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Sen. Smith’s Life without Parole Bill Passes House

ATLANTA (March 25, 2009) – Sen. Preston Smith (R-Rome) was successful today in his steadfast effort to expand sentencing options in murder cases, as the House passed his Senate Bill 13 that allows prosecutors to seek sentences of life imprisonment without parole. Under current law, in a non-death penalty case, the only available sentencing option for a court is life with parole upon conviction. A prosecutor must first seek the death penalty in a murder case before they can ask for a life without parole sentence.

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Homeowners’ Tax Relief Fails to Receive Supermajority in State House

ATLANTA (March 25, 2009) – A measure to offer voters an opportunity to grant property tax relief was defeated in the Georgia House of Representatives on a mostly party line vote. Senate Bill 83, authored by Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), would have incrementally doubled the statewide homeowners’ tax relief by doubling the current homestead exemption from $2000 to $4000. The measure, which required a two-thirds majority vote, failed in the House by a vote of 109 – 63. If it had passed, it would have gone on the November 2010 ballot. All but one Republican voted in favor of the measure and all but two Democrats voted against it.

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Sen. Johnson’s Home School Honors Program Bill Passes through the General Assembly

ATLANTA (March 25, 2009) – State Senator Eric Johnson’s (R-Savannah) Senate Bil1 210 passed today in the House and is now ready for the Governor’s signature. The measure allows home school program students to be eligible for the Governor’s Honors Program, now only open to public and private high school students.

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Sen. Seay Encourages High School Seniors to Register to Vote in April

ATLANTA (March 24, 2009) — Sen. Valencia Seay (D-Riverdale) is encouraging eligible high school seniors to register to vote at their school during the month of April. Thanks to legislation that she sponsored in the Senate in 2001, public schools now offer students who are at least 18 years old the opportunity to register to vote at their school.

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