By: Sen. Don Thomas
ATLANTA (February 9, 2009) – Georgia is now the only state to specifically exempt adults from required seatbelt use in pick-up trucks despite the fact that more traumatic injuries and deaths from automobile accidents occur each year from people failing to wear them. In Georgia alone, 67.4 percent of occupants who died in a pick-up related accidents were not wearing safety belts.
I have been a physician in a Family Medical Practice for over 45 years. I have seen firsthand the tragic repercussions of accidents that led to deaths and permanent life altering injuries because seatbelts were not used. This is why I am so committed to passing legislation mandating that pick-up drivers, especially our young inexperienced drivers, wear seatbelts. Senate Bill 5 will save Georgians’ lives and money.
Some argue that closing the loophole for pick-up trucks would place a hardship on farmers, but I have worked to word the bill in such a way that it exempts all vehicles used on a farm in connection with agricultural pursuits. Senate Bill 5 will also save taxpayers $25 million in Medicaid costs over a period of 10 years and make Georgia eligible for federal incentive grants.
For all of these reasons, buckling up in pickup trucks is more than just a personal choice – it affects all of us. After sharing this information with the Public Safety Committee last week, and hearing from the Governor’s office of Highway Safety, AAA and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, members of the committee passed Senate Bill 5 unanimously. I expect full support from my senate colleagues when the bill reaches the floor for a vote.
I’m also working on another important initiative for Georgians’ health. Last week, I also held a press conference for the Georgia Alliance for Tobacco Prevention’s “Pass the Buck” legislation which would add a one-dollar tax to every pack of cigarettes. I support the sponsor of this bill on the House side, where it was introduced, and I will sponsor it once it reaches the Senate.
This tax has the potential to generate $325 million for Georgia, but to me, this legislation is about much more than the money. The real cost of cigarettes lies in the health problems they cause and the many deaths they contribute to – costs which are paid by everyone in increased insurance premiums, overloaded health care systems, and a greater burden on taxpayer-funded Medicaid. But even on the individual level, a decision to quit smoking or smoke less pays off both now and later. Those who think the cigarette tax will be a financial burden should ask themselves how much more it will cost to suffer the many health complications later in life that cigarettes cause. If increasing the tax on cigarettes causes even one person to stop smoking, it will be worth it to me.
Also last week, my colleagues in the Senate worked together to pass the strongest transportation legislation in Georgia history. I am happy we worked together to achieve bipartisan support for this bill, which passed 53 to 3 in the Senate. This bill proposes a transportation special-purpose local-option sales tax (TSPLOST), which would give voters the choice to institute a one-percent sales tax to fund projects in their transportation district. It provides greater control and flexibility at the county level so that local areas can decide what transportation projects need funding the most. Should the bill pass in the legislature, a Constitutional Amendment question will be on the November 2010 ballot for Georgians to voice their opinion via a vote. This bill gives the power back to the people by instituting local control and giving voters input at almost every level of decision, which is why I strongly support it.
As always, I am working hard to represent you in the Georgia Senate, and I appreciate your feedback. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sen. Don Thomas serves as chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee. He represents the 54th Senate District, which includes Murray and Whitfield counties and portions of Catoosa and Gordon counties. He may be reached by phone at 404-656-6436 or by e-mail at don.thomas@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
February 9, 2009
For Information Contact:
Joy Fethe, Legislative Aide
joy.fethe@senate.ga.gov
404.656.6436