Rep. Barbara Massey Reece| Legislative Report | April 1, 2011

 

The 2011 session of the Georgia General Assembly is now down to its final three legislative days. Due to a schedule change, lawmakers were not in session on Friday. The session will resume Monday, April 11, for Day 38, followed by Day 39 on April 12 and the 40^th and final day on April 14.

 

Proposed tax reform legislation is still a work in progress in the Special Joint Committee on Georgia Revenue Structure and will not be presented to the full House of Representatives and Senate until the final three days of the session.

 

The legislation, which would implement some but not all recommendations made by a special tax reform advisory commission, appeared headed toward passage until House Democrats pointed out the measure in its current form would actually raise taxes on the middle class, while providing tax breaks for Georgia’s highest wage earners.

 

Republican lawmakers have not been able to explain the financial ramifications of the measure. A fiscal note on the bill showed only cumulative numbers from the Georgia State University Fiscal Research Center. However, a review of the more granular data revealed the tax increases for the 90 percent of families who make between $100,000 and $180,000. For some, the increase is as high as $419. Other groups opposed to the proposed tax bill include the Georgia Tea Party, Americans for Prosperity and various religious organizations.

 

Also awaiting final action is the Sunday alcohol sales legislation, SB 10, which has passed the Senate and gone through the committee process in the House but has not reached the House floor for a vote.

 

Prescription Database

House members voted March 31 to approve legislation that would establish an electronic database to monitor the dispensing of prescription pain killers that include controlled substances. SB 36 targets “pill mills” that provide prescriptions for some widely abused drugs, providing a system to prevent illegal activity. I voted against the measure out of concern that the database would be an attractive target for computer hackers and expose patients’ private medical information to abuse. The measure goes back to the Senate for consideration of House changes.

 

Private Reservoirs

A slim majority of House members voted March 30 to approve legislation that would allow private developers to build reservoirs and other water infrastructure projects for local governments and water utilities. Although supporters of SB 122 said the measure would give officials at the local level another tool to finance projects to help meet water needs in their communities, opponents pointed out that the proposal would give private interests too much control over the state’s water resources and enable developers to use eminent domain powers to condemn property for construction of a private reservoir. Rural lawmakers said enactment of the bill could expand the use of inter-basin transfers of water from their districts to the metropolitan Atlanta area. The Senate voted March 31 to agree with House changes to SB 122, sending it to the Governor for his signature.

 

Insurance Mandates

The House approved amended legislation that would establish an advisory commission to review and evaluate the effectiveness and financial impact of medical tests and procedures that state law mandates must be covered by health insurance policies. I voted “no” because the membership of the proposed commission is weighted too heavily against consumers who need the coverage that many of these mandates provide. SB 17 now goes back to the Senate for consideration of House changes to the bill.

 

Comprehensive Planning

House members voted March 30 to approve legislation that would remove the current requirement for local governments to submit comprehensive plans for land use to the state government. Submitting such plans would be voluntary under SB 86, which now goes back to the Senate for consideration of House changes.

 

Other Legislation

Also last week, the House gave its approval to SB 214, which would make it illegal to provide an inmate with a wireless handset; SB 251, which would change the renewal period for insurance licenses from annual to biennial; SR 30, which would require all Municipal Court judges in Georgia to be attorneys; SR 312, which supports the deepening of the Savannah Harbor; HR 341, which promotes increased public awareness about the dangers of firing a weapon into the air during a celebration; and HR 424, which urges the state Department of Natural Resources and other entities to study the feasibility of withdrawing, storing and distributing water from the Tennessee River Basin to enhance Georgia’s water supply.

 

General Assembly Online

Throughout the session, you can read the details and check the status of legislation and watch live broadcasts of House and Senate proceedings and committee meetings online at www.legis.ga.gov.

 

• State Rep. Barbara Massey Reece represents the 11^th District (Chattooga and Floyd counties) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact her at 512 Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334; by phone at 404-656-7859; or by email at barbara.reece@house.ga.gov.