Joe:  Welcome to the card game, Ed.

Ed:  Sorry I’m late, guys.  I was just going over some of the changes the Georgia state legislature made this year in HB 386, the tax reform bill.

Bob:  I heard about that.  That was something they came up with during the final days of the session, wasn’t it?

Ed:  Oh, no.  They’ve been working on this for over 2 years- ever since the Tax Council, which was created in 2010 and made up of business and economic experts in our state, made their recommendations to the Special Joint Legislative Tax Committee.

Frank:  I remember that.  Sonny Perdue was still Governor and that Council held meetings across the state taking suggestions from citizens on how to make Georgia’s tax code friendlier and more attractive to employers.

Ed:  That’s right.  They tried to present a tax proposal that would help create jobs and move Georgia towards a fairer and more economically attractive tax structure for private citizens and businesses alike.

Joe:  Are all of the Tax Council’s recommendations included in this tax reform bill?

Ed:  No, not everything.  For instance the Tax Council recommended putting taxes back on groceries and increasing the tobacco tax.  The legislature and Governor Deal considered those things but there was too much opposition at this time and they didn’t get included in the final bill.

Bob:  So does that mean that the things recommended by the Tax Council that didn’t get included this time are dead now?

Ed:  No, not necessarily.  Keep in mind that beneficial tax reform comes in measured, well thought-out steps.  This tax reform package lays the foundation for the future of tax reform in Georgia.  It’s one step in the right direction- many will follow in the years to come.

Frank:  Was anything included in this bill that was not part of the Tax Council’s recommendations?

Ed:  Yes.  Starting July 1, 2012, the sale of jet fuel to airlines is exempt from 1 percent of the 4 percent state sales and use tax.

Joe:  Sounds like another break for big business, if you ask me.

Ed:  No, not really.  If the price of fuel is lower in Georgia it makes Georgia look more attractive for airlines to refuel here- helping bring in business for all of Georgia’s airports.  If airports bring in more traffic, the more jobs will need to be created.

Bob:  So the tax reform bill was as much about creating jobs as it was about cutting taxes?

Ed: That’s right.

Frank:  Yeah, but if we’re giving a break to big business like the airlines, how is this tax reform saving us citizens money?

Ed:  Remember, this tax reform bill includes a lot of different pieces.  The jet fuel exemption is only a part of the total package.  When it’s all said and done, businesses in Georgia will save over $161 million in taxes over the next 3 years, while individuals will save over $101 million.

Joe:  Yeah, I heard about the ad valorem or “birthday” tax on automobiles going away, what else is changing in this bill?

Ed:  Well, all of us here are married and the bill does away with the marriage penalty in our income tax code by cutting income taxes for married couples.

Bob:  All right!  Now you’re talking!  I’ve always thought it was unfair for married joint filers to have to pay more than single filers.

Ed:  So did the legislature.  That’s why they increased the personal exemption for married couples by $2000/year from $5400 to $7400.  That puts $362 million into the pockets of married couples over the next 3 years and equals the playing field between married and single filers.

Frank:  So what about senior citizens like my wife and me?

Ed:  This is not a tax increase for seniors.  No one who is currently taking exclusions is affected.  The bill simply caps the retirement income exclusion for seniors at the current level of $65,000 or $130,000 per couple.  This is one of the highest in the nation.

Joe:  Are there other parts to the bill?

Ed:  Yes, but we’ll have to talk about them later.  We need to play some cards now.

Bob:  Yeah.  I’ll start. Ed, you got any 3’s?

Ed:  Nope.  Go fish.

With all of the talk lately about the possibility of a raise in property taxes, it’s no surprise to many Albanians that the Dougherty County Taxpayers Association has something to day to it.

The group, responding to an email request by the journal, sent the following brief statement:

The Dougherty County Taxpayers Association will weigh all options to the City’s proposed millage increase (resulting from their gross mismanagement of taxpayer funds) including its legality and the many illegal exemptions including Phoebe’s giant exemption.

The group reportedly formed as a result of what was seen as poor practices with property tax appraisals and a high property tax rate.  The group made waves several years ago, though have quieted down a bit recently.

The above statement was made as an initial reaction.  We expect to hear back from the group with a more detailed statement.  Check out next week’s print edition of The Albany Journal for more.

 Salesman: Welcome to Ed’s New and Used Car sales.  How can I help you?

Customer: Well, I’d like to look at buying a new car but I understand that the Georgia State Legislature just passed a new law that will do away with the birthday tax.  Is that true?

Salesman:  Yes, it’s true.

Customer:  Can you tell me how it works?

Salesman:  Sure.  Currently when you buy a new car you pay a sales tax on the price of the car when you purchase it.  The sales tax can be 6% to 8 % depending on which county you live in.  After that, once a year on your birthday, you get a bill from your county’s tax commissioner charging you an ad valorem tax on your vehicle.

Customer: How is this ad valorem tax calculated?

Salesman: Using sources such as the “Blue Book,” the tax commissioner prepares a uniform evaluation of motor vehicles based on the current fair market value.  Once the value of the motor vehicle is set then the local millage rate is applied to its assessment.  The actual tax is calculated by taking 40 percent of the assessed value and multiplying it by the local millage rate.

Customer:  So that’s the bill I get every year when I get my sticker for my tag.

Salesman:  That’s right.  Only now that’s changing.   Thanks to HB 386 which passed the legislature this year, the ad valorem tax, or birthday tax as it’s called, will be eliminated starting March 1, 2013.  So will the sales tax that you pay when you first buy the car.

 Customer:  So starting March 1, 2013 there will no longer be a birthday tax each year and the 6% to 8% sales tax on the purchase of the car will be eliminated?

Salesman:  That’s right.

Customer:  So what will replace these taxes?

Salesman:  Starting March 1, 2013 when you buy a new car you’ll be charged a one-time title fee of 6.5%.  That fee will go up to 6.75% on January 1, 2014 and 7% on January 1, 2015.

Customer:  But what if I buy a new car today?  Will I still have to pay the sales tax when I buy it and the ad valorem tax on my birthday?

Salesman:  Yes, if you buy a new car before March 1, 2013, you will still have to pay the sales tax.  And if your birthday falls between now and March 1, 2013 you will still have to pay the ad valorem tax.

Customer:  Then I should wait until after March 1, 2013 to buy a new car?

Salesman:  No.  If you buy a new car between January 1, 2012 and February 28, 2013 you can opt in to the program starting March 1, 2013.  If the sales tax and ad valorem tax paid on the car before March 1, 2013 are equal to or greater than what the 6.5% title fee would be, then nothing more is required and you no longer have to pay the birthday tax.

Customer: So the title fee replaces both the sales tax and the annual ad valorem tax?

 Salesman:  That’s right.

Customer:  What happens if I trade in a $10,000 car for a $30,000 car in regards to the title fee?

Salesman:  Same as the current sales tax law- you pay the title fee on the net value of $20,000.

Customer:  I heard that casual sales of cars between people are now going to be taxed.

     Salesman:  That’s right.  In order to transfer a title for a car you will have to pay the title fee unless it’s between immediate family members.

Customer:  So if I sell my neighbor down the street my car, he’ll now have to pay the title fee?

     Salesman: That’s right.

Customer:  I heard my County Commissioners and School Board members are upset because they say this is going to mean less local tax revenue.

Salesman:  That’s simply not true.  The state has guaranteed the locals the amount they have been receiving plus a 2 % growth rate.

Customer:  Wow, you really know a lot about this legislation.  Are you a State Senator?

Salesman:  Bite your tongue!  Of course I’m not a State Senator.  I’m  a Used Car Salesman!

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 38 (Monday, March 26, 2012):  Finally, the last few days of the 2012 session are here!  In my eight years of serving in the legislature, this is the first time we have had an established schedule that we could plan around and all of us, especially small business owners like myself, are very thankful.  As one would imagine, the last week is chaotic with legislators and lobbyists running around trying to get their legislation passed.  I begin the morning with yet another House rules committee meeting where I am successful in getting three of my last four bills on the calendar for tomorrow.

Afterwards, we have a Senate Health and Human Services Committee meeting where we finish up the last few House bills on our agenda.  As we head into session at 1PM we have 31 bills on the calendar and we are all wondering how we will finish such a full load today.  Things start out well as we click off the first nine bills, all of which are non-controversial, quickly.

HB 954, the fetal pain bill, is a different story as it is easily one of the most controversial bills we have had not only this session, but in many years. This bill creates a legislative finding that there is substantial evidence that an unborn child is capable of experiencing pain by at least 20 weeks after fertilization.  The legislation asserts that the state should protect the lives of unborn children from the stage at which substantial medical evidence indicates they are capable of feeling pain and prohibits abortions in cases in which the probable gestational age of the unborn child has been determined to be 20 weeks or more.

We spend a full five hours debating this bill, with emotions running high on both sides of the issue and with little or no room for compromise.  A total of nine amendments are offered with two passing and the bill is now sent back to the House for an agree/disagree judgment.  After recessing for a much needed break for dinner, we come back in at 8:00 PM and work till midnight to finish our calendar.          

Day 39 (Tuesday, March 27, 2012):  After a few hours of sleep, we’re right back here again at 8:00 AM sharp as we have 71 bills on our calendar today.  Although some are critical of having so many bills on the calendar at one time, it is important to understand that most of the work on bills is done in committees and by the time they reach the floor that have been mostly perfected.  Bills such as HB 954 that was debated for over five hours yesterday, are highly controversial and can never be perfected to everyone’s satisfaction.

After a long two hour caucus meeting to review all the bills, we go in at 10AM and the fireworks start almost immediately as we vote to “engross” a number of tax bills.  A vote to “engross” a bill means that no amendments can be added to the bill while it is being debated on the floor. This is a procedural move, generally undertaken by the majority party, in order to assure that no unwanted amendments are proposed that may end up forcing members to vote on that they are uncomfortable with.  After spending almost an hour on voting to engross about twelve bills, we finally take up our first bill of the day, HB 743, which extends the motor fuel exemption for public and campus transportation as well as the local sales tax exemption for jet fuel at Hartsfield.  Somewhat unexpectedly, there is much debate on this bill, particularly from legislators in the Atlanta area, and the bill takes up 1 & ½ hours of our time.

As we break for lunch at 12:30PM we have completed 3 bills and have 68 left on our calendar.  During our lunch break, I am honored to attend the signing into law of the synthetic marijuana bill, SB 370, by Governor Nathan Deal.  This bill has been named “Chase’s Law” after Chase Burnett, a 19 year old from Peachtree City, who died earlier this year from the effects of this drug.  After lunch we hit a pretty good pace with a few speed bumps along the way, including some local politics involving redistricting in the Augusta area.  After breaking for dinner, we are back in and work till 10PM before tabling about 26 bills, saving them for the 40^th and last day.

Day 40 (Thursday, March 29, 2012):  Many people consider this to be the most dangerous day of the year in the State of Georgia.  The 40^th day of the session, Sine Die as it is referred to, is a day when victory can be gained, hearts can be broken, and the future of our state can be influenced.  There are 236 legislators, numerous lobbyists, and countless citizens who have an interest in at least one bill that is being considered today.

For me personally, I have had a very good session but still have two bills that I have worked tirelessly on this session that are up in the air.  While we bring a number of bills left over from Tuesday off of the table, most of our work today is with agrees/disagrees.  This is when a bill is sent from one chamber to the other and is changed from its original version.  If it is changed then it is sent back to the other chamber where it can either be agreed to or disagreed to.  If it is disagreed to, a conference committee of 3 members from each chamber is appointed to try and work out the differences.

To say that this is a stressful day is an understatement.  Things are moving so fast that it is difficult to follow each bill carefully, especially when you are working on your own bills trying to get them passed.  A few of the major bills, such as HB 954, the fetal pain bill, garners the attention of almost everyone, but for the most part, unless you have a special interest in a bill it is both important and difficult to keep up with any changes.

As the time grows closer to midnight, the pressure mounts and it becomes increasingly obvious that I am not going to be successful in passing two of my bills that I have worked so hard on this session.

While I am extremely disappointed that these two bills have failed, I am not alone and we all must realize that not all legislation, even good legislation, always passes.  Overall this has been an extremely successful session as we have passed tax reform, balanced our budget and handled numerous other major issues.  As the clock strikes midnight, we Sine Die and the 2012 session of the Georgia State Legislature is history.  As paper flies through the air and shouts of joy are yelled, I am reminded what an honor it is to represent the citizens of the First District in the State Senate.              

       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. 

Days before the 2011 Session of the Georgia General Assembly convened, Senate Republicans chose to strip Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle of much of his power over the body.  Despite Cagle having just won re-election by a wide margin, Senators declared that the constitutional responsibilities of running the Senate should remain with them.  A Committee On Assignments was re-instituted from the Mark Taylor era to dole out roles and prized committee chairmanships, controlled not by the Lieutenant Governor, but by the Senate Republican caucus.

The Senate spent the first year under their new structure at the height of dysfunction.  Cagle used his remaining powers to cajole and undermine where possible.  House members complained that they did not know who to negotiate with on major legislation.  As the Lieutenant Governor publicly battled Senate President Pro Tem Tommie Williams and Majority Leader Chip Rogers, the constant force of power in the Senate remained Rules Chairman Don Balfour.

Virtually no legislation can pass the Senate without Balfour’s approval.  His committee is the last stop before a bill can be voted on from the Senate floor.  He can decide if a bill reaches that floor, under what terms (thus, rules), or significantly alter bills assigned to his committee.  In a vacuum of power, Balfour became the Senate.  It was a gift to him from his fellow caucus members.

Balfour is no stranger to gifts.  He is the frequent recipient of meals, trips, and lodging from those who wish to curry his favor.  During 2011 alone, Lobbyists spent $13,646 to entertain Balfour.  One lobbyist name used to appear frequently. In 2008 and 2009, Marcia Rubensohn bought both meals and a hotel room for him.  She also traveled with Balfour to Israel as part of a delegation of State Legislators, and was listed on the itinerary not as a lobbyist, but as a Senate staffer.  When Atlanta news station WGCL attempted to question Balfour about his travel and expenses with Rubensohn, he hid in a Senate Anteroom and eventually escaped the Capitol through a back stairwell.

His campaign account is a trophy of his position of power, showing roughly $720,000 cash on hand as of the end of the year.  Names of those interested in seeing their bills pass the Senate are frequently listed next to large dollar contributions on his disclosure report.  It is from this account that Balfour pays for a $2,100 per month luxury midtown Atlanta condo plus related expenses, despite his home being in Snellville just 31 miles away.

Even after paying for this condo ostensibly to avoid a commute to his Gwinnett County home every day, Balfour has claimed not only his $173 per diem for the 50 days the Senate was in session last year and 123 days they were not, but mileage to and from his home each of those days.  This includes mileage for days when lobbyists disclosed they were entertaining Balfour out of state.

We know all of the above because it was disclosed under various ethics laws in Georgia.  Former Atlanta Journal-Constitution editor Jim Walls has done yeoman’s work categorizing the above information and much more on his watchdog website AtlantaUnfiltered.com. It’s worth a few minutes of your time.

The coup de grace from Balfour on ethics came during the final hours of the General Assembly last week.  Balfour, along with Senators Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga and John Bulloch of Thomasville were assigned as Senate Conferees to work out language on a bill regarding individual information stored upon the sale of fishing licenses.  Among the conferees was also Joe Wilkinson, Chair of the House Ethics Committee.  They added completely unrelated language to the bill that proposed sealing records of public officials found guilty of some ethics violations.  So much for transparency.

Furthermore, upon issuing their conference report to the Senate, they did not inform members of this totally new addition to the bill.  Most legislators never have time to read conference reports, especially on the last day as bills are finalized and presented every few minutes.  They must rely on the conferees to accurately depict changes they have agreed to from the bills that the Senators have presumably read.

By hiding language that eliminated transparency of ethics violators in a bill about fishing licenses, Balfour not only showed contempt for the citizens of Georgia, but for his fellow Senators .The bill passed the Senate with only 4 voting “no”, but was soundly defeated in the House once members learned what was actually in the conference report.

It should be noted that Balfour now faces an ethics complaint filed by one of his constituents in Gwinnett County regarding his expense reimbursements detailed above.  It should also be noted that it was not filed by one of his peers – all of whom are aware of the same news reports, yet none of whom have been willing to publicly challenge him on it.

Balfour, first elected in 1992, recently told the AJC that he has been doing business the same way for 20 years, and he keeps getting re-elected.  For the first 10 years, he was a member of the minority party fighting Democrats for the same self-serving patronage he has spent the last 10 years perfecting.  He is now the poster child for the Georgia TEA Party Patriots and their drive for ethics reform.

By stripping Cagle of his power of committee appointments, Republican Leadership, The Committee On Assignments, and the Republican caucus in total now own the problem that is Don Balfour.  They left him as Chairman of Rules despite past ethical issues.  They have watched these transgressions continue, all the while allowing him to continue blocking ethics reforms.

Some Senators will face primary challenges this July.  All incumbents should be required to defend the action of leaving Don Balfour as chairman of rules.  All should be required to explain how the most powerful man in the Senate can put something non-germane into a bill in the last hours of a session that would block the public from ever learning which public officials have been found guilty of ethics violations.

There is a way out of this problem for Senate Republicans , but only  if they want to  govern as they have promised: The Senate Caucus must ask the Committee On Assignments to Remove Don Balfour as Rules Chair. Before Qualifying.

Anything less than Balfour’s removal equates to condoning his actions, and makes him a running mate for every Republican Senator in the 2012 election.

The Republican caucus took this power away from Casey Cagle.  They must now be held accountable for the responsibilities that come with it.

Charlie Harper is the Atlanta based Editor of PeachPundit.com, a conservative-leaning political website.  He is also a columnist for Dublin Georgia based Courier Herald Publishing.

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 34 (Monday, March 19, 2012): My week gets off to an inauspicious start today as I am running late and find that the streets around the Capitol have been closed to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the Georgia State Patrol.  I am already late for House rules and as I sit in traffic outside the Capitol I decide to pull over in a public parking space and run inside before I miss the meeting.  Out of breath from running down the street, I make it to the meeting before the committee adjourns only to find out that my bills from last week have not been placed on the list for consideration.  It is definitely Monday morning!

After retrieving my truck and parking in my designated space, I make it to our morning caucus meeting where we review the 2012 Tax Reform Package, one of our signature pieces of legislation this session that we will be voting on later this week.  As we go into session early in the afternoon, we recognize six different groups before we pass four bills.

HB 39 seeks to discourage truancy among the students of the state’s education system by requiring that a school send a statement of attendance requirements by first class mail to a student’s parent after five unexcused days of absence without a response.

HB 900 provides that in order for a trailer to be scrapped, the owner must also surrender the trailer’s certificate of title while HB 868 amends existing incentives for job creation in Georgia.

Although not on the agenda for today, HR 1162, the charter schools constitutional amendment that had been tabled after hours of debate a few weeks ago, is brought off the table and debated for over an hour again today.  Persistence pays off today as HR 1162 passes by a vote of 40-16, easily surpassing the two-thirds majority needed for passage of a constitutional amendment.  After session we spend a full 4 & ½ hours in one of the most contentious and intense committee meetings I have ever experienced before finally passing HB 954, the fetal pain bill, out of Health and Human Services.  As I leave at 8PM, I am exhausted but thankfully the traffic around the Capitol is better than it was at 8AM this morning.

Day 35 (Tuesday, March 20, 2012):  After paying my daily visit to the House rules committee to request my bills be put on the House calendar, I attend an Appropriations committee meeting where we pass out the FY13 budget.  As we go into session at 11:30AM I am honored to have my good friend, Rev. Kenny Grant from Savannah as our Pastor of the Day.

We pass out five bills today, including HB 514 that authorizes licensed distillers to provide educational and promotional tours of distillery premises upon application to the commissioner of Agriculture. The tours may include limited free tasting of one-half ounce per person per day.  Because this involves opening up the code section dealing with distilled spirits, a number of amendments are attempted to be added only to be defeated.  As is always the case when a vote is taken relating to alcoholic beverages, cries of “liquor bill, liquor bill” can be heard being shouted in the chamber.

Also passed today is HB 1146, which establishes the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Services Board.  It also transfers the Division of Rehabilitation Services from the Department of Labor to the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency.

Day 36 (Wednesday, March 21, 2012):  The morning begins with a Chatham County legislative delegation meeting where we adopt a resolution from the Chatham County Commission changing the makeup of the Chatham Area Transit (CAT) board.  We welcome Governor Nathan Deal to our caucus meeting this morning as he comes to thank us for our vote to pass the charter school constitutional amendment on Monday.

Our devotional today is led by one of our fellow members, Senator Frank Ginn from Danielsville.  Although I only met Sen. Ginn when he entered the Senate two years ago, I attended Young Harris College with two of his brothers, Candler and Charlie.  In what was one of the most heartfelt and difficult devotions I have ever witnessed, Sen. Ginn recounted how he tragically lost his 10 year old son in a four-wheeler accident weeks after he had announced he would be running for the State Senate.  After the horrible accident, he recounted how he had decided not to qualify to run only to change his mind when he discovered a letter his son had written days before his untimely death saying how proud he was of his father willing to serve.

I present HB 897 on the floor today and explain how it amends language governing the Georgia Workforce Investment Board by deleting the term “Georgia Work Ready.”  Other bills to pass today include HB 742, the FY13 budget, and HB 208 which repeals the provisions that allow a retired teacher to return to full-time service as a classroom teacher and continue to receive retirement benefits from the Teacher Retirement System.

Day 37 (Thursday, March 22, 2012): The news is good this morning as we have another meeting of the Chatham County legislative delegation and finally have district maps we can all agree on.  Thanks to the efforts of Senator Lester Jackson and the Dean of our delegation, Rep. Ron Stephens, this long and arduous process is finally completed.

After my usual House Rules and Republican Caucus meetings, we go into session at 10AM.  We spend most of the morning debating HB 181, the Special Needs Scholarship, which requires local resident school systems to notify parents of disabled students that their child may be eligible for a scholarship and where additional information may be obtained. After a very emotional and controversial debate the bill passes.

After lunch, by a unanimous vote of 54-0, we pass HB 386, the 2012 Tax Reform Package, one of the most significant pieces of legislation passed in many years and the signature piece of legislation for this session. It includes a three year sales tax holiday for school supplies and energy efficient products, significant reduction of the marriage penalty, elimination of the “birthday” tax and sales tax on motor vehicles, a tax exemption on energy used in manufacturing as well as an E-Fairness measure which will aid in the growth of local businesses.  This momentous piece of legislation is the culmination of three years work and makes us all, Democrats and Republicans, proud of our work at the Capitol.

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. 

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 31 (Monday, March 12, 2012): My day starts off with an early morning meeting with the Director of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development, Tricia Pridemore, as we discuss legislation that I will be carrying in the Senate.  Workforce Development is working to turn our state’s unskilled labor force into skilled workers that can meet the demands of today’s employers.

On the days we are in session, we have a Doctor of the Day who assists the Capitol nurse in providing any healthcare needs we may have. Today we are honored to have Dr. Keith Cobb, an internist with SouthCoast Medical in Savannah helping us.  Besides being a fine physician, Dr. Cobb is also the author of The Grief Survival Handbook, which was recently picked as a top read by WORLD magazine.

Two of the three bills we have on the calendar today, HB 48 authorizing local ad valorem Freeport exemptions for inventory with voter approval and HB 175 establishing the “Online Clearinghouse Act”  creating a system to allow local school systems and charter schools to share their computer-based courses with students in other districts and charter schools, pass easily.  However, HB 110 which authorizes counties and municipalities to establish foreclosure and vacant real property registries, generates 2 hours of debate before finally passing.

Before we adjourn, we again take up the FY 12 amended budget that the appropriations committees of both chambers have been working on since the start of the session.  Having finally reached an agreement between the two chambers, we pass the budget and it will now go to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

Day 32 (Tuesday, March 13, 2012): I am proud to be wearing my green blazer today as we are set to welcome the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee to the Capitol.  Before we go into session, I present HB 897 to the Senate Economic Development committee.  This is a bit unusual for a Senator to present a House bill to a Senate committee but the House sponsor is unable to be present so I handle this responsibility.

While in session we have quite a few special presentations but none as special as when the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee enters the chamber with bagpipes playing.  The sea of green from Savannah is always a welcome site at the Capitol and my Senate colleagues and I are proud to have them here today.

All four bills that we pass out today are non controversial making for a short session. HB 895 expands the GBI’s duties to provide information to the Sexual Offender Registration Review Board while HB 729 updates the Georgia Code to reflect and adopt annual changes in the Federal IRS code.  The two other bills, HB 642 and HB 805, are related as they both deal with abolishing the State Personnel Administration and transferring certain functions to the Department of Administrative Services.

The afternoon is full of committee meetings including a marathon 3 hour meeting of the Regulated Industries Committee where we pass out HB 1146, the Governor’s legislation switching rehab services programs, including the Vocational Rehab (VR) program to a stand-alone agency attached to the Department of Human Services (DHS) for administrative purposes. During the meeting, I have to leave on several occasions to attend other meetings where I am presenting legislation, making for a very hectic afternoon.

Day 33 (Wednesday, March 14, 2012):  My luck with House committees continues today as I am successful in passing SB 416, dealing with electronic prescriptions and prior approvals for drugs not covered by insurance, out of the House Insurance Committee.  As we head into session today, we have three bills on the calendar.

Two bills, HB 713 delaying the implementation of some college and career readiness initiatives until 2013, and HB 886, bringing state chartered banks in line with federally chartered banks in regards to credit exposure in derivative transactions, both pass easily.  HB 706, however is a different story.  This “clean-up” bill, as we often refer to bills updating certain code sections, deals with Title 20 of the Elementary and Secondary Education code.  These changes are based upon the recommendations of the Student Finance Study Commission which has been reviewing this area for the past year.  While the changes in this bill are generally technical, anytime a code section is opened we can expect a number of amendments to be offered on the floor.

Many legislators are always waiting for this type of opportunity and today is no exception as we have six separate amendments to consider.  And while only one amendment passes, there is much debate and time spent on the others before they are finally defeated.  After a Senate Appropriations meeting, I present two more of my bills to House committees, keeping my record in tack by passing both.  I also have the opportunity this afternoon to meet privately with Governor Deal to discuss Chatham County as well as Senate issues.                         

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. 

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 29^th and 30^th day in order to prepare for the long and arduous 30^th 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.

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.

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 30^th 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.