Lee Thompson`s Legislative Report

Written by State Rep Lee Thompson

The 2010 session of the Georgia General Assembly came to an end late Thursday night, several hours after lawmakers finalized a $17.9 billion state budget for fiscal year 2011. Having started Jan. 11, this was the longest legislative session on record since the 1880s.

The new budget reflects an overall revenue reduction of more than $3 billion from two years ago. The Republican majority approved a hospital tax and fee increases totaling around $300 million but refused to consider measures that would improve sales tax collections, roll back hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credits or raise the cigarette tax.

As a result, this budget will cause more layoffs and furloughs for teachers and other state employees and shift the tax burden to local property owners. Public school funding through the Quality Basic Education formula is slashed by another $527 million. I am pleased to report that nearly $800,000 in funding for the Georgia Council for the Arts, which had been eliminated in the previous House budget, was restored by the Senate and remained in the final report.

The budget legislation, HB 948, now goes to the governor for his signature. He can also veto specific line-item appropriations. The new fiscal year begins July 1, 2010.

Trauma Care Funding: Georgia voters will have a chance to approve a reliable funding mechanism that would help enhance the state's trauma care network following passage of SR 277. The proposed constitutional amendment would implement a $10 fee on auto license tags to bring in $80 million each year for a trauma care trust fund. The proposal will be on the General Election ballot this November and requires a majority approval.

Property Tax Assessments: Lawmakers gave final passage to comprehensive property tax legislation Thursday. SB 346 is aimed at protecting taxpayers from unfair assessments and guaranteeing the right to appeal. The bill requires that every property owner receive an annual Notice of Assessment that includes the estimated property tax and expands the appeal time from 30 to 45 days. All relevant sales, including distress sales, must be included when determining Fair Market Value.

In other action during the final two days of the session, the House:

· Approved HB 1069, which includes a number of tax exemptions but eliminates a tax refund for low-income Georgians. I voted against this bill.

· Rejected the governor's attempt to push through legislation that would have based teachers' job evaluations, in large part, on student test scores. SB 521 never made it to the House floor because it did not have enough support to win approval.

· Approved SB 308, which expands the number of public areas where persons with firearms licenses can carry guns and removes the prohibition against consuming alcohol while carrying a gun in public, and SB 291, which would authorize the carrying of firearms in some areas of airports. The bills now go to the governor for his signature. I voted against these bills.

· Approved SB 299, addressing problems with so- called "zero tolerance" school disciplinary laws, would prevent the immediate jailing of a student without a hearing and give judges more discretion as to how they handle cases. The zero tolerance laws were intended to crack down on serious charges of having weapons in school but have instead often resulted in students being criminalized for minor and insignificant infractions.

· Approved SB 360, which bans motorists in Georgia from texting while driving, and HB 23, which bans teenagers from talking on cell phones while driving. A violation of either law, if signed by the governor, would result in a fine of up to $150 and one point on the driver's license of the offender.

· Approved an amended version of SB 364, which would increase the penalties for criminal offenses in massage parlors and spas. The Senate agreed with House amendments, and the bill now goes to the governor.

· Approved SB 458, which would remove the exemption in Georgia's seat belt law for drivers and passengers in pickup trucks. Georgia was the only state with a seat belt law that still allowed the pickup truck exemption, which cost the state millions of dollars each year in federal highway funding. The bill now goes to the governor for his signature.

· Approved SR 821, which would change the Constitution to allow the state Department of Transportation to sign multi-year contracts without having the entire dollar amount of the contract set aside at the beginning. Supporters of the measure say the move would free up millions of transportation dollars that cannot now be used. The constitutional amendment must be approved by a majority of Georgia voters in November.

Representative Lee Thompson represents the 104th District (Gwinnett County) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact him at 511 Coverdell Office Building, Atlanta, Ga. 30334; by phone at 404-656-6372; or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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