weekly update lunsford

Under the Gold Dome

State Representative John Lunsford's Weekly Capitol Update

 

March 28, 2008

 

By the end of this Friday, we will have completed 36 days of the 2008 General Assembly session.  The following week we will conclude the session, most likely adjourning sine die on Friday.  This has been a short week as we were in session only two days as a whole house but 3 days were spent in committees  to allow our colleagues in the Senate time to finish their Fiscal Year 2009 budget work.  As directed by the state Constitution, all budget matters must begin in the House of Representatives, so the Senate was waiting on us before they began.

 

One high interest bill we passed is Senate Resolution 845.  The legislation would authorize a regional sales tax to pay for highway improvements in congested areas.  It would create several regions across the state, known as special transportation districts, where local governments could agree to hold a referendum for voters to approve or reject a local one-cent sales tax.  The key to this resolution is voter choice.  In our version, the money collected would be kept entirely by the region for local road projects.  The Senate version would require that 20 percent of the sales tax proceeds go to the state Department of Transportation.  This bill will go to a conference committee to work out the differences.  We approved this bill 136-35.

 

The Fiscal Year 2009 budget has been discussed but I haven’t really outlined some of the highlights of the spending bill.  First, as has been widely reported, revenue estimates for FY 2009 will be down by $245 million.  Our state’s net growth is expected to be $635 million or 4.26%.

 

The biggest news in education was that we restored $90 million to the “austerity cuts” that were in the Governor’s budget.  We also restored $1.3 million to Math Mentors – the Superintendent’s #1 priority based on the overwhelming success of the Science Mentor program that the House of Representatives created to raise test scores.  We also have added $305 million across the two budgets to fund K-12 school construction and equipment needs.  We added $114 million in additional funds to fully fund the Regents formula for our colleges while creating a $60 million bond to start the construction of a new dental school – the only one in the state – to ensure an adequate supply of dentists trained in state-of-the-art procedures.

 

With trauma care being one of the most important topics here at the capitol, our budget contains $5.5 million for equipment and $53,402,769 for distribution to aid existing trauma hospitals.  Also on the health care front, over $80 million was added as provider increases for hospital, home health personal support, maternity, well-child care, ambulance, pharmacists, nursing homes, therapeutic resident care and dental services.  This is for the 1.6 million Georgians receiving Medicaid and PeachCare services.  We put in $2 million for four new Community Health Centers, which provide primary care access in underserved areas of the state.  These centers are the best deal in health care, as the state provides $250,000 to start-up in federally designated areas with significant access issues and then fully funds the on-going operations; this is for four start-ups and four existing centers adding mental health services. 

 

 

We provided just over $1 million for the Meals on Wheels program.  Funds are needed to replace federally withdrawn funds (Paper Plate Initiative) from the Nutrition Services Incentive Program.  Meals are served in-home and congregate places such as senior centers.  This will provide over 200,000 meals to at-risk seniors and disabled persons.  In the realm of public safety, we added $20 million to continue the House’s initiatives last year to retain and recruit public safety officers, as well as prevent the compression of salaries in between pay grades.  This annualizes last year’s increases for law enforcement officers in Public Safety.

As always in the general assembly the bulk of the large legislation will seek final passage in the last week as most complicated issues are being worked out.

 

I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov

 

 

 

 

lunsford weekly update

Under the Gold Dome

State Representative John Lunsford's Weekly Capitol Update

March 21, 2008

We have completed 34 of the no more than forty days of the 2008 Georgia General Assembly.  As allowed by the state’s constitution, the only item we must complete is enacting a balanced budget for the operations of the state.  We completed that this week and now the Senate will consider it.  (Just a quick civics lesson, all tax and budget legislation must begin in the House of Representatives.) 

 

The budget is a $21.2 billion budget for the new 2009 fiscal year beginning July 1.  It includes 2.5 percent pay raises for state teachers and employees, $50 million for reservoirs and related water management projects aimed at Georgia’s future water needs, and $90 million in school formula funding replacing the austerity cuts.  We also included $10 million for land conservation.  The FY 2009 budget passed 166-1.

 

We also passed the FY 2008 Supplemental Appropriations bill by a margin of 167-2.  This is the bill that redirects funding mainly to education and Medicaid shortfalls that are mandated by the federal government.  This is the Conference report and we have transmitted the bill for the Governor to sign or veto.  He has six days to decide.

 

In other legislative action this past week, we passed Senate Bill 350, a bill that further strengthens our laws regarding driving on a suspended license.  The bill adds to the requirements for people arrested for driving with a revoked or suspended license that they will be fingerprinted and a fourth conviction within five years will result in a felony with imprisonment up to five years and a fine up to $5,000 or both.  That bill passed 99-68.  We also passed legislation that will allow District Attorneys to request the death penalty if jurors are in favor by a margin of 10-2.  Current law requires a unanimous verdict for the death penalty to be implemented.  That bill, S.B. 145 passed 112-55.

 

We passed S.B. 359, a bill that would require the Georgia Department of Economic Development to create and implement a “Made in Georgia” program to promote products made in our state.  That bill passed 161-1.  We also passed S.B. 444 a bill that will allow the Department of Transportation to dispose of surplus property.  As part of the streamlining process being adopted by the DOT, S.B. 444 will allow the DOT to sell excess property not needed for public roads to the highest sealed bidder.  The bill passed 164-0. 

 

We passed a fairly comprehensive bill that determines how the Georgia Bureau of Investigation can use DNA samples for evidence and how that information obtained from evidence is exchanged.  The bill, S.B.430 passed 130-40.  Another bill dealing with the GBI would allow them to investigate identity fraud cases and grant them subpoena powers.  This bill, S.B. 388, passed unanimously.

 

As the 2008 General Assembly session winds down, the schedule for the last six days of the session will be somewhat hectic.  As usual, the most difficult issues are undergoing negotiations to determine what members of the House and Senate, as well as, the Governor can agree upon.  This includes the 2009 budget, tax reform, Certificate of Need issues dealing with the medical community, and a host of other important legislative initiatives.

 

I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov

 

 

 

WEEKLY UPDATE LUNSFORD

Under the Gold Dome

State Representative John Lunsford's Weekly Capitol Update

March 15, 2008

Your Georgia General Assembly is moving into the final quarter of the 2008 Assembly session as we have completed 31 days of the no-more-than 40 legislative day session.  The final quarter is when the tough legislation is worked out and debated.  In addition, the budgetary issues really storm to the front as the Appropriations Committee members move to submit a balanced budget that fulfills needs of federally mandated programs like education and Medicaid, as well as, universities, roads and other needed projects and programs.

 

The highlight of the week is that House members were able to reach a tenable compromise and voted to pass out a tax relief package that was defeated last week.  House Resolution 1246, which failed to pass last week, was overwhelmingly adopted this week after some modifications were made to the legislation that would allow voters to determine whether they wanted the tax relief, in the form of a constitutional amendment. 

 

The latest version of the tax relief proposal eliminates the ad valorem taxes on auto license tags, the .25 mills in property tax charged by the state on property owners (a total annual savings of $94 million), and a freeze on property tax assessments.  Because this bill is a constitutional amendment, 120 votes were needed to pass the resolution and this time it passed 166-5 and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

 

As part of the removal of the auto property tax or what we call the “birthday tax”, we implemented House Bill 1158 which places a $10 trauma charge on motor vehicle tags in the state of Georgia.  The reason we call it the “birthday tax” is that your tag renewal is tied to your birthday.  The ten dollar tag charge would be used exclusively to help fund our state’s trauma care network.  Trauma care is the hospital you need when there is an accident.  Currently this state has only 4 level one trauma care units with those being in Atlanta, Savannah, Macon, and Augusta.  Enhanced trauma care is desperately needed in all regions of the state.  There are two points I want to make about this.  First, trauma funding is essential for saving lives.  Second, most of us would gladly pay $10 dollars additional on our car tag, and NOT pay hundreds of dollars for the car tax.  This legislation, House Bill 1158, passed 164-7.

 

In an effort to enhance charitable giving to private schools, we passed House Bill 1133, a bill that provides an income tax credit to taxpayers who make contributions to  ‘student scholarship organizations” that provide 90 percent of their funding in the form of scholarships.  As with most tax credits there are additional rules.  This legislation passed 92-73.

 

In an effort to strengthen our regional areas of the state, we easily passed HB 1216 that essentially changes our regional development centers or RDCs into regional commissions.  The purpose of these commissions is to develop, promote, and assist in establishing coordinated and comprehensive land use, environmental, transportation and historic preservation planning in the state.  In addition, these regional commissions would assist local governments in planning.  Twelve regional commissions would be created.  The bill passed 134-34.

 

In an effort to separate and codify theft, we have created a new offense called “organized retail theft.”  Organized retail theft is committed when 2 or more people are involved in retail property theft in large quantities over a 180-day period with the intent to resell the stolen items.  HB 1346 passed unanimously. There were many other pieces of legislation this week such as tax credits, mail order wine, and tree farming by products legislation. We will convene again on Tuesday as a committee of the whole house but until then most committees are meeting daily trying to finish up the session.  

 

 I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov

 

 

 

weekly update lunsford

Under the Gold Dome

State Representative John Lunsford's Weekly Capitol Update

 

March 10, 2008

 

The Georgia General Assembly has completed twenty-nine days of the 2008 Georgia General Assembly session and “Day 30” which is “Crossover Day” will be Tuesday, March 11.  As I discussed last week, crossover day is the last day that the House or Senate will consider their own legislation and pass it over to the other body for consideration.  If a bill that originates in the House of Representatives hasn’t been passed by the House by this Day 30, then the bill effectively is considered “dead.” 

 

The big issue at the Capitol this week was the GREAT tax plan debate.  Based on feedback from members, we decided that the best hope for a significant tax decrease for the citizens of Georgia was to vote on Senate Resolution 796. The measure fell ten votes short of the 120 votes needed to put it on the ballot in November so you could vote on it.  Unfortunately, the majority of the House Democratic Caucus did not support the tax cuts.

 

For the past year, Speaker Richardson has led Georgians in a very healthy public debate about our state’s system of taxation. House Bill 979 and Senate Resolution 796 would have eliminated the hated ad valorem tax on all personal vehicles also known as the ‘tag tax’ or ‘birthday tax.’

 

The measures would have put an end to out-of-control growth of property taxes by freezing property tax assessments at the 2008 level and limiting the annual increase on residential values to 2 percent. The measures would have capped the growth of local government and said that if local governments or school boards

Wanted to raise local taxes, they must seek the approval of voters in the community. And finally, the bill would have provided funding for a statewide trauma care network. The final version of the bill contained NO NEW TAXES.

 

But none of these will happen, Unless we can generate 15 votes from the other side of the isle, we not need a statewide trauma network to fund hospitals like Grady that treat the most critically injured patients in our state Some members of the House have denied Georgians the right to decide for themselves if they want a tax cut and if they want to reform our current tax system. So on your birthday you will continue to pay the ‘birthday tax’ and your property values will continue to rise unchecked thereby increasing your property taxes. This is a good conservative, State and local tax cutting measure that I was happy to support. Moving forward, I will continue to support other tax cuts because I believe that we need lessen the tax burden on our citizens.  I proudly voted for it and believe that if it were placed on a ballot, you would overwhelmingly approve it.  The defeat of this resolution, S.R.796, denied you the right to vote for meaningful tax reforms.

 

The good news is we were able this week to ease your tax burden for two weekends. Every August, parents all over Georgia take their children shopping for back to school clothes and supplies. This is a big shopping weekend for our families and I was happy to again support a tax free shopping weekend to help them save a little money. The House approved House Bill 948 setting the weekend of July 31 through August 3 as the sales tax holiday weekend for school supplies, and October 2 through October 5 as the sales tax holiday weekend for energy efficient appliances.

 

 

We passed a very strict DUI bill this past week.  The bill sets punishment levels for a DUI of drivers who are 18 years and older.  The first offense would be a misdemeanor with a fine of $300-$1000; jail from ten days to one year (24 hours minimum); probation for 12 months less time served; completion of a risk reduction program; and community service hours.  The second offense would be a 24-month misdemeanor; fine of $750-$5000; jail time from 90 days - 24 months.  If the second DUI is within 5 years, 120 hour minimum jail time; and 30 days community service; probation for 24 months less jail time.  The third offense: 36-month misdemeanor; fine of $1000-$5000; and jail time of 12-36 months.  The fourth offense would constitute a felony with a fine of $1000-$5000 and 1-5 years in jail with 1 year minimum.  The bill, House Bill 336, passed 124-17.

 

We passed a bill that would require local municipalities and county governments who wish to make their water usage policies more restrictive than the state to apply to the state for that ability.  We also charged that the Environmental Protection Division of the state rule on those applications within three days of receiving the request.  We recognize that sometimes, local governments may become overly ambitious in allocating water use.  H.B. 1281 passed by a 124-38 margin of victory.

 

In an effort to help insure the integrity of our local elections, we passed H.B. 1098, which places the same reporting requirement to the Secretary of States office on municipal elections as on all other state elections.  It also requires that municipal election officials be certified.  The bill passed unanimously.  We also passed a bill that would allow those handicapped individuals or those 75 years old or older to move to the front of the line to vote.  This bill, H.B. 993, also passed unanimously.

 

In education this week, House members voted in favor of House Bill 1209 introduced by Brooks Coleman, Chairman of the House Education Committee. This legislation provides greater flexibility and local control of our schools systems. Working with the State Department of Education and parents, the legislation would continue to require school systems to develop a five-year strategic plan. Upon approval of the plan, each school system may choose to enter into a five-year contract with the State Department of

Education that will provide flexibility, accountability, and consequences for poor school performance. School systems would have greater flexibility with respect to class sizes, curriculum, teacher certification, salary structure and other state standardized areas. Accountability would be dependent upon standardized test scores, graduation rates, SAT scores, and other performance standards. If a school does not meet the accountability

Standards of the contract, the legislation sets forth consequences that could include conversion of a school to a charter school or a change in the controlling entity of a failing school. This legislation provides both and will help move our educational systems forward.

 

Transportation has been in the forefront of issues this year and we are still debating the best way to approach the challenges we face. This coming week we should see more legislation being debated and modified to utilize existing taxes for transportation as well as push by some for regional tax increases. I remain opposed to all tax increases and we will push for better efficiency standards as well as the requirement of all transportation agencies to implement cost benefit analysis and congestion relief standards for all

Projects placed on transportation plans.

 

One bill that I felt was very important for our children is H.B. 1286, legislation that would require our schools to close on November 11 of each year in honor of Veteran’s Day.  Many of our school children do not understand the sacrifices that our men and women of our Armed Services have made in defending freedom and by passing this bill we hope to encourage our schools and the parents to talk with their children about what our veterans have done.  This bill passed unanimously.

 

I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov

 

 

 

Ride in Real Army Huey Helicopter (Lunsford)

Come fly with the Sky Soldiers

Army Aviation Heritage Foundation
March 6, 7, & 8 2008
10 AM – 4 PM
Tara Airfield
Next to the Atlanta Speedway
HELICOPTER RIDES
in authentic Vietnam Veteran UH-1H
“Hueys”

Your tax deductible donation of $50
will help keep our aircraft flying
For more information visit us on the web at http://www.armyav.org/

weekly update lunsford

State Representative John Lunsford's Weekly Capitol Update

March 1, 2008

Next week taxes, certificate of need and lobbyists

We have completed twenty-six days of the 2008 Georgia General Assembly session and we are quickly approaching “Day 30” which is “Crossover Day.” Crossover day is the last day that the House or Senate will consider their own legislation and pass it over to the other body for consideration. If a bill that originates in the House of Representatives hasn’t been passed by the House by this Day 30, then the bill effectively is considered “dead.” Day 30 activities are widely active as Members of the House and Senate try to push bills through and we have a very long calendar of bills to consider. I anticipate Day 30 to be on March 7^th or 11^th this year.

This past week, we passed House Bill 455, a bill that dramatically helps us to control narcotic prescription drugs that are dispensed at drug stores. The bill establishes a program for monitoring prescribed and dispensed schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances. Dispensers of these drugs will be required to submit specific information regarding when the prescription was filled, the quantity dispensed, as well as, the patient’s data and the prescribing doctor’s information. This bill is designed to help fight the growing battle of “prescription shopping” that some drug addicts use to get prescribed drugs. The bill passed 149-8.

We passed a major transportation bill creating a Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank to help us fund future transportation projects. The new “bank” would serve in assisting in the financing of qualified road projects by providing loans and other financial assistance to governments for constructing and improving highway and transportation facilities. The bank will receive its funds from the state’s toll ways, federal transit funds, or state funds. The bill passed easily 162-1.

After a state employee who rang up hundreds of thousands of dollars in unlawful purchases, we saw the need for and passed H.B. 1113, legislation that would restrict the use of state purchasing cards. The legislation would require state agencies only to issue cards to those whose job duties would require them to have one and would limit purchases to $500 unless the item is part of a state approved contract. The legislation also established some very strict penalties for those convicted of stealing from the state. The bill passed unanimously.

We overwhelmingly passed H.B. 188, a bill that would recuse those who serve as the primary unpaid caregiver for a person over the age of 6 who has a physical or congenative limitation from jury duty. The bill passed 158-1.

We overwhelmingly approved the creation of children’s transition care centers, centers that are temporary, home-like environments for medically fragile children, technology dependent children, and children with special health care needs. These centers would be for children who are considered medically stable by a physician but dependent on life-sustaining medications, treatments and equipment and who require assistance with activities of daily living to facilitate the transition from a hospital to a home or other appropriate setting. The bill passed 148-1.

Of great importance was, H.B. 1159 that would provide a $2,000 tax credit for adopting a foster child until the child reaches maturity, this is the greatest tax credit of any state in the country in an effort to speed up the adoption process for foster care children, not only was it logical it saved money too. That bill passed 127-1.

We passed House bill 978, a bill that declares that any vehicle in an accident that is driven by an illegal immigrant will be subject to forfeiture to the state if the defendant is convicted of the offense charged. This bill passed 104-51.

We agreed to allow wine drinkers in this state to special order up to 12 cases of wine per year directly from an out-of-state vendor of wine. Currently, wine vendors could only ship wines directly to a vendor in the state of Georgia. This bill passed 126-8. I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334 or e-mail me at mailto:%20%20%20john.lunsford@house.ga.gov