Call it coincidence, but two of the losers in last night's vote on a transportation funding bill were also the two business interests who voiced opposition to the "religious liberty" legislation -- which itself now seems to be the only big issue standing between lawmakers and Sine Die.
H.B. 170 goes to Gov. Nathan Deal with a provision ending a $23 million-a-year aviation fuel sales tax break that was largely enjoyed by Delta Air Lines, whose CEO Richard Anderson had riled GOP lawmakers with his opposition to “religious liberty” bills and statements on immigration reform.
The big surprise in last night’s deal-making was a new $5 surcharge on hotel and motel stays. The new tax is projected to raise at least $150 million a year for Georgia’s transportation network.
For the record, GOP lawmakers said they chose the hotel industry in order to put the tax burden on as many out-of-staters as possible.
But it just so happens that Jim Sprouse and Ron Fennel, top dogs at the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association, were also the only two members of the business community to personally testify at a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on S.B. 129, the religious liberty bill. They warned of a sharp drop-off in convention business if the measure moved forward.
Some of you might be wondering whether the funds raised by a new hotel-motel tax will really be spent on transportation – because the cash would go into the state's general coffers. Todd Rehm of Georgia Pundit has posted an interview with state Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, that explains:
"We put language in the bill that says if the General Assembly doesn't appropriate that money for transportation, then it's immediately repealed."
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State Sen. Josh McKoon, R-Columbus, the sponsor SB 129, the religious liberty bill, last night indicated that he believed his proposal had become a bargaining chip for Democrats in last night's transportation negotiations.
We’ll research that more today, but an initial round of calls to Dems in the know doesn’t support this. Those we talked to this morning said SB 129’s mired situation is an internal Republican matter.
In any case, as he was leaving the chamber after midnight Wednesday, McKoon said he doubted his bill will resurface on Thursday. Which means it will be an issue again next year – perhaps adding fuel to a 2016 GOP primary contest in Georgia.
House Speaker David Ralston, something of a skeptic when it comes to “religious liberty” legislation, said late Tuesday that he wasn’t ready to speak of the bill’s fate, but that he might do so today.
The AJC's Legislative Navigator, by the way, puts chances of passage for S.B. 129 at 7 percent.
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On that note, add Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed to the list of "religious liberty" critics. From Project Q:
"The consequences for working people would be devastating," Reed told WGST. "Our economy would be devastated by the number of conventions that would withdraw from Georgia."
In a statement to Project Q, Reed said he'll fight the "religious freedom" bill and that it's "wholly inconsistent" with the city's non-discrimination policy.
"The Religious Freedom Restoration Act is wholly inconsistent with the City of Atlanta's non-discrimination policy and our values of acceptance and inclusion," Reed said. "The bill seeks to reverse the progress we have made as a city, and nation, to protect the civil rights of all Americans including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. My Administration will make every effort to prevent this bill from passing and we remain committed to making Atlanta a more welcoming city for all her citizens – regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, race and/or religious beliefs."
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Your morning Erick Erickson fix also suggests waning hope among supporters of S.B. 129. It contains no call for supporters to buttonhole lawmakers, but does include these paragraphs:
A Christian on the sidelines is a Christian not going forth. You can be a sincere Christian and support the idea of gay marriage. But you would also be foolish to ignore what is going to happen to the church once the state decides something is a matter of equal protection. You can dismiss me now, but you are ignoring what's already happening.
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Of all the horse-trading required to win enough support for a transportation plan late Tuesday night, perhaps the most contentious was an agreement to allow MARTA counties to raise an extra half-penny in sales tax to fund the transit system.
House Bill 213 was amended shortly before midnight to make changes that allow Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties hold referendums for a 1.5 percent sales tax for the system. It was part of a broader deal with Democrats in exchange for support on the broader transportation plan, which would raise nearly $900 million but doesn't include many mention of the word "transit."
Some Senate Republicans weren't about to let that slide. State Sen. John Albers of Alpharetta called it a tax increase, and state Sen. Brandon Beach of Alpharetta, a prominent GOP supporter of the MARTA system, said he didn't support the idea -- although he ended up voting for it.
Supporters are happy he did. It passed by the barest of margins, with exactly the 29 votes needed. Seconds later, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle urged senators to stick around to finish a few other calendar items.
That's when state Sen. Fran Millar, who also voted against the measure, could be heard with a quip. "We want to give MARTA another penny," he said.
The House is expected to give its final approval to HB 213 on Thursday.
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Over on his blog, the AJC's Jay Bookman notes another price tag that was attached to the transportation funding bill last night:
Until now, Georgia Republicans have lacked a mechanism that would allow them to ignore and overcome such objections to their plan. But HB 170 has real potential to change that.
Under the bill, tax-reform legislation drafted by the special tax reform committee would be put directly to a vote in the House and Senate next year. The legislative package could not be referred to or reviewed by any standing committee. It could not be amended in either chamber. Legislators would be required to vote yes or no on the entire proposal. In short, the process is designed to serve as a legislative freight train that will barrel through any and all opposition.
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Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was in Dunwoody on Tuesday night. And the potential presidential contender had a welcoming crew to greet him.
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Maggie Lee of the Macon Telegraph tells us that Georgia may have its own Solyndra:
Even Dublin High School got solar fever, and the city school board borrowed $3.5 million in 2013 for a solar project that officials calculated would pay back their investment over the life of the panels.
But the factory fizzled, and the state now has its eye on a $1.25 million enticement grant it made to the company, on the promise of those jobs and $30 million in private investments.
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