GMA Session Notes
March 19, 2008
Seven legislative days remain. The General Assembly is currently scheduled to
meet tomorrow for day 34 and then adjourn until next Thursday, March 27 for day
35.
Under the Gold Dome
The Senate Finance Committee today passed Lt. Governor Casey Cagle's
(R-Gainesville) tax reform plan which he announced yesterday. Cagle's plan
differs significantly from the tax reform plan that passed the House last week.
The Lt. Governor's plan would:
1) reduce all income tax rates by 10% of five years;
2) tie state government spending to a formula based on combination of
population growth and the rate of inflation;
3) eliminate the state's ? mil property tax; and
4) would tie local property assessments, both residential and non-residential,
to a governmental inflation index.
The language in HB 1246, Property Tax Reform Act that passed the House last
week was substituted by the Senate Finance Committee today and now contains the
language that imposes the property assessment cap and the state spending
limitations. The committee then amended HB 1244 to include the reduction in
the state's income tax rates. The Senate has already passed legislation
eliminating the state's ? mil property tax.
Governor Perdue is on record as being opposed to the House tax reform plan. In
a news conference today he indicated that he opposes the Senate plan as well.
"To talk about tax cuts as if we're a federal government that can run a deficit
befuddles me," he said. "It is politics. It's trying to trump one another. They
are here trying to figure out how to get elected and I am sitting here trying
to figure out how we balance this budget. It's sad to watch and I hope cooler
heads prevail."
GMA generally supports the Senate tax reform plan but has concerns about
property assessments caps, particularly on non-residential property. Staff
contact: Gwin Hall, ghall@gmanet.com.
HB 1029, State Transportation Infrastructure Bank by Rep. John Lunsford
(R-McDonough) passed the Senate on March 18 and now awaits House approval of
the Senate changes to the bill. GMA supports this bill. Staff contact: Tom
Gehl, tgehl@gmanet.com.
http://www.legtracking.gmanet.com/BillDetail/Default.aspx?RDBTN=HB1029
HB 1216, Regional Development Centers by Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah) passed
the Senate State & Local Operations Committee on March 18 and is now pending in
the Senate Rules Committee. GMA is neutral on this bill. Staff contact: Lamar
Norton, lnorton@gmanet.com.
http://www.legtracking.gmanet.com/BillDetail/Default.aspx?RDBTN=HB1216
HB 1281, Outdoor Water Use, EPD Approval for Local Restrictions or Exemptions
by Rep. Terry England (R-Auburn) is scheduled to be heard by the Senate
Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee on Thursday, March 20. GMA is
evaluating this bill. Staff contact: Tom Gehl, tgehl@gmanet.com.
http://www.legtracking.gmanet.com/BillDetail/Default.aspx?RDBTN=HB1281
HB 1235, Fleet Vehicles: Cities Liable for Discretionary Acts by Rep. Austin
Scott (R-Tifton) is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Insurance & Labor
Committee today. As currently written, this bill would remove sovereign
immunity for law enforcement officers that have to make judgment calls about
whether fleet vehicles are covered by fleet insurance policies or not. GMA
opposes this bill. Staff contact: Ted Baggett, tbaggett@gmanet.com.
http://www.legtracking.gmanet.com/BillDetail/Default.aspx?RDBTN=HB1235
State Budget
The House and Senate leadership have reached agreement on the supplemental FY08
budget and will ask for a floor vote tomorrow. Also, the House plans to adopt
the FY09 budget tomorrow as well.
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