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DEL.ICIO.USLobbyist alert: Cagle on budget, red-light cameras, and the gun-in-parking lots bill
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle told reporters just before noon that he’s still determined to strip excessive spending out of a 2007 budget bill, but that he wouldn’t escalate the confrontation by blocking House bills from moving through the Senate.
Cagle told House GOP leaders of his intentions soon after the House passed the $700 million supplemental budget. They immediately pulled the bill back, said they would hold it — and the larger $22 billion budget for 2008 — until the final days of the 40-day session.
And they promised that Senate bills in their possession would be frozen in place.
Cagle said he planned no “tit-for-tat,” and in fact had nice words for House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s bill to limit the use of red-light cameras across Georgia. “I do question whether the red-light cameras are being used for safety, or for raising revenue,” he said.
But most curiously, Cagle said that if House Republicans didn’t send them a budget bill, he would send them one. He declined to explain what he meant by that. Constitutionally, revenue bills must originate in the House.
Despite the crowded calendar, Cagle also predicted that a bill to permit employees to keep guns in cars parked on company property would come to the Senate floor on Tuesday. It’s a hot issue within the GOP camp, and could eat up precious time on the day when all bills with a future must pass one chamber or another.
On the governor’s legislation for a constitutional amendment to limit the use of lottery money solely to the HOPE scholarship and pre-K programs, Cagle said he was working with Democrats on a compromise. The measure requires passage by a two-thirds vote.
And on the bill to permit the sale of beer and wine on Sunday: The lieutenant governor wouldn’t say whether the legislation would make it to the floor for a vote, but said Republicans in the Senate had noted with interest the defeat of a bill this week to allow limousine companies a greater hand when it comes to selling alcohol in their vehicles.
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By Rick in Lawrenceville
March 24, 2007 6:36 AM | Link to this
Lt. Gov. Cagle, Shafer (Duluth-Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee), Balfour (Snellville-Senate Rules Chairman), Johnson (Savannah), Seabaugh (Sharpsburg), Moody (Alpharetta) should be voted out of office over this bill.
This bill allows the voters to decide what THEY want, isn’t the purpose of electing officals is that they REPRESENT their constituents! They have decided to fight against what the majority of people want, which is a CHANCE to vote on the issue.
This bill will come back to haunt these politicans because they are not doing the job they were elected to do, represent the will of the public. If you are interested in office and have the opportunity to oppose these politicians in the next election, observe and take note of their behavior.
Senator Shafer is a holier-than-thou politican that only represents his church going constituents. He doesn’t have the courage to support the wishes of all the people in his district.
By Sam Sludge
March 24, 2007 8:13 AM | Link to this
Dear Rick in Lawrenceville:
Son, it’s time you had a graduate lesson in how our Hotlanta politicos really operate. It ain’t got nothing to do with religous beliefs, morality, ethics, the voters or who you think they should represent! These boys in Hotlanta, Cagle, Shafer, Balfour, Seabaugh and the rest of that gang in the Senate; well, they’re better at soliciting money than hookers on Peachtree St. except the “johns” here are the liquor and beer lobbyists. Look at the “Ethics filings” (pardon the use of the word “ethics”) for these boys at: www.ethics.ga.gov and you’ll see Barton Liquor Distributors of Chicago has given thousands. Same with Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis and the Miller Brewing of Milwaukee. The champ “hooker” here for taking liquor/beer money here is ol’ Casey Cagle (over $40,000 in 2006)- good practicing Southern Baptist that he is. Now out my way (West Georgia); you’ll find ol’ Mitch Seabaugh lives off of his liquor/beer contributions by paying his wife and teenager a “salary” for “campaign work”. Mitch ain’t about to give the liquor/beer boys the one last thing they want (Sunday sales) cuz then he’d be cut-off faster than a sailor with expired shore leave. If you’re interested in learning the truth about the Hotlanta boys; drop me a line at: samsludge@yahoo.com.
By GA Policy Wonk
March 24, 2007 10:26 AM | Link to this
The Governor and legislative leadership have bigger fish to fry based on the Fulton County DFCS audit. DHR, a relic of the Carter administration, is simply too large to manage effectively and should be dismantled. For example: One department that deals with Child Protection. Another that promotes financial independence. Another that specifically addresses mental health and addictive diseases. Another that focuses on long term care for seniors and people with disabilities. Another specifically for preventive and primary health care. If these were separate entities we’d get some better accountability from each. And they wouldn’t be pitted against one another in the budget process, either.