Columbus, Georgia

Weekly Report of the 2003 Georgia General Assembly



On Monday, January 13th, the 2003 session of the Georgia General Assembly

opened with many new faces in and around the Capitol. On Monday morning, Terry

Coleman a Democrat from Eastman, was elected Speaker of the House of

Representatives replacing the long reigning Tom Murphy who lost his re-election

bid for the Georgia House in November. Speaker Coleman defeated Lynn

Westmoreland, a Republican from Sharpsburg for the position of Speaker. The

Democrats still hold a strong majority in the Georgia State House, however as

for the State Senate and the Governorship, the Republican party has taken over

as the majority for the first time in 130 years. Eric Johnson, a Republican

from Savannah was elected President Pro-Tempore of the State Senate, and

through several rule changes adopted on Monday, has assumed many of Lt.

Governor Mark Taylor?s presiding powers in the Senate. Finally, on Monday

afternoon Governor Sonny Perdue, a Republican from Bonaire, was sworn in as

Georgia?s 81st Governor. Monday ended with an inaugural celebration for the

new governor at the Georgia World Congress Center with a special performance by

Ray Charles.



On Wednesday, Governor Perdue announced his budget proposal for

supplemental 2003 and the fiscal year 2004. The Governor?s staff has estimated

a budget shortfall of $620 million for this year. To counter this lost revenue

the Governor proposed a tax increase which included a ?sin tax? on cigarettes

and alcohol and a raise in property taxes by lowering the current property

exemption rate. As for the General Assembly, the Senate and House leadership

spent much of the week deciding on Committee Chairmanships and assignments for

members.



In the first week of the session, over 100 bills were introduced in the

State House and over 20 were introduced in the Senate. We expect the budget to

be the biggest issue of the 2003 session as the legislature has to deal with a

budget shortfall in a down economy. Other significant issues that we expect to

come up this session will be a re-visitation of predatory lending policies,

tort reform relating to medical malpractice suits, and ethics reform.



During the first week of the session, we sent you the following bills

that we will be tracking for CCG:



HB 29 (Oppose) - A BILL to amend Code section 50-8-33 of O.C.G.A relating to

regional development centers' municipal and county membership and the

distribution of state funds, so as to provide for an additional condition in

order to utilize state funding; and for other purposes. This bill was sent to

Appropriations.



HB 92 (Support) ? A BILL to amend Article 2 of Chapter 2 of Title 48 of the

Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the joint county or municipal

sales and use tax, so as to provide for an optional rate increase to 2 percent

with respect to imposition by consolidated governments; to provide for

imposition of such tax at the rate of 2 percent by consolidated governments;

and for other purposes. This bill has been engrossed and sent to Ways & Means.



HB 102 (Oppose) - A BILL to amend Code Section 15-21-2 of the Official Code of

Georgia Annotated, relating to payment into county treasuries of fines and

forfeitures, so as to provide for payment of certain moneys arising from

traffic fines into the state treasury; to amend Article 2 of Chapter 13 of

Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to arrests,

trials, and appeals relative to prosecution of misdemeanor traffic offenses, so

as to provide for payment of certain moneys arising from traffic fines into the

state treasury; and for other purposes. This bill was sent to Public Safety.



HR 7 (Track) - A RESOLUTION proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to

authorize the General Assembly to provide by general or local law for

limitations upon the rate of increase of the ad valorem tax millage rate and

value of property for certain purposes; and for other purposes. This

resolution was sent to Ways & Means.



The General Assembly is in recess this week to allow for Appropriation

hearings. The Legislature will re-convene next week on Monday, January 27th.

Additionally on Monday, the Legislature will assemble on Monday evening at 7:30

pm for the Governor Perdue?s State of the State address.