2010 Week 1 Update

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:28:36 GMT
On Monday January 10, the State Legislature convened for Day One of the 2010 Session. In many ways it was an historic day. During November and December, a variety of disturbing events occurred that led to the resignation of the former Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson. That meant that for the second time in as many years the House had to elect a new Speaker and a new Speaker Pro Tem on the first day of session. In a bipartisan vote, the House elected David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) as our new Speaker and Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta) as our new Speaker Pro Tem. They are both outstanding and conscientious legislators. The election of Jan Jones to the number two leadership position was ground-breaking, as she is now the highest ranking female lawmaker in the history of the Georgia Legislature. I am confident in their ability to lead the legislature through what will surely be a challenging session.

On Wednesday, Georgia’s Representatives, Senators, State Constitutional Officers and members of the Georgia Court of Appeals and Georgia Supreme Court gathered in the House Chamber to hear Governor Perdue deliver his 8th and final State of the State Address. Governor Perdue selected his current and former House and Senate Floor Leaders to serve as his Committee of Escort to lead him into the Chamber. Senator Chance and I were honored to be a part of that group.

The Governor’s speech struck the proper balance between optimism and realism by pointing out our state’s many blessings, while recognizing the difficult times and tough choices that must be made in the weeks and years to come. He called on the members of the House and Senate to make the difficult choices today to avoid saddling additional undue burdens on future generations of Georgians. I could not agree with that sentiment more wholeheartedly.

As is typical in the first week of a session, the volume of legislation on the floor of the House was light; however, committees began meeting in earnest. The House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, on which I serve, met this week to consider several measures. We unanimously passed out a bill that will provide school systems greater and more efficient access to our state’s sexual offender registry to ensure systems can properly vet their employees. The Committee also heard legislation by Representative Tom Rice which seeks to insure that individuals that are required to attend defensive driving school as part of a sentencing reduction agreement are doing so at licensed schools. This measure also passed out with only one dissenting vote.

Two bills were assigned to my subcommittee for future consideration. My subcommittee held an initial hearing on the Crime Victims Bill of Rights. This measure will address procedural gaps that have developed due to judicial and statutory decisions to insure victims of crime are afforded protections throughout the adjudication and sentencing of the criminal defendants that victimized them. This includes insuring victims are provided notification when such individuals are released on bail. I look forward to working on this bill and moving it forward. House Bill 615, a bill by Tim Bearden to provide additional 2nd Amendment protections to licensed Georgia gun owners, was also referred to my subcommittee. I look forward to hearing this measure in the weeks to come.

On Friday, Governor Perdue released his proposed 2010 mid-year budget adjustment and 2011 fiscal year budget. This is the first step in a session-long budget process. The 2010 mid-year budget will require spending reductions of over $1 billion from the 2010 budget we passed at the end of the last session. This is necessary due to a much greater than anticipated decline in state revenue.

The week of January 18-22 the legislature is out of session so that the House Appropriations Committee can begin holding hearings on the Governor’s budget proposal as the Committee begins putting together its budget for consideration on the floor of the House. I look forward to working with my colleagues to again produce a balanced budget without raising taxes on Georgia’s families or businesses, many of which are struggling with decreased income or even job loss in this economy.

As always, I hope to hear from the citizens of this community often in the weeks ahead. I am always available to answer questions and welcome and appreciate your input on issues of importance to the State of Georgia.

Matt Ramsey
State Representative, District 72

Pre-Session Update

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:42:49 GMT
Amazingly, it is now mid-December and Christmas is just a matter of days away. After the holidays the Georgia General Assembly will convene for the second year of the current two-year term of the legislature. As I have written in recent weeks, the issue that will dominate the upcoming legislative session more than any other is our state’s budget due to economy. November revenue numbers were released last week and the picture remains bleak with a more than 17 % drop compared to last November. While it will be difficult, you may rest assured that the General Assembly will again make the tough and necessary choices to balance our state’s budget in the upcoming session.

The purpose of this update is to provide a bit of information on a couple of the legislative initiatives I and some of my colleagues will be working on this year. Much of my focus is on criminal justice issues by virtue of my service on the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee and chairing its sub-committee that deals with substance abuse and crimes against children. I am co-sponsoring several initiatives that will be considered by the Committee this year. In recent years there have been several instances in Georgia where a high school teacher has engaged in a sexual relationship with a student and not been subject to criminal punishment because they raised the defense that it was a consensual relationship, per Georgia’s statutory rape law. I believe that is the wrong result. There is no circumstance where a Georgia teacher, coach or school administrator should engage in a sexual relationship with a child under their care. In that regard, several of my colleagues and I will be working to enact legislation that will remove consent of the minor as a defense for any school employee charged with engaging in a sexual relationship with a student. We will work diligently to get the bill to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

Earlier this year it was reported a child in Dekalb County committed suicide as a result of persistent bullying at his school. As a parent I cannot imagine a more heart breaking tragedy. This is an example of the absolute worst outcome imaginable in what is an all too common issue faced by our state’s children in their formative years. After a review of our state’s laws addressing bullying it became clear an update is necessary. I am cosponsoring legislation aimed at providing school systems additional tools in their effort to identify and combat bullying in Georgia school systems. Included in the bill are provisions to require the Department of Education to develop a model bullying policy that the school systems can use to supplement their existing policies and an elimination of several state laws that limit the discretion of schools to address bullying when it occurs before it elevates to a more serious situation.

I also wanted to use this column to provide an update on all that has been going on with the leadership of the Georgia House of Representatives. As it has been reported in recent days, the Speaker of House Glenn Richardson has resigned as Speaker and from his seat in the legislature. It was the end of a disturbing string of events that began with his announcement of a suicide attempt followed by a number of revelations regarding his past conduct and the circumstances surrounding his divorce. While I continue to pray that he gets the mental and spiritual help he needs to heal as a person, it became very clear, very quickly as new information came to light that Glenn Richardson in no way deserved to remain in a position of leadership and trust in the Georgia House. In that regard, I and many other rank and file members made it clear to the House leadership that he needed to resign or we would remove him. Thankfully, he chose to resign. After Speaker Pro-Tem Mark Burkhalter announced last week that he would not be offering himself as a candidate for the position of Speaker to pursue other career endeavors outside of government the process was set in motion that will result in an election of a new Speaker and Speaker Pro-Tem, the top two leadership positions in the Georgia House. Several Republican House members have announced their candidacy for each of these positions and there undoubtedly will be more leading up to next Thursday’s caucus nominating election. I have not determined who I will support but have made it clear to the candidates that have called me asking for my vote I will only support a candidate that shares my conservative belief in limited government and individual empowerment and responsibility. Further, I will only support a candidate that I believe will meet the moral and ethical standard that the citizens of this state deserve from the holder of such an important position. I will keep the community posted as the process moves forward.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t offer my sincere congratulations to the Sandy Creek Patriots for winning the Georgia State High School Football Championship, the first for a Fayette County high school. Congratulations to Coach Walker, his assistant coaches and all of the players on such an amazing accomplishment.

When the legislature reconvenes in January I will, as I have done in the past, continue to provide updates on matters pending before the General Assembly. Please call on me if I can be of service.

On behalf of my wife Missy and our children, I hope that all of the citizens of this great community have a blessed and peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year.

Rep. Matt Ramsey Praises Signing of HB 123

Wed, 06 May 2009 20:05:43 GMT
ATLANTA Yesterday, Governor Sonny Perdue signed House Bill 123 into law. This legislation was authored by Representative Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) to close a loophole in Georgias child molestation statute.

House Bill 123 fixes a problem created by a mid-nineties Georgia Supreme Court ruling in which the Court, in a close decision, interpreted the statutory definition of child molestation to require that a perpetrator be physically present with a victim in order to be prosecuted for child molestation.

The Courts ruling created a barrier that limited prosecutors' ability to go after predators that subject children to lewd acts via electronic means such as webcams or live streaming video. It was an unusual result in that it meant an offender that commits a lewd act in the presence of a child can be prosecuted for molestation, whereas another person who induces a child to watch the exact same acton a webcam cannot, despite the fact that the impact on the child is the same. HB 123 corrected this flaw, said Rep. Ramsey. Our laws must keep up with technological changes and in this case that means closinga loophole that allows predators to use technology to prey upon our children.

Rep. Ramsey was joined at the signing ceremony by two of the legislations co-sponsors, Representative Mark Williams (R-Jesup) and Representative Kevin Levitas (D-Atlanta). Judge Christopher Edwards, District Attorney for the Griffin Judicial Circuit Scott Ballard and his Chief Assistant District Attorney Randy Coggin were also present at the signing.

I truly appreciate Judge Edwards for bringing the issue to my attention and to Scott Ballard and Randy Coggin for their efforts throughout the legislative session, including participation in several committee hearings, in support of this bill, said Rep. Ramsey.

The legislation was carried in the Senate by State Senator Ronnie Chance and passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly with bi-partisan support.

A picture of Judge Christopher Edwards, Representative Mark Williams, Representative Matt Ramsey, Governor Sonny Perdue, District Attorney Scott Ballard, Representative Kevin Levitas, and Chief Assistant District Attorney Randy Coggin at the signing of House Bill 123 is attached

Representative Matt Ramsey represents the citizens of District 72, which includes portions of Fayette County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2007, serves as one of Governor Perdue's Floor Leaders and is currently the Secretary of the Human Relations & Aging Committee. He also serves on the Defense & Veteran Affairs, Judiciary Non- Civil, and Regulated Industries Committees.

Final Weekly Update

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 14:51:48 GMT
The Georgia General Assembly adjourned the final day of the session on Friday night at 11:59 p.m. It was a hectic final week with several important pieces of legislation getting enacted, while several others were held over to next year. I wanted to give a brief overview about the final week of the session and follow up with a more comprehensive wrap up in the weeks to come.

First, the General Assembly passed the final $18.6 billion FY 2010 budget on Friday evening by an overwhelming bipartisan vote in favor of the House/Senate Conference Committee’s final budget. As I have constantly stated, it was a very difficult budget cycle as the state endeavored to deal with rapidly decreasing revenues that necessitated nearly $3 billion in cuts. However, we were able to balance the budget without raising taxes, unlike countless other states going through similarly difficult times, by making difficult choices and shrinking the size of government. While the cuts will certainly be felt throughout every sector of state government, I strongly believe the final budget document protects to the greatest extent possible critical state missions such as education and public safety, while focusing the largest reductions on other areas of the state budget. As I stated, I will provide a more detailed report on the final budget in the weeks to come and welcome any questions or comments.

Two of the most important pieces of legislation to pass the General Assembly were major restructurings of our state’s two largest agencies, the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Transportation. Since being elected in 2007, I have repeatedly written about my concern over mismanagement of the DOT. I strongly believe our current system is broken, which is partially evidenced by our hopelessly overburdened transportation infrastructure in Metro-Atlanta. The current system was set up several decades ago and provides an unelected Board of thirteen individuals, with no direct accountability to the citizens of Georgia, complete and total power over every aspect of planning, funding and project delivery. In my opinion, it is good ol’ boy politics at its worst and has led to the DOT over-obligating itself to the tune of several billion dollars. The legislation passed last week will provide those that are directly accountable to Georgia’s voters, the Governor and members of the General Assembly, a greater voice in our state’s transportation system. The planning and funding process will be completely transparent, rather than the current system where the process occurs in a Board Room and is often based solely on political favors and clout.

The General Assembly also provided for a significant reorganization of the Department of Human Resources, a department that provides for an incredibly wide array of services to Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens, including abused and neglected children and the elderly. The reorganization will help to ensure a more streamlined and transparent service delivery system by breaking the massive agency into three smaller more focused and targeted agencies. It is the result of a year long Health and Human Services task force that focused its efforts on determining a more effective way to serve Georgia’s citizens.

Finally, I have received a great deal of interest and wanted to provide an update on legislation I authored to add cell phone use to the list of restrictions placed on under-18, Class-D license holders. The legislation passed the House Motor Vehicles Committee unanimously, passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support, passed the Senate Public Safety Committee Unanimously, but got hung up in the Senate Rules Committee in the final days of the session without getting to the Senate floor for a vote. In the end, it was a numbers game whereby many bills didn’t make it to the House or Senate floor due to time simply running out on the session. To use a football analogy, we moved the football down inside our opponent’s five yard line but didn’t quite get it into the end zone. However, the good news for supporters of the legislation is that this is a two-year session, and the bill will still be on the five yard line when next year’s session convenes.

I am very proud to report that legislation I authored to address a gap in our child molestation statute is on its way to the Governor for signature. In addition, legislation I introduced to protect parties from costs resulting from meritless lawsuits was adopted and on its way to the Governor for signature. Also, legislation I worked on to provide our school systems greater flexibility from state mandates to help in the current economic crisis was also adopted by the House and Senate and awaits the Governor’s signature.

I look forward to providing additional information on this and other legislation addressed by the General Assembly in the weeks to come. Let me also say thank you to the numerous citizens that wrote and called me during the session. I truly enjoy the interaction with constituents and the input is absolutely invaluable.

Week 10

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:27:16 GMT
This past week proved to be another busy one for the House of Representatives. We are set to start our last week and the pace of bills and resolutions being considered is brisk. Last week we considered several important bills.

Earlier this year, we voted on Senate Bill 83 which would have provided Georgia’s voters the ability to increase their homestead exemption by $2000, which has not been increased since the 1930s on a statewide basis, but it failed along a party line vote. This week it was reconsidered and came back up for a vote, but again fell short of the 2/3 majority vote necessary to provide for such a constitutional amendment. Unfortunately, House Democrats blocked this bill’s approval again. If passed, it would have been put before the citizens and given them an opportunity to vote to give tax relief to our homeowners during these difficult economic times.

After months of committee meetings and hearings, several bills made it through the General Assembly and to the Governor’s desk this week. If signed by Governor Perdue, these bills will become law. Some of the bills awaiting the Governor’s signature include House Bills 149 and Senate Bill 13.

Senate Bill 13 gives prosecutors in Georgia the option to seek life without parole convictions for serious criminal offenses. Under current law, the only way a prosecutor can secure a life without parole conviction is to seek the death penalty. Death penalty trials are usually very costly and take longer to complete at a greater expense to our taxpayers. Often times, prosecutors seek the death penalty just to secure the life without parole option. This change in law will allow prosecutors to seek this type of conviction directly without going for the death penalty. It will also ensure that the people who need to be locked up for the rest of their life will be sentenced quicker and reduce the cost of such trials.

House Bill 149 allows 11th and 12th grade public school students to attend a college or technical school to complete high school while receiving credit towards a higher degree. This bill, commonly called the “Move on When Ready” Act, gives public school students and their families more options to fit their individual educational needs. By allowing students to choose courses that fit their personal life goals we can foster the educational interest students need to succeed.

I am also pleased to report that House Bill 123, legislation that I authored to close a loophole in our child molestation statute, passed the Senate unanimously and now comes back to the House to be agree to one technical change that was made by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Chance has worked closely with me on this important legislation and did an excellent job presenting the bill on the Senate floor. We are one small step away from sending this bill to the Governor and providing for additional tools in the effort to protect children from predators.

As the 2009 Session comes to an end, many House and Senate bills are now closer to becoming law. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at my Capitol office (404-651-7737). I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Week 9

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:26:33 GMT
With Crossover Day behind us, the end of a challenging 2009 regular session draws
near. The House and Senate have six legislative days remaining before we adjourn on
Friday, April 3. As I have stated over and over again, this session continues to be dominated by budget discussions brought on by the historic economic downturn our state is currently facing. The shortfall in revenues will result in the largest reduction in the size of state government over a two year period in the history of the state. Last week, the House passed its version of the 2010 Budget. The measure has now been sent to the Senate where the Senate will surely adopt a differing version which will result in a conference committee meeting to iron out differences before the end of the session. As the 2010 Budget was far and away the most significant legislation adopted by the House last week, I have listed some information below about areas of the budget in which I have received the most inquiries from constituents.

Healthcare .

The budget passed by the House restores a proposed reduction of $434 million in reimbursement to hospitals and healthcare providers. The Governor continues to express concern about the ability of the State to fund expected growth in Medicaid, which will certainly come as our unemployment rate continues to rise. This will certainly be a key point of negotiation in the remaining days of the session. One issue I have heard a great deal about is the proposed elimination of the State’s supplement for school nurses and its potential impact on student health. The version passed by the House fully funds the school nurse program. The House version of the budget also maintains the current state-to-employee State Health Benefit Plan contribution ratio for current and retired employees, however, that figure may be adjusted in the Senate.

Education

The House budget includes full funding of the state salary supplement for National Board Certified Teachers, which was initially slated for elimination in the Governor’s budget recommendation. In addition, the House budget provides that Quality Basic Education enrollment growth projections for K-12 grade and the university system will receive full
funding. Education makes up roughly 60% over our State’s budget. Virtually every agency of state government went through spending reductions of 10% or greater. The House’s 2009 and 2010 budget both have reductions of approximately 3% in the area of K-12 education, far and away the least impacted area of the state budget in terms of percentage reductions. While the economic downturn has necessitated cuts (the only other alternative is tax increases, which would be a terrible idea in this economy), I believe you will continue to see the House and Senate work to the greatest extent possible to ensure that the economy does not impact our children’s education. I pledge to represent that view throughout the remaining days of the session.

Public Safety

The safety and security of the Georgia’s citizens is one of the primary responsibility of
State government. It is vital that we not allow the economic downturn to jeopardize the safety of our citizens. While economic necessity has forced some cuts in public safety, the House version of the budget funds GBI crime labs throughout the state and 23 new State Patrol cars to help keep our roads safe.

These difficult economic times certainly impacts us all in one way or another. Some important services were reduced in the FY 2009 supplemental budget and in the House’s version of the 2010 budget, and if revenues continue to diminish further cuts may be necessary. However, both budget documents represent a concerted, diligent
effort to cut wasteful spending and prioritize the needs of Georgians in the face
of a marked and continuing economic downturn. We are constitutionally obligated to live within our means in Georgia and balance the budget, which ensures our children are not burdened by additional State incurred debt, as our federal government is fond of doing. If there is one good thing to come from these hard times it will be a renewed appreciation for the proper limits of government and fiscal responsibility.

Serving as your representative is an honor, and I take this responsibility
seriously. As the session progresses, I will continue to update you on legislation
and events important to the state and our district. Please do not hesitate to
contact me with your thoughts and comments by calling my office at (404) 651-7737.

Week 8

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:19:51 GMT
One of the busiest days of every legislative session is “Crossover Day.” Crossover Day, the thirtieth legislative day, is the last day legislation may pass out of its originating chamber to be considered by the other chamber. The pace picked up noticeably last week with the House considering over one-hundred pieces of legislation last week. Some of the major pieces of legislation that passed over the week were the FY 2009 Supplemental Budget, Governor Perdue's "Super Speeder" initiative, the zero-based budgeting measure, and legislation aimed at addressing voter fraud.

Earlier this session, the House passed House Bill 118, the supplemental budget for 2009, which sought to address the serious economic downturn and revenue shortfalls with major cuts to state spending. The Senate proposed their own version of the budget, and after each chamber insisted on its position, the bill went to a conference committee. There, the conferees reached a compromise and last week the House and Senate voted to approve the $18.9 billion budget which will carry our state through June 30, 2009. This budget included the $428 million to fund the homeowner tax relief grants, which Georgia counties had already budgeted for. If this money had not been included, many homeowners could have seen additional tax bills for the $200 to $300. Due to a continued drop in state revenues, Governor Perdue has already announced an additional reduction of $1.6 Million for FY 2010, which will necessitate further difficult budget decisions on the 2010 budget which will be considered in the coming days.

Last year, Governor Perdue announced a plan to help fund Georgia's trauma network by imposing steep fines on those caught speeding excessively and on habitual violators of other traffic laws, such as multiple DUI’s, reckless driving charges and other dangerous driving activities. On Monday, the House passed HB 160 authorizing an additional fine on habitual traffic law violators. Ideally, this measure will deter excessive speeding and the violation of other traffic laws, any money that is collected from these fines will supplement state funds dedicated to funding the trauma facilities vital to the health of Georgians throughout the state. The vast majority of traumatic accidents in our state are caused by traffic accident, often resulting from drivers engaging in risky behavior. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the House and has now been referred to the Senate Public Safety Committee

Last year and this year, I was an original co-sponsor of legislation aimed at promoting more responsible spending by state agencies by implementing zero-based budgeting. The legislation would require that at least once every four years state agencies would be required to start their budgets from zero, rather than just starting from the previous year’s funding baseline, which will provide a much better mechanism for ensuring every state dollar is being spent in the most responsible manner possible. I am pleased to report HB 44 passed the House last week. Legislation also passed the House last week that would require voters to confirm their citizenship at the time they register to vote. This will help to protect the integrity of our voting system.

I am also pleased to report that several pieces of legislation that I authored moved out of the House last week. Legislation that I authored to close a loophole in the child molestation statute created by the Georgia Supreme Court passed the House by a vote of 157-3 last Tuesday. In addition, legislation I co-authored to ensure EMC Members are not excluded from jury service by virtue of their membership in the cooperative passed the House unanimously. Finally, legislation aimed at restricting the use of cell phones for under-18 year old Class D license holders passed the House 138-34 with strong bipartisan support. Also, legislation I have been working on for several months with Senator Untermann and Senator Chance and Representative Mark Williams addressing the copper theft problem passed out of the Senate and we will now work to move the bill forward in the House.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts and comments by calling my office at (404) 651-7737.

Week 5

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:15:36 GMT
This past week, the Georgia General Assembly convened its fifth week of session. Last year, I wrote a great deal about my concern over the way the Georgia Department of Transportation conducts its business. I strongly believe that the DOT, as much as any agency of state government, needs to be reformed in a way that ensures Georgia’s taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently. Last week, after much anticipation, two major transportation proposals finally began to take shape. Governor Perdue, along with Speaker Richardson and Lt. Governor Cagle, announced the Transforming Transportation Investment Act on Thursday. This initiative would reorganize transportation administration in Georgia by merging the State Road and Tollway Authority and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority into the State Transportation Authority. The Authority would be responsible for developing a statewide transportation plan in conjunction with metropolitan planning organizations. The supervisory board would be comprised of eleven members: five appointed by the Governor and three each by the Speaker and the Lt. Governor. Overall, the Authority would focus on three distinct areas of responsibility: managing operations and maintenance of existing infrastructure, coordinating new road and transit projects and enhancements, and local grants. Our current system is broken and hasn’t been reformed since the days when Georgia was primarily dirt roads. Given the rampant gridlock in Metro-Atlanta, I believe the time has come to ensure our transportation dollars are being maximized and spent as efficiently as possible. I look forward to participating in the debate as the process moves forward in the weeks to come.

The second transportation proposal was focused on infrastructure funding. Earlier in the session, Rep. Vance Smith, the Chair of the House Transportation Committee, presented a revised version of a statewide transportation funding proposal (HB 277). Last year, I voted against a transportation funding plan (T-SPLOST) out of concern that it would be premature to provide the DOT any new funding stream without significant reforms to ensure the money is spent efficiently and responsibly. Last year’s measure passed the House, but died in the Senate on the last night of the session. House Bill 277, along with its companion House Resolution 206, would give the voters the right to vote on a constitutional ballot initiative to levy a 1 percent sales tax which would fund transportation upgrades around the state. The tax revenue would be invested in the 2020 Transportation Fund and administered by an eleven-member committee appointed by the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Speaker. House Resolution 208 will place this sales tax referendum on the 2010 ballot if passed by the House and Senate. I believe the author made drastic improvements in this year’s bill in terms of spending transparency and accountability and look forward to seeing the final product, when and if, it is considered on the floor of the House.

There was also an important food safety related measure taken up in the Senate last week. The recent nationwide salmonella outbreak caused by tainted peanuts from a Georgia processor prompted Senate Bill 80. This bill places additional duties on food processing companies to report positive tests in food products and gives additional powers to the Department of Agriculture to respond to those reports. Current law does not require positive results from voluntary tests to be reported to the Department. This bill passed the Senate 50-0 and will be taken up by the House soon.

I will continue to provide updates as the session moves forward. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Week 4

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:19:02 GMT
The General Assembly gaveled in last week on Tuesday, February 10th for the 16th legislative day of the 2009 session. The legislature was in session Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; however, numerous committee hearings were held Monday and Friday. The pace of legislation reaching the floor of the House is certainly quickening as committees report more and more legislation out of committee.

Last week, legislation that I sponsored to tighten up a loophole in the child molestation statute created by the Georgia Supreme Court was heard by the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee’s Crimes Against Children and Illegal Substances Subcommittee, which I chair. I am happy to report the measure was unanimously voted out of subcommittee with strong bi-partisan support. I am hopeful we can get the legislation voted out of full committee this upcoming week and to the floor of the House for a vote in short order. As I have said before, I strongly believe this legislation will provide prosecutors the ability to prosecute offenders for child molesters that use the internet and technologies such as web-cams to prey on our children, which as been precluded by the Supreme Court’s previous ruling.

The most significant issue debated on the floor last week was H.B. 233, which passed 110 to 63. The legislation would create a two-year moratorium on property tax reassessment increases. The only exceptions to the moratorium would be situations where substantial improvements were constructed on the property or a re-zoning requested by the property owner is approved. The author’s goal in promulgating the legislation is give property owners relief from property tax increases resulting from rising assessments which fly in the face of economic realities. The legislation now moves to the Senate for consideration.

This past week my colleague, Katie Dempsey (R-Rome) introduced House Bill 426, legislation proposing to update the insurance industry’s treatment of autism. I was proud to join approximately twenty House members as original sponsors of this important legislation. Through my observations of friends with autistic children and my service on the Joseph Sams School Board of Directors I have come to truly marvel at the challenges faced by the parents of these children. One of the greatest of these challenges is the financial burden of the treatments and therapies associated with treating autism, particularly at an early age. The insurance industry has often not covered these treatments, as they do not classify them as a “medical” treatment leaving an incredible financial burden on these families. This legislation seeks to address the issue by providing greater clarity and definition to the treatments to be covered by insurance plans in Georgia. Proper early intervention and treatment for children with autism is absolutely critical in the child’s ultimate development. I look forward to working with my colleagues to push this important measure forward.

The legislature will reconvene on Tuesday, February 17th for day 19 of the legislative session. As always, I look forward to your questions and feedback.

Week 3

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:51:01 GMT
This past week proved to be another busy one for the House of Representatives. We are set to start our last week and the pace of bills and resolutions being considered is brisk. Last week we considered several important bills.

Earlier this year, we voted on Senate Bill 83 which would have provided Georgia’s voters the ability to increase their homestead exemption by $2000, which has not been increased since the 1930s on a statewide basis, but it failed along a party line vote. This week it was reconsidered and came back up for a vote, but again fell short of the 2/3 majority vote necessary to provide for such a constitutional amendment. Unfortunately, House Democrats blocked this bill’s approval again. If passed, it would have been put before the citizens and given them an opportunity to vote to give tax relief to our homeowners during these difficult economic times.

After months of committee meetings and hearings, several bills made it through the General Assembly and to the Governor’s desk this week. If signed by Governor Perdue, these bills will become law. Some of the bills awaiting the Governor’s signature include House Bills 149 and Senate Bill 13.

Senate Bill 13 gives prosecutors in Georgia the option to seek life without parole convictions for serious criminal offenses. Under current law, the only way a prosecutor can secure a life without parole conviction is to seek the death penalty. Death penalty trials are usually very costly and take longer to complete at a greater expense to our taxpayers. Often times, prosecutors seek the death penalty just to secure the life without parole option. This change in law will allow prosecutors to seek this type of conviction directly without going for the death penalty. It will also ensure that the people who need to be locked up for the rest of their life will be sentenced quicker and reduce the cost of such trials.

House Bill 149 allows 11th and 12th grade public school students to attend a college or technical school to complete high school while receiving credit towards a higher degree. This bill, commonly called the “Move on When Ready” Act, gives public school students and their families more options to fit their individual educational needs. By allowing students to choose courses that fit their personal life goals we can foster the educational interest students need to succeed.

I am also pleased to report that House Bill 123, legislation that I authored to close a loophole in our child molestation statute, passed the Senate unanimously and now comes back to the House to be agree to one technical change that was made by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Chance has worked closely with me on this important legislation and did an excellent job presenting the bill on the Senate floor. We are one small step away from sending this bill to the Governor and providing for additional tools in the effort to protect children from predators.

As the 2009 Session comes to an end, many House and Senate bills are now closer to becoming law. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at my Capitol office (404-651-7737). I look forward to hearing from you soon.