John Lunsford

Since 2008 election qualifying time is past, and I was fortunate enough not to get an opponent I wanted to start in a series of press releases about what occurred this year in the general assembly by subject matter. Over the next few weeks or months I will update each department of the state as to changes made or improvements. Much of the information will be gleaned from others who either chair the respective committees such as Jan Jones education appropriations, or state agency’s themselves. Many have called this year the session without substance but I think after reading you may view differently. I wanted to let people know we are their staunch advocate and partner in creating a brighter future for their children.  I wanted to let them know what I know – The House of Representatives was relentless throughout the budgeting process in assuring our schools and our children are taken into account.

We succeeded in creating a budget that meets the educational needs of Georgia’s public school students. Together, we crafted a strong and sound state education budget that will directly benefit our states future.

Even more, we accomplished it in spite of a softening economy; revised revenue projections ($245 million less); and competing needs.

K-12 Education

• Held firm on a 2.5% pay raise for teachers ($160 million).  This pay raise is in addition to 3% salary increases awarded to more than half of teachers through normal progression on the teacher salary schedule. Georgia consistently ranks #1 in highest average teacher salary in the Southeast – and this pay raise will ensure that Georgia maintains this ranking. Also note that according to the John Locke Foundation, Georgia ranks #2 nationally in average teacher salary when adjusted for cost of living, pension contribution and teacher experience.
• Added $50 million for austerity restoration. This funding equates to an additional $31 per student. The General Assembly was able to reduce the remaining austerity reduction from $143 million to $93 million. The remaining austerity represents 1% of the total QBE budget.  Total spending on education exceeded the inflation rate.
• Fully funded the per student funding formula for 1.23% growth of public school students ($200 million).  Note: The per student funding formula (QBE) for new student growth has been and continues to be fully funded (with no austerity reductions).
• Added 2,500 slots in the Georgia Virtual School ($1.8 million).  Students will have 6,500 class slots offered through this state program so they can take 75 Advanced Placement and other courses online that are not offered or not convenient at their local school.  Public and non-public school students are eligible.
• Fully funded growth in Equalization grants.  This grant program serves 134 school systems each year to level out funding for less wealthy systems.  The $110 million was split between the FY09 and Amended FY08 budgets.
• Continued to fund $100 classroom cards for teachers to purchase classroom supplies the week of the sales tax holiday.  Added classroom cards for new teachers and new media centers.  The total cost comes to $11 million.
• Fully funded bonds to pay for school construction and renovation ($300 million).  It was split between the Amended FY08 and FY09 budgets.
• Funded a new Mentor Teacher program to provide $500 stipends for those who mentor new teachers ($200,000).
• Created 11 new math mentor positions to work with schools struggling with math. Schools will be selected to receive services based on low math test scores and achievement ($1.3 million).

Pre-K

• Funded a 1% increase for operations for public and private Pre-K providers ($700,000).  This is only the third operational funding increase since Pre-K was created 15 years ago.  Last year’s 2.35% operations increase was the second. 
• Added 1,000 Pre-K slots ($6.4 million). Currently, 56% of all four year olds attend Pre-K, which is funded through the lottery.  Total children attending due to lottery revenues – 79,000.

Lunchroom workers, Bus Drivers and Custodians Retirement

• Increased retirement benefits.  Means a $0.50 higher rate raising it from $14.25 to $14.75 per month per year of service ($2.7 million).

The attached spreadsheet lists school systems alphabetically.  The figures show the actual funds your school system(s) will receive because of initiatives we placed into the budget.  I encourage you to share this information with your neighbors.

I am honored to be your Representative. I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

Let’s start first with the fact that we passed a balanced Fiscal Year 2009 budget and amended the 2008 budget in a time when revenue projections for the state have been downsized.  We returned $50 million in austerity cuts to education and we gave teachers, state employees, and law enforcement officers pay increases.  We also funded eight new or expanded libraries, funded Georgia’s first dental school, and additional new community health centers.  Close to 50 hospitals received increased funding for indigent care and set aside $10 million for land conservation.

One of the most important bills passed was Senate Bill 342, a bill designed to help alleviate future water problems by developing and expediting the building of additional water reservoirs. 

We protected our children by passing Senate Bill 1, a bill that prohibits sex offenders from photographing minor children without parent or guardian consent.  We also passed a bill, S.B. 474, which would provide greater protection for children from sexual predators using the Internet to try and lure our children.  We also cracked down on habitual drunk drivers by making their fourth DUI conviction  a felony with the necessary penalties.

We helped protect our 2nd Amendment rights by allowing Georgians licensed to carry concealed weapons in parks, historic sites, recreation areas, wildlife management areas and prohibiting employers from searching employee vehicles and conditioning employment on regulation of firearms.  This was done through House Bill 89.

We passed a major reform of our medical care system by passing S.B. 433.  The Certificate of Need reforms relaxed outdated regulations that limited health care options available to Georgia citizens by increasing access and competition.  The bill also allowed for a new state-of-the-art cancer hospital to open within 25 miles of the Atlanta airport.

We continued our  effort of bringing transparency to our state government by passing S.B. 300 creating a free, publicly accessible web site providing information on state expenditures.  With our efforts to reform the Department of Transportation, we passed two bills that will make them more accountable to the citizens of Georgia.  The first bill, House Bill 1189, will require the Department of Transportation to report on a Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan.  The second bill, S.B. 417, will require DOT to develop and publish benchmarks to provide a time frame for the completion of transportation projects. 

We passed House Bill 948 which continues the popular back-to-school sales tax holiday set for July 31 through August 3 and the energy efficient products sales tax holiday set for October 2-5. 

We passed H.B. 1019, ( lunsford)  a bill that allows communities to fund new road construction using the newly created Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank.

We created a law in H.B. 1159 9 (lunsford) that will give families a $2,000 tax credit for adopting a child in the Georgia foster care system. We allowed home school or private school children to qualify for the HOPE scholarship as well as military or GED recipients and many many more issues of local or state wide importance.

With these remarkable legislative initiatives passing the General Assembly, with too little fanfare in our media, I think many of us would say that this session was a success.

In conclusion, it has been my privilege to serve as your state representative carrying your needs and beliefs to our state’s capital.  I am honored to be your public servant. I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

The Georgia General Assembly concluded the business of the state at midnight on Friday, April 4.  Day 40 if viewed from afar would resemble chaos, but up close, was a fairly well orchestrated attempt to pass meaningful legislation.  I will be the first to admit, some very good legislation didn’t make it.  The reasons are many but the reality of the General Assembly is consensus.  It takes a majority to pass legislation in the House and in the Senate and sometimes those bodies, filled with independent thinking men and women, fail to reach a consensus.  But often they do.

Some of the highlights from the last day of the session included some very important legislation.  Much of the day was filled with agrees and disagrees, the process where we agree to the modifications or amendments that the Senate has placed on the legislation.  There also was legislation that managed to be debated on the last day after going through the required vetting at the committee level.

One of the more important bills debated allowed for more construction of Public Water supply reservoirs.  Senate Bill 342 funds up to 20% of the cost of obtaining permits for and constructing improvements to any dam that was originally constructed or financially assisted by the Natural Resource Conservation Service.  The bill also funds up to 40% of the cost of obtaining a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The bill passed 111-59.

We also passed S.B. 406, a bill that strengthens our penalties for dealing in pirated recorded materials.  The bill increases the penalties for reproducing or distributing recorded materials with the first offense of a minimum fine of $500 and up to $25,000.  The second offense would set a minimum fine of $1,000 and requires a minimum of 48 hours of prison, with the third and subsequent offenses with fines at a minimum of $2,000 up to $250,000 and a prison term of two to five years with at least six days served.  The bill passed 143-9.

One bill that passed shows the methodical process of passing meaningful legislation is Senate Bill 433.  This bill basically became the culmination of four years of work on the certificate of need (CON) issues for medical providers.  The bill is a compromise measure agreed to by most of the stakeholders and worked out by the legislators who had authored and carried CON legislation.  S.B. 433 includes the unanimous and majority recommendations of the Commission on the Efficacy of Certificate of Need, in addition to, the allowance for a destination cancer hospital within 25 miles of the Atlanta airport.  The bill passed overwhelmingly by a margin of 138-17.

We also passed S.B. 474, a bill that will provide greater protection for children with regard to the use of the Internet.  The bill establishes parental controls over Internet access to children and enhanced the penalties for failing to report certain information to the Cyber Tip line at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  The bill passed 153-1. 

We passed a bill that will allow our outdoors men and women by lowering the fee for hunting and fishing license renewal so that Georgia residents receive the same financial benefit as non-residents who purchase temporary licenses.  The bill, S.B. 382 passed 162-1.

Last week the Governor signed into law three very important bills each having been worked on for a number of years (CON certificate of need for medical care), (State transportation infrastructure bank) and  a (state wide reservoir plan) .

In the next few weeks, I will provide a recap of the legislative highlights from this year’s Georgia General Assembly. Including what the Governor signs into law and what he veto’s   I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

The end is near for the 2008 Georgia General Assembly session.  By the time many of you read this, the session will be completed and we will have adjourned Sine Die.  In the next few weeks I will provide you with the highlights of the session, but for now, this is what happened in the final week.  Most of the debate these final days is based on the amendments that have been added to some bills as they have gone to the Senate for their approval.  The committee process allows the Senate to make changes to the bills that we have passed and they send them back to us.  We then have a choice to “insist” on our position or to disagree with the Senate position.  We also are working on some high-profile legislation that has taken a while to be properly vetted by the committee process.

One of the bills that we hope to pass that will make your state government more transparent is Senate Bill 300.  This bill provides for the creation of a free, publicly accessible website to provide state expenditure information.  The bill passed unanimously.  Another bill that passed unanimously would revise and streamline the ways Georgians may “give the gift of life” by being an organ donor.  S.B. 405 updated and more importantly, harmonized the giving rules with other states to make the laws more “uniform.”

We also passed unanimously, S.B. 196, a bill that provides free scholarships to children of our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen who died of combat wounds or were injured suffering a 50% or greater disability.  This was a great way for us to help Georgia citizens who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Global War on Terror.

One bill we passed is designed to create three student loan programs that will allow students to apply for low interest financial aide programs.  S.B. 169 will have three programs which will allow for a 1% need-based loan that will act as a bridge gap for financial aid the student may receive in that the primary financial aid doesn’t quite cover the costs.  The second program, called Graduate On Time loan, has an interest rate that would be no higher than the prime rate.  If the student graduates with a grade point average of 2.0 or higher and completes school in four years, the loan gets a reduced retroactive rate of 1 percent.  If the student graduates in five years and with a 2.0 GPA or better, they would get a 2 percent rate.  The third program creates a loan for people who want to work in community service, they would receive a 1 percent rate if the spend between 5 and 15 years in public service.  S.B. 169 passed 158-1.

S.B. 1 is a bill we passed that would make it unlawful for sexual predators from photographing minors without the consent of the minor’s parents or guardian.  This would apply only to registered sex offenders and the bill passed 133-32. 

S.B. 374 amended a number of lien laws. The bill basically updates the state lien laws that are used in building or renovating homes and commercial structures.  The bill passed 160-3.

We easily passed legislation urging the state Department of Audits to closely examine the use of state-issued credit cards by continuing to audit certain accounts to ensure that transactions are authorized, legal, and ethical.  The resolution passed 155-2.

I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

By the end of this Friday, we will have completed 36 days of the 2008 General Assembly session.  The following week we will conclude the session, most likely adjourning sine die on Friday.  This has been a short week as we were in session only two days as a whole house but 3 days were spent in committees  to allow our colleagues in the Senate time to finish their Fiscal Year 2009 budget work.  As directed by the state Constitution, all budget matters must begin in the House of Representatives, so the Senate was waiting on us before they began.

One high interest bill we passed is Senate Resolution 845.  The legislation would authorize a regional sales tax to pay for highway improvements in congested areas.  It would create several regions across the state, known as special transportation districts, where local governments could agree to hold a referendum for voters to approve or reject a local one-cent sales tax.  The key to this resolution is voter choice.  In our version, the money collected would be kept entirely by the region for local road projects.  The Senate version would require that 20 percent of the sales tax proceeds go to the state Department of Transportation.  This bill will go to a conference committee to work out the differences.  We approved this bill 136-35.

The Fiscal Year 2009 budget has been discussed but I haven’t really outlined some of the highlights of the spending bill.  First, as has been widely reported, revenue estimates for FY 2009 will be down by $245 million.  Our state’s net growth is expected to be $635 million or 4.26%.

The biggest news in education was that we restored $90 million to the “austerity cuts” that were in the Governor’s budget.  We also restored $1.3 million to Math Mentors – the Superintendent’s #1 priority based on the overwhelming success of the Science Mentor program that the House of Representatives created to raise test scores.  We also have added $305 million across the two budgets to fund K-12 school construction and equipment needs.  We added $114 million in additional funds to fully fund the Regents formula for our colleges while creating a $60 million bond to start the construction of a new dental school – the only one in the state – to ensure an adequate supply of dentists trained in state-of-the-art procedures.

With trauma care being one of the most important topics here at the capitol, our budget contains $5.5 million for equipment and $53,402,769 for distribution to aid existing trauma hospitals.  Also on the health care front, over $80 million was added as provider increases for hospital, home health personal support, maternity, well-child care, ambulance, pharmacists, nursing homes, therapeutic resident care and dental services.  This is for the 1.6 million Georgians receiving Medicaid and PeachCare services.  We put in $2 million for four new Community Health Centers, which provide primary care access in under served areas of the state.  These centers are the best deal in health care, as the state provides $250,000 to start-up in federally designated areas with significant access issues and then fully funds the on-going operations; this is for four start-ups and four existing centers adding mental health services. 

We provided just over $1 million for the Meals on Wheels program.  Funds are needed to replace federally withdrawn funds (Paper Plate Initiative) from the Nutrition Services Incentive Program.  Meals are served in-home and congregate places such as senior centers.  This will provide over 200,000 meals to at-risk seniors and disabled persons.  In the realm of public safety, we added $20 million to continue the House’s initiatives last year to retain and recruit public safety officers, as well as prevent the compression of salaries in between pay grades.  This annualizes last year’s increases for law enforcement officers in Public Safety.

As always in the general assembly the bulk of the large legislation will seek final passage in the last week as most complicated issues are being worked out.  I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

We have completed 34 of the no more than forty days of the 2008 Georgia General Assembly.  As allowed by the state’s constitution, the only item we must complete is enacting a balanced budget for the operations of the state.  We completed that this week and now the Senate will consider it.  (Just a quick civics lesson, all tax and budget legislation must begin in the House of Representatives.) 

The budget is a $21.2 billion budget for the new 2009 fiscal year beginning July 1.  It includes 2.5 percent pay raises for state teachers and employees, $50 million for reservoirs and related water management projects aimed at Georgia’s future water needs, and $90 million in school formula funding replacing the austerity cuts.  We also included $10 million for land conservation.  The FY 2009 budget passed 166-1.

We also passed the FY 2008 Supplemental Appropriations bill by a margin of 167-2.  This is the bill that redirects funding mainly to education and Medicaid shortfalls that are mandated by the federal government.  This is the Conference report and we have transmitted the bill for the Governor to sign or veto.  He has six days to decide.

In other legislative action this past week, we passed Senate Bill 350, a bill that further strengthens our laws regarding driving on a suspended license.  The bill adds to the requirements for people arrested for driving with a revoked or suspended license that they will be fingerprinted and a fourth conviction within five years will result in a felony with imprisonment up to five years and a fine up to $5,000 or both.  That bill passed 99-68.  We also passed legislation that will allow District Attorneys to request the death penalty if jurors are in favor by a margin of 10-2.  Current law requires a unanimous verdict for the death penalty to be implemented.  That bill, S.B. 145 passed 112-55.

We passed S.B. 359, a bill that would require the Georgia Department of Economic Development to create and implement a “Made in Georgia” program to promote products made in our state.  That bill passed 161-1.  We also passed S.B. 444 a bill that will allow the Department of Transportation to dispose of surplus property.  As part of the streamlining process being adopted by the DOT, S.B. 444 will allow the DOT to sell excess property not needed for public roads to the highest sealed bidder.  The bill passed 164-0. 

We passed a fairly comprehensive bill that determines how the Georgia Bureau of Investigation can use DNA samples for evidence and how that information obtained from evidence is exchanged.  The bill, S.B.430 passed 130-40.  Another bill dealing with the GBI would allow them to investigate identity fraud cases and grant them subpoena powers.  This bill, S.B. 388, passed unanimously.

As the 2008 General Assembly session winds down, the schedule for the last six days of the session will be somewhat hectic.  As usual, the most difficult issues are undergoing negotiations to determine what members of the House and Senate, as well as, the Governor can agree upon.  This includes the 2009 budget, tax reform, Certificate of Need issues dealing with the medical community, and a host of other important legislative initiatives.

I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

Your Georgia General Assembly is moving into the final quarter of the 2008 Assembly session as we have completed 31 days of the no-more-than 40 legislative day session.  The final quarter is when the tough legislation is worked out and debated.  In addition, the budgetary issues really storm to the front as the Appropriations Committee members move to submit a balanced budget that fulfills needs of federally mandated programs like education and Medicaid, as well as, universities, roads and other needed projects and programs.

The highlight of the week is that House members were able to reach a tenable compromise and voted to pass out a tax relief package that was defeated last week.  House Resolution 1246, which failed to pass last week, was overwhelmingly adopted this week after some modifications were made to the legislation that would allow voters to determine whether they wanted the tax relief, in the form of a constitutional amendment. 

The latest version of the tax relief proposal eliminates the ad valorem taxes on auto license tags, the .25 mills in property tax charged by the state on property owners (a total annual savings of $94 million), and a freeze on property tax assessments.  Because this bill is a constitutional amendment, 120 votes were needed to pass the resolution and this time it passed 166-5 and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

As part of the removal of the auto property tax or what we call the “birthday tax”, we implemented House Bill 1158 which places a $10 trauma charge on motor vehicle tags in the state of Georgia.  The reason we call it the “birthday tax” is that your tag renewal is tied to your birthday.  The ten dollar tag charge would be used exclusively to help fund our state’s trauma care network.  Trauma care is the hospital you need when there is an accident.  Currently this state has only 4 level one trauma care units with those being in Atlanta, Savannah, Macon, and Augusta.  Enhanced trauma care is desperately needed in all regions of the state.  There are two points I want to make about this.  First, trauma funding is essential for saving lives.  Second, most of us would gladly pay $10 dollars additional on our car tag, and NOT pay hundreds of dollars for the car tax.  This legislation, House Bill 1158, passed 164-7.

In an effort to enhance charitable giving to private schools, we passed House Bill 1133, a bill that provides an income tax credit to taxpayers who make contributions to  ‘student scholarship organizations” that provide 90 percent of their funding in the form of scholarships.  As with most tax credits there are additional rules.  This legislation passed 92-73.

In an effort to strengthen our regional areas of the state, we easily passed HB 1216 that essentially changes our regional development centers or RDCs into regional commissions.  The purpose of these commissions is to develop, promote, and assist in establishing coordinated and comprehensive land use, environmental, transportation and historic preservation planning in the state.  In addition, these regional commissions would assist local governments in planning.  Twelve regional commissions would be created.  The bill passed 134-34.

In an effort to separate and codify theft, we have created a new offense called “organized retail theft.”  Organized retail theft is committed when 2 or more people are involved in retail property theft in large quantities over a 180-day period with the intent to resell the stolen items.  HB 1346 passed unanimously. There were many other pieces of legislation this week such as tax credits, mail order wine, and tree farming by products legislation. We will convene again on Tuesday as a committee of the whole house but until then most committees are meeting daily trying to finish up the session. 

I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

The Georgia General Assembly has completed twenty-nine days of the 2008 Georgia General Assembly session and “Day 30” which is “Crossover Day” will be Tuesday, March 11.  As I discussed last week, crossover day is the last day that the House or Senate will consider their own legislation and pass it over to the other body for consideration.  If a bill that originates in the House of Representatives hasn’t been passed by the House by this Day 30, then the bill effectively is considered “dead.” 

The big issue at the Capitol this week was the GREAT tax plan debate.  Based on feedback from members, we decided that the best hope for a significant tax decrease for the citizens of Georgia was to vote on Senate Resolution 796. The measure fell ten votes short of the 120 votes needed to put it on the ballot in November so you could vote on it.  Unfortunately, the majority of the House Democratic Caucus did not support the tax cuts.

For the past year, Speaker Richardson has led Georgians in a very healthy public debate about our state’s system of taxation. House Bill 979 and Senate Resolution 796 would have eliminated the hated ad valorem tax on all personal vehicles also known as the ‘tag tax’ or ‘birthday tax.’

The measures would have put an end to out-of-control growth of property taxes by freezing property tax assessments at the 2008 level and limiting the annual increase on residential values to 2 percent. The measures would have capped the growth of local government and said that if local governments or school boards wanted to raise local taxes, they must seek the approval of voters in the community. And finally, the bill would have provided funding for a statewide trauma care network. The final version of the bill contained NO NEW TAXES.

But none of these will happen, Unless we can generate 15 votes from the other side of the isle, we not need a statewide trauma network to fund hospitals like Grady that treat the most critically injured patients in our state Some members of the House have denied Georgians the right to decide for themselves if they want a tax cut and if they want to reform our current tax system. So on your birthday you will continue to pay the ‘birthday tax’ and your property values will continue to rise unchecked thereby increasing your property taxes. This is a good conservative, State and local tax cutting measure that I was happy to support. Moving forward, I will continue to support other tax cuts because I believe that we need lessen the tax burden on our citizens.  I proudly voted for it and believe that if it were placed on a ballot, you would overwhelmingly approve it.  The defeat of this resolution, S.R.796, denied you the right to vote for meaningful tax reforms.

The good news is we were able this week to ease your tax burden for two weekends. Every August, parents all over Georgia take their children shopping for back to school clothes and supplies. This is a big shopping weekend for our families and I was happy to again support a tax free shopping weekend to help them save a little money. The House approved House Bill 948 setting the weekend of July 31 through August 3 as the sales tax holiday weekend for school supplies, and October 2 through October 5 as the sales tax holiday weekend for energy efficient appliances.

We passed a very strict DUI bill this past week.  The bill sets punishment levels for a DUI of drivers who are 18 years and older.  The first offense would be a misdemeanor with a fine of $300-$1000; jail from ten days to one year (24 hours minimum); probation for 12 months less time served; completion of a risk reduction program; and community service hours.  The second offense would be a 24-month misdemeanor; fine of $750-$5000; jail time from 90 days - 24 months.  If the second DUI is within 5 years, 120 hour minimum jail time; and 30 days community service; probation for 24 months less jail time.  The third offense: 36-month misdemeanor; fine of $1000-$5000; and jail time of 12-36 months.  The fourth offense would constitute a felony with a fine of $1000-$5000 and 1-5 years in jail with 1 year minimum.  The bill, House Bill 336, passed 124-17.

We passed a bill that would require local municipalities and county governments who wish to make their water usage policies more restrictive than the state to apply to the state for that ability.  We also charged that the Environmental Protection Division of the state rule on those applications within three days of receiving the request.  We recognize that sometimes, local governments may become overly ambitious in allocating water use.  H.B. 1281 passed by a 124-38 margin of victory.

In an effort to help insure the integrity of our local elections, we passed H.B. 1098, which places the same reporting requirement to the Secretary of States office on municipal elections as on all other state elections.  It also requires that municipal election officials be certified.  The bill passed unanimously.  We also passed a bill that would allow those handicapped individuals or those 75 years old or older to move to the front of the line to vote.  This bill, H.B. 993, also passed unanimously.

In education this week, House members voted in favor of House Bill 1209 introduced by Brooks Coleman, Chairman of the House Education Committee. This legislation provides greater flexibility and local control of our schools systems. Working with the State Department of Education and parents, the legislation would continue to require school systems to develop a five-year strategic plan. Upon approval of the plan, each school system may choose to enter into a five-year contract with the State Department of Education that will provide flexibility, accountability, and consequences for poor school performance. School systems would have greater flexibility with respect to class sizes, curriculum, teacher certification, salary structure and other state standardized areas. Accountability would be dependent upon standardized test scores, graduation rates, SAT scores, and other performance standards. If a school does not meet the accountability Standards of the contract, the legislation sets forth consequences that could include conversion of a school to a charter school or a change in the controlling entity of a failing school. This legislation provides both and will help move our educational systems forward.

Transportation has been in the forefront of issues this year and we are still debating the best way to approach the challenges we face. This coming week we should see more legislation being debated and modified to utilize existing taxes for transportation as well as push by some for regional tax increases. I remain opposed to all tax increases and we will push for better efficiency standards as well as the requirement of all transportation agencies to implement cost benefit analysis and congestion relief standards for all Projects placed on transportation plans.

One bill that I felt was very important for our children is H.B. 1286, legislation that would require our schools to close on November 11 of each year in honor of Veteran’s Day.  Many of our school children do not understand the sacrifices that our men and women of our Armed Services have made in defending freedom and by passing this bill we hope to encourage our schools and the parents to talk with their children about what our veterans have done.  This bill passed unanimously.

I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

We have completed twenty-six days of the 2008 Georgia General Assembly session and we are quickly approaching “Day 30” which is “Crossover Day.”  Crossover day is the last day that the House or Senate will consider their own legislation and pass it over to the other body for consideration.  If a bill that originates in the House of Representatives hasn’t been passed by the House by this Day 30, then the bill effectively is considered “dead.”  Day 30 activities are widely active as Members of the House and Senate try to push bills through and we have a very long calendar of bills to consider.  I anticipate Day 30 to be on March 7th  or 11th this year.

This past week, we passed House Bill 455, a bill that dramatically helps us to control narcotic prescription drugs that are dispensed at drug stores.  The bill establishes a program for monitoring prescribed and dispensed schedule II, III, and IV controlled substances.  Dispensers of these drugs will be required to submit specific information regarding when the prescription was filled, the quantity dispensed, as well as, the patient’s data and the prescribing doctor’s information.  This bill is designed to help fight the growing battle of “prescription shopping” that some drug addicts use to get prescribed drugs.  The bill passed 149-8.

We passed a major transportation bill creating a Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank to help us fund future transportation projects.  The new “bank” would serve in assisting in the financing of qualified road projects by providing loans and other financial assistance to governments for constructing and improving highway and transportation facilities.  The bank will receive its funds from the state’s toll ways, federal transit funds, or state funds.  The bill passed easily 162-1.

After a state employee who rang up hundreds of thousands of dollars in unlawful purchases, we saw the need for and passed H.B. 1113, legislation that would restrict the use of state purchasing cards.  The legislation would require state agencies only to issue cards to those whose job duties would require them to have one and would limit purchases to $500 unless the item is part of a state approved contract.  The legislation also established some very strict penalties for those convicted of stealing from the state.  The bill passed unanimously.

We overwhelmingly passed H.B. 188, a bill that would recuse those who serve as the primary unpaid caregiver for a person over the age of 6 who has a physical or congenative limitation from jury duty.  The bill passed 158-1.

We overwhelmingly approved the creation of children’s transition care centers, centers that are temporary, home-like environments for medically fragile children, technology dependent children, and children with special health care needs.  These centers would be for children who are considered medically stable by a physician but dependent on life-sustaining medications, treatments and equipment and who require assistance with activities of daily living to facilitate the transition from a hospital to a home or other appropriate setting.  The bill passed 148-1.

Of great importance was, H.B. 1159 that would provide a $2,000 tax credit for adopting a foster child until the child reaches maturity, this is the greatest tax credit of any state in the country in an effort to speed up the adoption process for foster care children, not only was it logical it saved money too.  That bill passed 127-1.

We passed House bill 978, a bill that declares that any vehicle in an accident that is driven by an illegal immigrant will be subject to forfeiture to the state if the defendant is convicted of the offense charged.  This bill passed 104-51. 

We agreed to allow wine drinkers in this state to special order up to 12 cases of wine per year directly from an out-of-state vendor of wine.  Currently, wine vendors could only ship wines directly to a vendor in the state of Georgia.  This bill passed 126-8. I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

This Valentine’s Day marked the completion of the eighteenth day of the 2008 Georgia General Assembly session.  Many important pieces of legislation have passed the House this year and while not all garner the excitement of tax cuts, water policy or guns, they are equally important, especially to the people affected by the policy.

For example, House Bill 297 is a piece of legislation  passed to allow recreational vehicle conventions to invite out-of-state dealers and manufacturers to participate in these conventions if more that 2,500 vehicles are registered. 

We also passed legislation that would allow narcotics agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to purchase creditable service for retirement purposes.  H.B. 209 passed unanimously. 

We unanimously passed H.B. 930, a bill that makes exemptions for disabled veterans and blind persons, from the payment of occupation taxes, administrative fees, or regulatory fees for certain activities are valid for ten years. 

We also defined the role of “wax technicians” as it relates to cosmetology.   The bill, H.B. 494, allows for the certification of master aestheticians and wax technicians, as well as, establishing standards for the practice.  It also allows for barber shops, which aren’t set up as a cosmetology shop or salon, to employ wax technicians.  This is a safety issue for the General Assembly and the bill passed 136-18. 

We created a legislative oversight committee for the Georgia Lottery Corporation and created a nine member board of directors.  We also created some of the duties that the chief executive officer must perform.  The Georgia Lottery provides the money for the HOPE scholarship and many pre-k educational programs and was established in the 1990’s by the Georgia General Assembly.  This bill passed 119-32.

House Bill 579 established the ability of storage centers for mobile homes to file a lien for storage or rental charges against a mobile home beginning thirty days after vacancy or eviction.  The definition of “lien holder” covers lenders on the actual mobile home rather than the land on which the home sits.  But it sets up ways the land owner can put a lien on the home for costs associated with the home being set-up on the property.  This bill passed 138-5.

In the effort to spur interest in tourism, we have created the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.  This will allow for coastal areas that were involved in the short war which was fought against the British over trade issues, to have festivities honoring the heroism of the valiant soldiers and sailors.  This bill easily passed 141-7.  In addition, we also passed another tourism bill that would designate “agricultural tourist attractions” and provide for proper directional signs to those attractions.  H.B. 1088 passed 154-1.

House Bill 1055 helped us in the area of professions and licenses that are controlled by legislative action.  The state licenses doctors, accountants, real estate agents and barbers to name a few.  This bill allows the designee of the division director to sign and attest orders and processes. 

It also revised the requirements for interior designers, geologists, massage therapists, physical therapists and veterinarians.  The bill was overwhelmingly endorsed with a 153-4 vote on the House floor.  We also required all hospitals to offer any patient 65 and older, between October 1 and March 1, upon discharge, a vaccination to fight the flu.  Flu and the complications from it, is a major cause of death for many seniors.  The bill passed 151-9.

Another bill of statewide importance was HB969 which passed  overwhelmingly in the house to clear up some oversights within the driver licenses process, this bill allowed home school parents to sign the completion requirements and attendance paperwork for first time license applications ,

I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

The 2008 Georgia General Assembly session is in mid-stream as we have completed its fourteenth day.  The House and Senate Appropriation Committees are hard at work putting the final touches on the Fiscal Year 2008 Reconciliation Budget and preparing the FY 09 state budget.  The reconciliation budget, called the “little budget” is the document that looks at where the state stands, especially with federally-mandated Medicaid and education funding.  If we are short, usually due to unanticipated growth, the General Assembly must infuse new funds to offset those required expenses.

Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law, House Resolution 1022, the Statewide Water Management Plan.  The bill was created to guide Georgia in managing its water resources.  The newly enacted plan will utilize the state’s water resources in a sustainable manner; will support the state’s economy, will protect public health and natural systems, and will enhance the quality of life for all citizens.  The plan lays out statewide policies, management practices, and guidance for regional planning. The provisions of this plan are intended to guide river basin and aquifer management plans and regional water planning efforts statewide.  This was a priority of the Members of the House of Representatives and was overwhelmingly passed the first week of the session.

We also voted on a resolution, HR 1034, that asks the National Collegiate Athletic Association to implement a playoff system to determine a football national champion.  While the resolution isn’t binding, it certainly sends a message to the NCAA that we, as legislators, were not happy the way the University of Georgia Football team was treated in being denied a shot at the national title.

We unanimously passed House Bill 926, legislation that adopts the changes to federal Internal Revenue Code were signed into law in 2007 for tax year 2007.  The bill will provide about $38 million in tax relief from 2008 through 2012.  We also overwhelmingly passed legislation that would help tenants that belong to a homeowners association or a condominium association, that a judicial foreclosure cannot be placed on the owner unless the dues exceed $2,000.  Those under $2,000 can be collected by way of a lien or judgment.  The bill passed 139-19.

We overwhelmingly passed HB 296, a bill that establishes the times that a special election can be held.  In odd-numbered years, any special election would only be allowed on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  In even-numbered years, any special election shall only be held on the date of the general primary on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the bill would not take effect until 2010.  The reason for the legislation is to pre-establish guidelines for special elections to save counties money from special elections set to avoid when most voters are used to voting.  The bill passed 165-4.

We passed 167-1, HB 333, that weapons confiscated in connection with committing a crime, will be turned over to the chief of police or other department executive officer of the law enforcement agency that took the weapon.  This will aid a municipality police chief to dispose of weapons, as current law only allow county sheriffs to dispose of weapons.  We also passed HB 387, legislation that stipulates that the twelfth day of February of each year will be considered “Georgia Day.”  It was the day that Georgia’s first colonists, led by General James Oglethorpe landed on the banks of the Savannah River on what is now downtown Savannah.  The bill passed unanimously. As each issue comes before the state legislature, I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

The General Assembly is in full swing as many bills are moving forward through the legislative process.  We easily passed House Bill 881, a bill that would establish the Georgia Charter Schools Commission.  The bill would establish a commission that would serve independently of the Department of Education but under the supervision of the State Board of Education and the Department of Education. The newly formed commission would have the responsibility to authorize municipalities, state universities, and community colleges to co-sponsor charter schools.  In addition, the commission would be responsible for reviewing facilities and curriculums of charter schools, as well as, the ability to promote and disseminate best practice information.  The bill passed 119-48.

We also worked on a somewhat controversial bill, H.B. 89, legislation that further outlines where individuals can carry guns.  H.B. 89 would allow those individuals who have gun carry permits to bring guns into state parks and restaurants.  In addition, gun owners would be allowed to bring guns to their place of employment.  Business owners, who provide secure parking facilities, could deny employees the ability to carry guns on the businesses property.  The bill passed 111-58 and now heads back to the Senate for consideration.

The House also considered legislation, in the form of a resolution.  This would amend the State Constitution, to provide for the inclusion of statements of legislative intent in the general appropriations Act to require the state government departments to spend appropriated money as the legislature has deemed it to be spent, and not to be over-ridden by non-elected bureaucrats.  The bill passed 167-1.

A bill that is designed to protect identity theft easily passed 167-2.  The legislation allows a consumer to request a credit reporting agency not to release the consumer’s credit report information by placing a “security freeze” on their credit reports in order to prevent the extension of credit without the consumer’s authorization.   It also allows the consumer to temporarily lift the “security freeze” in order to make credit information available.

We also worked on  sex predators legislation that had passed in earlier sessions that had parts ruled unconstitutional by the courts.  H.B. 908 amended the definition of “area where minors congregate” to add public libraries to the list of prohibited areas.  It further amended the law by providing a definition of the term "day care center;" to provide that no registered sex offender or designated sexual predator shall volunteer within 1000 feet of a school, church, child care facility or area where minors congregate; to provide that the 1000 foot measurement for the workplace will be measured from outer boundary to outer boundary of the location where the registered individual actually carries out the functions of his or her job; adds language to provide that a registered individual who owns real property or who has established employment before a school, child care facility, church or area where minors congregate locates itself within 1000 feet of the individual’s home or place of employment will not be in violation of the 1000 foot regulatory requirement; the registered individual will have ten days within which to prove, through acceptable documentation, to the sheriff that his residence or employment was established prior to the location of the school, church, child care facility or area where minors congregate.  The bill passed 141-29.

A bill that I had discussed in earlier editions of this report dealt with dog fighting was easily passed 165-6.  The bill prohibits owning or training a dog to fight. It further prohibits causing dogs to fight; betting on a dog fight, and permitting or aiding in a dog fight. A violation would be punished as a felony with a first offense punished by one to five years imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine and a second offense punished by one to ten years imprisonment and/or a $15,000 fine. Attending a dogfight would be punished as a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature for a first offense, punished as a felony carrying a term of imprisonment of 1-5 years and a fine of $5,000 or both for a second offense, and a third offense would carry a term of imprisonment of 1-10 years with a fine of $15,000 or both. The legislation would not prevent husbandry, lawful dog shows, hunting with or training dogs to hunt, training dogs to work with livestock, or training dogs to work with police. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

This past week the Georgia General Assembly stood in recess during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday and then while members of the Appropriations Committee gather to receive testimony on Fiscal Year 2009 budget from various department heads.  But prior to the recess, we passed a very important piece of legislation.

It goes without saying that our future is tied to water.  Without water, the results are disastrous.   With agriculture as our largest economic force, no water equals any crops.  In our cities, no water equals no growth and no new businesses.  It is imperative that we solve this problem immediately and for the long term.  That is why we passed House Resolution 1022, a bill that ratifies the state-wide water management plan.  

The 2004 Comprehensive State-wide Water Management Planning Act charged the Water Council and the Environmental Protection Division with development of a comprehensive statewide water plan for sustainable management of water quality and water quantity while supporting our state’s growth.

The State Water Plan developed by the Water Council is not a plan to address the current drought conditions being experienced in different parts of Georgia.  It is intended to guide long-term planning and will be implemented in conjunction with existing statutes and regulations that guide responses to drought or other emergency circumstances.  It identifies a set of statewide water management policies that will guide sustainable use of Georgia’s water resources.  It describes a “toolbox” of management practices (actions and activities) that can be implemented to meet current and future water needs.  Finally, it lays out a framework for regional planning.

Under the new State Water Plan, a series of regional water planning councils would be formed for eleven water planning regions.  These water planning councils would oversee regional water plans.  The regional water planning councils will each consist of at least 25 members, to be appointed by the Governor (13 members), Lt. Governor (6 members), and Speaker of the House (6 members). Water planning council members must reside within the geographical boundaries of the water planning region, and membership requirements include provisions for approximately 30% of the membership of each council to be representatives of local governments.

The plan also laid out a number of management practices (some already being widely used in our state; others yet to be fully available for use in Georgia) that comprise a 'toolbox of practices' from which local governments - through regional water councils - might select to meet their long-term, water needs.  The management practices in the 'toolbox' include categories that will allow:

• Better management of demand for water (e.g., water conservation);
• Improvement in managing the return of water to our rivers and streams after use, and
• Provisions for adding water supply capacity (e.g., water supply reservoirs) to our waters.
• Provisions for the protection of water quality and management of assimilative capacity for current and future uses and users.

This bill passed the House
One other bill of note making its way through the Georgia General Assembly is House Bill 301.  It is a bill that strengthens the current dog fighting bill that the state already has.  Due to the recent conviction of the Atlanta Falcons’ star quarterback for dog fighting, the legislation intends to strengthen the current law to felony status with a first offense punished by one to five years imprisonment and/or a $5,000 fine.  A second conviction could receive a punishment of one to ten years imprisonment and/or a $15,000 fine.  Spectators also would be charges with high misdemeanors with second offenses leading to felony convictions.

Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at  john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

The first week at the Georgia General Assembly proved to be full of activity as we got right down business. In the beginning of the week, Governor Perdue delivered his annual State of the State address before a joint session of the General Assembly and in his speech announced three new initiatives that he proposed to further Georgia’s educational system and economic development. 

The governor announced his intention to create a State Transportation Infrastructure Bank, which allows local governments to fast build transportation projects using matching federal and state funds. Many of you may remember this original concept was one I passed through the house several years ago and I have been working on it for approximately 4 years, I am excited about the Governors intentions to Sheppard, support, and fund this important program.

The first plan that the governor touted is the “Very Important Parent” (VIP) Recruiter Program which will target elementary, middle and high schools with high absenteeism rates. This initiative will provide a grant for a VIP recruiter in each school to ensure that parents, who might otherwise not be involved, become engaged in their child’s education.  It has been proven that parent involvement is the key to successful students and schools. The second program is Georgia’s Education Scoreboard which is a web site that provides education stakeholders with a straightforward indication of student achievement in Georgia.

The Education Scoreboard, developed by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, provides data for Georgia’s K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and technical colleges. Information on a particular school can be compared with data against school systems in Georgia, southeastern states, or the nation. Finally, Governor Perdue also announced his vision for the Georgia Research Alliance Venture Capital Fund. This fund will allow the state to partner with the private sector to provide early stage financing for businesses formed around intellectual property developed in Georgia’s research universities.

While the Governor addressed many other issues that legislators also view as vital to the state including water, transportation, tax reform, and trauma care, we will undoubtedly have differing views and  offer opposing potential solutions as we take into consideration the needs and concerns of our constituents.

The other significant news this week is that there were twelve veto overrides by the House of Representatives on the first legislative day. Some of the legislation included:

HB 69 is a bill which allows for individuals to get a copy of their driving record from the Department of Driver Services’ web site, free of charge. 

HB 91 is legislation that provides detail on state agency spending by requiring each agency to submit certain annual reports to the Lt. Governor, the Speaker of the House, Senate and House Appropriations Committees, the House Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee, the House Budget Office, and the Senate Budget Evaluation Office as well as make the reports available for the public, press, and other media .

HB 218 is a bill related to the Georgia Ports Authority. This bill intends on changing certain provisions for the application of traffic laws and enforcement by security guards employed with the Georgia Ports Authority. It will change the designation of security guard to peace officer and those with this designation will be subject to the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.

HB 229 will establish a true measure of decreasing lottery reserve funds prior to eliminating student funding. Under current law, students are in jeopardy of losing their book allowances if there is any decline in lottery funds for education. 

HB 441 is a bill to repeal provisions of legislation passed in 2005 dealing with the tax liability computations on interest or dividends earned from US obligations, interest derived from international banking, and income from off-shore banking. Current law stemming from the 2005 legislation requires corporations to subtract direct and indirect expenses attributable to the production of income from US obligations before taking a deduction. This bill will provide for only direct expenses to be subtracted from the deduction, as was the law before the 2005 legislation was enacted.

HB 451 provides for the promotion and development of tourism attractions in Georgia. The bill provides that companies seeking to undertake a tourism attraction project may be granted a sales and use tax refund for state and local sales taxes generated by or arising at the tourism attraction.

HB 549 would simplify the process of application and approval of medical therapy services for children with disabilities. Such services are entitled under the Medicaid Early Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Program. This bill would also simplify the paperwork which occupational, speech, and physical therapy services are applied for and received by eligible citizens. 

HB 559 relates to health insurance plans for teacher and other school personnel in elementary and secondary education, so as to provide for teachers and employees of charter schools to be considered employees for purposes of participating in the health insurance plans for teachers and other school personnel.

As the legislative session continues, I will keep you updated and informed about these issues and other pending legislation that comes before the Georgia House of Representatives. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at john.lunsford@house.ga.gov.

The 2008 Legislative Session officially gets underway on January 14th and there are many substantial issues that will be on the agenda this year. This is a departure from typical years when one or two big issues dominate the headlines and the attention of lawmakers. The issues that will be at the forefront of legislators’ consideration are:

Water
In many parts of our state, a drought-like situation became a paramount concern as a poll identified water as the top concern for Georgians. The State Water Council has drafted a plan that creates regional panels and states that $30 million in research on water needs is necessary. In separate legislation, funding is expected for a network of reservoirs.

Taxes
Taxes, or the concern of higher taxes, are always on the minds of hard-working Georgians. This session, House Speaker Glenn Richardson is proposing to increase the state sales tax in exchange for the elimination of property taxes for schools. Although this proposal has met opposition, it is expected to get to the House floor for a vote. This plan calls for a constitutional amendment, so it would require approval by two-thirds of the House and Senate before it could be included on voter’s ballots in November.

Education
A gubernatorial task force is expected to present a plan for revising how the state allocates funds to local school systems. The recommendations are expected to include rewarding schools with high student performance by relaxing spending requirements.

Health care
There are two separate, but complementary proposals from the Governor and Lt. Governor that have proven so far to be non-controversial.  Gov. Perdue’s plan would allocate money projected to be saved by Medicaid’s switch to managed care and use those funds to subsidize the premiums to private insurers paid by small businesses.
Lt. Cagle’s plan would fund additional local health clinics, create a Web site for comparing private insurance policies, and work to stimulate more contractual services by private clinics and physicians. The Governors plan at this time looks more promising.

Sunday Alcohol Sales
This issue is in its second year and convenience and grocery stores are attempting to get state lawmakers to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sunday, much to the chagrin of package stores and most churches. A similar proposal stalled last year.

Sexual Predators
House Majority Leader Jerry Kean, R-St. Simons, intends to restore some restrictions on where those convicted of sex crimes can reside. This would correct constitutional flaws the Supreme Court recently cited in invalidating the original restrictions by legislation several years ago.

Along with the above we will be dealing with a vast list of other issues such as criminal justice, Medicaid, illegal immigration, prisons, transportation and the list goes on and on. As each issue comes before the state legislature, I will keep you informed through weekly updates. Your opinions and concerns are important to me and I consider it an honor to serve you at the state capitol and in our district. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at    john.lunsford@house.ga.gov

"Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest." - Mark Twain (1835-1910)

The past few months the Georgia General Assembly has recessed until the second Monday in January. I hope this has been a time of rest and reflection for families across the state. As we move from the Thanksgiving holidays into the Christmas season, we are all so blessed to live in a country that not only allows religious freedom, but supports setting aside time away from work and school to express and celebrate our faith and beliefs.

As I think about the meaning of this time, and look out my window and observed the first drops of rain in over a month, my thoughts couldn’t help but turn to the many things we are working on in the legislature, and how we are truly working for the good of the people we represent in an effort to better the lives of all Georgians. As you know, this is not an easy task and there are many issues that we face when we reconvene in 60 days.

The biggest issues that we face when we reconvene are the issue of the Fiscal Year 2008 Mid-Year Budget and the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.  The FY 2008 Mid-Year Budget is a reconciliation budget to move more funds to where shortfalls occur.  This usually occurs in the areas of education spending and Medicaid spending and a major overhaul of our Tax system, but also this year we are suffering with drought relief as well as Grady hospital and State wide Trauma funding.

While some adjustments are required by federal law and due to an increasingly growing population base in our state, we usually have to allocate additional funds to the various required spending programs.  We also use the budget to help fund emergency issues like the shortfall in Peach Care funding and relief help for storm areas.  As your representative I will always strive to "Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest." 

If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at john.lunsford@house.ga.gov. I look forward to all comments, questions or concerns.

A GREAT Plan for Georgia: The Elimination of All Property Taxes

The time has come to eliminate all property taxes in Georgia, and I firmly believe the people of the state of Georgia should be given an opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment to repeal all property taxes.  That opportunity could come in November of 2008 if the General Assembly will agree that Georgia’s economy should be based on the exchange and receipt of money and not taxing property. 

Unfortunately, there has been some confusion about the details of the current plan to eliminate property taxes.  We are not proposing to raise the sales tax or income tax rates.  When HR 900 was originally written, it was intended simply as a framework to open debate, gather ideas, and obtain input.  Since then, we have received complaints, suggestions, and opinions from citizens all across the state and that is exactly what we wanted. 

From the beginning of this process, our goal has been to eliminate all ad valorem taxes in Georgia.  The details of exactly how we reach that goal have changed and will continue to change as we weigh the best options for our state, but one thing is clear.  The current property tax system is outdated, unfair, and excessive.

Georgia is divided into 159 counties, each with the power to tax their residents. 180 school districts also each have the power to tax.  But that power goes beyond simply collecting taxes.  Rather than determining the amount of money they have and then creating a budget, a county can simply determine how much money it needs and then decide how much to charge their residents. 

If a county or school district decides they need $50 million, all they have to do is determine where to place the millage rate and their property values in order to raise $50 million.  If times get tough, they simply raise the millage rate or increase property values rather than tighten their belts like working families must do.  The system is completely backward.

The biggest part of the problem is that property taxes are increasing faster than personal income.  Since 1990, personal income has increased 146 percent and property taxes have increased 176 percent.  Even though people are not earning more income, the government is requiring that they pay more taxes. 

Because of this phenomenon, a family can live in a home for 30 years and suddenly find they cannot afford it anymore because their property taxes have increased so much.  This same family is not requiring any more services from their local government, and yet that government keeps taking more and more money from them.  The biggest asset most people have is their home; it’s the American dream. Yet if they can’t keep up with increased taxes, they lose their home.  Even after the home is paid for, they realize they only have a land lease. Refuse to pay the tax and see how long you keep it.

The current property tax system was created when we were an agricultural society and people made a living off of their land.  The last overhaul of the system was 70 years ago, and since that time our economy has changed significantly.  Home ownership has increased from 30 percent to 70 percent.  We have moved from an agricultural society to a service-based society, as has the rest of the nation, and yet, we do not tax services at all. 

It is the twenty-first century.  It is time to go to a system that taxes the receipt and exchange of money, not the ownership of property.  It is time to eliminate property taxes.

Our proposal is called the GREAT Plan, which stands for Georgia’s repeal of every ad valorem tax.   

The GREAT Plan calls for a sales, use, and service tax of 4 percent.  It also calls for an elimination of many sales tax exemptions that special interests have accumulated over the years.  By taxing services and eliminating most exemptions, we can generate the same amount of money being generated from the property tax, and we can eliminate all property taxes in Georgia. 

Local counties, cities and school districts will be guaranteed to receive no less than the amount they are currently receiving.  If local control is what a community wants, they may continue local option sales taxes such as the SPLOST and ELOST, all of which will continue to be determined by the vote of the citizens.

We have opened a dialogue in this state on serious reform of taxes so that Georgia may lead the nation.  I welcome any and all discussion and debate about tax reform and HR 900.  Over the coming months, we will hold hearings and continue to seek advice.  I look forward to hearing from you and working together to make Georgia a GREAT place to live, work, and raise a family..  If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-7573 or write me at: State Rep. John Lunsford, 401, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA  30334 or e-mail me at john.lunsford@house.ga.gov