ATLANTA (April 20, 2011) –Legislation aimed at modernizing Georgia’s tax system was ultimately tabled during the last week of the 2011 General Assembly for further study. State Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga) has been a strong advocate of state tax reform during his time in office, seeking ways to bring simplicity and fairness to the state’s tax code. Continue reading “Mullis: GA Tax Overhaul Delayed”
Health Care Compact Heads to Governor’s Desk in Georgia
ATLANTA (April, 18, 2011) – The Georgia General Assembly passed the Health Care Compact, making them the second state to send the Compact to its governor. The Compact, introduced in the Senate by State Sen. Charlie Bethel (R-Dalton), would allow Georgia to join a Health Care Compact and provide Georgia the freedom and responsibility to develop health care laws. The Health Care Compact allows consumers more power to make health care decisions by returning funding and authority to state governments.
“Preserving 10th Amendment rights so states can move forward with true health care reform has been a driving force behind support across this nation for this Compact,” said Bethel. “Here in Georgia, we deserve full authority over our health care system to provide the best and most effective services for our citizens. It is our goal to implement free-market initiatives aimed at improving quality, increasing access, and lowering costs of health care for all Georgians. With this compact in place, we are ensured that we can make the decisions best for every person in this state. I thank the House and Senate for their hard work getting this compact passed and I look forward to working with Governor Deal to have it signed into law.”
The Health Care Compact is an agreement between participating states that restores authority and responsibility for health care regulation to member states. The compact allows member states to create laws that are better suited for the state’s needs, including amendments to the federal health care law passed last year.
Georgia is the second state to send the compact to their governor for signature. The Health Care Compact has been introduced in 12 states and has passed the State House of Representatives in Montana, Missouri, and Arizona and State Senate in Oklahoma and Arizona. In addition, more than 36 states, citizen groups and state legislators are actively considering the Health Care Compact with legislative activity expected in the coming weeks.
The Georgia House version of the compact was introduced by Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-Jasper) and was co-sponsored by Representatives John Meadows (R-Calhoun), Tim Bearden (R-Villa Rica), Terry England (R-Auburn), Roger Williams (R-Dalton), Delvis Dutton (R- Glennville) and others.
The Health Care Compact was introduced by the Health Care Compact Alliance, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to providing Americans more influence over decisions that govern their health care.
“The Health Care Compact gives the health care decision-making power back to the people instead of the bureaucrats in Washington. It allows greater citizen influence, more competition, and more options for health care for millions of Americans,” said Eric O’Keefe, Chairman of the Health Care Compact Alliance. “We would like to thank Sen. Bethel for introducing this important legislation that will provide the citizens of Georgia with greater control over their government and, ultimately, over their health care.”
For the Health Care Compact to become law it must be passed by both houses of the General Assembly, signed by the governor, and approved through Congress. The way health care works in a member state is not prescribed in the compact. Who and what is covered as well as the level of regulation are determined by each state after the compact is ratified.
Sen. Charlie Bethel represents the 54th Senate District, which includes Murray and Whitfield counties and portions of Catoosa and Gordon counties. He serves as Senate Deputy Whip.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
April 18, 2011
For Information Contact:
Matt Colvin, Broadcast Director
matthew.colvin@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028
Hamrick Reports from the Capitol
By Bill Hamrick
A City in Crisis
By Sens. Emanuel Jones, Rick Jeffares and Gail Davenport
ATLANTA (April 14, 2011) – Throughout its storied history, the City of Stockbridge has built a reputation as a thriving suburban town; a place where people want to live, work and raise a family. However, political infighting among city officials has thrown this prominent community into turmoil.
After Mayor Lee Stuart sued the city council in an attempted power grab last year, the city has been embroiled in a costly lawsuit with no end in sight. However, a bill sits before the legislature that represents an agreement reached by both parties that could put this city and its leadership back on track. We authored Senate Bill 189, which revises the city’s charter to delineate the power between the mayor and city administrator, who would be the chief administrative officer and act as a liaison between the mayor and the city employees.
Statement from Sen. Buddy Carter on General Assembly Passing Patient Safety Act
ATLANTA (April 14, 2011) – State Sen. Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) released the following statement Thursday after the Georgia General Assembly approved the Patient Safety Act of 2011 (Senate Bill 36). Carter authored SB 36, a bill that aims to help Georgia doctors and pharmacists curtail prescription drug abuse in the state. The Act would create an electronic database of all controlled substances dispensed in Georgia pharmacies over a one-year period.
“Today we can finally say that Georgia will no longer be a safe haven for illegal “pill mills” and controlled prescription abuse. Almost every other state in the nation already has some sort of monitoring system in place to track potential controlled substance prescription abuse. Every state surrounding Georgia has electronic databases that can identify and stop illegal activity concerning controlled substances, making our state a prime location for this epidemic to rise. In 2008 alone, out of the 640 drug overdose deaths in Georgia, 540 involved legal prescriptions.”
With the passage of the Patient Safety Act, doctors and pharmacists around the state now will have the right tools to effectively crack down on prescription drug abuse in our state, prevent illegal activity, and most importantly help save lives. I want to thank the General Assembly for their support of this important and long-overdue legislation and I now look forward to working with Governor Deal to get the Patient Safety Act signed into law.”
– Sen. Buddy Carter.
Final changes include measures that restrict other states’ access to Georgia’s database, moving the database to one year of prescription records, increasing identification requirements for persons retrieving prescriptions for other patients, and making sure all Schedule II drug prescriptions are placed on security prescription paper.
SB 36 now heads to Governor Deal for his signature.
For more information on the Patient Safety Act, please follow the YouTube link below for Carter’s video presentation on SB36.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gBRnjUem1s
Sen. Buddy Carter serves as Chairman of the Senate State Institutions & Property Committee. He represents the 1st Senate District. He represents Bryan County and portions of Chatham and Liberty counties. He may be reached at 404.656.5109 or via e-mail at buddy.carter@senate.ga.gov.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
April 14, 2011
For Information Contact:
Matt Colvin, Broadcast Director
matthew.colvin@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028