John Lunsford

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.

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.

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.