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Weekly Wrap-up #12

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The House reconvened for the 40th day of the session on Wednesday, April 7th at 9:00 am and adjourned at 12:00 am when House Speaker Terry Coleman (D-Eastman) slammed the gavel down and yelled Sine Die, officially ending the second regular session of the 147th General Assembly of Georgia. Sine Die is Latin meaning 'without another day'. The state constitution requires all regular sessions of the General Assembly start on the second Monday in January and last for no more than forty legislative working days. Much of the last day was dedicated to agreeing to changes in legislation.

Special Session - Governor Perdue has indicated he will call a special session of the General Assembly because HB 1181, which is the state's budget for fiscal year 05 that would take effect July 1st, is out of balance by $57 million. Georgia's constitution requires a balanced state budget. The discrepancy is because a compromise could not be reached on HB 869, which would have provided funds in the budget for the new public defender system through court fines and fees. The Governor determines which issues will be on the agenda for the special session. It will cost approximately $45,000 per day to hold a special session and some lawmakers have suggested the Governor should modify the spending plan to put it in balance.

State Budget Compromise - The House voted Wednesday to agree to the conference committee report HB 1181 by a vote of 155-15. This is the state's $16.4 billion spending plan for fiscal year 05 which begins July 1st and runs through June 30thof next year. Budget conferees had been working the past week to hammer out a compromise between the House and Senate versions. Some major highlights include $200 million restored for K-12 education over the Governor's proposal, $368 million dedicated to the Medicaid program that provides care for the elderly and poor, $116 million restored for books and fees covered through the HOPE scholarship, a continuation of the state's property tax relief program for homeowners, almost $1 billion in bonds for construction projects, 2 percent pay raises for state employees and teachers that will begin in January and $1 million for the daily operations of a commuter-rail link between Atlanta and Lovejoy.

Other highlights include:

$1 million to prevent the closure of the Craig Nursing Home in Milledgeville, Georgia.

$350,000 for Georgia's public libraries

$900,000 in additional funds for the PINES system which helps libraries share books and resources statewide.

$500,000 for the state's Quick Start Program, which works with new industries to provide specialty job training for potential workers.

$60 million in bonds for major repair and renovation projects throughout Georgia's University System.

$21 million in bonds to help the state Department of Technical and Adult Education to replace existing equipment, and purchase new equipment at various state technical colleges.

$13.7 million in bonds to construct and equip a new classroom building for Heart of Georgia Technical College

To go to the House Appropriations Committee click here

To go to the Legislative Budget Office click here

Saving the Hope Scholarship - On Wednesday the house agreed to the conference committee report on HB 1325 164-3. The legislation tweaks the HOPE Scholarship Program to make sure it remains solvent well into the future. Changes in HOPE had to be considered because projections indicate the program, which is funded by the lottery, will begin dipping into reserves in a few years. The number of HOPE scholars and the cost of tuition, fees and books are expected to rise faster than lottery revenues. Enter HB 1325, which caps the amount of school fees covered by HOPE at current amounts starting this year. After that, HOPE's $300-per-year book allowance would drop to $150 after the first time HOPE's reserves decline from one year to the next. The second yearly drop in reserve funding would cut all book allowances, except for Pell Grant recipients, and the third such funding drop would remove all fee coverage from HOPE. HB 1325 also checks most HOPE students grades every spring, instead of after taking a years' worth of classes. The state currently pays an extra semester for a student who dropped classes to avoid the checkpoint. However, part-time students would get three terms before being checked. Also, starting in 2007, high school seniors would need a 3.0 grade point average to qualify for HOPE, not the current 80 numerical average. An 80 mark is a C in many school systems, not a B, so a third of current HOPE recipients are thought to have a grade point average below 3.0. Finally, HB 1325 requires the HOPE scholarship's finances to be monitored by a legislative committee which would suggest more changes if needed. To read HB 1325 click here

Allowing Atlanta Sewer Tax - Wednesday also saw the passage of the conference committee report on HB 709 by a vote of 127-34. This omnibus tax legislation provides a mechanism for the city of Atlanta to hold a referendum to levy a 1cent on the dollar sales tax to help pay for court ordered sewer improvements and maintenance expected to cost $3.2 billion. If approved by voters, the new tax could generate as much as $100 million annually. The measure allows Fulton County to call a referendum on a special-purpose local option sales tax increase to 8 percent. If the county fails to call for a referendum or if the county calls for a referendum and it fails then Atlanta could call for a vote on a city-only increase in the sales tax. Atlanta has been fined millions for not meeting certain environmental regulations regarding its sewer system and this legislation is an attempt to help pay for the necessary improvements. Another provision allows for Columbus to call for a vote on another penny-on-the-dollar in sales tax. Finally, HB 709 would exempt the first $50,000 of a disabled veteran's home from ad valorem taxation. To go to read HB 709 click here

K-12 Education - A minute before midnight on Wednesday the House voted to agree to the conference committee report on HB 1190 by a vote of 168-0. This is a part of the Governor's legislative agenda provides a one year delay for local school systems to meet smaller class size requirements. The legislation also simplifies the application process for charter schools, strengthens discipline and truancy laws and provides local school systems more spending flexibility next year.

Registering to Vote - SB 541 was adopted 156-4 on Wednesday and allows people to register to vote when getting a hunting and fishing license.

Fleeing Police - SB 297 passed on Wednesday 156-2 and makes it a felony to flee a police officer. Currently it is only a misdemeanor to refuse to stop a vehicle for a police officer.

Road Funding - SB 425, which passed Wednesday 116-36, transfers one cent of the 4 cent on the dollar gas tax going to the general fund, into the Local Area Road Program, to speed up road improvements.

Civil War Monuments - The House passed SB 588 on Wednesday 162-1.The measure bans desecration to any private war veteran display.

To view legislation click here

Other Legislation Passed this Week

Wednesday, April 7th, 2004 - 40th Day of the Session

SB 147, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 13 of Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to family violence, so as to provide for penalties for disclosing, publishing, or disseminating the location of a family violence shelter; to amend Chapter 5 of Title 46 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to telephone and telegraph service, so as to require telephone companies to file plans with the Georgia Public Service Commission to provide for the confidentiality of family violence shelter locations; to provide for review of such plans; to provide for sanctions for the failure to file such plans; to provide a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 157-0.

SB 297, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 40-6-395 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and impersonating a law enforcement officer, so as to provide that the offense of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer shall be a felony; to change the provisions relating to penalties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 156-2.

SB 347, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 13 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to exemptions from levy and sale, so as to provide a reciprocal exemption for a judgment debtor resident in this state as against a judgment creditor resident in another state; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 159-0.

SB 425, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Article 3 of Chapter 5 of Title 32 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the allocation of funds for public roads, so as to change the provisions regarding the balancing of federal and state funds; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 116-36.

SB 445, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 90 of Title 36, the "Local Government Cable Fair Competition Act of 1999," so as to define certain terms; to provide for the ratification of an authorization for a county or municipal corporation to provide cable service or information services; to provide for a referendum; to provide for the maintenance of certain records; to prohibit the cross-subsidization of the cost of providing such services; to provide for the filing of a report relating to finances in the county probate court; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 136-15.

SB 460, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 12-7-6 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to best management practices for control of soil erosion and sedimentation and minimum requirements for rules, regulations, ordinances, or resolutions, so as to change certain provisions relating to 25 foot buffers along state waters; to authorize land-disturbing activity within such buffers if certain compensatory mitigation requirements are satisfied; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 140-25.

SB 478, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 3 of Title 19 of the O.C.G.A., relating to marriage generally, so as to revise certain provisions relating to application for a marriage license; to revise certain provisions relating to the filing and transmission of application supplement-marriage reports; to amend Chapter 10 of Title 31 of the O.C.G.A., to provide for the establishment of the State Office of Vital Records within the Department of Human Resources; to revise certain powers of the state registrar; to repeal Code Section 31-10-21, relating to record of marriage licenses; to repeal Code Section 31-10-22, to change references to "vital records registration system" to "State Office of Vital Records" throughout Chapter 10 of Title 31; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 153-0.

SB 497, A bill to repeal an Act re-creating a system of state courts of limited jurisdiction for each city of this state having a population of 300,000 or more according to the United States decennial census of 1990 or any future such census, approved April 4, 1996 (Ga. L. 1996, p. 627), as amended; to abolish such courts created pursuant to such Act; to provide for the transfer of cases and matters pending in such courts on the effective date of this Act; to provide for the transfer of records, books, minutes, files, and documents; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 167-0.

SB 511, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 1 of Title 41 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to nuisances, so as to change certain provisions relating to treatment of agricultural facilities and operations as nuisances; to provide that certain agricultural support facilities shall not be or become nuisances due to changed conditions in or around the locations of such facilities; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 153-0.

SB 513, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 12 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to control of hazardous conditions, preventable diseases, and metabolic disorders, so as to provide for the revision of provisions regarding the sale or dispensing of contact lenses; to provide that contact lenses may be sold or dispensed in this state only by licensed providers; to provide for violations and for civil and criminal enforcement; to change provisions relating to the duties and obligations of contact lens prescribers; to change certain provisions relating to prescriptions; to provide for conformity with federal law; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 138-1.

SB 553, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Title 32 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to highways, bridges, and ferries, so as to provide for an exception for design-build on the limitations on the power of the department to contract; to provide for the development of design-build procedures for the construction of any public road or other transportation purpose project; to define a term; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 155-0.

SB 588, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Code Section 50-3-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the state flag and the protection of public monuments honoring the military, so as to provide for the protection of privately owned monuments honoring past or present military personnel; to provide for penalties; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 162-1.

SB 603, A bill to be entitled an Act to amend Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor vehicles and traffic, so as to provide for photographic speed-monitoring systems; to provide for definitions and operating requirements relative to such photographic speed-monitoring systems; to provide for a civil monetary penalty for violations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 158-2.

HR 1580, A resolution creating the House Study Committee on Adult and Childhood Obesity and Prevention; passed 118-30.

HR 1759, A resolution recognizing that plasma arc is a technology that represents renewable energy production in the State of Georgia; passed 156-3.

SR 563, A resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide that the people have the right to hunt, fish, and harvest game, subject only to reasonable restrictions as the General Assembly may prescribe by general law; to provide for submission of this amendment for ratification or rejection; passed 143-17.

SR 760, A resolution creating the Joint Early Learning Initiative Commission; passed 122-24.

SR 858, A resolution authorizing the Governor by executive order to establish local redevelopment commissions for the purpose of developing and directing redevelopment plans in accordance with the "Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act of 1994"; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; passed 158-0.

SR 866, A resolution dedicating a portion of the Battlefield Parkway in Catoosa County to the memory of Baxter Shavers; passed 151-0.

To view legislation click here

Georgia House of Representatives
Public Information Office

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