After three years of trying to reach agreement on a solution to the state's transportation funding problems, the House of Representatives and the Senate gave final approval to HB 277 on Wednesday.

Under the legislation, Georgia will be divided into 12 regions, each of which will hold a referendum in 2012 for a special 1 percent sales tax to be used for transportation improvements within that region.

Individual counties cannot opt out of the funding plan, but a "roundtable" of local elected officials can decide not to hold a tax referendum in their regions, whose boundaries mirror those of Georgia's regional commissions, including the 10-county Atlanta Regional Commission. According to Chuck Warbington of the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District, the metro Atlanta region would receive $790 million per year for 10 years from the special one-cent sales tax.

The bill also gives MARTA more flexibility to spend its sales tax revenues on new projects, a beginning step to helping the transit agency address a $120 million budget shortfall. This is not a perfect piece of legislation by any means. Putting these votes off until 2012 means it will be at least 2013 before any revenue comes in from the special sales tax to fund the transportation improvements needed in our area. Holding the referendums during the 2010 election cycle would have been preferable.

But after three years of failing to come up with any transportation funding solution, HB 277 is certainly better than nothing. It now goes to the governor for his signature.

Ethics Legislation:The House and Senate also sent new ethics legislation to the governor's desk for his signature on Wednesday. SB 17 doubles the fines for late reporting and other violations of campaign disclosure rules, demands more timely reporting of expenditures by lobbyists, makes sexual harassment by legislators a punishable offense and bans lobbyists from communicating with legislators by Blackberry or other electronic devices while the legislature is in session. An amendment also brings the members of the State Transportation Board under ethics law provisions regarding personal financial disclosure and lobbyist spending. A downside to SB 17 is that it would require a citizen filing a complaint to pay the official's attorney fees if the Ethics Commission determines the complaint is frivolous. That could cost Georgia residents tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and deter citizens from filing complaints.

Amended FY 2010 Budget: On Wednesday, the House gave final approval to the supplemental budget for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. HB 947, the amended version of the fiscal year 2010 budget, reduces overall spending by $1.5 billion from the budget's original form passed last year. The Senate signed off on the plan Tuesday, so the bill awaits the governor's signature.

Other House Action: Last week, House members approved a number of other legislative measures, including the following:

HB 16, which would prohibit the tracking of the location or movement of another person without that person's consent.

HB 344, which would provide immunity from lawsuits to voluntary physician assistants in safety net clinics.

HB 567, which under the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights would strengthen the rights of victims of acts of juvenile delinquency.

HB 883, the Sanitary Activity for Food- Processing Enterprises (SAFE) Act, which gives the Commissioner of Agriculture authority regarding safety plans in the processing of food products.

HB 908, which would allow local school systems to increase class sizes over the next three years. I voted against this legislation because, while understanding the difficult financial situation that local schools are in, larger class sizes are the last thing our students and teachers need. The state has caused the budget problems for local schools through QBE funding cuts, and we should instead focus on helping our schools reduce class sizes.

HB 1021, which would include Salvia divinorum A on the state's list of dangerous drugs.

HB 1179, which would require hospitals to offer annual flu shots to their employees.

HB 1435, which would create a House study committee and citizens advisory council on the hotel-motel tax.

SB 1, which would require the application of "zero-based" budgeting to the state budget process.

SB 6, which would increase the penalties for violations related to driving with a restricted license.

SB 340, which would require public and private schools to adopt a reporting system for high school juniors, sophomores and freshmen for the purpose of determining their HOPE Scholarship eligibility.

SB 346, which changes how property owners appeal the assessed value of their parcels. It extends the period for appealing property valuation from 30 days to 45 days.

SB 409, which would require that any tax break or exemption granted to a business that uses "raw forest products," such as a biomass energy plant, must also be granted to the owner of the property where that product is harvested.

SB 427, which would establish the Georgia Foundation for Public Education, the purpose of which is to solicit and accept contributions of money, services and property to support educational excellence in Georgia.

SR 822, which would urge the Department of Transportation to seek a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration in order to allow retail developments in rest areas along interstate highways.