A group of Republican senators chose Monday to debate the federal government's relationship with state government concerning issues such as cap-and-trade, health care and incandescent light bulbs vs. fluorescent light bulbs.
Meanwhile, senators also debated over parts of two days whether the merits of daylight-saving time should be commended.
"It's silly," Sen. Don Balfour, R-Snellville, told the media regarding the resolution honoring daylight-saving time, which was established by federal law.
The Senate voted Monday to send the commendation back to Balfour's Rules Committee for more discussion. Balfour muttered that Senate Resolution 322 was not likely to be reconsidered. The Senate had already debated the commendation Friday, and voted it down. A motion was then made to reconsider the vote and it passed, which is how it ended up facing another vote Monday.
Resolutions are sponsored to commend everything from the death of a notable person in a community to teachers of the years. They typically pass without discussion, but Sen. Bill Heath, R-Bremen, turned it into a debate by opposing it, going to the front of the Senate to speak against it several times.
Sen. Fran Millar, R-Dunwoody, the sponsor, said he did it for an acquaintance who has a daylight-saving time party each year. He did not know why Heath was so adamant in opposing it.
Heath declined to comment, saying he was busy working on issues concerning the HOPE scholarship.
After the debate, some Republican senators brought and debated three other pieces of legislation that challenged federal authority on what they had declared 10th Amendment Day. The amendment defines the relationship between state and federal powers.
Senate Bill 9 said that if the federal government passes a cap-and-trade bill on greenhouse gases, Georgia should not implement any regulations until it does a comprehensive analysis and determines it is in the best interest of the state. The bill passed 32-19.
Senate Bill 61 would require incandescent light bulbs made in Georgia that are sold in the state or internationally be free of federal regulations. There are no light bulb manufacturers in Georgia. Heath asked several questions about problems with the disposal of fluorescent light bulbs during the debate. It passed 35-19.
Senate Resolution 55 proposed a state constitutional amendment prohibiting any law or regulation compelling anyone to participate in a health care system. The 34-19 vote in favor was not enough to get a necessary two-thirds majority. It will be reconsidered Tuesday.
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