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Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Both embryonic stem cells pass, but….
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The bill sponsored by Tom Harkin, the remake of the one President Bush vetoed last year, again failed to get a veto-proof margin. It passed 63 to 34.
The bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson passed 70 to 28. See postings below for the implications.
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The stem cell debate on C-Span
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson is on the verge of a stunning victory this evening.
The U.S. Senate begins voting on two embryonic stem cell bills shortly before 6 p.m. One of them is Isakson’s.
Each needs 60 votes to move to the House. We’re hearing that Isakson has those in hand and more.
You can watch it here on C-Span 2.
We’ve lectured you enough on this topic, but these are the essentials: S. 5 will be voted on first. It’s a version of the measure that was vetoed by President Bush last year, and would permit federally funded researchers to use healthy embryos created by fertilization clinics, with the permission of the parents.
Isakson’s bill, S. 30, would permit federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, but would restrict scientists to “naturally dead” embryos — i.e., embryos that have simply stopped dividing and are “non-viable.”
Scientists and advocates clearly prefer S. 5. And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada just called S. 30 a “cover vote” for Republicans.
But they ignore the political import of Isakson’s accomplishment.
S. 30 has been endorsed by the White House and by the Catholic bishops. Isakson has been able to get both institutions to shift their positions on embryonic stem cell research, to acknowledge that it is worth pursuing — within the boundaries the bill has laid out.
Marshall to members of the House: Ignore that guy behind me
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A significant non-confrontation took place in the state Capitol today, as U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall of Macon, a conservative Democrat, addressed members of the House.
In front of Speaker Glenn Richardson, who has proposed new limits on the reach of PeachCare, the congressman said Georgia should be expanding — not contracting — the reach of the health insurance program of the children of the working poor.
This year, Marshall said, PeachCare “will be funded at least as well as its funded now, and it’s quite likely that it’s going to receive even more funding.
“There’ll be all kind of initiatives to expand the program, all kinds of different ideas for expanding the children’s health insurance program,” he said. “And I think Georgia needs to be in synch with that.”
Georgia, said Marshall — who’s often mentioned as a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate in ’08, or governor in ’10 — “could potentially lead the nation in coming up with different ways of trying to get more and more of these kids from poor families insured. It’s pennywise and pound foolish for us to be short on this program. This program saves us money in the long run.”
Perdue weighs in on the budget compromise, and he has ‘concerns’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At last night’s press conference to announce the triumph of compromise in House-Senate negotiations over the $700 million mid-year budget, Speaker Glenn Richardson admitted that Gov. Sonny Perdue had not been consulted.
The crux of the deal is $142 million in property tax rebates sent the way of Georgia homesteaders.
On Wednesday afternoon, the odd man out had his say. And despite the polite language he used with reporters, it’s clear that Perdue wasn’t happy with the end of the budget drama.
Said Perdue: “It seems that it came about in a very strange fashion. I’m not sure that the budget negotiations conference table is the place to really discuss and talk about tax strategy and fiscal policy positions such as occurred.”
He said it again, which among politicians sometimes signals a well-rehearsed, premeditated message: “Tax policy ought to be debated and talked about in an open environment. As I said, I’m concerned about the appearance of using tax and fiscal policy to sort of come to a consensus in a budget conference negotiation.”
And yes, he sees that the cost of the property tax rebate would cost about as much as his proposed tax break for some Georgia retirees, which the House chose not to move on this year.
“It didn’t go without notice that that was about the same amount that we think our senior tax cut was going to take of our revenue. I certainly would prefer that. That’s why I proposed it,” he told reporters.
Perdue also questioned the “complex” way the House and Senate proposed to distribute what is essentially a tax rebate — by giving 159 counties a homestead exemption grant that would presumably be passed on to homeowners.
Gov. Roy Barnes did that several years in a row before leaving office, and when — in tougher budget times — Perdue chose not to, he was accused of raising property taxes.
That would mean the same $142 million tax break would have to be included in the ’08 budget, Pedue said — or the Legislature would expose itself to accusations of proposing a tax hike. In an election year.
By the way, a property tax rebate is technically an appropriation. And the governor does have the power of the line-item veto to erase it, if he so chooses.
As for a special session, Perdue told reporters that an unscheduled legislative session is in the hands of lawmakers — and whether he sees enough restoration of “the things I’m really interested in.”
He mentioned his “Go Fish Georgia” program, as well as some appropriations for land conservation.
So who won? Richardson or Cagle?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Speaker Glenn Richardson said his House wanted to spend much of a $700 million mid-year budget on needed local projects. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle wanted the money rolled over into reserves.
As a compromise, they decided to give $140 million or so back to taxpayers.
Here’s the sound from last night’s press conference.
Best quote from Richardson: “I still believe it’s the better policy that we wait and see if we have money, then spend it on one-time projects. But the time to do that is not right now. The time to do that is in the off-season.”
It was Cagle’s first time in budget negotiations. His best quote: “There really are no losers in this. There are only winners. This is a beautiful way of resolving an issue.”
What’s the view from outside the state Capitol. Who smells better coming out of this?
Greetings, Rudy. You’re in the lead.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On the same day that Rudy Giuliani comes to town, a Strategic Vision poll has released a poll that puts him at the top of the GOP presidential pack in Georgia.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton leads among Georgia, but both Barack Obama and John Edwards are close on her heels.
The poll by Strategic Vision, a Republican-leaning public affairs firm, also shows U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the Republican incumbent, beating Vernon Jones, the only Democrat who has expressed public interest in the ’08 Senate race, by 57 to 29 percent.
Here are the parameters of the three-day poll: 800 voters contacted April 5-7, with a breakdown of 46 Republican and 41 percent Democrat. Margin of error on the broadest questions was 3 percent, but much higher on primary questions.
Among Republicans, it was:
— Giuliani, 23 percent;
— John McCain, 17 percent;
— Fred Thompson, 12 percent;
— Newt Gingrich, 10 percent;
— Mitt Romney, 5 percent;
— Tom Tancredo, Sam Brownback, Tommy Thompson, all at 3 percent;
— Mike Huckabee, 2 percent;
— Chuck Hagel, Jim Gilmore and Ron Paul, all at 1 percent.
Among Demcorats, it was:
— Clinton, 25 percent;
— Obama, 22 percent;
— John Edwards, 20 percent;
— Bill Richardson, 4 percent;
— John Biden and Wesley Clark, 3 percent;
— Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich, 1 percent.
Oxendine: Senate bill would cost motorists $400 million
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Having ingratiated himself with a certain House Republican leader by opposing a payday lending bill, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine is now picking on a Senate motor insurance bill that he says would cost Georgia consumers an extra $400 million a year.
Oxendine says that, based on 2003 figures, it would increase the average premium from $431 to $523, or $92 a year.
S.B. 276, sponsored by Sen. Cecil Staton (R-Macon), would prohibit insurance companies from using the other guy’s insurance policy to reduce what they pay out on uninsured motorist claims.
Here’s how it was just explained to us by a supporter of the bill:
State law currently requires motorists to carry something like $50,000 in insurance to cover damage to the other fellow.
Obviously, many, many accidents result in much more damage to car and people. So most motorists also pay for extra uninsured-motorist coverage — for damage beyond the other guy’s limited cap.
Say you’re in an accident caused by the aforementioned other guy, who has the $50,000 limited coverage. You have $100,000 in uninsured motorist coverage. The damage is $125,000. So you’re good, right? Not exactly.
The insurance backs out the $50,000 provided by the other guy from its limit, and pays the policy-holder only $50,000, leaving that motorist $25,000 in the hole.
This legislation would prevent insurance companies offering uninsured motorist coverage from doing that.
Oxendine says it’s not worth it. “In my analysis, the minimal befefits of S.B. 276 would be greatly by the increased costs to Georgia consumers,” he writes. Click here to see his letter to David Ralston, chairman of the House committee where the bill now resides.
Richardson caught the Senate doing something. We’re not sure what.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
To those of you who object to the way a fight over a $700 million budget bill is reduced by journalists to a contest of wills between two testosterone-charged men, let us offer you this vignette:
Both of us were leaning against a wall on the third floor of the state Capitol on Tuesday afternoon, talking about the future, while the Senate took up that very budget bill.
Suddenly, the door to the office of the House Speaker flew open, and Glenn Richardson himself charged out, alone and headed for the Senate in a dark-suited blur.
We thought that a felony was about to occur — perhaps the strangulation of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.
It was more technical than that.
“They’re using a hand vote on a budget amendment!” the Speaker shouted as he passed by us, then through the pair of startled guardians of the Senate door.
Richardson arrived just in time to see the hands of senators rise up. Then he melted quietly away, satisfied.
A few minutes later, the speaker said he had caught the Senate trying to give cover to state Sen. Jim Whitehead, a legislator from the Augusta area now running for Congress, on an appropriation that would fund the beginning of a rival medical school in Athens.
We’re still puzzled by the incident. We couldn’t find a budget amendment that backed the speaker’s accusation. The closest was an amendment that added $5 million for a dental school at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Perhaps that was the cover Richardson spoke of.
In any case, the Senate always has hand votes on amendments — unless a roll call vote is demanded.
But it was clear that Richardson had been monitoring the proceedings via the Internet, and — suspecting that something nefarious was afoot in the rival chamber — wanted to make the collar himself.
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