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Senate Poised to Make Property Tax Reform Key Agenda Item for 2009

Sen. Chip Rogers

Sen. Chip Rogers

ATLANTA (November 24, 2008) – Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers announced today that he welcomes the pre-filing of House Resolution 1 to help protect Georgia property owners from unfair property tax increases. He also suggested this would be one of the key pieces of major legislation in the 2009 session for the Georgia General Assembly.

Senator Rogers authored similar legislation, Senate Resolution 796, which provides tax relief for homeowners through a constitutional amendment to freeze property tax assessments. Residential property assessed value may not increase anymore than two percent a year and non-residential property assessed value may not increase anymore than three percent a year or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. In addition, it allows property to be assessed at a real, fair market value and will establish accountability for tax policy at the local level. The resolution passed the State Senate in 2008.

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A Day of Thanksgiving and Reflection

Sen. Chip Pearson

Sen. Chip Pearson

By Sen. Chip Pearson

ATLANTA (November 21, 2008) – This week as we gather with family and friends, we give thanks and praise God for the many blessings in our lives. During these challenging times for our nation, Thanksgiving is a time to remind us that hope is beyond the stock market, alternative energy solutions and big business bailouts.

This pause for thanks, reflection and remembrance has continued throughout our nation’s history in much tougher times than these, and we have always prevailed together as “one nation under God.”

On the fourth Thursday in November, Americans express gratitude for their good fortune. The American Thanksgiving tradition originated with the Pilgrims. As early as 1621, the puritan colonists of Plymouth, Massachusetts set aside a day of thanks for a bountiful harvest. Throughout the colonial period and into the nineteenth century, official days of feasting and fasting commemorated periods of good and poor fortune.

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Joint Legislative Panel holds Public Hearing on Department of Human Resources Restructuring Plan

ATLANTA (November 20, 2008) – Co-chairpersons Senator Renee Unterman (R-Buford) and Representative Mark Butler (R-Carrollton) led a joint Legislative Public Hearing today at the State Capitol to address the current status of the Department of Human Resources (DHR) restructuring efforts. The reorganization would create three separate departments reporting directly to the Governor: the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health, and the Department of Behavioral Health.

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Senate Discusses Budgets and Programs of Human Development

ATLANTA (November 17, 2008) – The joint Senate Appropriations subcommittee continued its meeting series today with the Human Development subcommittee and the Best Value in Government Task Force joint workshop at the Capitol. The subcommittee discussed agency reports, efficiencies, and cost savings for the Department of Labor, Department of Veterans Services, and Department of Human Resources (DHR). Senators Renee Unterman (R-Buford) and Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) co-chaired the meeting.

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