Kaiser Recaps Final Days of Session

By Margaret Kaiser

The 2012 session of the Georgia General Assembly drew to a close Thursday evening. This report includes action from the final three days of the session. Next week, I will present a comprehensive wrap-up of the entire session.

Please feel free to contact me with your views on the issues facing our state, or whenever I can be of service. I read every email. I can also be reached on my home (404-223-6269) or cell (404-784-6059) numbers if the issue is more pressing. Thank you for allowing me to continue to serve you in the Georgia General Assembly.

House and Senate reach final agreement on state budget

The House and Senate gave final approval to a $19.3 billion annual state budget for fiscal year 2013, which begins July 1. In late negotiations, $111 million in appropriations for a number of economic development projects was added to the budget plan. That funding comes from Georgia's share of the recent national mortgage settlement. The total plan reflects an increase of about $800 million over the budget for the current year. The budget legislation (HB 742) now goes to Gov. Deal for his signature. The governor also has the authority to veto specific line-item appropriations in the budget.

Zero-Based Budgeting: SB 33 received final passage in the House and Senate and goes to the governor for his signature. The proposal would require state agencies and programs to justify all of their spending during the budgeting process at least once every 10 years.

Restriction on Abortion: The House and Senate majorities gave final approval to HB 954, which would criminalize abortions after the 20^th week of pregnancy in most cases. The measure was amended in the Senate to include an exception for "medically futile" cases when conditions are "incompatible with sustaining life after birth." The bill now awaits the governor's signature.

Unemployment Benefits Cut: A majority of House members and Senators gave final approval to HB 347, which would reduce unemployment payments from 26 weeks to a sliding scale of 14 to 20 weeks and would increase the amount businesses are taxed for unemployment insurance. Georgia's unemployment rate is 9.1 percent, well above the national average of 8.3 percent.

Drug Testing for Assistance: HB 861, which would require drug testing for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits, received final approval by the House and Senate majorities and awaits the governor's signature.

Open Government: HB 397 was sent to the governor's desk after final approval by the House and Senate. The bill would increase penalties for government officials who break Georgia's "sunshine" laws and clarifies the definition of open meetings and what activities are allowed in closed meetings. The bill also allows the state Department of Economic Development to withhold information on incentives the state offers to attract large development projects until after the company commits to locating in Georgia.

Agency Consolidation: HB 456, which would create a "sunset committee" of legislators to review state agencies, committees and boards for efficiency, received majority approval in the House and Senate. The committee could recommend the agencies be abolished if they are found to be redundant, inefficient or unnecessary.

In other action this week, the House gave final approval to:

• HB 541, which would create the offense of threatening or intimidating a public officer or official in the administration of his or her duties.
• HB 636, which would allow voters in an area of north DeKalb County to decide whether to create a city of Brookhaven.
• HB 685, which would strengthen Georgia's dangerous dog laws.
• HB 1027, which would maintain a 20 percent tax credit for television, film and video game productions in Georgia and grant a 10 percent bonus credit if the program or game includes a special peach logo to promote Georgia tourism.
• HB 1114, which would prohibit assisted suicide.
• SB 302, which would increase the revenues bond cap for the Georgia Higher Education Facilities Authority from $300 million to $500 million, enabling construction of more dormitories, parking decks and student centers on the campuses of Georgia's colleges and universities.
• SB 410, which would put Georgia's public schools under a grading system that considers student success and the progress educators make in improving test score performance. The bill narrowly passed on a reconsideration vote after being defeated on the House floor two days earlier.
• SB 431, which would add medical identity fraud to the provisions of state law related to identity fraud.

House members rejected SB 362, which would have allowed the retrieval of logs that sank in South Georgia rivers as they were being harvested and transported to coastal sawmills during the late 1800s.