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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2009 > February > 26
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Senate passes property assessment cap
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Senate voted Thursday to ban property assessment increases for the next two years to hold down property taxes.
The Senate passed the measure 42 to 5, after no debate, with all the “no” votes coming from Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) said the bill would prevent assessments from increasing, but would not prevent assessments from falling, which many have already.
“Georgians have lost billions of dollars of wealth in their property in the last couple of years,” Rogers said.
Republicans want to make sure the assessments follow the market trend and that homeowners struggling to make ends meet are not taxed out of their homes.
Opponents say the cap would put a burden on cities, counties and school districts, leaving them with a stagnant tax base. It could require local governments to raise tax rates in order to collect more taxes, rather than relying on increased property values.
Sen. Doug Stoner (D-Smyrna), who missed the vote on the bill, said he was “sick of this,” saying the measure interfered with local governments’ ability to collect taxes and provide services.
“We can’t solve our own problems and so we start sticking our noses into everybody else’s business,” Stoner said.
House Bill 233 is another in a series of bills Republicans have introduced this session dealing with property tax issues and assessments. Supporters say the bills will provide homeowners with tax relief, while opponents call the measures smoke and mirrors that will actually require local governments to cut services or raise millage rates to make up for lost taxes.
House Bill 233 has already passed the House and was amended by the Senate in committee.
Senators added language that would exempt about five counties from the property assessment cap temporarily. Those counties are in the midst of county-wide reassessments. The cap would have interfered with that work, possibly nullifying millions of dollars of assessment work already done, Rogers said.
The Senate also added language that would allow increases in assessments if a property were divided, rezoned, or if an assessor had missed a room, for example, Rogers said.
Because of the changes, House Bill 233 must go back to the House for consideration.
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House adopts amended 2009 budget
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The House voted Thursday to approve an amended, $18.9 billion 2009 budget.
The 168-5 vote sends the amended current year’s spending plan to the Senate, where it is also expected to be approved with little fanfare. House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram), however, just said he would be surprised if the Senate does not amend it in some way and send it back to the House for approval.
The 2009 budget that was originally approved last year, had to be amended now to absorb more than $2 billion in cuts. Those cuts were necessary as state revenues from taxes plummeted from their previous estimates.
With this budget out of the way, House leaders will turn their attention to working on the 2010 state budget that takes effect July 1.
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House is on the budget
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Georgia Power done with, and after a all-too-brief lunch break, the House is back in action on the amended, $18.9 billion, amended 2009 state budget.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans) is explaining the budget rapt (sort of) House chamber.
While this bill could, under House rules, be amended on the floor, there isn’t expected to be much of a fight given the state’s dire financial situation, and given the need to move quickly.
But, that could sure change.
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Senate passes revisions to trauma care commission
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia may have edged closer to creating a trauma care network with passage of a bill in the Senate Thursday that sets a clearer mission for the task.
The Senate unanimously approved revisions to the duties of the Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission. The measure must still pass the House.
Revising the nine-member commission’s mission was one hurdle that Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle had said previously would be necessary before the state could entrust millions of dollars to the group on a continual basis. The bill passed 49 to 0.
There is still no permanent source of funding for a trauma care network. There are bills before both chambers that would impose a $10 fee on car tag renewals, but similar bills have failed in the past.
The governor supports legislation to levy extra fines on motorists who are super-speeders, to help pay for a trauma care network. Supporters say the state needs about $80 million per year to sustain a network that covers the whole state.
Revisions to the trauma commission is a first step, said bill sponsor Cecil Staton (R-Macon).
“It’s making the Governor and Lt. Governor and House members more comfortable with creating a new commission and giving them large chunks of money,” Staton said.
One sticking point in the commission’s duties is how it will spend money on uncompensated care.
Trauma care is expensive, and lots of time people can’t pay. This means hospitals lose money by providing such care.
Cagle wanted to make sure that uncompensated care is not the only factor in determining how the commission spends money.
Senate Bill 156 says that uncompensated care is considered part of the trauma care network’s readiness. It should be taken into consideration when the commission makes sure the network is ready, which is one of its central tasks.
But at the same time, the commission must spend money to help smaller rural hospitals become capable of providing trauma care too.
The bills allows the commission discretion in the funding formula to support trauma centers that incur greater losses.
“Grady is going to have a much higher level of uncompensated care,” said Staton, referring to the Atlanta hospital.
Still, the trauma care network money cannot be used to reimburse all uncompensated care, Station said.
“We’re not seeing uncompensated care as an open-ended bucket,” Staton said.
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Senate passes ethics bill on campaign contributions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Senators unanimously passed an ethics bill Thursday that would shine a light on campaign contributions received by candidates who could regulate business or hand out contracts.
Sen. George Hooks (D-Americus) sponsored the bill, SB 70, saying “many of us are appalled,” about the corruption scandal in Illinois surrounding Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Hooks said he wants to prevent similar corruption in Georgia.
His bill would require businesses to report within two days any contributions they make to a candidate for office where they have a contract or could get a contract.
The bill also requires officers with a company to report if they personally, or if a family member, give campaign contributions to those who could regulate the business.
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Senate approves liquor sales close to public housing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Need a drink?
A law that prohibits selling alcohol within 100 yards of a public housing complex might be watered-down, if a bill that passed the Senate Thursday becomes law.
Senate Bill 68 would allow local governments to make exceptions and allow alcohol sales close to public housing, with the OK of the housing authority board of commissioners.
“Are we sending the wrong message by making an exemption in the law?” asked Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur), who opposed the bill. He argued that 100 yards is a good buffer.
Sen. Jack Murphy (R-Cumming), the bill sponsor, said it would be up to each local government to decide.
The bill passed 32 to 14.
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UPDATE: Georgia Power bill headed to governor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The House has voted 107-66 to approve SB 31, the Georgia Power bill, which now heads to Gov. Sonny Perdue’s desk.
After more than three hours of debate, the vote was anti-climatic.
The bill would allow Georgia Power to begin charging customers in 2011 for new nuclear plants expected to go online in 2017.
10:10 a.m.Rep. Ben Harbin (R-Evans) just got a pretty tough question from Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates).
Harbin, leading the effort to pass SB 31, the Georgia Power bill, heard this from Drenner:
“Can you tell us why this isn’t a Ponzi scheme?” Drenner said.
Harbin’s response:
“In a Ponzi scheme, there’s no oversight. The Public Service Commission will have oversight and make sure the money is used only to cover the financing costs of construction. This is not a Ponzi scheme.”
UPDATE 10:17 a.m.: Harbin has yielded the floor, having taken up the 20 minutes he was allowed (and then some), and Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton) has replaced him.
Scott spoke against the bill, although he said he supports new nuclear construction.
He didn’t take long and now Rep. Georgianna Sinkfield (D-Atlanta) is calling the bill an opportunity for learning: “Lessons learned that should not be repeated,” she said.
It’s a bad idea to go down this road, Sinkfield said. .
And just to note, 17 House members have signed up to speak on the bill. We’re on number three.
UPDATE: 10:35 a.m.: Sinkfield is still in the well, and she’s gaining steam.
“We could very well be buying into an issue that will come back and bite us, because there could be something better out there than nuclear energy,” she said. “We haven’t examined it as a body, who should dwell on this issue.”
UPDATE: 10:48 a.m.: It’s Rep. David Lucas’ turn to bash the bill now. The Macon Democrat wants the bill to go back to committee.
“We ought not pay sales tax on the money they’re going to get for us to finance the debt service,” he said.
He points out, rightly, that because of House rules, SB 31 can’t be amended on the floor. And, he said, changes are needed.
“When it doesn’t turn out right, and they go to the Public Service Commission, they’re going to tell you and they’re going to tell your folk, ‘We didn’t do it, your representative did,’” Lucas said. “You need to be very, very careful to know what you’re doing.”
UPDATE: 10:57 a.m.: Next up on the I-hate-SB 31 train is Rep. Debbie Buckner (D-Junction City)
“I have no problem paying for something in advance that’s a fair system,” she said. “This isn’t a fair system.”
The citizens of Georgia, she said, “will share the risk that shareholders of this publicly traded company should be taking.”
And now she’s done and we’re on to number five: Rep. Earnest “Coach” Williams (D-Avondale Estates).
One thing that will be interesting to watch: Will any Republicans (besides Austin Scott, who already spoke) speak out against the bill?
UPDATE: 11:06 a.m.: Rep. Don Wix (D-Mableton) is challenging colleagues to show some backbone.
“Some of you out there are voting ‘yes’ for this bill or some of you are voting ‘no’ and hope it passes,” he said. “That’s not what you’re elected for. We’re down here to make a decision.”
Meanwhile, he said, there are more than 100 House bills waiting to be considered, yes House leaders are rushing this Senate bill through first.
“I just don’t appreciate the power play we’re seeing in the hall,” Wix said, referring to the Georgia Power lobbyists sporting “Yes on SB 31” stickers.
UPDATE: 11:15 a.m.: Georgia Power has gotten this far only because it managed to exempt its big industrial users from paying the higher fees that residential costumers will face, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) said.
“If they had not been allowed to make a special deal with big industrial users they would not be here in front of 185 bills,” Oliver said. “The PSC would not let them do it. They had to come here to do that.”
And now it’s Rep. Rob Teilhet’s turn as the Smyrna Democrat takes the well.
UPDATE: 11:31 a.m.: Rep. Randal Mangham (D-Decatur) is charging that the fix is in on this bill.
Florida went through this, he said, and regrets their decision. Georgia will, too, Mangham said.
Mangham also managed to tie in the election of Barack Obama into all this and said democracy itself is at stake.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) has said the House will not break for lunch until this bill is done. We’ve got 10 more speakers to go, once Mangham finishes up.
UPDATE: 11:47 a.m.: So Mangham has finished up his remarks and is now taking questions from Appropriations Committee Ben Harbin (R-Evans), the sponsor of SB 31 in the House.
Harbin has already managed to poke a few holes in Mangham’s earlier remarks, including whether anyone was denied the opportunity to speak on the bill in committee. Apparently they were not, something Mangham admitted he wasn’t sure of because he wasn’t there.
Mangham’s time has expired and we’re on to speaker number 11. Mangham also says there is a minority report to the bill, meaning once they’re finished with the speakers, the minority report will be presented.
Rep. Mark Hatfield (R-Waycross) is now speaking. Will he be the Republican who speaks out against the bill?
UPDATE: 11:52 a.m. Rep. Mark Hatfield (R-Waycross) is kinda, sorta speaking against SB 31, the Georgia Power bill.
Hatfield says allowing the utility to charge customers in advance for future construction is a good idea, but, he said, that’s what the Public Service Commission is for. And that, he said, is who should decide this.
He has not, however, said whether he’s voting for the bill …
UPDATE: 11:55 a.m. Hatfield just made news.
The Waycross Republican said he will, at the appropriate time, make a motion to recommit the bill to committee. That motion, when it comes, will be an important test vote.
Hatfield has left the well and Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) has the floor. Hatfield has not yet made his motion, but keep an eye out for it.
UPDATE: 12:05 p.m.: Martin spoke in favor of the bill, because, he said, it’s a good tool for economic development.
Martin also claimed the Public Service Commission is not a constitutional body and the General Assembly, which is, should decide this issue.
That’s an odd argument to make, as Rep. Stephanie Benfield (D-Atlanta) just pointed out.
Benfield has the floor now making the argument, again, that PSC is where this issue should be decided.
UPDATE: 12:16 p.m.: OK, either we can’t count or we got confused. But Rep. Kevin Levitas (D-Atlanta) is now speaking and he, apparently, is speaker number 10 out of 17.
We still have a ways to go and Levitas is speaking in favor of the bill.
“We can’t decide policy on only today,” he said. “When you’re considering that vote consider Georgia’s future.”
And now he’s done and we’re on to Rep. Tommy Smith (R-Nichols) has started in on a story that begins, he said, in 1960.
UPDATE: 12:33 p.m.: Smith’s story took awhile and ended with support for the bill. And then Rep. Steve Davis (R-McDonough) said much the same thing, repeating the Georgia Power talking point that it saves consumers $330 million ultimately (of course, that’s over many decades, something they don’t as readily point out).
Now, Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) is speaking in support of the bill, too. According to the best count available in the House Press Gallery, a place math goes to die, Drenner is speaker number 13 out of 17 signed up.
UPDATE: 12:40 p.m.: Well, we warned you before — we can’t count. Rep. Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) is now speaking and Speaker Richardson announced he is the final speaker.
“You are the only thing standing between us and a previous question,” Richardson said, using House jargon to refer to an actual vote.
Setzler said he understood and he wouldn’t take long (although he’s still going). Once he’s done, there are still a few speeches to make before the vote, however, as the sponsor gets to speak as does the signer of the minority report. But … we’re getting closer.
UPDATE: 12:48 p.m.: Setlzer is done, Richardson is ringing the bill and Hatfield is making his motion to commit the bill.
Hatfield wants to send the bill back to the Rules Committee. They’re voting on the board.
UPDATE: 12:49 p.m.: That’s an awfully red board as a “no” vote in this case is a vote against sending the bill back to committee.
Hatfield’s motion fails 44-116 and they’re on to the previous question and now Rep. Randal Mangham (D-Decatur) is back up to present the minority report.
He gets 20 minutes and then Ben Harbin gets 20.
Mangham is giving up his spot in favor of Rep. Brian Thomas (D-Lilburn) and Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin).
UPDATE: 1:07 p.m.: Thomas took 15 minutes, making the same general argument against the bill and yielded his final five minutes to Porter.
Porter made clear that he is speaking not as the minority leader but as an individual lawmaker, a distinction that speaks to the difficulty in finding concensus on this bill.
UPDATE: 1:09 p.m.: Porter is done, and we’re on to the final 20 minutes. Supporters have four people who are going to split their time, apparently, including Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek) and Harbin, chairman of Appropriations who began this day speaking in favor of the bill.
Almost there!
UPDATE: 1:20 p.m.: Vote! Vote! Vote! Vote!
Nearly four hours after beginning this debate on SB 31, the House is voting on the Georgia Power bill.
A green board sends the bill to Gov. Sonny Perdue’s desk. A red board kills it.
UPDATE: 1:22 p.m.: SB 31, the Georgia Power bill, passes by a vote of 107-66.
After all that, it wasn’t even close.
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Georgia Power up now!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The House jumped right into its work calendar and first out of the gate is the Georgia Power bill, SB 31.
House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans) is leading the effort for the bill.
Come back often for updates.
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Deaf child wows House
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The House of Representatives had the Pledge of Allegiance twice today and it’s doubtful there’s been a more emotional version heard in this chamber.
Kevon London is a 6-year-old deaf child who can hear thanks to a cochlear implant and training at the Atlanta Speech School. Introduced by Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta), London recited the Pledge to a silent House chamber and then led lawmakers in it a second time.
Many eyes in the House were wet with tears as the kindergartener, in his suit and bow tie, confidently recited the familiar words.
We don’t often get such touching moments in here, and it was a nice way to begin what promises to be a difficult day.
Photo credit: Kimberly Smith/ksmith@ajc.com
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Long day begins in House
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While it seems most of the action thus far in the 2009 legislative session has been in the Senate, the House is ready to change that today.
Buckle in, stock up on the sodas and salty snacks, people, it’s going to be a long day in the House.
There are only three bills on the calendar and really only two of significance: the amended 2009 state budget and the Georgia Power bill (which, you know by now, would allow the utility to begin charging customers years in advance for construction of a new nuke plant).
The House has been in since 9 a.m. but have yet to reach to being actual legislating, to make up a word. There’s no word yet on the order the bills will come up, but it’s likely they’ll try and knock out HB 169 first. It requires the state to notify property owners if the federal government changes flood elevations.
Then, it’ll either be HB 118, the amended budget, or SB 31, the Georgia Power bill. The betting odds are that the budget goes first.
We’ll keep you posted as the day, slowly, progresses.
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Voucher bill advances to Senate
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Senate Education and Youth Committee late Wednesday approved a bill that would use taxpayer funds to pay tuition to private schools.
SB 90, sponsored by Sen. Eric Johnson (R-Savannah), now advances to the full Senate, where a similar measure passed last year. That bill, SB 458, died in the House in the closing days of the session.
“This bill gives parents the freedom to choose the best school for their child and not have the government do it for them,” Johnson explained. “Academic studies of vouchers indicate that student test scores improve, taxpayers save money, and parents are more satisfied,” Johnson said in a statement following the vote, which was 6-4.
Supporters claim the bill helps parents find — and afford — the best education for their children.
But opponents, and they are many, worry the bill is an effort to dismantle the public education system and would only benefit upper-income families who could afford to pay the difference between the voucher itself and private school tuition, which is often higher. The bill also provides no money or system for lower-income parents to get their children to or from school.
For any student receiving a voucher under Johnson’s bill, the Department of Education would pay the amount it would normally send to the student’s former public school, or the tuition at the chosen private school — whichever is less.
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