Government Archive

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40 Days at the Capitol- Installment 8

– March 16, 2012Posted in: Government, Headlines


To our readers:   State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session.  The session began January 9, 2012 and is expected to last until the latter days of March. .

Day 29 (Monday, March 5, 2012):  In an effort to reach out to those who have opposed legislation dealing with solar power that I am sponsoring, I invite representatives from Georgia Power to meet with me this morning.  While we have agreed to disagree on this particular issue, it is important to maintain respectful relationships at the Capitol and it is my desire to do this.

Afterwards, I meet with a student from Georgia State University to discuss the future of the HOPE Scholarship and to listen to his concerns and suggestions.  It is encouraging to hear from young people in our state who have an interest in our state’s government and future.  As we go into session today, we have a total of 16 bills on the calendar in what is shaping up to be a very busy day.  As is often the case, we move quickly through most of the bills only to run into a controversial bill that we spend 2-3 hours debating.

Today that controversial bill is SB 458, a bill that requires applicants for post-secondary education public benefits have their lawful presence verified.  Known as the Prohibition of Illegal Immigrants from Georgia Colleges bill, this is one of those bills that both sides bring legitimate points to the discussion and agree is a problem being forced upon the states by the inaction of our federal government.  Nevertheless, as responsible public servants we must face the issue and after a full 3 hours of debate, the bill passes.

Also passed today is SB 288 which will allow pharmacists and nurses to administer other vaccines besides the influenza vaccine.  It restricts pharmacists and nurses from administering any vaccine to a person under the age of 19 without an individual prescription.

Another somewhat controversial bill is SB 355, the Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting bill that requires a person who witnesses child abuse as defined in Georgia law or receives reliable information from a person who has witnessed child abuse that child abuse has occurred, to report the abuse under this legislation.

The only bill I have on the calendar today is SB 416 dealing with electronic prior authorization of drug requests.  The bill requires the Insurance Commissioner to adopt standards for e-prior authorization requests between benefits managers and healthcare providers that are consistent with those adopted by the National Council of Prescription Drug Programs. I am very pleased that the bill passes overwhelmingly and this helps me to endure the long day of speeches and debates from well meaning but sometimes long winded Senators.

Day 30 (Wednesday, March 7, 2012):  As is customary during our 40 day session, we take the day off between the 29th and 30th day in order to prepare for the long and arduous 30th day known as Crossover Day.  This is the day that bills must pass one chamber in order to be considered during this session.

Although we are off, we make the most of our time up here with committee meetings primarily dealing with the FY 13 budget.  As we go into session this morning, we have a total of 28 bills and 5 resolutions on the calendar.  With the exception of breaks for lunch and dinner, we are in session from 10AM until late in the evening as we rush against the clock to finish our business.  I have two bills on the calendar today, both of which pass easily.

SB 368 requires nurses to meet continuing education requirements as a condition of licensure renewal while SB 380 revises the requirements of security paper for prescription drug orders. SB 380 is actually a follow up to the Prescription Monitoring Bill that I passed last year. As is often the case with legislation, there are unintended consequences and this was the case last year as physicians were being required to obtain unnecessarily expensive prescription pads for their practice.

One of the bills that we pass corrects an embarrassing oversight with the availability of license plates issued to Purple Heart recipients.  Currently only retirees may receive the license plate, but SB 473 will allow recipients of the medal who are currently serving on active duty or in the reserve to receive the Purple Heart license plates.

SB 459, the bill allowing consumers to opt out of using the “smart meters” that I had attempted to amend in committee with my solar power bill, is moved to the foot of the calendar at the request of the author presumably killing the bill.  However, as we proceed through the night, a number of bills are tabled and time permits a second chance at hearing the bill which the author takes advantage of.  After some discussion, the bill passes 37-13 with an amendment prohibiting any charge for the removal of the meters.

A number of bills, such as SB 312 requiring recipients of food stamps to engage in “professional development” such as obtaining a GED diploma or pursuing technical education, and SB 292 which requires Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients to take a drug test as a condition to receiving benefits, create a great deal of controversy and are debated for hours with emotional and arousing speeches from members.

A form of protest takes place as we vote on SB 438, a bill prohibiting the State Health Benefit Plan from providing coverage for abortions, as female Senators opposed to the bill stand side by side at the front of the chamber to protest the bill. Mercifully, as the clock strikes 10:39PM we adjourn and Crossover Day for the 2012 Legislative Session is history.

 

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA,30334.  His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109. You can connect with him on Facebook at facebook.com/buddycarterga or follow him on Twitter @Buddy_Carter.

 
Tags: Atlanta, Government, State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler)
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40 Days at the Capitol- Installment 7

– March 8, 2012Posted in: Government, Headlines

 

To our readers:   State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session.  The session began January 9, 2012 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 26 (Monday, February 27, 2012):  The week begins with the second meeting of the Governor’s Higher Education Funding Commission, a committee that I co-chair with Rep. Carl Rogers, Chairman of the House Higher Education Committee. The commission is charged with examining how the funding formulas for the University System and Technical College System should be changed in order to improve higher education outcomes in the state.

We have 4 bills on the calendar as we go into session today, including HB 800 which expands eligibility so that a candidate with five years’ service in any federally recognized component of the Army or Air Force may be eligible for appointment as an Assistant Adjutant General (‘AAG’). Although this bill comes from the Governor’s office and ultimately passes, I vote against it because of the unfortunate experiences of my childhood friend, Brig. General Larry Dudney.  A copy of a column I wrote on this subject can be found on my website, www.FriendsofBuddyCarter.com, under the title of National Guard Column.

Also passed today is SB 441 that will make it a misdemeanor to intentionally point a laser device at or near a law enforcement officer as well as at an aircraft.  The afternoon is extremely busy for me as I have 4 bills to present in committees.

Of the two bills that I present in Health and Human Services, SB 416, which will require insurance companies to adhere to uniform procedures when processing Prior Approval requests for medications by electronic means, passes.

However SB 368, which will require nurses to complete continuing competency requirements for the renewal of their license, is tabled so that the nursing board and interested parties can work out their differences.  Afterwards I present SB 453 to the Regulated Industries committee.  This bill, called the Georgia Pain Management Clinic Act, will give the Composite Medical Board additional powers over pain management clinics in our state.

Finally, realizing that I don’t have the votes necessary for passage, I decide to withdraw my amendment to SB 459 so that the underlying bill dealing with smart meters can continue to move forward.  The amendment, which was essentially SB 401dealing with solar power purchase agreements, has garnered much attention over the weekend particularly among opponents of the bill who have convinced at least four more committee members to oppose this piece of legislation.  This is a very disappointing setback, to say the least.

Day 27 (Tuesday, February 28, 2012):  After a number of early morning meetings, I catch up with a group of Young Republican students from Richmond Hill High School who are visiting the Capitol today.  Led by their Political Science teacher and Richmond Hill City Council member Russ Carpenter, these fine young people are a credit to their school and community.

After a picture with the Governor, I catch back up with them after lunch for an impromptu question and answer session.  Although we have 9 bills on the calendar today during session, only 2 are controversial and both are requested to be moved to the bottom of the calendar by their authors.  When this procedural move is made, usually it means that the author feels he doesn’t have the votes needed for passage.  If the bills are moved to the bottom of the calendar and a Senator makes a motion to adjourn before they are heard, the bills are sent back to the rules committee where they may or may not be put on the calendar for another day.

Among the non-controversial bills that pass today is SB 293 that will allow the “In God We Trust” decals on vehicles to be free and be placed over county decals.  Also passed is SR 590 that urges the Department of Education to implement cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training classes and install automated external defibrillators in Georgia public schools.

Later in the day I chair a meeting of the Higher Education Committee where we pass out SB 478 by Senator Barry Loudermilk.  This bill provides private postsecondary schools that meet certain criteria of accreditation to be exempted from authorization to operate by the Nonpublic Postsecondary Educational Commission.

Afterwards I present another bill I am sponsoring, SB 452, to the education committee where it passes both the subcommittee and full committee. This bill extends the time the state Board of Education has to make a recommendation to the Governor concerning school board members whose district is under suspension by an accrediting agency.

Day 28 (Wednesday, February 29, 2012):  In what turns out to be the longest day of the session thus far, I begin by passing a bill out of subcommittee before passing 3 more bills out of the full Health and Human Services committee.  Afterwards I attend an Ethics committee meeting where we vote to defeat 2 of the 3 bills on the agenda. As we have reached day 28 on the calendar and bills must be voted on by day 30 to remain active this session, many Senators are pushing their bills forward, knowing that they may be defeated.

During our caucus meeting today at lunch we hear from Gov. Nathan Deal regarding HR 1162, the charter school constitutional amendment, as well as Republican Presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich.  Once we are in session at 1PM, we take up 15 bills and 2 resolutions.  While most of these are not controversial and we speed through them, HR 1162, the charter school amendment, and SB 321, the metal thefts bill, take up enough time to carry us to 8:30 PM before we adjourn.

While we end up spending almost 2 hours before passing SB 321, the metal thefts bill, we spend almost 2 ½ hours on HR 1162 before tabling the bill because of the lack of yea votes.  Constitutional amendments like these take a super majority vote of the Senate, meaning that we must have 38 yea votes for it to pass.  The Governor’s office is aware that we are 1 vote shy and decides to table the bill and work on securing the last vote.  After being at it since 7:30 AM this morning, I leave the Capitol at 9PM on my way home to beautiful South Georgia.

 

 

Tags: Atlanta, Capitol, Government, State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler)
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40 Days at the Capitol- Installment 6

– March 2, 2012Posted in: Government


To our readers:   State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session.  The session began January 9, 2012 and is expected to last until the latter days of March. .

 

Day 22 (Tuesday, February 21, 2012):  Although it made for a late night drive, I was delighted to join the Skidaway Island Republican Club last night for their annual Presidents’ Day Dinner where we heard from Home Depot Co-founder Bernie Marcus. Mr. Marcus’s story is that of the true American dream and he is certainly an inspiration to many of us.

After an early morning caucus meeting, we have an Appropriations meeting to pass out the FY12 amended budget. During session we have 3 bills on the calendar, all of which pass rather easily.  SB 367 authorizes the Commissioner of Agriculture to require anyone incurring civil penalties to obtain a surety bond or suspend portions of those penalties while SB 383 updates the procedural rules for international commercial arbitrations in our state. SB 390 allows the Dean of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to designate any certifying agency to provide for seed certification.

I am delighted to welcome participants in Classical Conversations, a group of home school students pursuing a classical Christian education program, to the Capitol today.  One of their leaders, Kristin Bigalke from Rincon, is a fellow Pharmacist who helps us occasionally in our pharmacies.  Later in the evening, I am a guest on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Lawmakers program, as I debate the HOPE scholarship with Sen. Jason Carter.  You can view the telecast at http://www.gpb.org/lawmakers-tv/2012/02/21.

Day 23 (Wednesday, February 22, 2012):  Early morning meetings are the norm during this busy time of year and today is a perfect example as I meet with representatives from the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) and Georgia Workforce Development Office before heading downtown to speak to the Independent Colleges’ Association.  Our calendars are beginning to get longer as we race toward the 30th day (crossover day) when bills must be passed in the Senate in order to be heard in the House this session.

Today we have 8 bills on the calendar, including SB 324, which states that the shoeing and fitting of equines for shoes is excluded from the definition of “practice of veterinary medicine,” and SB 360 which would allow tilapia to be released into private ponds.  While these may seem like silly subjects for the state legislature to be considering, it is important to those who are being prohibited from these practices because of existing laws.

I present SB 370 today, which is the annual drug update that revises lists of drugs classified as dangerous drugs.  We also pass SB 396 which transfers the governance of the Herty Advanced Materials Development Center to Georgia Southern University.  Later in the day I present SB 377, a bill that would require signers of election related petitions to provide proof of identification, to the Ethics Committee.  This turns out to be a very controversial bill and fails to pass.

Day 24 (Thursday, February 23, 2012):  I’m back in front of another committee early this morning as I present SB 376, a bill that calls for mandatory reporting to the state nursing board by employers of nurses who are believed to be impaired.  The bill passes this sub-committee and now heads to the full Health and Human Services Committee.

Today is another busy day during session as we have 9 bills and 1 resolution on the calendar, including the FY12 amended budget which totals $18.5 billion.  Because there were changes made in the budget after it was passed in the House, it will now go to a conference committee made up of Senate and House members who will work out a compromise.  I have another bill on the floor today, SB 378 which changes the Controlled Substances Act to clarify that pharmacists in our state can fill out of state prescriptions and also brings our states sampling laws into compliance with federal law.

Later in the afternoon, during the Regulated Industries committee meeting, I offer an amendment dealing with solar power to a bill in the same code section that is being presented.  If the subject matter is germane to the code section being discussed in a bill it can be amended as I am doing here. In one of the most closely watched meetings of the year, with a full room and lots of media coverage, I present what was originally SB 401, as an amendment.  And, although the bill ends up being tabled today, I am pleased that we have been able to bring the issue to the forefront and live to fight another day.

Day 25 (Friday, February 24, 2012):  We welcome back to the Senate today the first African-American elected to the General Assembly after the Reconstruction period, Sen. Leroy Johnson.  It is an honor to have this fine gentleman and great Georgian back at the Capitol.

Today I present my third bill in three days as SR 765, granting non-exclusive easements in Butts, Bryan and Liberty counties for the placement of power lines is passed.  Also today we pass SB 372, a bill that will require the funeral director in charge of a crematory to make a reasonable effort to determine whether any body submitted for final disposition by cremation is that of a deceased veteran.

We also spend about 2 hours debating SB 447, a bill that increases the amount of employee wages that are taxed for unemployment insurances, before it passes mostly along party lines.  This bill addresses the $736 million that our state has borrowed to pay state unemployment benefits allowing us to pay back the federal government by the end of 2014 and gives us $1 billion in the trust fund by the end of 2016.  While this is difficult for all of us to do, I am proud that we are facing our responsibilities and addressing this dilemma.

 

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334.  His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

 

 

Tags: Atlanta, Capitol, Government, State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler)
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40 Days at the Capitol- Installment 5

– February 25, 2012Posted in: Government


 

To our readers:   State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session.  The session began January 9, 2012 and is expected to last until the latter days of March. .

Day 19 (Wednesday, February 15, 2012): Without question, in my eight years that I have served in the legislature, this has been the busiest that I have ever experienced.  While I am happy that leadership is trying to get us out by the end of March, the pace by which we have been operating has been very trying and exhausting.  Having last Friday through Monday off was a welcome relief so that we could get back home to our families and businesses.

Although we were not in session yesterday, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, I was at the Capitol as we are currently reviewing the FY12 amended budget.  Being the Chairman of the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, it is my responsibility to oversee the budget for the Department of Corrections as well as the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. We start our day off today with an early morning meeting of the 1st Congressional District Coastal Delegation, chaired by Rep. Ron Stephens.  The two hour meeting includes presentations by Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens regarding the difficulty coastal property owners east of I-95 are having obtaining homeowner’s insurance.

We also hear from Todd Long, Director of Planning for Transportation in our state regarding the upcoming TSPLOST referendum as well as presentations from the Board of Regents, DNR and Georgia Ports Authority. As we go into session today, we have three bills on the calendar including SB 246 which increases the employee contribution for new members (as of July 1, 2012) of the Employees Retirement System from $4 per month to $10 per month.

We also pass SB 286 which prohibits future tax commissioners and their employees from becoming members of the Employees Retirement System if they become a tax commissioner on or after July 1, 2012.  SB 269, dealing with voluntary corrective actions for water violations, turns out to be somewhat controversial and is pulled off of the calendar by the author.

Among the many committee meetings that I have this afternoon is a Health and Human Services Committee meeting where I pass out SB 378, a bill I am sponsoring that updates the Controlled Substances Act. Also this afternoon, I meet with Liberty County Officials, including County Commission Chairman John McIver, Hinesville Mayor James Thomas and Governor Nathan Deal regarding education issues.

Day 20 (Thursday, February 16, 2012):  I drop (submit) two more bills today as we go into session bringing my total number of bills that I am sponsoring at this point to 14 for the year.  Counting the bills left from last year, I have a total of 25 bills that I am working on. SB 331, a bill that defines which tasks and duties title insurers are authorized to execute, is one of three bills to pass today. We also pass SB 358 which requires local governments in Georgia to reciprocate the preferences granted by out of state local governments for vendors in their own states to Georgia’s vendors.

The final bill to pass is SB 366 which prohibits certain acts in regards to Juvenile Detention Centers and Youth Development Centers, specifically persons would not be authorized to bring drugs or weapons across the guard line and the sale and trade of contraband is banned.  During our daily time of “personal privilege” today, a number of Senators from the minority party speak out critically of the HOPE scholarship, prompting me and other members of the majority party to go to the well to speak in support of this great scholarship program.  I am honored this afternoon to meet with representatives from North Georgia College as they are here visiting the Capitol.

Day 21 (Friday, February 17, 2012): We start out early today with a caucus meeting at 8AM and session at 9AM.  I present and pass my first bill of the session today as SB 369, extending the repeal date of the Georgia Geospastial Advisory Council (GGAC) from June 30, 2012 to June 30, 2015.  The GGAC was created by a bill I passed in 2010 (HB 169) while I was still in the House for the purpose of auditing Georgia’s geospatial capabilities at the county, regional and state levels.  GGAC is charged with making recommendations for utilizing those capabilities to meet FEMA floodplain notification requirements.

We also pass SB 107, increasing the maximum fine for contempt of court in Superior Court from $500 to $1000, and SB 395 which authorizes the collection of SPLOST revenues to be fractionally collected up to a full one percent.  SB 362, the Deadhead Logging bill, also passes today.  This bill has been around for many years but has never finished the complete process and is therefore being brought up again.  I am joined at the Capitol today by Matt Cadella, a good friend and community activist from Hinesville.  After enjoying a visit with Matt and catching up on paper work, I head to God’s country- beautiful southeast Georgia- for the weekend.

 

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334.  His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

 

 

Tags: Atlanta, Capitol, Government, State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler)
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40 Days at the Capitol- Week 4

– February 17, 2012Posted in: Government, Headlines


To our readers:   State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session.  The session began January 9, 2012 and is expected to last until the latter days of March. .

 

Day 15 (Monday, February 6, 2012):  After what had to have been the shortest weekend ever, we’re back up here today with everyone’s analysis of yesterday’s Super Bowl being the topic of discussion.  Although we don’t go into session until the afternoon, my day starts with a meeting at 8 AM with a department head of one of the agencies that is under my purview in Appropriations.

After two more meetings with department heads, I catch up with the Leadership Liberty group visiting from Hinesville.  It is always good to welcome groups from home, especially such a great group of civic leaders as this.  After running downtown to speak to the Board of Trustees of Georgia Southern University and give them an update on Higher Education issues in our state, I’m back at the Capitol as we go into session at 1PM.  I am honored to have 10 pages from the 4-H programs in Bryan and Chatham counties to help us in the Senate today.  Since we don’t have any action items on our calendar, we adjourn after less than an hour and committee meetings begin immediately afterwards.

I pass my first bill out of subcommittee today as SB 370, the annual Drug Update bill for Pharmacy.  Later I also pass SB 368, a bill allowing the state board of nursing to set up rules to require nurses in our state to have continuing competency as a condition of licensing.  It is a pleasure to welcome Armstrong Atlantic State University President Linda Blieken to the Capitol today as I join her and other members of the Chatham County delegation in a meeting with Governor Nathan Deal.

Day 16 (Tuesday, February 7, 2012):  Today is a very special day at the Capitol as we celebrate Girl Scouts of America Day.  Obviously, Savannah and the Girl Scouts have a strong bond and I am honored to be invited to the podium in the Senate to help welcome them.  We also celebrate Catholic Day as well as Columbus Day at the Capitol. Although we have many different celebrations most days we are in session, they are all special and the pride that each group takes in being honored at their state capitol is inspiring.

As we get down to business we pass 3 bills including SB 337, which will prohibit requiring a dentist or physician to participate in any public or private health insurance, public healthcare system, public service initiative or emergency room coverage as a condition of granting a state license to practice medicine.

We also pass SB 339 which transfers people and planes from the Georgia Aviation Authority back to DNR and the Forestry commission.  We also pass our first House bill of the year, HB 675 which removes the requirement that a non-accredited institution must be a four-year nonprofit institution in order to be accepted as an approved nursing program.

Day 17 (Wednesday, February 8, 2012): After an early morning breakfast honoring University of Georgia Alumni currently serving in the legislature, I head over to the office to meet with Dr. Cheryl Dozier, the interim President of Savannah State College, who is doing an excellent job in guiding this important part of our community into the future.  Before heading to caucus, I stop by the Lt. Governor’s office to request a bill I dropped yesterday be assigned to a certain committee.

The Lt. Governor and members of the Committee on Assignments meet each morning before session to decide where bills introduced the previous day will be placed.  This can be crucial to the fate of a bill.  Unfortunately, my bill is assigned to another committee making my work even tougher.

We have 3 more bills on the calendar today as we pass SB 343 removing the title and duties of the Comptroller General from the Commissioner and Department of Insurance and creating a new office under the State Accounting Office.  With the passage of this bill, the State Accounting Officers will serve as the Comptroller General of the State of Georgia. SB 351 also passes and will require municipal court judges over traffic courts and misdemeanor courts to have the same training as other judges. Later in the afternoon I am fortunate to pass SB 369, a bill to extend the automatic repeal date of the Georgia Geospatial Advisory Council to June 30, 2015.

Day 18 (Thursday, February 9, 2012):  Today we welcome over 400 pharmacist and pharmacy students to the Capitol as we celebrate VIP (Very Involved Pharmacist) day.  As I join this wonderful group for breakfast and we hear from some of our state’s top officials, such as Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens and Attorney General Sam Olens, I can’t help but be proud of my profession for such a great showing.  Later in the morning as we are in session, I am honored to be able to welcome them to the Senate and am all smiles as what seems like the entire gallery is wearing white lab coats.

We pass 3 bills again today as SB 333, which call for broader notification for foreclosure sales, and SR 715 urging Congress to expand the eligibility requirements of the guest worker program and allow states to administer their own guest worker programs monitored by the USDA both pass.  SB 357, authored by freshman Senator John Wilkinson from Toccoa, is a relatively simple bill that deals with the sale of treated timber products but receives much scrutiny as it is the freshman’s first bill.  After much harassment from the senior members of the Senate, the freshman’s bill passes with no opposition. The afternoon is filled with one meeting after another as we are in full swing now in Atlanta.

 

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334.  His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

 

 

Tags: Atlanta, Government, Pooler, state capitol, State Senator Buddy Carter
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40 Days at the Capitol- Week 3

– February 13, 2012Posted in: Government, Headlines

 

 

Day 10 (Monday, January 30, 2012): Much of what we do in the legislature is related to preparation and this morning is a perfect example as I am at the Capitol at 8 AM to review the Criminal Justice Appropriations budget with the Senate budget analyst.  I will be chairing a subcommittee this afternoon to hear testimony from the department heads from Corrections and Pardons and Paroles and this is an opportunity for me to familiarize myself with their budget requests before the meeting.

After our usual morning caucus meeting, we go into session at 10AM and have two items on the agenda.  SB 117, sponsored by Sen. Jessie Stone from Waynesboro, increases the homestead exemption on a person’s home for bankruptcy purposes from $10,000 to $21,500 for an individual and from $20,000 to $43,000 if the property is in the name of one of two spouses.  Also today we agree to a conference committee report worked out by members of the Senate and House on SB 223, a bill that will set up a legislative “sunset” panel to review and eliminate state agencies.  The panel, made up of 14 legislators, would be given the responsibility to recommend whether an agency or program should continue to operate or be eliminated through a “sunset” provision.

Later in the day, I meet with Dr. Ralph Swearngin, Executive Director of the Georgia High School Association (GHSA), and 14 other legislators to discuss the recent decision by the GHSA to have a private and public school playoff in Class A football.

Day 11 (Tuesday, January 31, 2012):  Today is a fairly busy day in the chamber as we have five bills on the calendar, all of which pass.  SB 136 provides condominium owners with a process to go to court if a developer fails to complete certain responsibilities such as following an association’s bylaws or preparing an annual operating budget and establishing the annual assessment.

SB 300 allows for the private boiling, bottling and sale of sugar cane or sorghum syrup as long as the bottles contain a label with the producer’s name, address, all ingredients, net weight or volume and a statement that the product was not produced by a Department of Agriculture licensed facility.

Silencers on hunting firearms is allowed under SB 301 with stiff penalties for those hunting without the permission of the landowner, hunting in an area that has been closed to hunting or out of season, or hunting big game at night.

The other two bills taken up today are SB 307 which creates a one-day saltwater fishing license and SB 309 which allows the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to issue a special authorization to hunt big game/alligators to a person under 21 years of age with a terminal illness.  Also today I welcome Bryan County commissioner Carter Infinger to the Capitol as he is in town for business with the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG).

Day 12 (Wednesday, February 1, 2012):  Once again the day starts early with a meeting of the Chatham County legislative delegation as we discuss local issues including new maps for the school board and county commission. We are pleased to have the Lieutenant Governor visit with us at our daily caucus meeting today as we discuss budgetary issues with him.

The only bill on our calendar today is SB 302 which increases the bonding authority for the Georgia Higher Education Facilities Authority from $300 million to $500 million.  These are facilities such as parking decks and student centers that schools build and pay for through student fees.

Later in the day, I attend the Higher Education Appropriations subcommittee meeting to review their budget requests.  Although we do a great deal of work on other things, our work on the budget is without question the most time consuming.  All together I serve on five different Appropriation sub committees, each with the responsibility of reviewing the department’s proposals in detail.

Day 13 (Thursday, February 2, 2012):  After two early morning meetings, I head into session this morning as we take up six bills.  HB 477 sets all insurance licenses issued by the state to a two year term while HB 683 allows an authorized officer or employee answer garnishment summonses.  SB 225 creates the crime of false reporting of a crime by anyone who knowingly and intentionally sends a false claim that they have committed a serious violent felony.

Two other bills, SB  227 which allows a home study program to submit online attendance records to the Georgia Department of Education, and SB 319 which allows DNR to post a sign or other form of notice restricting the use of boats on waters of any park, historic site, or recreational area, also pass easily.

However, the day is not void of suspense as SB 305, a bill to increase the Lemon Law fee collected by dealers of new motor vehicles from the consumer from $3 to $5 passes by the slimmest of margins.  Although the fee hasn’t been raised since 1990, some members are upset at any increase in fees, regardless of the purpose.  In one of my busiest afternoons this session, I attend meetings solid from 1 PM till 6:30 PM including a Regulated Industries meeting that lasts for 3 and a half hours.

Day 14 (Friday, February 3, 2012): As is the case on most Fridays when we are in session, we convene early today and therefore our caucus meeting is bumped up as well.  Although we don’t have any bills on our calendar today, I sense a growing concern among leadership that our FY13 budget is going to be more difficult than expected.  While the FY12 amended budget seems to be settled at this point, lower than expected revenue numbers from December ‘11 and January ‘12 have gotten the attention of budget analyst and, although panic has not set in, there seems to be a genuine concern about our ability to meet our revenue estimates.  While the Governor and legislature desperately want to achieve certain things in the proposed FY13 budget, such as a much deserved pay increase for our teachers and elimination of taxes on energy in manufacturing, because of the lower revenue figures, achieving these goals is becoming more of a challenge.

 

To our readers:   State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session.  The session began January 9, 2012 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334.  His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

 

 

Tags: Atlanta, Capitol, Government, State Senator Buddy Carter
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40 Days at the Capitol- Week 2

– February 1, 2012Posted in: Government


To our readers:   State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session.  The session began January 9, 2012 and is expected to last until the latter days of March. .

 

Day 6 (Monday, January 23, 2012):  Although we were not in session last week, as a member of the Appropriations committee I was at the Capitol most of the week for budget hearings.  We began on Tuesday of last week with the Governor presenting an outline of both his amended FY12 as well as FY13 budgets.

For the remainder of Tuesday, all of Wednesday and Thursday morning, we reviewed each departments proposals and studied the budget in detail.  After a long weekend, we’re back in session today.  Today is Mayor’s day at the Capitol sponsored by the Georgia Municipal Association and we welcome mayors and city councilman from around the state to Atlanta.  After joining this fine group of local leaders for a breakfast featuring Governor Nathan Deal, we go into session at 10AM and get right to work by debating two bills.

HB46, the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act, will streamline discovery in cases involving out of state decisions by allowing depositions and discovery taken in other states to be admissible in Georgia courts.

While HB46 passes easily, SB203, a bill that was passed by the Senate last year but had changes made by the House, is disagreed to by the Senate today.  The bill will now go back to the House where they will either accept the bill as is or disagree and have a conference committee appointed to work out the differences between the two chambers.

Our Chaplain of the Day today is Chaplain Major Jeff Struecker, a decorated member of the U.S. Army whose character was featured in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down.”  Later in the day, I participate in the Right to Life rally on the Capitol steps and we enjoy a visit with friends from Effingham County as today is “Effingham Day at the Capitol.”

Day 7 (Tuesday, January 24, 2012):  While we didn’t have any action items on the calendar today during session, we had quite a number of groups that we honored including the Class AA state champion Burke County Bears football team.

Most of my day is taken up by committee meetings including a Higher Education Committee meeting where we hear presentations from Dr. Lamar Veatch with the Public Libraries and Chancellor Hank Huckaby and Technical School Commissioner Ron Jackson who make a presentation on the Complete College Georgia Plan.  This innovative and much needed plan creates new forms of collaboration and accountability between the University System and Technical Colleges in our state to help increase the number of students in Georgia who complete college.

Day 8 (Wednesday, January 25, 2012):  Today is a very busy day and I start with a meeting with representatives from The Living Vine, a Christian Maternity Home in Savannah that does outstanding work in our community.  As our state faces continued budget constraints, we will be depending on religious groups such as this fine organization to provide services to our citizens.

Once in session, we recognize Sheriffs from across our state who are at the Capitol today before we join the House for the State of the Judiciary address given by Chief Justice Carol Hunstein.  After meeting with the Community Bankers Association members, the afternoon is filled with committee meetings including a Health and Human Services, Ethics and Higher Education meeting.  The Higher Education meeting is a joint meeting with the House committee members and we hear a presentation from the Georgia Student Finance Commission updating us on the HOPE scholarship.  The HOPE scholarship is the finest merit based program in the nation and we are committed to helping sustain its success in the future.

Day 9 (Thursday, January 26, 2012):  Today is Savannah-Chatham Day at the Capitol and it is a welcome site to see so many friends from home.  We begin the day with a meeting of the Chatham County legislative delegation where we are joined by Mayor Edna Jackson and members of the Savannah City Council to review their legislative agenda for the year. Also this morning I have the honor of speaking to the Georgia Alumni Association of Historically Black State Universities.  This is a fine group with representatives from Albany State, Fort Valley State, and Savannah State and I am privileged to address the group.

Today is a very special day for me personally as my Chatham County colleague, Senator Lester Jackson and I welcome the Class A state football champion Savannah Christian Red Raiders to the Senate.  Led by Coach Donald Chumley and Upper School principal Ashley Barnwell, we honor this outstanding group of young men and have our picture taken with them and Governor Nathan Deal.  We are very, very proud of this fine group.

The afternoon is filled with meetings with different groups and, of course, the traditional meeting with Savannah-Chatham leaders that is moderated by former State Representative, and current WTOC news anchor, Sonny Dixon. Later that evening the “event of the year” the annual Savannah-Chatham seafood fest is held at the Depot.  What a great event and what a wonderful asset for us as legislators representing this area to have.

 

 

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334.  His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

 

 

Tags: state capitol, State Senator Buddy Carter
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Dorothy Hubbard era begins

– January 9, 2012Posted in: Government, Headlines, Walter L. Johnson II

Mayor-elect Dorothy Hubbard will take office next week as Albany’s first female mayor.

 

Written by Walter L. Johnson II

 

Monday, Jan. 9, 2012 will be a history-in-the-making moment for Albany.

On that date, Dorothy Hubbard will be sworn in as the city’s first-ever female mayor.  She replaces Willie Adams, who served as Albany’s first African-American chief executive for the last eight years.

Despite being a pioneer in Albany politics, Hubbard—who is a former city commissioner representing Ward II—doesn’t dwell on that fact very often.

“I know there are times when you want to think about it, but you don’t dare, because you know that you need everybody’s help, and everybody’s support,” Hubbard said. “So, it’s not just a matter of being a female as much as it about working together, and all of us working together, males and females.”

Additionally, Hubbard added, that men and women in general should support each other as often as possible.

“It’s also about knowing that in the past, we as females have supported our male leaders, and what we are asking for is (the) male leaders support.

“I’m suggesting that I want the same respect and support that has been given to the male counterparts coming forward.”

Mary Ligon, who served as one of Hubbard’s campaign manager, believes Hubbard will be a solid public servant as Albany’s mayor.

“Dorothy will serve our community well,” Ligon said. “She is patient, listens to multiple perspectives, analyzes the options, and chooses the best plan of action.”

Within the first 50-100 days of her term in office, Hubbard plans to address the multiple issues she addressed during her campaign, which include, but aren’t limited to, education, demolishing blighted properties, and even homelessness.

“I will go on to set up my community councils, which will actually be formed around my four major areas and platforms, which will be education, crime, jobs and economic development, and blighted properties,” Hubbard said.

Additionally, Hubbard added, getting with expertise in dealing with such issues—especially economic development and unemployment—will be a major priority during her first year in office.

“We will look at the jobs and economic development,” she said, “How that affects Albany, and how they’re all interwoven, interlinked, and how that affects the other.

“Certainly, we’re going to have to assess where we’ve been.  We’re going to have to assess where we are, and then get on the same page, and going in the same direction, to determine where we need to go.”

Ligon believes there’s no one specific issue that Albany faces going into 2012 and beyond.

“There are many issues in our community that need focused attention,” Ligon said. “Because not everyone agrees on the priorities or the solutions, it is important for everyone to seek understanding of others’ perspective and not just push their own view.”

“With sincere effort and respect of one another’s views,” Ligon added, “I believe we can work together to address many of the issues in our community.”

     While most of Georgia’s population grew within the past decade, many of the state’s cities and counties south of Macon—especially those in southwest Georgia—lost population between 2000 and 2010.

As a result, Hubbard says, co-operation between multiple communities in the region will be critical.  She thinks that such collaboration can benefit not only Albany, but also the cities and counties surrounding Dougherty County.

“I think that the people in Albany and Dougherty County want their elected officials to work together,” explained Hubbard.  “They want us to understand just locally, within this city and county, how important it is for all of us to work together.

“When you take that, and move it regionally, then you start talking about Leesburg, Colquitt, and Cordele, and Sylvester, that’s going to be crucial.

“It’s going to be really important for all of us not only to work together, but to understand how important regionalism, to understand that if Sylvester can get some jobs, then Albany will benefit, if Albany could get some jobs, Sylvester will benefit.

“What we have to understand is if Albany loses, then southwest Georgia loses.  The other counties surrounding Albany lose.  If Colquitt loses, or Sylvester loses, or Lee County loses, we all lose.

“Because a lot of those people that are moving (to), or living in Sylvester, or are living in Lee County, actually come back to Albany and Dougherty County to work.

“So, it’s going to be crucial, (and) it’s going to be a challenge, to help us to understand why regionalism is actually important.”

     With confidence in local government appearing to be at an all-time low, both Hubbard and Ligon think winning the trust of Albany citizens will be a task that must be worked on tremendously.

“In my opinion, the basic issue is a lack of trust across our community, which makes all other issues difficult to resolve,” Ligon explained.

“If we each take responsibility for our own words and actions so they contribute to developing an environment of trust, then we work through differences and accomplish positive changes more quickly.”

Hubbard says earning the trust of the citizens will take time and effort.

“I’m going to do everything I can to see that we all work together, that we all understand the importance of our moving our city forward.

“There are some challenges, real challenges for us.  But I think that if really, really work together, then we’ll understand how one affects the other that we understand that we can do this, if we really, really work at it.

“It’s not going to be easy, but we will have to work at it.”

 

Tags: dorothy hubbard, Local Politics, Mayor of Albany, Walter Johnson
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Allen to challenge Bishop

– December 12, 2011Posted in: Government, Headlines

Rick Allen explains his reasons in an exclusive announcement interview with The Albany Journal

 

Written by Tom Knighton

 

Rick Allen came late to the party.  That was the essential verdict of everyone who looked at the Georgia Second’s Republican primary.  Allen entered the race late and never could catch up with eventual winner Mike Keown, who went on to lose to Representative Sanford Bishop. However, Allen did earn a great deal of respect from area Republicans.

That respect turned to enthusiasm as Allen announced to supporters via email that he was going to run again.

Social media sites had numerous people expressing their pleasure that the business owner from Columbus was coming back into the political arena.  Allen himself feels that he could have had a better showing last time around had he entered the race sooner. “I got into the race very late last time, in mid March I believe. Mike Keown was running a strong race with a lot of support and funding already in place. Mike had already been campaigning seven months when I came into the race. As a political novice I had a lot of ground to make up in a short time,” Allen said.

So why run this time? One local report describes Allen’s defeat in the primary as him being “crushed”, so why run again?

“More than anything I believe our Country is heading into national decline at an alarming rate, and I am very passionate about standing with other patriots to stop this decline. I’m also running because Georgia District Two needs a strong conservative voice in Washington,” Allen said.

Allen has already come out swinging against Bishop, who is currently seeking his 11th term in the House of Representatives. “We are currently represented by a pawn of the Obama Administration, which has shown itself to be the most radical, leftist and ineffective Presidency in US history. Sanford Bishop’s tenure in the Second District has sewn a path of corruption and his actions and voting record endorse a Democrat Party agenda which is leading us headlong into big government European style socialism and class warfare, which voters of the Georgia Second do not want, and will hasten our downfall as a nation,” said Allen.

Allen says his platform will include specific positions on overturning President Obama’s healthcare reform law, cutting spending, cutting the national debt, and a push for a balanced budget amendment. In addition, Allen says he will also campaign on the idea of American Exceptionalism.

“My campaign platform will center on the idea of American exceptionalism. That is that we are the exception to the history and condition of man, in that we are the first serious country to prove that man can govern himself, without a powerful governmental authority, dictating and controlling every facet of human activity. Along with our Founding Fathers, I believe we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, and that it is the responsibility of the Government to protect these rights, and our liberty is best served when government is limited. I will also stress the ideals of self reliance, individual liberty, fiscal responsibility, the restoration of traditional American values, and a strong national defense,” Allen said in an email to The Albany Journal.

Allen’s fight is bound to be uphill.  Redistricting efforts to protect Congressman Austin Scott has created a strong Democrat leaning district in the Second District, with now parts of Macon as part of the district.  However, it was thought that Bishop was fairly safe at this point in the last election, only to have a strong challenge from Keown that nearly toppled the long time Congressman.

 

Sources also indicate that Lee Ferrell, who finished third in the last election behind Keown and Allen, is planning on running as well.
Tags: featured, House of Representatives, politics, Rick Allen, sanford bishop
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Ward 2: No end in sight.

– December 2, 2011Posted in: Government

Judge Joe Bishop called an end to proceedings late Friday afternoon, but the question of what to do about the controversial Ward 2 race is still to be decided.  Attorneys for Melissa Strother and Ivey Hines, as well as City Attorney Nathan Davis, asked plenty of questions, but little in the way of new information was learned.

One key component of today’s proceedings were whether signs were prominently displayed.  Strother’s attorney, Bo Dorough, called forth campaign workers who held signs outside of various Ward 2 precincts.  Each had entered their respective precincts and saw no signs.  This was countered by Davis calling up the precinct manager from each Ward who expressed where the signs were placed.

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Tags: Albany Dougherty County Election Board, Cheryl Calhoun, Ivey Hines, Judge Joe Bishop, Melissa Strother
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