WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT—February 22, 2008
Sales tax for transportation proposed
By Rep. Hugh Floyd
The House Transportation Committee has favorably reported legislation that would establish a statewide, 1 percent sales tax for transportation. HR 1226, if approved by two-thirds of both the House and Senate, would go the voters for ratification this November.
The proposal addresses a serious revenue shortfall facing transportation projects across the state and is aimed at generating the funds for major steps to relieve traffic congestion in metro Atlanta. If the new sales tax is implemented, the current 7.5 cents-per-gallon motor fuel tax for transportation would be eliminated.
On Wednesday, the House voted unanimously to require the Department of Transportation Commissioner to submit an annual report on the condition of Georgia’s roads and bridges to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House. The report must also include an analysis of whether the inspections of bridges already performed by the DOT have been adequate. HB 1123 now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
It was encouraging to hear members of the House Republican leadership this week announce plans to begin restoring the more than $1.5 billion in funding cuts to local school systems imposed by the Perdue administration the past six years. Even this year, the governor has proposed slashing another $141.5 million, shifting the state’s responsibility for education onto the backs of local property taxpayers.
House Democrats have been calling for restoring this funding for years to keep property taxes from rising around the state. We are delighted that House Republicans have now realized what these cuts have done to our schools and our taxpayers. For the last five years, our schools have been deprived of even their basic level of funding and as a result local taxpayers have had to pick up the tab.
Legislation that passed the House by a narrow margin Tuesday would combine the Children and Youth Coordinating Council and the Children’s Trust Fund Commission into a new Governor’s Office of Children and Families.
Some of the duties of the new agency, under HB 1054, would include serving as a statewide clearinghouse for child-related information and research; coordinating with all components of the children’s service systems to develop legislative proposals and execute policy proposals related to child abuse injury prevention, treatment and juvenile justice systems; and reviewing and developing an integrated state plan for services provided to children and youth through state programs. The legislation also would create a 15-member advisory panel, appointed solely by the governor, to monitor the Office of Children and Families.
I voted against HB 1054 because these agencies should remain separate. Consolidating them would cause the governor to have too much political influence and control, which takes away from the goal of keeping the best interests of children at the forefront.
Also Tuesday, the House approved HB 1044, which would correct the overregulation of respite care services, which are programs for aging adults who can function in group settings, eat and use the restroom unassisted, but still require care. This proposal removes respite care services from the regulations governing adult day care centers.
Additionally, the bill requires respite care services by operated by a non-profit organization, provide a maximum of 25 hours of service per week, be staffed by volunteers and managed by a director approved by the state Department of Human Resources. HB 1044 now moves to the Senate for its consideration.
The search for additional sources of water in Georgia led to the House’s adoption of HR 1206 on Wednesday. Because of a surveying mistake in 1818, the Georgia-Tennessee border is actually 1.1 miles south of where it should be. An accurate state border would include a portion of the Tennessee River in the northwest portion of Georgia.
HR 1206 would direct the governor to communicate with the governors of Tennessee and North Carolina to have joint surveys and settlements of disputed boundary questions in hopes of correcting this 190-year-old mistake and giving Georgia another source of water.
- Rep. Hugh Floyd (D-Norcross) represents the 99th District (Gwinnett County) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact him at 611 Coverdell Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334; by phone at 404-656-0314 or by e-mail at hughfloyd@mindspring.com.
