ATLANTA (Feb. 23, 2009) — Georgia made amazing progress last week, tackling some of the serious economic issues facing the state.  The General Assembly moved forward with homeowner tax relief and a real stimulus package for economic and job development.  While the Democrats in Washington, DC drive us further and further into debt, Republicans in Georgia were hard at work finding true economic recovery and long-term stability.In keeping our promise to Georgia homeowners, the General Assembly witnessed the signing of the Homeowner Tax Relief Grant (HTRG) by Governor Perdue.  The measure guarantees $428 million in funding which will provide tax relief to more than $3 million Georgia homeowners this year.  We have made protecting Georgia homeowners our top legislative priority this session.  During these tough economic times, we must do all we can to help Georgia families keep as much of their own money as possible.Republican leaders in the House and Senate joined together this week to announce the Jobs, Opportunity and Business Success Act of 2009 (JOBS).   The greatest stimulus for a weakened economy comes from an economic environment that encourages opportunity, productivity and innovation.  The hard-working people of Georgia, not big government, are the key to economic prosperity.  The problem with the current stimulus proposals from Washington is that these projects create “work,” but not jobs.  This work is temporary and the employment created by these projects will end when the projects end.  In stark contrast, our plan will save taxpayer dollars and allows the market to immediately respond.  In our legislative package, we offer a $2,400 income tax credit for each eligible employee hired, the gradual elimination of the Corporate Income Tax, the elimination of the state Inventory Tax on all Georgia businesses, the elimination of the Sales Tax Deposit, and create a “New Business Tax Holiday” that will waive the initial and annual registration fee for new businesses that register their corporate name with the state.  What we’re proposing harnesses the greatness of Georgia and realizes the intellectual capital and the entrepreneurial spirit.  The free market system has worked well for over 200 years, and I am fundamentally opposed to the notion of spending to get out of a recession.  This is the conservative answer to the pork and political payback bill that was just passed and signed into law in Washington. 

 Senator Jeff Mullis – (R) Chickamauga (Senate Press Office)