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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSenate passes regional transportation sales tax proposal
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation today that could let voters decide to pay a penny sales tax in metro Atlanta for new roads, rail and other transportation projects.
The measure would allow other counties in the rest of the state to band together to tax themselves, or go it alone, if they chose.
First, voters would have to vote on the concept of approving such a regional tax, via a constitutional amendment. Then if local governments wanted to do it, voters would have to vote to approve a tax for a list of specific projects in their region.
The measures, Senate Bill 39 and Senate Resolution 44, now must go before the House for approval.
That is anything but certain.
The House has a competing proposal to allow voters to adopt a statewide sales tax that would not let counties opt out.
Last year the Legislature could not come up with an agreement on transportation policy.
A similar measure to pay for transportation on a regional basis failed in last year’s session, by a slim margin, at the 11th hour.
Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga), sponsored the Senate legislation today and hailed its passage as “the first step out of the gate” towards solving metro Atlanta’s and Georgia’s transportation mess.
“I am honored to have bi-partisan support _ metro and rural support_ for this measure,” Mullis said.
“The key is to come together very soon,” he said. “We are 17 days ahead of where we were last year,” he said.
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