Official Press Releases
By State Sen. Greg Goggans
In a very real exercise of the principle of less government, this year’s session has been light on legislative action. So far, only 40 bills have been filed in the Senate and of those none have come to the Senate floor for a vote. This might be a reflection of the high number (14) of new senators as well. Continue reading “South Georgia at the State Capitol”
The HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Scholarship program has been called the state’s brightest jewel, most valuable gem and its most unique treasure. The scholarship is a tool that helps attract Georgia’s best and brightest students to in-state colleges. It is a vital economic development tool and it is necessary to keep Georgia’s post-secondary education competitive with the rest of the nation. This is why we are diligently working to craft a sustainable solution to the funding problems currently threatening the program. Continue reading “Butterworth: Working to Keep HOPE Alive”
By Bill Hamrick
CARROLLTON (February 4, 2011) – The Republican Caucus held a press conference early this week to discuss top agenda items for the session. Jobs, tax reform and reducing government spending topped the list. Georgians, along with voters across the nation, have told their elected officials loud and clear that they want smaller government and less intrusion. Here at the state level, we’re working to meet that request.
Job growth tops the list for every legislator. We have discussed the importance of leading the southeast with a business-friendly atmosphere to encourage job creation. The governor provided for this in his budget recommendations by allotting more money for aggressively recruiting companies, which is a pivotal factor in recovering from the recession.
It is widely accepted that the economy has shifted away from products to more services. This is a concept that we will try to reflect in our tax reform. The antiquated tax system in Georgia isn’t fair and its complexity is a burden for taxpayers. Our goal is to diligently and deliberately reform the system with fair and simple taxes that make sense for the economy as it exists today.
As taxpayers, we all want to rest assured that our government is being a good steward of our hard earned money. The Senate and House have both moved forward on legislation that would require the General Assembly to justify every dollar it spends. Georgia currently operates under a continuation budget. Once a new spending program is approved by the General Assembly, it is automatically rolled over into the next succeeding budget under a single line item, called continuation. The budgets that we approve each year detail as little as 3 percent of the state’s spending; everything else appears on one line without any description. Legislation is in the works to move to a zero-based budgeting method that would require us to justify all expenses, including those approved in earlier years. The Senate has passed a version of zero-based budgeting four times in the last eight years, and the bill enjoys strong bipartisan support. If we are to be good stewards of taxpayers’ hard-earned money, we must analyze and justify how every dollar is spent.
At a time when federal mandates and regulations seem to be encroaching on everyone’s life, the Georgia legislature is working to protect citizens’ rights. A bill has been introduced that aims to protect the gun rights of legally-carrying citizens during a state of emergency. Senate Bill 26 prohibits any additional limitations on carrying firearms during a state of emergency, including seizing any firearm not currently prohibited by law, or requiring the registration of a firearm that is not already required to be registered by law. Legally-carrying citizens should be able to protect themselves and their personal property at all times, particularly emergency situations.
The state Department of Revenue recently issued a stop payment order after it released $12 million in state tax refunds to 30,000 Georgians after a computer error caused the state to overpay some of the refunds. The deposits were withdrawn without notifying the account holder, resulting in overdraft fees for many Georgians. This is unacceptable. Legislation was introduced this week that will address this issue by prohibiting any state agency to withdraw a deposit from an individual’s bank account without express written consent from the account holder.
Expect the pace to quicken under the Gold Dome as we begin moving these and other bills through the legislative process. I remain committed to passing good legislation that responds to our citizens’ needs.
Sen. Bill Hamrick serves as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He represents the 30th Senate District which includes portions of Carroll, Douglas, and Paulding counties. He may be reached at 404.656.0036 or via e-mail at bill.hamrick@senate.ga.gov.
COLUMN
For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2011
For Information Contact:
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Katie Wright, Communications Manager
katie.wright@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028
By State Sen. William Ligon
The Senate Republican Caucus unveiled its legislative agenda for the 2011 General Assembly on Monday. Senators came together during the months leading up to the 2011 session with a shared desire to focus on the issues that matter most to the people of Georgia. Senators voted among a host of legislative priorities and agreed on several major initiatives that reflected the concerns of citizens in their districts.
First and foremost, economic growth for our state topped the list. As legislators, though we know government never creates jobs, it can help recruit industry and promote a more favorable business climate. Secondly, in education, senators agreed to work on reforms that would save the HOPE Scholarship and to also conduct a comprehensive review of the Quality Basic Education Funding Formula. Thirdly, as mentioned last week, the Senate is seeking to control government spending through a constitutional amendment that would tie government growth to population growth and inflation. A part of this effort also hinges on how the legislature responds to the recommendations of the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness. Lastly, the Senate included illegal immigration as one of its top priorities.
For now, most legislative action is taking place in committee work as legislators perfect their proposals through the committee process. For example, since illegal immigration is one of our key issues this session, the Judiciary Committee, on which I serve, is already reviewing SB27 sponsored by Sen. Judson Hill. This particular bill requires all employers who bid on public works projects to participate in E-Verify. It imposes financial penalties and even jail time if employers fail to comply.
As Chairman of Health Care Delivery, a subcommittee of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, we are reviewing SB36. This legislation addresses the need to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances. In our current medical delivery system, doctors are often unaware that their patients are obtaining similar prescriptions from other colleagues. This leads to abuse in the system. Some patients are actually obtaining these medications to sell as drugs on the street. Other patients are overdosing and putting themselves in life-threatening situations. I am also a co-sponsor of this bill.
Perhaps by the time this column is published, I will have introduced my legislation addressing Medicaid fraud. If this legislation passes, Georgia will be able to implement a pilot program to identify legitimate Medicaid patients and legitimate services by providers through the use of an electronic Smart Card. I am excited about the potential savings for taxpayers that this legislation could mean.
Next week we are back in session starting Monday, February 7 for three legislative days and a full committee meeting schedule. Please do not hesitate to contact me at the Capitol if you need to discuss any legislative issues. The number is 404-656-0045. My email address is William@senatorligon.com. Please visit my website at www.senatorligon.com in the event you need further information. Many resources are available at your fingertips with the many links provided to government agencies and to General Assembly action.
Sen. William Ligon serves as Senate Deputy Whip. He represents the 3rd Senate District which includes Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn and McIntosh counties. He can be reached by phone at 404-656-0045 or by email at William@senatorligon.com. His website is www.senatorligon.com.
ATLANTA (February 3, 2011) – Sen. Valencia Seay (D-Riverdale) is encouraging everyone to Go Red for Women today to highlight the dangers of heart disease in women. Today marks National Wear Red Day at the State Capitol, and is part of February’s American Heart Month sponsored annually by the American Heart Association (AHA).
“Heart disease is the leading threat to women’s health today, and I’m honored to help continue the annual tradition of wearing red to educate women on this issue,” said Seay. “Each year, cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of almost 421,000 American women. I encourage every woman to learn about their risk for heart disease. As an advocate of women’s health care issues, I’m proud to see our Senate participate in this important day of advocacy and education.”
More women die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases than the next four leading causes of death combined, including cancer. However, only 16 percent of women surveyed in 2009 consider cardiovascular disease their greatest health risk.
As a heart attack survivor, Seay has a very personal connection to this cause and has worked diligently over the years to increase awareness of women’s risk. Since her election in 2003, Seay has championed Go Red for Women Day in the Senate and encouraged her colleagues to wear red in support of raising awareness of women’s heart disease.
The AHA’s Go Red for Women offers a free risk assessment and tips for a healthy life at www.goredforwomen.org. Since 2003, the AHA has spread women’s awareness of heart disease through the iconic red dress symbol and through a day of wearing red across the nation. The organization aims to bridge the gap in heart disease research between women and men and hopes to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent in 2020.
Sen. Valencia Seay represents the 34th Senate District, which includes parts of Clayton and Fayette Counties. She can be reached at her office at 404.656.5095 or by email at valencia.seay@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
January 1, 2011
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028