WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT - February 20, 2009

Statewide transportation tax headed for House vote

Legislation that could lead to a statewide 1 percent sales tax for transportation funding cleared a key House committee Thursday. The House Transportation Committee favorably reported HR 206 and HB 277, sending the proposal one step closer to a vote on the House floor.

If approved by two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate and then by a simple majority of voters in the next general election, the additional sales tax would bring in an estimated $25 billion to fund transportation projects across the state over the next 10 years. An 11-member oversight committee would include five members from metropolitan Atlanta, five members from the rest of the state and one member at large to ensure the funds are invested equitably for both urban and rural projects.

At the same time, the governor and legislative leaders are supporting legislation to create a new State Transportation Authority to replace the current Department of Transportation board, which has governed the highway program in the state for decades. Authority members would be appointed by the governor, the lieutenant governor and the House speaker, instead of being elected by state legislators within congressional districts, as the DOT board is chosen now.

House members voted Thursday to approve legislation that would allow parents to enroll their students in any public school in their school district, as long as the school has classroom space after its assigned students have been enrolled.

Under HB 251, parents would be responsible for transporting the student to and from school. This school choice proposal is different from legislation that would create universal school vouchers, because this measure involves only public schools rather than private schools. HB 251 now goes to the Senate.

Last year, several of Georgia's technical colleges were combined without any input from the legislature, which is responsible for appropriating funds for the system. Georgia has outstanding technical colleges, and 80 percent of the people graduating from a technical college do so with a job.

Believing we need to continue to fully support programs that are working for our citizens, House members passed HB 294, which would require legislative approval for any consolidation, suspension or discontinuation of a technical college or institution under the State Board of Technical and Adult Education. The Senate now has HB 294 under consideration.

Also this week, the House passed HB 217, which would allow physicians to issue protocols for nurses or pharmacies to administer influenza vaccines. Doctors could issue up to 10 protocols under the bill, which moves to the Senate for its consideration.

Also this week, Gov. Perdue went against his position on Georgia's homeowner tax relief grants and signed HB 143 into law. The bill requires the state to put $428 million into the budget to fund the grants, which will keep local governments from having to raise property taxes by $200-$300 on the average homeowner this year, but requires a 3 percent increase in state revenue for the grants to be funded in future years. The governor reiterated his opposition to the grants in principle but said the money will be available this year because of the federal economic recovery package.