John Lunsford

Hello and welcome to the new JohnLunsford.Com website.

Thank you so much for stopping by and paying a visit to the improved, official website. Although the old website served the 110th district well, I thought it was time to polish up the website and add some new functionality to better serve the 110th district.

The new website has some internal upgrades that make it easier for me to post news and opinions of interest to the 110th district.

Please come back often and feel free to comment or send me an email at lunsford_j@bellsouth.net.

Best Regards,
John Lunsford

I gave an interview a couple of months ago that is now posted on the Internet. I hope you enjoy the small tour of the capitol.

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The Georgia General Assembly has completed 29 of the constitutionally mandated not more than 40-day annual legislative session. On Tuesday, we will begin Day 30 which for us means “crossover day.” Crossover day is the day when any bills originating in the House or the Senate must be passed or it will not be considered for passage this year. The days leading up to and including crossover day are very busy ones as many of us are trying to insure legislation important to us has its fair hearing and is passed out of the committee in which it was assigned, passed by the Rules Committee, and then passed by the entire House or Senate. That is a tall order for normal legislation and that is why most legislation introduced doesn’t go any where and effectively “dies.”

Day’s 28 and 29 brought a slew of legislative initiatives that won passage. It also brought a high profile bill that died when the requisite constitutional majority wasn’t reached. First, the high-profile bill that failed was a bill repealing the prohibition on payday lending. The bill would allow payday lending to be reestablished in Georgia, an action that was eliminated from the state a few years back. The payday lending issue is a very emotional one that most of us have heard the pros and cons numerous times. This bill, House Bill 163, was voted on by the House of Representatives and actually received a tie vote of 84-84. Seeing it did not receive a constitutional majority of 91 votes, the bill was defeated and will be reconsidered on Tuesday.

Far too often, the legislation that we pass in the Georgia General Assembly can affect not just our lives, but actually save a life. We did just that in H.B. 147 when we made a bold step in trying to save lives. Far too often, women, when faced with an unexpected or unwanted pregnancy chose to abort the baby. The legislation we passed furthers the Women’s Right to Know Act by requiring that all women who are getting advice and information on getting an abortion, be given information on receiving an ultrasound. If an ultrasound is performed, the woman will have the right to view the active ultrasound, and hear the heartbeat of the unborn child if audible. In addition, the quality of the ultrasound shall be consistent with standard medical practices and show the dimensions, presence of external members and internal organs of the child. We passed this legislation 116 to 54, and hopefully it will save some lives.

We passed legislation moving our Presidential Primary to the first Tuesday of February, which in 2008 will be February 5. The bill would allow for Georgia to play a more important role in selecting presidential nominees for both the Republican and Democrat parties. In addition, for statewide candidates running in primaries and general elections, the threshold for avoiding a run-off was lowered to 45 percent. H.B. 487 passed easily, 154-11.

Another high profile topic is the death penalty. Many of us view the death penalty as a needed deterrent for pre-meditated crimes of violence. H.B. 185 would allow a judge to impose a penalty of death or life imprisonment without parole if 10 of 12 members of a sentencing jury recommend the death penalty. The bill passed 106-65.

Red light cameras have been a point of contention for many legislators over the years. H.B. 77 would provide that only certified peace officers may review and issue citations based on the camera’s photos. Further the legislation would provide a split of the fees after the cost to cover the operation of the camera, with 25 percent going to the local government and 75 percent going to the state trauma fund. This bill passed 110-60.

We also passed a somewhat controversial bill that would allow the legislature more oversight over Jekyll Island, a state-owned island that is controlled by the Jekyll Island Authority. The legislation would create a six-member legislative committee to review all proposed leases and extend the Authority’s oversight by 99 years, a needed step in negotiating long-term deals with hotels. Georgia law requires that 65 percent of the island remain in its natural setting and this law does not diminish or change that requirement. The bill, H.B. 214, passed 130-35. 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 was recessed in observance of the holy holidays of Easter and Passover. I hope this was a time of rest and reflection for families across the state, as many schools also recessed for spring break. 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 thought about the meaning of this time, and looked out my window and observed the initial burst of spring color and splendor, 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 outstanding issues that we face when we reconvene next week.

The biggest issues that we face when we reconvene are the issue of the Fiscal Year 2007 Mid-Year Budget and the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget. The FY 2007 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. Both 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 PeachCare funding and relief help for the tornado-ravaged Americus area.

We have passed our version of the mid-year budget and have sent it to the Senate for their approval or modifications.

The FY 2008 Budget or what we call “the big budget” each year is currently being vetted by the House and Senate Appropriations Committee. Much of the funding requests come from the Governor’s Budget with education is one of the biggest programs that we are required to fund. The Governor has requested $152.5 million in funds for the Quality Based Education formula to recognize a 2.65% enrollment growth in our schools. He also requested $417 million in bonds to build more schools. There was a line item of $178 million for teacher pay raises keeping Georgia’s teachers the best paid in the Southeast. That is a 3% pay raise across the board beginning September 1, 2007. He also requested $89.5 million for step increases, with an additional 3% pay raise for our best teachers. It also included an additional $228 million for construction at higher education facilities.

Healthcare is the other big spending program with much of it's spending dedicated to federally-mandated programs. The state budget for just state employees’ healthcare is $176 million with an additional $100 million set aside to help fund state employee retirements. The budget also requested an earmark of $16 million to fully fund the purchase of antiviral medications to treat a pandemic flu and $9 million for additional operating costs at state hospitals.

To help spur economic development which in turns creates jobs, the Governor has set aside $40.5 million for the West Point Development Authority to be used on expenses for the new Kia car assembly plant in West Georgia. His budget also seeks to expand the state’s overseas marketing budget by 135% by investing $1.5 million in marketing initiatives.

In the law enforcement arena, the Governor has asked for $15 million to fund an additional 1,200 prison beds and an additional $24 million in bonds to fund an additional 1,000 beds. He also wants $1.4 million to add 15 new Georgia Bureau of Investigations Meth Force agents. He also has asked for an additional $50 million for undeveloped land under the Land Conservation Act. 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 First Regular Session of the 149th General Assembly. We have completed 36 days and have no more than four days to complete the business of the state. We have set the schedule and expect to adjourn Sine Die on Friday, April 20th. We have completed a budget deal on the Fiscal Year 2007 mid-year budget changes and now are in negotiations with the Senate on the Fiscal Year 2008 budget.

We reached an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2007 mid year reconciliation budget late in the night on Tuesday. The mid-year budget is one of two budgets the General Assembly reviews each year. In January, we began to review that budget to see if we are short money for mandatory programs like education and healthcare. In this year’s reconciliation budget, we agreed to spend $81 million to fund our successful PeachCare for Kids program that provides health insurance for children of low-income families. We also spent $8 million for the public defenders program and $40 million to aid the start up of a new Kia auto manufacturing facility.

But the best news was that we agreed to send some excess revenues back to the providers of the funds, and that would be you, the taxpayer. We are giving back $142 million in a one-time tax refund of property taxes. That will amount to almost a $100 refund on the average to Georgia homeowners. That is good news for many of us.

We also are moving into the point of the session where we agree or disagree with the Senate on bills that we have passed and they have amended. Motions to Agree, Motions to Disagree, or Motions to Insist become part of our lexicon as we determine whether we will accept the Senate changes. If a Motion to Agree is approved by the House, the bill is sent to Governor for his signature and approval. Of course we can also amend that bill and send it back to the Senate. A Motion to Disagree essentially sends the bill back to the Senate with a message that we are not accepting their changes. This is the point where the author of the legislation in the House will work with the Senate author to try and reach a compromise. A Motion to Insist basically is a message that we insist on our position and ask the Senate to approve the legislation without changes.

We have many Motions to Agree, Disagree, and Insist on our calendars and while it seems somewhat dysfunctional, it is a good thing. By going through a rigorous approval process, the bill is properly vetted by all parties before becoming law.

We passed Senate Bill 70 this week, a bill that would update state banking laws to fall in line with new federal laws regarding banking. The biggest change is it excludes the value of good will in certain transactions to minimize its impact on limits of loans, investments and fixed assets. This bill more closely follows federal agency rules and regulations regarding real estate loans. It also incorporated requirements that sellers of bank checks be subjected to background checks on their employees and agents. The bill passed 157-4.

The final week of the session will prove to be an arduous time as we will work long hours to pass the Fiscal Year 2008 budget and other important pieces of legislation. I look forward to reporting to you next week on what we passed and the highlights of the 2007 legislative session. 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.

It’s over! The clock has run out on the 2007 General Assembly session and we have completed the people’s business. It has been a tough session with highs and lows for all members as we have watched the legislative process. Our forefathers had it right when they designed our system of government with many checks and balances that allows usually only well vetted legislation to be passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate. Even to the most casual observer, it is difficult to pass any legislation and have it signed into law. The separation of powers portion of Georgia’s constitution got a real workout this session the 2007 session of the Georgia General Assembly was my toughest ever.

In the closing days of the session, we have passed some very important legislation. We overwhelmingly passed a bill that would allow optometrists to prescribe and administer oral antibiotics to treat ocular surface disease and lid disease. The bill, Senate Bill 17, was passed 155-2 and now goes to the Governor for his signature. Another bill heading to the Governor is House Bill 357, a tax code reform bill that would update the Georgia tax code to be more inline with the federal tax code.

We have passed the Georgia HERO Scholarship bill, H.B. 131, the bill that would allow the surviving spouse of a Georgia national Guardsman or reservist to be entitled to attend a state school on a HERO (Helping Educate Reservists and their Offspring) scholarship. This was particularly important as one of the father’s of a Georgia Guardsman who paid the ultimate price in Iraq, promised his son that he would look after his wife. He walked the halls of the capitol with his son’s boots over his shoulder talking to legislators about the importance of passage of this bill. It too goes to the Governor for his approval.

We passed S.B. 60 that would establish the Georgia Trauma Commission. This is extremely important as this legislation comes from an exhaustive 2006 study committee that reviewed the State’s trauma care network. This is the first step in finding a way to enhance Georgia’s hospitals for trauma care. The bill passed 158-1.

Another piece of legislation I was very proud of was HB 394 which will bring 300-500 million new dollars to local governments around the state for 911 emergency services at no additional cost to our taxpayers. This process includes a grant fund to allow the poorest counties in Georgia to provide the same level of response to emergency calls you receive in the largest cities. It passed overwhelmingly in the house and the senate. I am the author of this bill had worked on this for almost 3 years.

In an effort to insure that prescription narcotics are carefully controlled, we passed Senate Bill 205, a bill that would create the “Prescription Medication Integrity Act.” The act requires that each person engaged in the wholesale distribution of prescription drugs maintain inventories and records. It will also conduct a study of the distribution of prescription drugs and will establish a mandated implementation date for electronic pedigrees. The pedigree will include all necessary identifying information on each sale from the manufacturer to the sale to the pharmacists.

We passed a bill that will keep more serious offenders of our laws in prison. By passing H.B. 197, we have terminated the defendant’s ability to have a three-judge panel review the prison sentence on all sentences of 12 years or more. Current law allows for the review but we believe that the review process only weakens the original process of the judicial proceedings. This bill now goes to the Governor for his review and signature.

Now that the session is over, I will do an end-of-session review article that will highlight the key legislation that was passed and sent to the Governor for his approval. 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.

Forty legislative days. That’s what it took to iron out the business of the state. It was a year beset with budget problems but a year that had some great legislation to better help the people of Georgia. The budget issues have been fairly well debated in our newspapers, in our coffee shops, and at the dining room tables. It started with a PeachCare for Kids shortfall created by the federal government where they failed to live up to their promises. The good news that we didn’t hear much of is that both the mid-year 2007 budget and the Fiscal Year 2008 budget had some great funding initiatives.

Our mid-year budget had emergency funds for the Sumter County tornado victims and fully funded PeachCare. The 2008 budget allowed for a three percent pay raise for teachers and state employees. It also had pay raises for our state troopers and bus drivers and public school employees. We put $42.3 million for land conservation, fully funded PeachCare for 2008, and fully funded adult literacy programs and our technical schools. We put in $75.5 million for state universities and colleges and $242 million for K-12 enrollment growth. We also had additional funding for child advocacy centers and programs for tracking Internet predators. Overall, they were two pretty good budgets.

Some other highlights included another sales tax holiday for school supplies set for August 2-5, 2007 and energy efficient products sales tax holiday set for October 2-5, 2007. This program is widely popular with parents buying back to school clothes and supplies for their children and mirrors what some of our next-door neighbor states are doing.

Education always is at the forefront of our minds when we consider legislation and this year was no exception. We returned local control to school boards to determine their class sizes as we learned that this was becoming a “budget buster” for many school districts. We also passed legislation requiring school councils to be composed of a majority of parents.

We passed legislation that would extend Georgia’s HERO scholarship, a program of free tuition to Georgia’s Colleges and Universities for our men and women serving in the National Guard and Reserves who have spent considerable time in fighting the Global War on Terror. The new bill would provide that tuition assistance to surviving spouses of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in support of their country.

We exempted the state sales tax for bio-fuels construction materials for any bio-fuels facility primarily dedicated to producing and processing ethanol, bio-diesel, butanol, and their byproducts. We also provided a sales tax exemption for parts for maintenance and repair of aircraft not registered in this state. This coincides with what other southern states have done allowing us to be competitive with them.

To make our great state a bigger player in selecting the President of the United States, we moved Georgia’s presidential primary to February 5. This will allow Georgia to have a key presidential primary along with several other states early in the process thus making candidates campaign for our votes versus the race being decided prior to the Georgia presidential election.

Because the ports of Georgia are truly a state economic multiplier, we increased the amount of river pilots for several locals throughout the coast of Georgia to insure that port traffic moves smoothly. There was other key legislation that passed either the House or Senate that will be considered when we reconvene next January.

Thank you for placing your trust and confidence in me to serve you. It is an awesome responsibility that you have given me and a privilege to represent you in the Georgia General Assembly. For that reason, I am deeply humbled. 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.

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

"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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 withdra