FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 12, 2005

Contact: Rep. Hugh Floyd, 770-921-2735 or hughfloyd@mindspring.com

Special session could have addressed other needs

By Rep. Hugh Floyd

Last week’s special session of the General Assembly, which cost taxpayers more than $160,000 could have better addressed Georgia’s needs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina if the scope of legislation under consideration could have been expanded or amended.

Gov. Sonny Perdue called the special legislative session for the purpose of suspending the state’s motor fuel tax for four weeks, an action that will save the average Georgia motorist less than $9 total, if retailers pass the tax relief on to customers. The action will cost the state approximately $75 million in revenue.

I support giving Georgians tax relief at the gas pump, even if it is a small, temporary and mostly symbolic gesture. But at the same time, we should have addressed the expected increase in the cost of natural gas while meeting in the special session. Because of Katrina’s disruption of natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, which accounts for almost all of Georgia’s supply, the cost of heating a home with natural gas could jump 25 percent to 50 percent this winter.

The anticipated increase in natural gas costs could have a far greater impact on many Georgians than higher fuel costs for their automobiles. Heating one’s home is an essential cost of living, and we did not even discuss a state strategy to address this situation, which will already be a problem when we come back to the Capitol in January.

We also should have considered using a majority of the motor fuel tax proceeds toward costs associated with the relief effort for survivors of the hurricane, many of whom have evacuated to Georgia.

And, since the state has such surplus of money that we can afford to suspend the motor fuel tax at this time, there are needs here in the 99th District that have been unfunded during the past several lean years.

In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast areas of Mississippi, Alabama and beyond. This recovery period of this unimaginable tragedy will be a lengthy one. The people of Georgia have acted and stand ready to further assist our neighbors in their time of need.