms of embryonic stem cell research.
Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth), the bill’s sponsor, ultimately decided to remove the controversial language.The measure encourages non-embryonic stem cell research through the use of the by-products of pregnancy such as umbilical cords, placenta and amniotic fluid, but does not in any way ban, prohibit or criminalize research in Georgia on stem cells derived from human embryos.
On Monday, Shafer renamed his bill, “Keyone’s Law” in recognition of a young Georgian who was treated with non-embryonic stem cells for sickle cell anemia.
The Capitol hallways were bustling throughout the morning, with lobbyists huddled near blaring TVs tuned to the goings-on in the House and the Senate, teenage pages scurrying around and the usual crowds of schoolchildren and other visitors.
Anthony Hines, who runs the shoeshine stand, was expecting a busy day and customers who are more fretful than usual. “It’s an important day. It’s crossover day. Everybody’s concerned about their own issues.”
Unlike lawmakers and lobbyists, Hines said he planned to go home at 5 p.m. “Last year, I stayed on crossover until 6:30 or 7, but I didn’t get a shoeshine after 5.”
Nearby, labor lobbyist Rickey Crawford Sr. stood against a rail reading the Macon Telegraph. He’d already had his shoes shined.
“It’s just a real tense day,” he said. A tax-break bill he has been working toward never made it out of committee, he said, but he hoped it would get attached Monday as an amendment to another bill. Crossover day is “long, frustrating,” he said. So he was killing time. “You walk around and go to the snack bar and talk to people, read the newspaper, keep from getting bored.”
Reita Mendum, director of the House page staff, was busy keeping 37 pages organized. “Some of them get overly exited,” she said, peering at a row of neatly dressed middle and high school students fidgeting as they waited on benches outside the House. Most pages work only one day at the Capitol. Mendum said she expected to stay until about 10 or 11 p.m. “Some will stay with me, I hope, until the bitter end.”
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Wineries could get break with “tasting” permits
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Wine tasting could become more prevalent at the various festivals held annually around Georgia under legislation that cleared the House Monday by a vote of 142 to 15.
House Bill 1168 would allow wineries to obtain a single annual permit that would allow them to set up tasting rooms at festivals held throughout the year. They currently have to get a separate permit for each festival.
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Legislative Homestretch
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Has the Legislature addressed any issues of substance so far? Today is “crossover day” in the Georgia Legislature - the 30th of 40 days of lawmaking. Any bill that hasn’t “crossed” from one chamber to another after today has a slim chance of becoming law. So far, key bills on abortion, immigration, eminent domain and self-defense have passed either the House or the Senate. Are there any key issues still out there that you’d like to see make it to the governor’s desk for signature?
Lobbyist Influence
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do lobbyists wield too much influence over lawmakers by providing free gifts, meals and trips? The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to bar members of Congress from accepting free gifts and meals. A move last year to limit Georgia lawmakers to accepting such freebies to a $50 value failed. Legislators argue that such gifts do not influence their decions, but public watchdogs say lobbyists say those gestures buy crucial access to decision-makers. Should the Georgia Legislature follow Congress’ lead and ban gifts?
House approves 5 new judgeships
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House unanimously approved legislation Thursday to create five new Superior Court judgeships - including one each for Cobb, Paulding and Coweta judicial circuits.
HB 1073, which passed 163-0, also authorizes a new judgeship in the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit and the Houston Judicial Circuit, home county of Gov. Sonny Perdue.
The bill now goes to the Senate.
If these judgeships are approved, Cobb County will have 10 Superior Court judges. Coweta will have six, and Houston, Blue Ridge and Paulding will each have three.
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House votes to give swine industry fuel tax break
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
He didn’t want to be hoggish, so Republican state Rep. Jay Roberts of Ocilla put a two-year cap on a fuel tax exemption for the swine industry.
“It’s just a little pork project,” joked Roberts before the House voted 148 to 5 in favor of the exemption. The estimated cost to taxpayers, he said, is $100,000.
Lawmakers have passed dozens of tax exemptions this year for various groups, including charitable food banks and back-to-school shoppers.
Roberts’ bill, which still has to clear the Senate and be approved by the governor, would exempt from sales tax liquified gas and other fuels in swine operations. It would be effective from July 1 of this year to June 30, 2008.
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House bill allows for changes in school taxes
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia House passed a Constitutional amendment Thursday that could change funding for school construction in DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and 18 other counties with independent city school systems.
Currently, a referendum on raising the local sales tax for school construction cannot be put before voters without agreement of every school system in the county, said state Rep. Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta), the bill’s chief sponsor.
Under HB 893 and HR 773, if voters agree, a county school system could proceed with a referendum, without the independent system’s agreement.
“It’s a pretty significant issue in larger counties like Gwinnett and DeKalb,” Jones said.
In areas where the city school system declines to participate in the referendum, city residents would not be required to pay the extra sales tax, Jones said. But she said the city school board, if it later changed its mind, would have to wait five years until the county’s sales tax expired.
Both measures now go to the state Senate for consideration.
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Bill would give unused prescription drugs to uninsured
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Costly prescription drugs could be recycled and distributed free to the uninsured and poor under legislation passed Thursday by the Georgia House.
HB 1178 would allow the state to set up a program so that approved pharmacies could restock and then dispense unused prescription drugs that had been given to patients who died in nursing homes, hospices and personal care homes, said its sponsor, state Rep. Cecily Hill (R-Kingsland).
Currently, Hill has said, millions of dollars worth of drugs have to be thrown away. She told House members this will help the many people who “fall through the cracks who make too much money for Medicaid, but don’t qualify for Medicare.”
The bill now goes to the state Senate.
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Funerals and Free Speech
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should the Georgia Legislature stop people from protesting at funerals? Senate Bill 606 is aimed at stopping the protests similar to those of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. The church shows up at the funerals and memorials of service people killed in Iraq, holding up signs with epithets towards homosexuals. The church says the war in Iraq is God’s punishment for what they believe is the United States’ lack of morality. Some family members have been upset by the protests and urged lawmakers to prohibit them. Few people would likely disagree that the protests are in poor taste. But are they protected by the First Amendment right to free speech and peaceful assembly?
Senate approves Immigration Compliance Act
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state Senate today passed the “Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act,â€? the most comprehensive attempt at immigration reform ever to come before the state Legislature, on a 40-13 vote.
The proposal, also known as Senate Bill 529, now moves to the state House of Representatives.
Senators passed the complex proposal after two hours of muted debate.
State Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) began outlining Senate Bill 529 at 1 p.m., setting the stage for what is expected to be a contentious debate on the issue.
“I wish the federal government had protected our borders, but they have failed,â€? said Rogers, who authored the legislation.
The Senate debate was preceded by a morning rally on the Capitol steps at which advocates for the immigrant community condemned Rogers’ proposal as “unjust, inhumane and unconstitutional.â€?
Rogers’ bill has widespread support in the Legislature, and is expected to become law. Polls show that more than 80 percent of Georgians want the Legislature to confront the issue.
The bill would financially punish employers who hire illegal workers, prohibit anyone with a public contract from hiring undocumented workers, prohibit adult illegal immigrants from getting many public benefits, and it would crack down on human trafficking.
Rogers’ bill would not deny emergency health care to illegals and it would not prohibit their children from attending public schools — the federal courts have guaranteed those benefits.
Debate on the bill came after two public hearings and a half-dozen town hall-style meetings about the proposal.
Rogers argued immigration is a state and local issue as well as a federal issue.
Senate President Pro Tempore Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) argued illegal immigrants are overburdening state schools, prisons and the health care system. He said Georgia spent $92 million last year in Medicaid funds on emergency health care for illegal immigrants.
“Our heart has no limit, but out pocketbook does,â€? Johnson said.
Johnson said America is now a “rainbow of peopleâ€? but should be a country that “ wants to export a higher standard of living to other people, not import a lower standard of living to ours.â€?
He said 12 million illegals are now in the nation,a number that is growing by 500,000 a year. Georgia, he said, has the 7th largest illegal population in the United States.
“This put a huge burden on our state and our economy we simply cannot keep up with,â€? he said.
Johnson took issue with critics who argue the state should wait for the federal government to act on the issue.
“We’ve waited long enough,â€? he said. “If the federal government cannot or will not control the U.S. borders then it’s time for the state to do what they can.â€?
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Hispanics flood Capitol to protest immigration bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dozens of Hispanic immigrants flooded the halls of the state Capitol today to voice their concerns over a bill under debate in the Senate that seeks to crack down on undocumented workers in Georgia.
Organizers of a morning rally on the Capitol steps urged the crowd of about 100 - mostly Hispanic men - to go inside to urge legislators to vote against Senate Bill 529, known as the “Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act.â€?
About half of the crowd lingered outside, in part because a photo identification is required to enter the Capitol building.
Inside, many of the immigrants - some of them whom acknowledged they are undocumented - crowded hallways outside of the Senate chamber. Many of them wore blue jeans, t-shirts, stained painter’s pants, cowboy hats and ball caps, standing out from the suit-and-tie Capitol crowd that usually gathers in the halls.
Jerry Gonzalez of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials guided several men through a legislative phone-and-photo directory, helping them pick out certain legislators with whom to speak. Many busily filled out message forms for legislators in hopes of getting them to come out of the Senate to hear them out.
Gonzalez said some of the men in the crowd who speak English were helping the Spanish-speakers to communicate with legislators.
“We want to put a face with immigrants,â€? Gonzalez said. “Many of these immigrants live in their districts. Legislators should consider them their constituents.â€?
About 1 p.m., when debate over Sen. Chip Rogers’ (R-Woodstock) bill began, the majority of the immigrants moved up to the public gallery overlooking the floor of the Senate to watch the debate. Pablo Lopez, 28, of Gwinnett County, took a day off from his landscaping job to watch the debate in person.
Lopez, who acknowledged that he is an undocumented worker from Mexico, said he thought it was important to let legislators know immigrants are disturbed by the bill. Lopez noted that federal and state taxes are taken out of his paycheck every week. He wants to start his own landscaping business, but cannot do so because of his lack of legal status in the country.
“We work hard and I think it’s time they recognize the work we do,â€? Lopez said.
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Rally on Capitol steps protests illegal immigration bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opponents of a bill targeting illegal immigration in Georgia rallied on the Capitol steps today, just hours before the state Senate is expected to take up the measure.
The rally was organized by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Speakers from MALDEF, the Anti-Defamation League, the Georgia Catholic Conference, Coalition for the People’s Agenda and other groups spoke out against Senate Bill 529.
SB 529, sponsored by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), also known as the “Georgia Security Immigration and Compliance Actâ€? is scheduled for debate on the Senate floor today.
The bill seeks to ensure illegal immigrants do not get taxpayer-provided benefits to which they are not entitled, prevent employers from claiming wages paid to undocumented workers as a tax deduction and require law enforcement officials to notify federal immigration authorities when they have arrested an illegal immigrant.
About 100 or so participants stood outside of the Capitol, some holding signs that read “No Human Being Is Illegalâ€? and “Vote No to SB 529.â€? Fabio Sotelo, a priest at the San Miguel church in Gainesville, came to the rally with about 50 of his parishioners - the majority of whom are Hispanic immigrants. “You are not terrorists,â€? Sotelo told the crowd. “You are here to search for a better life. You have believed the promise of a nation that promotes peace and justice in the world.â€?
“We want to be heard,â€? said Javier Martinez, 31, an undocumented worker from Mexico who held a sign reading “Healthcare For Everyone.â€?
Martinez, one of Sotelo’s parishioners, said he came to the U.S. 10 years ago to work, but laws restricting illegal immigrants from obtaining driver’s licenses and other services make life difficult. “All the doors are closed,â€? he said.
Tisha Tallman, regional counsel for MALDEF’s Atlanta office, opened the rally by criticizing Rogers’ legislation as “unfair, unjust and inequitable.â€? She also said it is unconstitutional. MALDEF officials have said they might file a lawsuit challenging the legislation if it is passed.
Tallman told the crowd that Rogers’ bill will not cause undocumented workers to leave the United States or stop the flow of illegal immigrants coming in. “SB 529 does nothing to fix the situation.â€?
Tallman and others said the bill will only feed public fear and distrust without recognizing the importance of immigrant labor to Georgia’s industries, including agriculture, construction, manufacturing and poultry processing. Other speakers said the bill is sowing anti-immigrant sentiment and hate only to further the political aspirations of those who pursue such legislation.
“The bill does nothing but add back to those good ol’ Jim Crow laws of racial profiling,â€? said Helen Butler of the Coalition for the People’s Agenda, an Atlanta civil rights group headed by the Rev. Joseph Lowery. “Don’t punish people who work hard for themselves and their families.â€?
Organizers of the rally encouraged participants to go inside the Capitol to lobby legislators against the bill - but noted repeatedly that a photo identification was required to enter the building. Many were later inside the Capitol.
The amateur lobbyists face an uphill battle, as the bill is expected to pass the Senate with bi-partisan support.
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Perdue banged up playing racquetball
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue was sporting workout attire and a few stitches when he arrived at the state Capitol on Wednesday morning.
Perdue, a regular racquetball player at nearby Georgia State University, hit the wall - not the ball - in an early morning game.
He had stitches in his right eyebrow, as well as blood on his T-shirt.
Asked how many stitches he received, a cheery Perdue said, “I didn’t ask.”
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Public money for private ventures
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should taxpayer money be used to bring jobs and visitors to Georgia? The Georgia Legislature and the city of Atlanta dangled milliions of dollars of taxpayer-financed incentives in its unsuccessful bid to snare the NASCAR Hall of Fame downtown. Now they are talking about making the same offers in hopes of getting AT & T to relocate its headquarters to Atlanta. Some elected officials believe tax breaks, publicly-financed loans, and government grants help entice big-time tourist attractions and corporate giants to the state. Do you think that’s a proper use of taxpayer money?
Democrats: Punish businesses that hire illegals
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Senate Democrats said Tuesday they want the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to police Illegal immigration hiring complaints, and they would severely fine Georgia businesses who hire undocumented workers.
State Democratic Sen. Kasim Reed (D-Atlanta) and Senate Majority Leader Robert Brown (D-Macon) proposed the bill as an alternative to a Republican proposal (SB 529), which is expected to be debated in the state Senate on Wednesday.
Republicans control the Senate and SB 529 is expected to pass.
However, Reed and Brown said that if the GOP is serious about immigration reform, Republicans will consider their get-tough proposal. Reed called the Republican bill “much ado about nothing.”
The Democrats’ bill, dubbed the “Georgia Homeland Protection Act,” would establish a 100-person GBI unit that would respond to reports of employers hiring illegal immigrants. It would also establish a toll-free line for residents to report hiring violations.
Businesses would be fined $12,800 per violation on the first offense and $25,600 for each violation on a second offense.
Reed and Brown estimated it could cost $1.5 million to $3 million to fund the new GBI employees.
“We think this sends a powerful message,” Brown said.
Brown and Reed declined the speculate on their proposal’s chances, but argued that Republicans should back it if they are serious about a crackdown.
“We believe we have created a bill that goes to the heart of the matter,” Reed said.
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Proposed tax break for industry
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should industry get a big tax break on energy in the name of creating jobs? Republicans in the state Legislature are pushing a bill that would eliminate the 4 percent state sales tax on energy used in manufacturing, a change that would save thousands of companies about $140 million. Republicans say it will create jobs. Democrats say consumers are shortchanged. What do you think?
$5.2 million tax break for proposed NASCAR Hall of Fame approved
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Legislature gave final approval on Monday to House Bill 1182, a measure that would exempt the proposed Atlanta NASCAR Hall of Fame from sales tax on building materials, saving the project an estimated $5.2 million.
The Senate passed the measure by a vote of 41 to 2, and it now heads to the Governor’s office to be signed. However, the Senate vote followed reports that NASCAR had decided to build the hall of fame in Charlotte, N.C.
An official announcement is expected today at 4 p.m.
“We didn’t lose this based on the financial picture,” said Sen. Casey Cagle (R-Gainesville), who sponsored HB 1182 in the Senate. “We’re still holding out for hope that we’re in the game, but they were not able to turn us down based on the financial picture.”
Cagle expressed disappointment about the decision to locate the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, but praised Gov. Sonny Perdue and the leadership of the General Assembly for working diligently to offer incentives to NASCAR.
Cagle said the Georgia Aquarium has been a huge success for downtown Atlanta, and that the NASCAR Hall of Fame would be a another boost for the area. “All of us are aware of the aquarium, and what that has done,” Cagle said. “To have the second largest tourist destination would mean so much. “
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The Politics of Stem Cell Research
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Does embryonic stem cell research hold the promise of curing debilitating diseases — or does it lead to the destruction of human life? Georgia legislators have jumped neck-deep into this vast, complex scientific , political and moral debate. Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth) has gotten Senate Bill 596 through a committee and it appears headed for debate by the full chamber. Shafer’s bill seeks to punish scientists who engage in therapeutic cloning - a method of producing stem cells by inserting adult genetic material into a human egg cell, effectively fertilizing it and allowing it to develop into a cell mass that would become an embryo if allowed to grow. Therapeutic cloning has been acheived with animal cells but not with human cells. Anti-abortion groups, such as Georgia Right to Life, the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Christian Coalition argue that the destruction of the fertilized embryos when cells are extracted for research is the killing of human life. Scientists believe stem cell research is vital to finding cures to diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, cancer and spinal cord injuries. They also worry such a bill would send a bad message about Georgia’s willingness to support science and technology ventures. Where do you stand?
Georgians and deadly force
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should Georgians have more latitude when using deadly force? The state Senate has approve NRA-backed legislation that would permit residents to use deadly force defending themselves in public areas like parking lots and sidewalks. Some Democrats think it could open the door to more violence. Do you think the proposal, SB 396, is a good idea?
Bill gives Georgians right to use deadly force in public areas
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgians would be able to use deadly force in public areas such as parking lots under a bill approved by the state Senate on Thursday.
Senate Bill 396 passed by a vote of 40-13, and now heads to the House for approval.
“We already have a very strong law in the state of Georgia, but I felt a couple of pieces were missing from the puzzle,â€? said state Sen. Greg Goggans (R-Douglas), the bill’s sponsor. “This makes the law stronger for all the law-abiding citizens and victims in this state. This is about putting common sense into code.â€?
Goggans explained the measure would change Georgia’s current law in four key areas:
It extends the ability of Georgians to use deadly force beyond their homes, vehicles, personal property and businesses into the public arena.
The bill puts into the Georgia code that law-abiding citizens have no duty to retreat, a matter upon which the law is currently silent
The bill grants immunity from criminal prosecution to those who use deadly force, unless they used an unlawful weapon in protecting themselves
The bill also grants people who use deadly force immunity from civil actions
Several Democrats, however, expressed concerns that the bill would open the door to more violence because people would use the excuse of self-defense for their actions.
“This is a recipe for murder,â€? state Sen. Regina Thomas (D-Savannah) said. “We are trying so hard in this state - especially in Chatham County - to reduce crimes of any nature.â€? She also expressed concern that the measure could increase the number of hate crimes in Georgia. But Goggans argued there was no evidence that the bill would encourage an increase in such crimes.
State Sen. Steen Miles (D-Decatur) said that ordinary citizens may not be well-equipped to make quick life and death decisions when facing a threatening situations. She argued that law enforcement officers - who receive months of training - sometimes make the wrong decisions regarding the use of deadly force.
Several groups such as Georgians for Gun Safety, also have argued that the measure could lead to more violence in the past few months.
The National Rifle Association, which pushed the bill through the Florida Legislature last year, is lobbying hard for the bill’s passage in Georgia and other states.
Marion Hammer, who served from 1995 to 1998 as the NRA’s first female president, told a Senate committee in late January that the Georgia bill “restores self-defense and puts government back on the side of honest citizens.”
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Bill aims to protect cab drivers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Legislation was introduced today in the Georgia House that could increase safety for taxi drivers in major cities in Georgia.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Heckstall (D-East Point), would make taxi cab companies put a bullet-resistant barrier between their cabbies and passengers.
If the companies didn’t comply, they could not get a license or renewal, the bill states.
If passed by the House and Senate and approved by the governor, it would be effective July 1. It only affects counties that had 235,000 or more residents at the 2000 U.S. Census, meaning it applies to Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton counties.
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Parental permission for student activities
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should high school students who want to join organizations such as the Glee Club, Theater Company or Gay Straight Alliance have to get parental permission? The state Senate passed a provision this week by Sen. Nancy Schaefer (R-Turnerville) that would make parents more aware of their children’s high school extracurricular activities. Do you think the proposal is a good idea or are lawmakers going too far?
Greenspace tax credit headed to governor’s desk
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Sonny Perdue’s proposal to offer an income tax credit to property owners who agree to donate their land for greenspace gained final Legislative approval Wednesday.
The state Senate approved the land conservation bill by a vote of 49-0. The House gave the bill unanimous support by a vote of 156-0 two weeks ago.
“This is a great initiative,â€? said Sen. Casey Cagle (R-Gainesville), who carried the bill in the Senate. “This is an initiative that will preserve land for future generations here in Georgia.â€?
He added: “We need to make sure we set aside greenspace, and have various vehicles to do that.â€?
House Bill 1107, sponsored by state Rep. Jay Roberts (R-Ocilla), 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.
The bill is the second part of Perdue’s initiative to save Georgia’s disappearing landscapes —- from fragile wetlands to Civil War battlefields.
The Georgia Land Conservation Act - the first bill to make it through the General Assembly last year - bundles $100 million in federal, state and private funds to entice farmers, timberland owners and other large landowners to permanently protect from development their pastures, forests and other undeveloped land.
Some of the money could also be used to buy land for state parks and hunting areas. That measure - along with this year’s income tax credit - won support from many environmental and conservation groups.
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Speaker no fan of cell phones
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) made one prediction today: If he’s re-elected speaker next year, he’ll propse a ban on cell phones on the floor of the Georgia House. “Those cell phones, and talking on them on the floor, probably irritate me as bad as anything,” Richardson told a House buzzing with conversations - at least one of which involved a cell phone.
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Taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Should illegal immigrants get taxpayer-funded benefits? A bill now making its way through the state Legislature (SB 529) would prohibit anyone over the age of 18 who is in the country illegally from getting most public benefits. Is this a good idea or does it unfairly punish poor laborers?
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