Most of this legislative session's most significant bills already have Gov. Nathan Deal's stamp of approval. But the governor is hinting he may also support a proposal that has sparked years of debate under the Gold Dome.
Georgia lawmakers gave final approval last month to a measure that would legalize the sale of consumer fireworks in Georgia. House Bill 110 would let Georgians buy bottle rockets, Roman candles and other launchers in Georgia.
Supporters pit as an economic development argument that will spark the economy, since every state bordering Georgia except North Carolina already allows their citizens to buy fireworks. Opponents, including firefighters and healthcare groups, have fought the proposal by pointing to tragic cases of maimed children and damaged property.
Deal said he is weighing the safety concerns. But he suggested the proposal is less explosive than it once was.
"By and large, I think we acknowledge that citizens of Georgia are buying fireworks in adjoining states," he said Tuesday. "And the issue of safety is simply a question of whether or not somebody can afford to cross the state line and buy fireworks."
***
Former Georgia Democratic U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, now the co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, weighed in this morning on the Iran nuclear deal framework. You can read the whole thing here.
Nunn does not take a firm pro or con position on the framework but says there is a lot of detail to fill in. Congress and the public, Nunn said, should "ask the hard questions now."
The most important questions: Will the final agreement ensure that Iran cannot produce the highly enriched uranium or plutonium necessary to build a nuclear weapon? And will it include procedures and safeguards that provide enough early warning of any future Iranian cheating or misconduct to take decisive action to prevent it?
While crucial details must be worked out over the next three months, Congress and the American people should establish a realistic baseline for assessing this possible agreement, understanding that it will not halt all Iranian civil nuclear activities.
***
An alert reader spotted an interesting trend: The governor's last two picks to lead the public defender office have also had ties to U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Coweta County.
Travis Sakrison, Deal's pick to lead the agency in 2010, is Westmoreland's son-in-law. After he was tapped for a judgeship, Deal named Bryan Tyson for the job. Tyson has worked in recent years with Strickland Brockington Lewis. He also worked for Westmoreland's Washington office before passing the state Bar exam.
***
In his defense of last-minute tax breaks for Mercedes, Gov. Nathan Deal alluded to Georgia's other efforts to lure car makers to Georgia.
The tax breaks, pushed through in the final minutes of a hectic Sine Die, put an exclamation mark on a session dominated by debate over transportation, education and religious liberty.
Deal said he had nothing to do with the late timing of the proposal, but he said his office "made it known this was something that was important because it was premier company." House Bill 202, which he's indicated he will sign into law, would keep the 800 or so Mercedes-Benz headquarters employees from having to pay taxes on the cars they lease.
"It is not specific to the Mercedes brand, it's generic by definition, and I'm hopeful that we'll have other companies that fit the definition," he said.
The AJC has previously reported that German automaker Volkswagen had scouted Atlanta for an operations center, possibly at the same "Aerotropolis" site where Porsche is building its North American headquarters. Georgia is also on Volvo's short-list for a new manufacturing plant that would bring thousands of new jobs.
***
As the lobbying frenzy continues on the future of the Export-Import Bank, the bank's chairman, Fred Hochberg, is in Atlanta today for a couple of events with U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia.
Hochberg will speak to Opportunity Hub, a working space for start-ups focused on minority and underserved communities, at 11 a.m. Then at 1:30 p.m. he and Johnson will tour TOMCO2, a carbon dioxide products maker in Loganville.
The idea is to promote how the Ex-Im bank can help small businesses sell their goods overseas. Conservative foes argue it's "corporate welfare" that the government should have no part of.
***
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., also is in town today to speak at the National Prescription Drug Abuse Summit at the Westin Peachtree Plaza.
***
As the Georgia coast weighs the prospect of offshore drilling, Pooler Republican U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter is traveling to the Gulf Coast to take a look at how Louisiana does it.
A total of 10 House members -- including one Democrat -- led by Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., will tour a Deepwater oil rig and meet with energy industry types Thursday and Friday, winding up with the all-important press conference.
***
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is making a big statement in the fundraising primary as he seeks the presidency. From Bloomberg's Mark Halperin:
Even in the context of a presidential campaign cycle in which the major party nominees are expected to raise more than $1.5 billion, Cruz's haul is eye-popping, one that instantly raises the stakes in the Republican fundraising contest.
Although super-PACs have radically changed the pace at which committees backing presidential candidates can raise money, the Cruz haul is remarkable. There are no known cases in which an operation backing a White House hopeful has collected this much money in less than a week.
About the Author
