Rep Powell Legislative Wrap: Session Looked After Taxpayer Interests
By Rep. Alan Powell
The 2013 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly convened Jan. 14 and adjourned “sine die” on March 28. Overall, it was a good session that primarily looked after the interests of Georgia taxpayers.
One highlight the for the people of House District 32 and others in the Lake Hartwell area was the formation of the Savannah River Legislative Caucus, a coalition of approximately 30 House members and Senators whose districts are within the Savannah River Water Basin. Our common goal is to protect and preserve our natural resources and promote the economic good for all people who live within the region.
Issues that the caucus has been addressing during our weekly meetings include inter-basin water transfers, lake levels and drought management policies of the Corps of Engineers, need for inclusion of “recreation” classification to Federal Statutes for management of Corps managed lakes, promotion of enhancements to the ports of Savannah.
We were pleased that the House overwhelmingly approved HR 532, which requests that the Army Corps of Engineers utilize adaptive management techniques to control lake levels and river flows within the Savannah River Basin.
Securing unified support from our Congressional delegation in Washington is also paramount to furthering any agenda with the Army Corps of Engineers. U.S. Rep. Doug Collins is already on board with this effort.
Establishing dialogue with our counterparts from South Carolina as a unified and joint effort to promote issues of common interest will also be pursued. On April 16, Caucus members will travel to Columbia, S.C., for the first such meeting on matters that affect both sides of the river.
For the caucus positions to advance, the potential for “strength in numbers” is undeniable. Moreover, we can support each other to reach our common goal which is the best interest of the region.
Here is a list of some of the major legislation that was approved this year by your House of Representatives and Senate and, unless otherwise noted, awaits the signature of Gov. Nathan Deal:
• HB 106, the $19.9 billion annual state budget for fiscal year 2014, which begins July 1.
• HB 142, which would impose a $75 limit on gifts, meals and entertainment from lobbyists to lawmakers, with some exceptions for committees and caucuses, and eliminate the registration fee for lobbyists.
• HB 143, which would require legislators to disclose by Jan. 31 each year the campaign contributions they receive between the Dec. 31 reporting period and the beginning of that year’s legislative session, as well as eliminate the reporting requirements for local candidates who raise and spend less than $2,500 in their campaigns.
• HB 178, which would place pain management clinics, also known as “pill mills,” under the regulation of Georgia’s composite medical board and require any new pain clinic to be owned by licensed physicians.
• HB 189, which would require the Department of Natural Resources to notify local governments in advance of when parks are being closed in their communities.
• HB 198, which would set up the state licensure of people who are employed as “navigators” to assist individuals and companies in selecting health insurance policies. The bill also would set criteria for training requirements and continuing education.
• HB 242, a comprehensive revision of the state’s juvenile justice code.
• HB 254, which would allow an electronic copy to be accepted by police as proof of valid auto insurance coverage.
• HB 266, which corrects errors related to leased vehicles in the state’s new automobile title tax law that was enacted last year. The governor has already signed the bill into law.
• HB 276, which would end the diversion of revenues from special fees dedicated to the Hazardous Waste Trust Fund into other areas of the state budget.
• HB 283, which as amended would strengthen the eligibility standards and awards of tax credits to individuals who contribute to a private school scholarship fund. The bill would also increase the limit for total tax credits each year from $50 million to $58 million.
• HB 284, the “Return to Play Act,” which would require public and private schools to set policies on the risk of concussions and head injuries suffered during athletic events.
• HB 318, which as amended would create the “Invest Georgia” venture capital fund to encourage entrepreneurs to keep their start-up businesses in the state.
• HB 349, which would give judges more sentencing discretion in certain criminal cases.
• HB 372, which would change the grade point average requirement for a technical college student’s HOPE Grant eligibility from 3.0 back to the 2.0 level that was in force two years ago.
• HB 487, which would authorize the Georgia Lottery to regulate video gaming machines and offer lottery tickets as one of the prizes, with a percentage of the proceeds going to funding of the HOPE scholarship program.
• HR 4, under which Georgia would drop its claims in the ongoing boundary line dispute with Tennessee in return for pipeline access to the Tennessee River.
• SB 24, which authorizes the Department of Community Health to assess a Medicaid provider fee on hospitals for the purpose of attracting federal matching funds for Medicaid. The governor has already signed the bill into law.
• SB 136, which would lower the blood-alcohol level to .08 for charges of boating under the influence and increase safety and educational requirements for young boaters.
• SB 160, which would do away with the annual requirement to prove one’s citizenship for business license renewals, prohibit the use of foreign passports as valid forms of identification and expand the list of public benefits that are denied to undocumented immigrants.
• SB 236, which would require insurance companies to tell customers how much their premiums have increased because of the federal Affordable Care Act.
The governor has 40 days from the end of the session to sign or veto legislation, or let it become law without his signature. On the budget, he can sign or veto the entire bill or veto specific line-item appropriations.
The following legislation failed to receive final approval this year but is eligible for further consideration during the 2014 session:
• HB 123, which would have made it easier for parents to petition their local school board for the conversion of a traditional public school to a charter school.
• HB 246, which as amended by the Senate would have outlawed the use of state tax funds to pay for abortions through the State Health Benefits Plan.
• HB 264 and HB 265, which would have privatized many of the operations of MARTA and changed the composition of the MARTA board by allowing mayors and the governor to nominate board members.
• HB 282, which would have prohibited cities and counties from offering broadband internet access to their residents if a private company is providing similar service.
• SB 101, which would have allowed license holders to carry firearms in more public places, including college campuses, K-12 schools and government buildings.
• SR 378, a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize the sale of fireworks in Georgia and dedicate the tax revenues to fund trauma care and firefighter services.
I want to thank this newspaper for giving me the opportunity to provide these reports during the 2013 legislative session. To sign up for email updates, please visit www.alanpowell.net. Please contact me with your views on the issues or whenever I can be of service.
• State Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell) represents the 32nd District (Franklin, Hart and Madison counties) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact him at 613 Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334; by phone at 404-463-3793; or by email at [email protected].