Georgia’s 152^nd Legislative Session 2011 came to a close last week, with the General Assembly approving several important measures critical to Georgia’s future prosperity.  Below is a summary of the major legislation passed by the House and Senate, and either signed into law by Governor Deal or waiting for his signature

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION REFORM

As a longtime advocate of illegal immigration reform, I was extremely pleased the General Assembly passed House Bill 87 last week, giving Georgia some of the strongest enforcement laws in the nation.  The Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011 would require businesses with 10 or more employees to use E-Verify, the federal online program used to verify an employee’s citizenship.  Small businesses will have an additional six months to come under the E-Verify requirement, and companies who commit “good faith” violations have 30 days to correct the error before facing penalties.

In response to concerns about how the bill’s provisions would impact Georgia agriculture, the bill calls for a study about how the legislation would affect the industry and the federal guest worker program.  The legislation also makes it a crime to knowingly transport illegal immigrants while committing another criminal offense, and allows law enforcement officers to verify a person’s immigration status while investigating a criminal suspect.

Governor Deal has indicated he will sign HB 87 into law, continuing Georgia’s leadership of illegal immigration enforcement at the state level.  I helped pass Senate Bill 526 back in 2006 which at that time were the strongest state laws in the country.

FY 2012 BALANCED BUDGET

With an $18.2 billion budget for this fiscal year, we are operating at 2005-2006 spending levels, even in the midst of large population growth and inflation.  With continued revenue shortfalls over the last several years, that budget figure is almost 14 percent below the FY2009 revenue estimate.  This year, we faced an approximate $1.5 billion dollar deficit combined with the loss of federal stimulus funds which have been helping ease some of the burden.  Here in Georgia conservative lawmakers have worked hard to decrease the size of government and cut waste over the last several years helping us avoid debt and maintain strong bond ratings. 

The budget we passed this year continued that commitment to fiscal responsibility.  The FY12 budget is balanced and has no tax increases.  Some of the highlights include $18 million to cover loans in the unemployment insurance trust fund, $12.9 million to the Department of Revenue to recover uncollected taxes, $45 million to fund reservoir development and $32 million for the Savannah Harbor Deepening Project. We also dedicated funds to address the projected $273 million shortfall in the State Health Benefit Plan and to improve state agencies’ frontline services to consumers and businesses. To save money, we are consolidating payroll services for a number of state agencies and programs and eliminating all state funding for the Aviation, Music and Sports halls of fame, making them self-sufficient.

COMPREHENSIVE 2^nd AMENDMENT PROTECTION BILL PASSES SENATE

The Georgia Senate passed a bill aimed at protecting 2^nd Amendment rights for licensed firearms carriers.  I authored Senate Bill 102 revising several carrying provisions in Georgia law while not altering any of our current private property laws. Business owners and property owners still have the right to ban firearms from their property.

SB 102 allows license holders to carry a firearm in any area of the airport where not prohibited by federal law. This legislation also specifically allows firearms to be carried into places of worship. The bill does not require a church to allow firearms, but it simply gives the property owner the ability to decide for themselves.

SB 102 also seeks to increase security for carry licenses and renewal applications. My bill would require a criminal records check within two days of receiving renewal forms from a license holder. This new provision will ensure that those with a carry license and a new criminal record will not be able to renew. 

This bill passed the Senate and can be taken up in the House of Representatives for the 2012 session.  I look forward to working with them and the governor to get this legislation passed.

CHILD CAR SEAT SAFETY MEASURE

I sponsored Senate Bill 88 to increase the required age of children in car seats from six to eight years of age. The type of restraint would remain dependent upon height and weight according to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standards.  This bill is supported by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and major pediatric hospitals around the state.  My bill is solely intended as a way to help save children’s lives by ensuring they are properly situated in a car. 

WEATHER EMERGENCY REPSONSE PLAN

I authored Senate Resolution 30 in the wake of the January ice storm urging the Georgia Department of Transportation to have a standby list of private contractors for state weather emergencies.  The measure also calls for GDOT to pre-authorize local governments to aid efforts for clearing state roads when necessary.  I am proud to report that the House has adopted SR 30 as we all work towards a statewide coordinated effort going forward in dealing with icy road conditions. 

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Sen. Jeff Mullis serves as Chairman of the Transportation Committee. He represents the 53^rd Senate district which includes Chattooga, Dade, and Walker counties and portions of Catoosa County.  He can be reached at his office in Atlanta at 404.656.0057 or by email at jeff.mullis@senate.ga.gov.