Governor says transportation referendum now in hands of General Assembly

By Aaron Gould Sheinin

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Gov. Nathan Deal said Thursday that if the date of next year's transportation referendums is to be moved, it will be up to the General Assembly to do so.

"If there's a reason to revisit it in January [during the next legislative session] that can be done," Deal told reporters outside the House chamber where he was honored on his 69th birthday. "But right now, that is not on my agenda items. It will be left up to the members of the General Assembly."

Deal pointed out that the legislation creating the referendums, which would allow voters to decide to raise their own sales tax by a penny to fund local transportation improvements, was adopted under then-Gov. Sonny Perdue.

"This was a piece of legislation that passed before I became governor," he said. "If they're satisfied with the date that's fine me with me as well."

Deal's comments come a day after his office first said there was a deal with Republican leaders in the House and Senate to move the 2012 referendums from the July 31 primaries to the November general election and to mandate that all future special local option sales tax votes also move to November.

That agreement -- if there ever was one -- quickly dissolved, however, as House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said there was no deal. Late Wednesday evening the governor announced the transportation referendum was dead for the year and would not be taken up by lawmakers while they're in Atlanta this month for a special session on redistricting.

"I just did not feel like it was worth wasting any more time on that issue," Deal said Thursday. "