How does PolitiFact Georgia’s Truth-O-Meter work?
Our goal is to help you find the truth in American politics. Reporters from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution fact-check statements by local, state and national political leaders, including lobbyists and interest groups. We then rate them on the AJC Truth-O-Meter.
To fact-check a claim, reporters first contact the speaker to verify the statement. Next, the research begins. Reporters consult a variety of sources, including industry and academic experts. This research can take hours or a few days or even longer, depending on the claim. Reporters then compile the research into story form and include a recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling.
The fact check then moves on to a panel of veteran editors who debate the statement and the reporter’s recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling. The panel votes on a final ruling; majority prevails.
PolitiFact Georgia fact-checkers were crunching numbers, poring over documents and picking the brains of experts this week as we put statements from a congressman, legislator and anti-gun advocates through the Truth-O-Meter.
We looked at a claim by U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, that Georgia’s a “donor state” in that, in regards to transportation funding, it spends more on taxes and red tape then it gets back from the federal government.
We also examined Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle’s estimates on the savings of a condensed legislative session and at advocates’ claims about Georgia’s forfeiture laws and pending gun legislation.
Abbreviated versions of our fact checks are below.
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Full versions can be found at www.politifact.com/georgia/.
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U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger: When it comes to transportation funds, Georgians spend more in taxes and on red tape than they get back from the federal government.
Graves believes some federal regulations are driving up the costs of transportation here and across the nation. One part of his argument put PolitiFact Georgia on the road in search of whether his complaint is true.
Georgia, like most states, is a “donor” state when it comes to federal transportation funding, the North Georgia congressman said. “They spend more in taxes and on red tape than they get back,” Graves said in a speech he made Feb. 10, explaining his definition of donor states.
Studies show he has an interesting argument. The federal government requires states to pay the “prevailing wage” to workers involved in construction projects. Some studies show this increases construction costs. There are also environmental protection requirements that apparently drive up costs. How much is debatable.
Do these regulations result in Georgia getting a net result of less money back than it collects from gas taxes? It could be, but there’s no definitive data that show what the impact is in Georgia. Until we see some research specific to Georgia, we believe Graves’ claim requires some caution.
We rated Graves’ claim Half True.
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Georgians for Forfeiture Reform: “Georgia’s civil forfeiture laws are among the worst in the country and the very worst in the South.”
There aren’t many issues that can bring the American Civil Liberties Union and the tea party together. But there is one issue that has them and others on the same side: reform of forfeiture laws.
“Georgia’s civil forfeiture laws are among the worst in the country and the very worst in the South,” said Joel Aaron Foster, a spokesman for Americans for Prosperity Georgia.
Critics say some law enforcement officers unfairly keep money seized from motorists who are eventually cleared after being investigated on allegations of drug trafficking and other offenses. One man spent $12,000 in legal fees to recover $43,000 that police took from him when he was pulled over in South Georgia, the institute noted.
They’ve been pushing legislation that, based on a recent report by one of the lobbying groups, would, they believe, be more equitable to Georgians. It does rank Georgia at the bottom nationally, with a few other states. Another report highlights what critics say are some of Georgia’s flaws. Unfortunately, there’s little independent research on how states fare on the topic. The claim is also based on an interpretation of those laws.
With these caveats, we rated this claim Mostly True.
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Pia Carusone, executive director of Americans for Responsible Solutions: “Georgia lawmakers are now considering passing the most extreme gun bill in America.”
A controversial and sweeping bill is moving through the General Assembly that would lift restrictions on guns in houses of worship, bars, airports and college campuses. It also would allow schools to beef up security by arming front office staff, teachers and other employees.
Among those lobbying to kill the bill — and there are many — is Americans for Responsible Solutions, a group former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, founded after her near-fatal shooting in January 2011.
In a press release, the group’s executive director, Carusone said: “Georgia lawmakers are now considering passing the most extreme gun bill in America,”
Carusone said her group is tracking 200 gun bills in legislatures across the country, many of which “weaken common-sense gun violence prevention policies.” But none of the bills has “as many extreme provisions as we see in this one Georgia bill,” she said.
Experts we checked with said there’s no evidence that, if the bill passes, Georgia would have the most extreme law. For example, Alaska, Arizona, Vermont and Wyoming don’t even require a permit to carry a concealed weapon, they said.
And there was no known source of a study of all pending bills nationally to say Georgia’s is “the most extreme.”
There are pitfalls to calling anything the worst, the first or, in this case, the “most extreme.” The biggest being: “Can you prove it?” All we really have is Carusone’s statement that her group is following 200 bills across the country and hasn’t seen any that have as “many extreme provisions” as Georgia’s. Supporting evidence was lacking.
We rated Carusone’s statement Mostly False.
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Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle: “For every week that we’re able to cut off (the Legislature’s) timeline, it saves us approximately $100,000.”
The Legislature hires additional people to help during the 40-day annual legislative session, but it comes at a cost. And we decided to fact-check Cagle’s claim that the state saves $100,000 for every week that lawmakers cut off their timeline.
We asked Cagle’s office for information to back up the numbers. Cagle’s office sent us two sets of weekly payroll data for the slightly more than 200 aides and interns who serve as temporary staff during the legislative session. The first was for the week ending Jan. 19. The total was $96,666.94. The other was for the week ending Feb. 9. The total was $96,673.79.
These expenses don’t include the per diem lawmakers receive during the session.
Cagle said the state could save $100,000 for each week the Legislature can reduce its session schedule. The longer the Legislature is in session, he said, the more it costs Georgia taxpayers.
The lieutenant governor’s statement is correct in that it costs a good bit of money to operate when the Legislature is in session, if you consider the cost of temporary staff alone. If you consider the regular per diem costs, Cagle’s weekly estimate of $100,000 appears very conservative.
We rated his statement True.
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