By: Sen. Ross Tolleson
ATLANTA (February 5, 2009) – With Committee meetings now passing legislation to the floor it is leading to some lively debate between the Senators. This week the State Senate passed Senate Resolution 44. This legislation is going to help provide comprehensive transportation relief from the rural areas all over the state to the metropolitan eight-lane highways of Atlanta. I am proud to have voted in support of this legislation as a member of the Transportation Committee and on the floor of the State Senate. This Constitutional Amendment will provide what is known as a Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, commonly known as T-SPLOST. The amendment allows for a 1 percent regional sales tax which would be voted on by the communities. If the voters approve the increase it would be used for a specified period of time to fund transportation projects in their own communities.
ATLANTA (February 4, 2009)—Senator Freddie Powell Sims (D- Albany), recently met with university officials to discuss her concerns with Senate Resolution 84 which urges the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to merge, among others, Albany State University with Darton College. The meeting was sparked by the proposal from Sen. Seth Harp (R- Midland) of merging the institutions in order to save money during this year’s budget cut-backs and to end the practice of illegal discrimination in the historically black colleges.