Susie: Oh, just out buying some summer clothes for the kids. Some of my friends do all of their retail shopping on-line so that they don’t have to pay state sales tax, but I like to try and support the local businesses that employ local people.

Ed: Good for you, Susie. Hey you know that the Georgia State Legislature passed tax reform this year that will require businesses that sell on-line to charge state sales tax now.

Susie: Well, none of us like new taxes but I’ve always felt it was unfair for local businesses to have to collect sales tax but some company out of state who sells on-line not to have to collect it.

Ed: You’re exactly right, Susie. It is unfair. That’s why they call this e-fairness. And while some people call it a new tax, it’s actually a tax that should have been charged all along, but wasn’t. The question has really been who was responsible for remitting the tax to the state.

Susie: Well, at least it levels the playing field and eliminates the competitive disadvantage for Georgia businesses. After all, when more people are buying from Georgia’s businesses more jobs will need to be created.

Ed: That’s what HB 386, the tax reform bill, is all about- creating jobs.

Susie: So will everything that’s sold on the internet be subject to sales tax now?

Ed: No, only if a company has a nexus in Georgia and if they meet certain gross sales figures.

Susie: What’s a nexus?

Ed: A nexus means that they have a physical or affiliate presence in Georgia. For instance, if the company selling the on-line product has a warehouse in Georgia then they will have to charge sales tax. Or if the product is being sold on Amazon.com and Amazon.com has a warehouse in Georgia then sales tax has to be paid on the product.

Susie: What about small companies in Georgia selling direct on the internet?

Ed: Technically if they are located in Georgia then they have a nexus here and will have to pay sales tax on their products sold if their gross sales exceed $50,000 per year.

Susie: It’s good to know that Georgia is ensuring local businesses stay competitive in a growing technology driven economic business world where more and more goods are sold in cyber-markets. What else is included in this tax reform to ensure jobs are created in Georgia?

Ed: Well, your husband works down at the carpet factory, doesn’t he?

Susie: He sure does. And you know how tough that business has been over the past few years.

Ed: It certainly has been. And the Georgia legislature recognizes that. That’s why they included the sales tax on energy for manufacturers to be phased out over the next four years as part of the tax reform package.

Susie: My husband sure will be glad to hear that. His company has been threatening to pick up and move to another state because of the energy tax and we certainly don’t want that to happen.

Ed: No, we don’t. Before this tax reform legislation was passed, Georgia was only one of 10 states that taxed energy used in manufacturing. This created a barrier for our economic development folks to try and attract manufacturing to our state and caused existing companies like where your husband works to threaten to leave.

Susie: Sounds like this tax reform legislation will help Georgia attract more manufacturing companies.

Ed: It certainly will. In fact, Caterpillar announced earlier this year that they are planning to build in the Athens area, creating more than 1,400 jobs for Georgians.
Susie: Wow! This tax reform legislation really is about creating more jobs for Georgians.

Ed: It most certainly is!

Susie: Ed, I have to ask you one more thing before I go.

Ed: Sure, Susie. What is it?

Susie: Why are you sitting on that horse?

Ed: I can’t get it to do anything.

Susie: I think you have to put a quarter in to get it to work, Ed.

Ed: Sorry I’m late, guys. I was just going over some of the changes the Georgia state legislature made this year in HB 386, the tax reform bill.

Bob: I heard about that. That was something they came up with during the final days of the session, wasn’t it?

Ed: Oh, no. They’ve been working on this for over 2 years- ever since the Tax Council, which was created in 2010 and made up of business and economic experts in our state, made their recommendations to the Special Joint Legislative Tax Committee.

Frank: I remember that. Sonny Perdue was still Governor and that Council held meetings across the state taking suggestions from citizens on how to make Georgia’s tax code friendlier and more attractive to employers.

Ed: That’s right. They tried to present a tax proposal that would help create jobs and move Georgia towards a fairer and more economically attractive tax structure for private citizens and businesses alike.

Joe: Are all of the Tax Council’s recommendations included in this tax reform bill?

Ed: No, not everything. For instance the Tax Council recommended putting taxes back on groceries and increasing the tobacco tax. The legislature and Governor Deal considered those things but there was too much opposition at this time and they didn’t get included in the final bill.

Bob: So does that mean that the things recommended by the Tax Council that didn’t get included this time are dead now?

Ed: No, not necessarily. Keep in mind that beneficial tax reform comes in measured, well thought-out steps. This tax reform package lays the foundation for the future of tax reform in Georgia. It’s one step in the right direction- many will follow in the years to come.

Frank: Was anything included in this bill that was not part of the Tax Council’s recommendations?

Ed: Yes. Starting July 1, 2012, the sale of jet fuel to airlines is exempt from 1 percent of the 4 percent state sales and use tax.

Joe: Sounds like another break for big business, if you ask me.

Ed: No, not really. If the price of fuel is lower in Georgia it makes Georgia look more attractive for airlines to refuel here- helping bring in business for all of Georgia’s airports. If airports bring in more traffic, the more jobs will need to be created.

Bob: So the tax reform bill was as much about creating jobs as it was about cutting taxes?

Ed: That’s right

Frank: Yeah, but if we’re giving a break to big business like the airlines, how is this tax reform saving us citizens money?

Ed: Remember, this tax reform bill includes a lot of different pieces. The jet fuel exemption is only a part of the total package. When it’s all said and done, businesses in Georgia will save over $161 million in taxes over the next 3 years, while individuals will save over $101 million.

Joe: Yeah, I heard about the ad valorem or “birthday” tax on automobiles going away, what else is changing in this bill?

Ed: Well, all of us here are married and the bill does away with the marriage penalty in our income tax code by cutting income taxes for married couples.

Bob: All right! Now you’re talking! I’ve always thought it was unfair for married joint filers to have to pay more than single filers.

Ed: So did the legislature. That’s why they increased the personal exemption for married couples by $2000/year from $5400 to $7400. That puts $362 million into the pockets of married couples over the next 3 years and equals the playing field between married and single filers.

Frank: So what about senior citizens like my wife and me?

Ed: This is not a tax increase for seniors. No one who is currently taking exclusions is affected. The bill simply caps the retirement income exclusion for seniors at the current level of $65,000 or $130,000 per couple. This is one of the highest in the nation.

Joe: Are there other parts to the bill?

Ed: Yes, but we’ll have to talk about them later. We need to play some cards now.

Bob: Yeah. I’ll start. Ed, you got any 3’s?

Ed: Nope. Go fish.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 9, 2012 and is expected to last until the latter days of March. .

Day 1 (Monday, January 9, 2012): As the second year of our two year term begins, we welcome two new Senators to the Senate. Senator Mike Crane from Newnan and Senator John Wilkinson from Toccoa have recently been elected in special elections and join us today for their first session. After our regular caucus meeting earlier this morning, we get right to work as we take up two bills left over from last session. Both of these bills were passed out of the Senate last year and, although they passed the House last year, had changes made to them while in the House that we must either agree or disagree with. The first agree/disagree is SB 38 which puts the State School Superintendent in line with other department heads with regards to staff control by giving him the ability to enter into contracts up to $250,000 without the state board of education’s approval. It also clarifies that the Superintendent has the sole authority over all employees in the department of education meaning that he has the ability to hire and fire employees. We vote to agree with the changes made by the House last year and the bill now goes to the Governor for his consideration. We take up another agree/disagree in SB 184, the first in, last out bill that generates much controversy, albeit along party lines. This bill amends the current law that a school board primarily considers a teacher’s effectiveness in advancing student achievements when considering whom to lay off in a reduction of force implementation. The bill says that the amount of time a teacher has been employed cannot be the primary or determining factor in this decision. In my eight years in the legislature this bill generates the most intense debate of any bill considered on the first day before finally passing.

Day 2 (Tuesday, January 10, 2012): After attending the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting last night at the World Congress Center, we are back again this morning at 7AM for the Chamber’s annual state Eggs & Issues breakfast. We hear from Governor Nathan Deal, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and Speaker David Ralston on what they expect to see in this year’s session. Although no bills are debated today in session, we do hear from U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, who updates us on goings on in Washington, D.C. As the new chairman of Higher Education in the Senate, I have the honor today of addressing the state Board of Regents at their monthly meeting. Later in the afternoon, I chair my first meeting of the Higher Education committee as we introduce new staff members and review bills left over from last year. Finally, we finish the day by joining the House at 7PM in a joint session to hear the Governor’s State of the State address. The Governor does an outstanding job of presenting his message and briefly outlining his budget priorities for the upcoming budget, which includes money for higher education in our state as well as bond money for the deepening of the Savannah Harbor.

Day 3 (Wednesday, January 11, 2012): After a full day yesterday, today is much more manageable as the only bill on the calendar, HB 110, a bill dealing with foreclosure registries, is sent back to committee by unanimous consent for more work. Most of my afternoon is spent meeting with Higher Education staff from the Senate research, budget and press offices to discuss plans for the remainder of the session, although I am able to work in a meeting with parents of home school students to discuss their concerns with the HOPE scholarship.

Day 4 (Thursday, January 12, 2012): Chairman Ron Stephens, Dean of the Chatham County delegation, presides over our first meeting this morning as we hear from the state Planning Director, Todd Long, who updates us on the upcoming TSPLOST and the specific projects that have been selected in our region. We also discuss proposed school board and county commission maps as well as other business affecting Chatham County.
After a very short session, I spend most of my afternoon working in my office and preparing for my first live interview on the Georgia Public Broadcasting show Lawmakers. Later that night I appear with my counterpart in the House, Chairman Carl Rogers as we discuss Higher Education issues including college consolidation and the HOPE scholarship.

Day 5 (Friday, January 13, 2012): The newly formed Coastal delegation, consisting of House and Senate members who reside in the 1st Congressional District, meets this morning to discuss issues affecting the Coastal region of our state. The session starts early this morning and after a very short session where only points of personal privilege are heard, we are adjourned until Monday, January 23rd, as we are out next week for budget hearings.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

The students from each of the schools had been studying civics and were familiar with the three branches of government- executive, judicial and legislative. I explained my role as a Senator in the legislative process and how the citizen legislature in the state of Georgia works.

Presenting each of the schools with a Georgia state flag, I explained the three principles of which the state flag stands- wisdom, justice and moderation- and had them recite the pledge to the flag with me.

The students at all three schools were bright, respectful and well disciplined- a tribute to their families and especially to their teachers who had prepared the students for my visit with ideas for great questions.

The students in Ms. Burch’s class at Marshpoint Elementary were impressive singing the preamble to the Constitution during my visit. What a great way to learn such an important part of our nation’s history- another wonderful example of the great job our teachers are doing.

I was delighted last week to receive thank you letters from some of the students. Here are a few examples of their letters-

Dear Mr. Carter,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to come speak to us. I learned so much! I learned that there are two kinds of Pledge of Allegiances that is pretty cool. Do you travel all over the world do you? I really like that you taught me more at the 3 branches of government.
From, Megan

Dear Senator Carter,
Thank you for telling us about your job and your favavorite thing about your job. I liked the Georgia State flage. I still have more questions. Do you have to work on Saturday and Sunday? Are you the only one who makes the laws?
Yours truly, Ryleigh

Dear Senator Buddy Carter,
Thank you for coming and letting us have a little bit of your time. I want you to know that I learned something new. The Georgia Pledge! Justice, wisdom and modesty! Thanks again!
Liam

Dear Senator Buddy Carter,
Thank you for coming and help us learn more about the government, and some of your job. Thank you for giving us a Georgia Flag. It was fun when you came. Thank you for giving us some questions so we could answer them. P.S, Did you ride in a limousine? I was going to ask you a question but then I forgot. But now I remember. How many rooms are there where you work? You can send me a note if you can.
Your friend, Erin

I’m uncertain whether the students learned as much from me during my visit as I learned from them. One thing that I was reminded of was the honesty that comes from the innocence of childhood. I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret some of the questions such as the one in this letter-

Dear Senator Carter,
I loved your speech. Thanks for coming to our school. I think my favorite part was when we held the Flag. It was so fun! I have a question: How many people voted for you?
Sincerely, Shelly

I was also more than a little concerned with a recurring question in the thank you notes that was posed to me during one of my visits by a beautiful brown eyed girl who, with a very serious look on her face, asked “Did you ever get re-elected before?”

What a great group of young people! My faith and hope in our future has been reassured. What an amazing job our families and teachers are doing on a daily basis to support and encourage our next generation. Thank you for your dedication to teaching our leaders of tomorrow.

That’s how many Georgians were unemployed for various reasons as of October 31st of this year.

Currently, Georgia’s unemployment rate stands at 10.2% while the national rate is at 9%. Perhaps even more disturbing is that Georgia’s unemployment rate has exceeded the national rate for 50 consecutive months.

In fact, only 8 states, including Washington, D.C., have a higher unemployment rate than Georgia. The highest unemployment rate among states is in Nevada which has a 13.4% rate. North Dakota, with a 3.5% rate has the Nation’s lowest rate.

Georgia employers pay for unemployment insurance as a business cost through the State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) and the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA).

For SUTA liable employers pay an Unemployment Insurance (UI) tax on the first $8,500 earnings for each employee each year. The UI tax rate in Georgia is one of the lowest in the Southeast and is based on calculations that include the history of unemployment insurance paid to former workers, growth of an employer’s payroll and the overall unemployment conditions for the state. The FUTA rate is a flat amount and currently is $21 per employee per year.

SUTA payments go into the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund which is where unemployment benefits are paid from. Four years ago the Fund’s balance was nearly $1.4 billion with no outstanding loans. With Georgia having so many people collecting unemployment benefits over the past four years, we have had to borrow money from the federal government to keep the fund solvent.

To date, Georgia has borrowed $720 million from the federal government to keep the fund solvent. The first interest payment on this loan was made in September of this year and exceeded $21 million.

Because the interest on this loan cannot be paid from the unemployment tax or trust fund, it has to be paid from other state revenues. The interest payment made in September included approximately $18 million from general state revenues with the remainder coming from Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) sources.

With the state’s budget already stressed, a solution must be found to retire the $720 million loan, a figure that could grow larger if the unemployment rate does not decrease in the coming years and we have to borrow even more money from the federal government.

In an effort to keep the trust fund solvent, repay interest and eventually pay off the federal loan, a number of recommendations have been suggested.

-Implement a Waiting Week for drawing benefit payments. The average Georgian is unemployed 14 weeks. Most states wait until a person is unemployed at least a week before paying out benefits whereas Georgia benefits start the first week a person is unemployed. This would result in a projected annual savings of $35 million.

-Reduce the maximum weekly benefit amount from $330 to $300. Georgia has the third highest maximum weekly benefit amount in the Southeast region. The minimum weekly benefit is $44.00 and the average is $268.37. This proposal would affect the maximum benefit only and would result in a projected annual savings of $58 million.

-Reduce the number of state benefit weeks from 26 to 20. Several states, including South Carolina and Florida, have already adopted this strategy. Going from 26 to 20 weeks would result in an annual savings of $163 million while other decreases, i.e. 26 to 23 weeks, etc., would result in less savings.

-Increase an administrative assessment of .08 to .18 that GDOL currently collects from employers on their existing UI tax rates and that this be dedicated specifically for the payment of interest.

If we decide not to implement any of these proposals and do nothing towards repaying the loan, the FUTA will go up on our businesses in our state and will be applied toward retiring the loan. This scenario seems to be favored by GDOL.

Tough decisions, no doubt. Do we cut benefits for those who so desperately need them or do we burden our already strapped businesses with more taxes?

An easy fix would be more jobs for Georgians. Are you listening Santa Claus?

Having served as Mayor of the City of Pooler for many years and having fought water wars with the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and the City of Savannah, I was quick to answer one voter’s question of what we candidates thought would be the most important issue in the upcoming session.

“No question about it” I replied, “it’ll be water and the need of growing communities for more water.”

“I disagree” an incumbent running in another district interjected, “yes, water will be an important issue but the number one issue this session will be the same as every session and that is the budget.”

The seasoned politician was right then and he would be right today. The number one issue facing the state legislature when we go into session a little over a month from now will be the budget.

Since the economic turndown that started in mid 2008, our budgets for the state of Georgia have decreased in size and have increased in difficulty of balancing.

From a high of $20.5 billion in FY08 to a low of $17 billion in FY10 to the current $18.3 billion for FY12 the state budget over the past five years has been a bear to balance. But as hard as those budgets have been to balance, the FY13 budget may be the most difficult yet.

Yes, revenues are up and that is a good sign. In fact, through October of this year, revenues are up on average 6.8% for the current FY.

While this is a trend in the right direction and gives us all reason for hope and optimism, we must keep in mind that comparing numbers can be dangerous and sometimes misleading. Revenue figures from a year ago were low and compared to pre-2008 numbers were very low.

Our budgets over the past few years have been dependent on significant increases in revenue and, while we have been mostly successful in meeting those growth projections, the FY13 budget will be no exception as we will be depending on a 4% revenue growth ON TOP of FY12 growth. The question is being asked, can we “grow our way out of it” as some people have asserted. If the national recession continues, will we continue to see increasing revenues?

Also making the FY13 budget perhaps the toughest yet is the fact that no stimulus money will be available to help balance the budget. Regardless of how one feels about the federal stimulus program the truth is that we used that money in the past few budget years to help balance our state’s budget. In fact, in FY10 we used over $1 billion in stimulus funds to help balance our budget.

Another missing factor for this year’s budget will be the non availability of reserve funds. During good times the state has been able to build up our reserves or “rainy day fund” to be used during the lean years. While this has certainly helped over the past few years, the fund is low now and will not offer much help in softening the blow of lower revenues.

Also over the past few years the state has done a good job of using one-time funds, such as selling GEFA bonds, to help balance the budget. Unfortunately, most of these opportunities have been exhausted.

So with revenue increases becoming more difficult to achieve, no more stimulus funds, depleted reserves and one-time fund opportunities no longer available what other options are available?

Obviously, unless we are able to identify more revenue enhancements, more cuts will have to be made and this is what will make the FY13 budget perhaps the toughest yet.

All departments have already suffered through budget cuts over the past few years. All the “easy” cuts, if there is such a thing, have already been made. The state universities and technical colleges didn’t receive any growth money in FY12 although their enrollment increased. Other departments have shared the same fate.

What will be the main issue in the 2012 legislative session? The same issue as always- the budget.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

While the girlfriend ended up in intensive care with a shattered cheek and eye socket, a plate in her jaw and a bruised brain, the boyfriend was charged with aggravated assault with the intent to murder, changing both of their lives forever.

Also in September, a Richmond Hill man was arrested at a gas station in Rincon after allegedly soliciting women outside the business for sex then getting in a car with a woman and her 11 year old daughter with his pants unzipped and soliciting them for sex. The man claims he was high on the drug spice.

These are just a few of the recent incidents involving what has become a major problem in our state and our nation- the illegal use of the drug spice.

Spice, slang for synthetic cannabis or marijuana, is a mixture of medicinal herbs and spices that are sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids on them. It is typically sold in small, silvery plastic bags of dried leaves and marketed as incense that can be smoked. It is said to resemble potpourri.

There are more than 200 different chemicals which are considered synthetic cannabinoids.

One of these synthetic cannabinoids, JWH-018, was first made in 1995 for experimental purposes in the lab of Clemson University researcher John W. Huffman, PhD. Spice became popular because JWH-018 can be made easily by combining a few commercial products.

These synthetic cannabinoids have an effect similar to THC, the active compound in marijuana. They cause psychoactive behavior including euphoria, decrease overall activity, produce analgesia, decrease body temperature and produce catalepsy, a trancelike state marked by loss of voluntary motion.

While the long term adverse effects of the drugs use is unknown at this time, it is known to stay in the body for a long period of time and JWH-018 and its many cousins have a chemical structure shared with known cancer-causing agents.

Dr. Huffman, the inventor of JWH-018, is quoted as saying “It’s like Russian roulette to use these drugs. We don’t know a damn thing about them for real.”

Known by names such as Algerian Blend, Genie, k2, Smoke, Chill X, Sense, Yuatan Fire, Spice Diamond, Spice Silver and Spice Gold, the drugs can be purchased from gas stations, convenience stores, tobacco shops and head shops. The availability of these drugs has become such a problem near some military bases that military personnel have been prohibited from shopping at stores that carry these products.

Another problem in trying to contain these drugs is there availability from the online industry.

Nevertheless, attempts to ban the sales of these drugs are being made on the state and federal levels.

This past legislative session, as part of the yearly update to the Georgia Dangerous Drug Act, I sponsored legislation that made certain compounds that are classified as spice Schedule 1 drugs, meaning that they have no known medicinal use and are for experimental use only, making them controlled substances and rendering them illegal in Georgia.

In September, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) used its emergency authority to ban certain chemicals used in these products, calling them an “imminent hazard” to the public. Now these chemicals are illegal in all states, not just the ones that have classified them as such in their state statutes.

However, enforcement remains a problem for a number of reasons. Lack of law enforcement manpower, internet availability, and having to analyze the contents of each package in order to determine the contents remain a challenge, but the biggest problem is that clandestine labs that produce these drugs simply change over to another compound that has not been scheduled- which makes it legal to sell.

While we will continue to seek legislative remedies to this problem, only through education of the hazards of this drug’s use will we be able to contain the issue.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

On Tuesday, October 18th in Zanesville, Ohio, the owner of a privately owned wild animal park opened the cages of dozens of lions, tigers, bears and other exotic animals allowing them to escape before he committed suicide.

The horrific episode was finally brought under control but not before most of the animals had been destroyed by police officers who were faced with no other choice but to shoot to kill in order to maintain the public’s safety.

Incidents such as this, involving wild and exotic animals, while not necessarily intentional, have also occurred in Georgia throughout the years.

For instance in February of 2010, a zebra escaped from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus and ran through downtown Atlanta ending up on the downtown connector during rush hour.

In April of 2008, 2 llamas fell out of a trailer on I-285 in Atlanta when the latch came undone and in December of 2002, 4 bovines escaped a stalled tractor-trailer on I-20 near Covington. Interestingly, the escaped bovines were retrieved by a group of horseback riders from a rodeo taking place nearby.

On a more somber note, the Georgia Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in February 2012 in a case of a housesitter who was killed by an alligator who lived in one of the many lagoons around The Landings gated community near Savannah. Citing the doctrine of “animals ferae naturae,” a homeowner’s association is claiming they should be immune from the suit. The outcome of this case could expand the human liability for wild animal actions.

But Georgia and Ohio are very different when it comes to laws on wild animals.

Georgia defines “wild animal” as any animal that is not wildlife and is not normally a domesticated species in Georgia.

In Georgia it is illegal to import, transport, transfer, sell, purchase or possess any wild animal without a wild animal license or permit from the Department of Natural Resources.

Licenses are only issued to those engaged in the wholesale or retail wild animal business or those exhibiting wild animals to the public.

Permits are only issued to those with scientific or educational purposes or those with a permanent disability or disease in need of a capuchin monkey.

Also insurance is required for anyone who possesses a wild animal that is considered dangerous such as kangaroos, bears, lions, tigers, wolves, chimpanzees and alligators.

Earlier in the year, Ohio Governor John Kasich had allowed a statewide ban on the buying and selling of exotic pets to expire saying that it was not enforceable.

While many states have no laws governing the private ownership of exotic animals, Georgia, along with 21 other states, has a ban on the private ownership of such animals.

And while they may regulate some aspects of ownership of exotic pets, Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina have no license or permitting requirements for the private ownership of such pets.

Although Georgia laws are widely viewed as stringent when it comes to wild animals and exotic pets, recent legislation has sought to change some areas.

For instance, HB 277 passed during the 2011 session, provides restrictions for hunting deer and feral hogs using bait. Many supporters of this bill cited the need to control the exploding deer population in our state as grounds to pass this bill.

Although it failed to pass, during the last legislative session, SB 188 was introduced and would have allowed the creation of harvest-hunt preserves for the hunting of alternative livestock.

Also failing to pass during the 2010 session were two bills (SB 424 & HB 1270) that would have allowed the operation of exotic game ranches and exotic game licenses for those wishing to hunt on them.

What happened in Ohio is truly a tragedy.

Could it happen in Georgia? It could but because of our tough laws dealing with wild animals and exotic pets, it’s a lot less likely.

Or is it?

On September 28th of this year, Georgia joined 25 other states asking the U. S. Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of the federal healthcare law that is the cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s administration.

The primary argument that Georgia and the other states are making is that it is unconstitutional for individual citizens to be required by the federal government to have insurance.

Both sides sight Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause, a clause that gives Congress the power to regulate commerce between states.

Opponents of the law say that this requirement exceeds Congress’s power since not having insurance should be up to the individual and in not doing so would be considered inactivity. Defenders of the law say that requiring individuals to buy insurance is within Congress’s power since having or not having health insurance qualifies as activity.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case during the term it began in late September but its final ruling, which could have obvious political ramifications, is not expected to be issued until after next fall’s Presidential elections.

It is also important to note that the Supreme Court, similar to some lower courts, could find the individual mandate to require insurance unconstitutional but leave other parts of the law in place. While this is somewhat of a common practice of the Supreme Court, it leaves states like Georgia in somewhat of a quandary.

The PPACA is setup to be implemented in increments over a period of years. Some portions of the law, such as requiring insurance policies to cover dependents up to 26 years of age, have already been enacted and are in place today. Other portions will have to be implemented before the Supreme Court ruling or certain actions will be taken by the federal government.

One such example is the health insurance exchange which, while not required to be in place until 2013 after the Supreme Court decision, would require legislation during the 2012 Georgia legislative session if the state decides to establish their own.

An exchange is intended to increase competition and consumer choice among health insurance policies by allowing companies to bid for similar coverage. States can either receive federal funding to begin planning their own exchanges that meet their individual needs or opt not to start their own exchange in which case the federal government will set up the exchange for them.

There are two types of exchanges, one to serve individual consumers (American Health Benefits Exchange, or AHBE) and one to serve small businesses (Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP). Georgia could design these as separate exchanges or as a consolidated exchange.

This is part of the dilemma that Georgia faces. If we move forward with setting up our own state exchange, it could be construed by some as an endorsement of PPACA by a state that is challenging the law before the Supreme Court.

On the other hand if we don’t set up our own exchange, we face the reality that the federal government will set up an exchange for us. By doing this, we could potentially leave our state’s health insurance markets vulnerable to even more federal interference and disruption.

Over the years, some believe that our state has made great strides in requiring certain mandatory coverage, such as tests for colorectal cancer and mammograms and child wellness services, within our health insurance policies. Would the federal exchange include this mandatory coverage or would they be excluded?

Still others believe that our state has gone too far and eliminating some of these mandatory requirements would yield more affordable health insurance.

Another consideration is that regardless of how the Supreme Court rules, having an exchange where insurance companies are forced to compete on a level playing field would help our citizens and particularly our small businesses.

In response to this very important decision, Governor Nathan Deal created the Georgia Health Insurance Exchange Advisory Committee that has been meeting on this issue and will issue their final report and recommendations in December of this year.

Mandatory health insurance for all- it is the law.

Or is it?

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

One of my grandfathers was Earl Ford. He owned Ford’s Bait Station located on Highway 80 near Dean Forest Road in what is now Garden City.

I used to help my grandfather around the station where he taught me all about fish bait. No sooner than I was able to walk, I could tell the difference between a red wiggler, Louisiana pink and a Catawba worm.

He taught me how to raise crickets and took me with him when he would catch pollywogs in the Casey Canal.

Along with my dad and my other grandfather he also taught me about fishing. But most importantly all three taught me about the beauty of nature and our responsibility in protecting our environment.

That’s why the fish kill in the Ogeechee River earlier this summer, the largest in our state’s history, upset me and others so much.

38,000 fish of about 15 species killed in one of the most beautiful rivers in our state? On one of the rivers I grew up fishing in and that helped my granddaddy earn a living? How could this have happened and who is responsible are some of the many questions that those of us who love this river wanted to know the answer to.

Almost immediately it became evident that King America Finishing in Screven County was the culprit after a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) agent noticed that 50 yards upstream of the company’s outflow pipe fish were alive and jumping and below the pipe they were dead.

Since that time public meetings have been held and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has performed an investigation. Last week EPD entered into a consent order with the company that calls for $1 million worth of environmental projects on the river to be funded by the company.

While EPD points out that this is the largest settlement of this type in Georgia’s history, others still feel that the company is getting off light. EPD points out that they will have to approve the projects proposed by the company and if they are not acceptable the company will have to pay the fine in cash to the state treasury.

EPD also points out that the company is prohibited from claiming any state or federal tax deductions for the cost of the projects and that any publicity about the projects must acknowledge that it was undertaken as part of an enforcement settlement for violation of the Georgia Clean Water Act.

The company is also being required to make upgrades to their Wastewater Treatment Facility. While no dollar amount has been set for the cost of these upgrades, estimates are in the $2 million range.

Perhaps most important is that the discharge permits for the company have been adjusted to tie the amount of future discharge to the flow level of the river. Also, ammonia is now being trucked off site for disposal and not going into the river.

While all of these fines and requirements are good, are they enough? For those of us who love the river, probably not.

But what about the nearly 500 jobs the company provides? In a state that has an unemployment rate above 10 percent closing them down would be a big loss. Most legislators believe that the top issue facing our state today is job development.

Such is the dilemma that EPD and the state of Georgia face on a daily basis. How do we balance economic development with our environment? While it is certainly not easy, it can and must be done.

We can learn a lot from this environmental disaster that occurred on the Ogeechee. Certainly EPD needs to do a better job. It’s simply inexcusable that a company that produces 70% of the fire retardant material in the nation has been discharging into a Georgia river for the past six years without EPD’s knowledge even though they have been making yearly inspections.

Like the other Senators and Representatives who represent areas on the Ogeechee, I want to see this cleaned up and make certain that it never happens again.

We all owe at least that much to our grandfathers and our grandchildren.

Although my parents told me that for the first few years of my life we lived in the old Savannah Garden Apartments on President Street that have long been demolished, I don’t remember those times. My childhood memories start and end in Port Wentworth. And they are good memories.

Unlike those who have blocked out childhood memories because of ugly incidents or tragedies they don’t want to recall, I cherish mine. Good friends, a great neighborhood, loving parents- all the ingredients for a great place to grow up. As I grow older I realize even more how lucky I was to grow up in such a great place- extremely lucky.

I left home the day I turned 18- not out of teenage anger or because my parents kicked me out but it just happened to be the day I left to go off to college. After being away for five years at college, I returned with a beautiful bride and we chose to make Pooler our home. Again, luck shone upon me.

A few years ago, while I was representing West Chatham and South Effingham counties in the state House of Representatives, I was invited to a dinner in Atlanta honoring our state’s National Guard. I’m very familiar with this great organization as my first job was as a landscape engineer, a.k.a. grass cutter, at Travis Field during high school.

As fate would have it, I was joyously reunited that night with one of my childhood friends who also grew up on Osteen Street.

Larry Dudney, a red headed, side armed pitcher who was the drummer at Port Wentworth Elementary School was there in uniform- the kind of uniform that a Brig. General for the Georgia Army National Guard wears.

Catching up with my childhood friend that night was quite a treat. Larry’s family had moved to Effingham County when he reached high school and we had lost contact since then so we had a lot of catching up to do.

After high school, Larry graduated from Georgia Southern University and also earned a degree from Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville. Larry is a true Georgian – a home-grown product.

Brig. Gen. Dudneys’ military career has been exemplary. He has served two combat tours overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. During the Afghanistan tour he served as Commanding Officer of a NATO command.

He has also received two of the military’s highest awards while stateside, the Soldiers Medal and the Purple Heart. Brig. General Dudney received the Purple Heart for the heroism he displayed on September 11, 2001. That fateful day, while he was on assignment at the Pentagon, terrorists flew a hijacked jet into the building. He was cited for his participation in the rescue- a true American hero who grew up on Osteen Street in Port Wentworth, GA.

Last week I got a call from my childhood friend and the news was not good. He had been fired from his position.

That’s right. This Georgia grown hero had been fired only a few days after he was the featured speaker in a ceremony welcoming the arrival of a portion of the Pentagon’s west wall to Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robbins.

It is well known that politics play a big part in the National Guard. The Governor appoints the Adjunct General who oversees the state Department of Defense and its 14,000 members. Recently, Governor Nathan Deal announced that he was appointing State Senator Jim Butterworth from Cornelia in Northeast Georgia to replace Major Gen. Terry Nesbitt at the end of September.

But earlier this week, Major Gen. Nesbitt started cleaning house and fired a number of high ranking officers while still others announced they were resigning, a sad ending to his four years at the helm of our state’s ultimate volunteer organization.

Now Governor Deal and Senator Butterworth have been put into a very unenviable situation that only they can bring reasonableness and fairness to. Let us hope that they do just that.

As for my childhood friend from Osteen Street in Port Wentworth, GA, regardless of the outcome of all of this, you will always be one of our state’s and our nation’s heroes.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

Called by an executive order of Governor Nathan Deal, the special session was necessary to redraw house, senate and congressional district maps as required every ten years after the census is performed.

Gov. Deal included in the items to be considered during the special session not only the redrawing of district maps, but also ratification of the suspension of the state gas tax increase, local legislation “of an urgent matter,” and changing the date of the regional transportation tax (T-SPLOST).

Now that they have been passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor, the district maps will next be submitted for pre- clearance to make certain that they comply with the Voting Rights Act that the state of Georgia still has to follow. Ratification of the suspension of the state gas tax increase was completed quickly with little opposition.

As always, local legislation can take on a life of its own, and certainly this was the case again as the Henry County delegation traded accusations of discrimination and back door politics before finally approving their new district maps.

The final item on our agenda, changing the date of the T-SPLOST vote from the July primaries to the general election on November 6 of next year, became so controversial that it was abandoned and not acted on during the special session.

Changing the T-SPLOST date became a political football, pitting the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party against the chambers of commerce with the Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) and the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) playing a leading role in the political drama.

Proponents of changing the date of the T-SPLOST, including the chambers of commerce, believed that it would stand a better chance of passing with a higher voter turnout in November, particularly among Democratic voters. With President Barak Obama the presumed Democratic nominee, turnout for the July Democratic primary would be potentially low while turnout for the Republican primary would be higher since they will be choosing a candidate at that time.

Tea Partiers, who generally represent the Republican Party’s more conservative anti-tax wing, fought ferociously against having the date changed setting up what turned out to be a political heavyweight match.

A deal was thought to have been reached between the two sides when some Republican legislators agreed to support the changing of the T-SPLOST vote in exchange for a provision that all future referendums on local option sales tax issues would be held during general elections.

At this point GMA, representing the cities, and ACCG, representing the counties, became involved. While they may have been in agreement with moving the date of the T-SPLOST vote to improve its chances of passage, they were opposed to moving all SPLOST votes to the general elections knowing that most future referendums would have a more difficult time of passing.

The impasse between the two sides could not be resolved and the issue was therefore abandoned.

Many, including myself, feel that the idea behind changing all referendums to general elections when voter turnout is higher is a good one.

Because sales taxes are broad based taxes that everyone pays, we should have as many people as possible making the decisions.

Historically, less than 15 percent of the registered voters turn out for most SPLOST votes held at times other than the general election when the turnout is 52 percent or higher. Chambers of commerce, GMA and ACCG are aware of this and were not willing to sacrifice future SLOST votes for moving the T-SPLOST. With the issue of moving the T-SPLOST dead for now, Tea Partiers are claiming a victory.

However, with a chance to have all future SPLOST votes changed to the general election when more people will participate, one has to wonder who the real victor is here.

After all, it’s one thing to win the battle and another to win the war.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

Thinking back on my career I realize that at certain stages all I did was add 0’s. When I was a college student 0 was a big part of my finances and the biggest part of my checking account. After I graduated and got my first job, I was able to put some numbers in front of that 0.

When I went into business for myself I added more 0’s behind those numbers. And when I became a Mayor I added even more 0’s. I remember being blown away by the magnitude of our city budget at that time and the reassurance that our City Manager tried to give me. “They’re the same numbers you’ve always used” he said, “just add more 0’s.”

And when I became involved in state government and started working on our budget- you guessed it- all I had to do was add more 0’s. But $14.5 trillion? That’s a bunch of 0’s.

As our national leaders try to negotiate a deal on raising the debt ceiling limit for our country, one has to wonder how we ever got into this mess in the first place.

I remember meeting with a Congressman when I first became Mayor seeking help in securing federal funds for our public safety department in our rapidly growing city. He suggested that we apply for grants from a recently approved anti-drug fund in the federal budget. “There’s over $12 million in that fund” he said before quickly correcting himself. “It must be $12 billion, $12 million is nothing.”

So where does the federal government spend all that money? We only have to look right here at home in the state of Georgia to find a lot of it.

Our FY 2012 state budget that went into effect July 1st is set at $18.3 billion. Some of this money is used to leverage “draw down” money from the federal government.

The biggest federal program that the state administers is Medicaid. In Georgia, for every $100 spent on Medicaid, $33.84 is from the state and $66.16 is from the federal government. All total the state administers almost $11 billion in federal funds.

But the majority of federal funds administered in Georgia don’t pass through our budget and the amounts are staggering. For instance, over $25 billion is spent on retirement and disability payments, including Veterans Disability and Social Security payments. Almost $17 billion is spent on direct payments to individuals such as Medicare and food stamps. And over $19 billion is spent in funding different grants in education, community health, human services and labor.

These are just a few of the many examples right here in our own state of federal benefits, salaries and programs.

And let us not forget the billions of dollars spent on our military bases in the state and the “ripple effect” that these soldiers and their families have on our state’s economy. Just ask the retailers in Hinesville and our other base cities what happens when soldiers are deployed and their families go back home.

Regardless, we all realize something has to be done. Whether it’s cut, cap and balance or the proposal offered by the gang of 6, a compromise in Washington will probably be reached.

But the madness that is out of control spending must end. Our country, our way of life hangs in the balance. Hopefully, our national leaders are beginning to get this message. But are we getting it?

We know we don’t want higher taxes but do we fully understand how budget cuts will impact us? Are we willing to give up some of the things that we take so much for granted and feel we have worked for and deserve?

This is not going to be easy for our state, our cities or for us individually- but it must be done to ensure the financial stability of our nation.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

As a result of the Georgia Charter School Act of 1993, the first three charter schools opened in our state in 1995 and the results have been impressive. In the past four years alone, the 170 charter schools in Georgia have increased in the number of schools making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) at 85% and achieved over an 80% graduation rate.

In May of this year, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the state Charter School Commission created in 1998 to authorize charter schools directly- even over the objection of local school boards – was unconstitutional. This ruling creates confusion for thousands of students across our state and threatens one of the most successful programs in our public school system.

At the root of the problem is money. Charter schools approved by the state- even over the local government’s objection- require partial funding from local funds, a fact that does not set well with the local governments.

Although charter schools enroll only 4% of the total public school population in the state, proponents say they provide choices for parents when deciding what’s best for their child’s education, and, arguably, make other public schools better through increased competition.

While the Supreme Court ruling was disappointing for many, the reality is that charter schools are here to stay and, while only time will tell, the ruling could help solidify them in our state. Already a Senate subcommittee has been created to address the ruling and recommend potential legislation, including a constitutional amendment, to ensure that educational choice remains in Georgia.

Also being studied in education this summer is the state’s main education funding formula, Quality Basic Education (QBE), that was created in 1985 and whose expenses have only been recalculated once since then to adjust for the effects of inflation.

QBE, considered antiquated by most educators, is a weighted formula that determines state funding for local public schools by calculating a per-student, or “full-time equivalents” (FTEs), cost based on direct and indirect instructional costs based on the grade of the student. One FTE is made up of six segments, with each individual student counted for each segment of the day.

The Education Finance Study Commission, a 20 member committee made up of key legislators as well as the State School Superintendent and University System Chancellor, was created by the legislature this past session and charged with the responsibility of revamping or replacing the QBE formula. The commission held their first meeting on June 30th and is expected to spend the next 18 to 20 months studying the issue before issuing a report.

The commission is also expected to consider other funding issues such as the above mentioned charter schools and virtual schools, as well as private school scholarships and school choice.

It is worth mentioning that this is the sixth committee appointed and charged with revamping QBE since it was created 25 years ago with little or no change being generated from past committees.

Few question that QBE has not kept up with the times. With schools’ increasing need for technology or issues such as the rising costs of textbooks or local school systems taking more than $1 billion in austerity cuts, the current QBE formula can no longer be considered appropriate.

Besides, what constituted a quality basic education in 1985 certainly has changed over the years. And while everyone understands that more spending in education is needed, with over 55 percent of the state budget earmarked for education at all levels- including almost 40 percent to K-12 directly- an already stressed budget will be hard pressed to handle even more.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

On April 14th, the last day of the 2011 legislative session, the Georgia State House and Senate agreed on compromise language and passed HB 87, the Illegal Immigration Reform Act.
Inspired and crafted after similar legislation passed in Arizona a few years ago, HB 87, if signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal as expected, makes our state one of the toughest in the nation in dealing with this national problem.
HB 87 came about as the culmination of a joint House and Senate study committee that met on numerous occasions last year and was charged with studying the social and economic consequences of illegal immigration in Georgia.
The findings of the study committee were staggering, with some estimates of the direct costs to state and local taxpayers running as high as $2.4 billion, burdening every segment of our state government and impacting critical services such as health care, transportation, K-12 education and transportation.
Under HB 87, all businesses in Georgia with more than 10 employees will be required to use the free and easy federal E-VERIFY system. This accurate, internet-based federal database is designed to verify the eligibility to legally work in the United States and is already used by more than 16,000 Georgia businesses.
HB 87 also provides new tools for law enforcement to handle immigration issues such as greater opportunities to prosecute those that knowingly harbor or transport illegal aliens in our state, or that knowingly entice entrance of illegal aliens into our state. It also provides law enforcement officers the ability to identify illegal aliens during the course of an investigation and penalizes government officials who fail to enforce state laws related to immigration.
As expected, many have been critical of HB 87 citing possible economic protests such as boycotts and have called on Governor Deal to veto the measure.
As one who voted for HB 87, I certainly hope and expect that Governor Deal will follow through on his promise to sign the measure so that it will become law.
Voting for HB 87 was both easy and difficult for many reasons.
Recognizing that agriculture is still the leading industry in our state and depends heavily on an available workforce is a major concern for all Georgians, especially those of us serving in the legislature. As our rural legislators so clearly articulated during debate of the bill, there’s only a certain window of opportunity to harvest crops and you must have personnel to perform those duties. Certainly none of us want to negatively impact this vital Georgia industry.
We also recognize that we all came from immigrants and that our forefathers came here looking for a better life in this great land of opportunity.
But more importantly we recognize that our basic responsibility is to follow the law which is the cornerstone of our free Republic. HB 87 moves us in that direction.
While many may disagree on this issue, most of us agree that this is a federal problem that has been ignored.
Last week, in an interview with an Atlanta television station, President Barack Obama called HB 87 “a mistake” and said that we shouldn’t have 50 different immigration laws around the country.
Without a comprehensive federal law dealing with this issue, states are left with no other choice but to deal with it themselves. With HB 87 in Georgia, we’ve done just that.

From Rabun Gap to Tybee Island, Georgia state legislators understand the importance of deepening the Savannah Harbor. SR 312, a resolution I sponsored endorsing the efforts to deepen the port of Savannah, passed the Senate unanimously and passed the House by an overwhelming margin of 167-3. With only 3 nay votes between the two chambers, it’s easy to tell that state legislators understand the importance of arguably the most important economic development project in the modern history of our state.
Perhaps more important is the $32 million in bonds that was included in this year’s budget bringing our total commitment thus far to approximately $135 million. However, what was priceless through the whole process was the number of legislators who stopped me to say how important this project was to their district and asked what they could do to help.

Government, state or federal, should never pay 100% of anything. One of the most popular and successful programs in our state is the HOPE scholarship that is funded by lottery proceeds.
Over the years enrollment and tuition at our state’s colleges and universities have increased making it difficult for lottery proceeds to keep up with expenses. In fact, during the past few years the lottery has been paying out more than it brings in causing us to have to use reserves to meet obligations. Unless changed, by the year 2013 we would deplete all of our reserves and be unable to meet our obligations.
In order to save this great program, it became necessary for us to decouple the HOPE scholarship from tuition and base the scholarship amount annually on lottery revenues for those HOPE recipients maintaining a 3.0-3.6 GPA. Starting in the fall of 2011, these students will receive 90 percent of the FY ’11 standard tuition rate.
While it is unfortunate, the reality is that something had to be done. So, how can receiving 90 percent of one’s tuition possibly be viewed as unfair by some? When you’re accustomed to receiving 100 percent- then, I suspect it can.

Approximately 60% of all traumatic injuries involve burns. HB 307 added burn centers and burn patients as part of Georgia’s trauma network, allowing the two burn care centers in our state that admit at least 300 patients annually to receive funds from the trauma commission.
One of these two burn centers is the Joseph M. Still burn center in Augusta where many of the patients from the Imperial Sugar blast on February 7, 2008, in Port
Wentworth were treated. Along with Memorial Health University, many of us will never forget the great service these health care professionals provided during this tragedy.

As a legislator, with the Sunday sales of alcohol issue, you’re wrong if you do and wrong if you don’t. While this issue may have seemed easy for many, it was far from it for most legislators. Voting for it meant you would be adding to the moral degradation of our state, while voting against it meant you were against local control. Local control won out.

Just because you believe illegal immigration is wrong and violators should be punished doesn’t mean you’re heartless or non-loving toward your fellow man. While I don’t pretend to speak for everyone who voted in favor of HB 87, I will say that, without exception, those legislators I conferred with in regards to illegal immigration are loving of their fellow man but are also concerned with the estimated $2.4- $2.6 billion that illegal immigration is costing our state.

If at first (or the first five or six times) you don’t succeed, try again. Outdoor advertisers finally got their way this year as HB 179, which will allow billboard owners to cut trees in the public right-of-way if they block the visibility of signs, passed and was signed into law.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March middle of April.

Day 38 (Monday, April 11, 2011): After a week off for spring break, we’re back at it this morning knowing full well that these final few days will be a sprint to the finish. We don’t go in until 1PM this afternoon and, although this is normal for Mondays, it is relevant today because all bills must be approved through committees before the start of the 38th day. My first committee meeting this morning is Senate Finance where HB 234, a bill that will extend a sales tax exemption on the purchase of aircraft parts by Gulfstream Aerospace, is amended before it is passed. Obviously, this is an extremely important bill to the Chatham county area and, although we are concerned with the bill being amended, we have been assured by the Governor’s office that the amendment will not slow the bill down. Later in the morning I am successful in getting two of my bills, SB 66 dealing with Clinical Perfusionists and SB 67 dealing with nurses, passed out of the House Health and Human Services committee. Before lunch I attend the House rules committee and am fortunate to get three bills on the House calendar for this afternoon. As we go in this afternoon, we have almost 30 bills on the calendar and I am presenting two of them for house members. Because House and Senate members are allowed to speak only in their respective chambers, we have to present bills for each other. In a surprising move, the House adjourns early today without voting on the tax revision bill, signifying that it is dead for the session. After a short break for dinner, we go back in at 7:30 PM and debate the immigration bill until 10:30 PM. Although we differ with the House version, primarily in the area of the E-Verify program used to confirm the residency status of employees, the bill passes.

Day 39 (Tuesday, April 12, 2011): As legislators, we are constitutionally required to do one thing each session- pass a balanced state budget. The budget conferees- three from the house and three from the senate- met last week to finalize their negotiations and announce this morning that they have agreed on an $18.3 billion proposal. Because the Governor must agree on the final proposal as well, he is intricately involved in the negotiations and has helped by agreeing to raise the state’s revenue estimate by $47 million. The final budget includes a bond package of $675 million for construction projects, including money for the deepening of the Savannah Harbor. After the House approved the negotiated budget earlier in the day, we pass it in the afternoon and send it to the Governor for his final consideration. With 41 bills on the calendar today including HB 234, the sales tax exemption for Gulfstream, we buzz through most but, as is always the case, get sidetracked on a few including one that would allow the sale of health insurance across state lines. Although we have 10 bills left on the calendar, we mercifully adjourn at 11:30 PM and leave the remaining bills for the last day.

Day 40 (Thursday, April 14, 2011): It’s finally here- sine die- the last day of the session and arguably the most dangerous day of the session. Like many people I have a number of bills to finish today and while they are all important, SB 36, the prescription monitoring bill, is my main focus this morning. After meeting with Attorney General Sam Olens and other interested parties, we finally hammer out an agreement and the bill is passed and sent to the Governor for his signature. Although the day is almost a blur with so much going on, we manage to pass a compromised illegal immigration bill that will require companies with ten employees or more to use the E-verify program. Finally, at 11:45 PM the Lt. Governor and Speaker bang their gavels in unison signifying the end of the 2011 session that began back on January 10th.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March middle of April.

Day 34 (Monday, March 28, 2011): This morning I find myself right back where I left off last week- in front of the House Judiciary committee where today I am presenting SB 36, the prescription drug monitoring bill. This is one of the toughest committees in the legislature and, while they have made major revisions to my bill, I am glad that it passes out and will now be in the House rules committee. Next, I attend the Senate appropriations committee where we pass out the FY 12 budget with total revenues of $18.2 billion. As always, there are some changes from the House plan and this year it is mainly in the bond package as we include almost $700 million in our version, compared to the $562 million and $610 million that the Governor and House proposed. During our session today, we honor U.S. Rep. John Lewis for his lifetime of achievement and for receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award.

Day 35 (Tuesday, March 29, 2011): Most of the buzz at the Capitol today centers around the joint legislative committee on revenue structure and their tax revision proposal, HB 387. While there are an equal number of House and Senate members on this committee, the House seems to be in favor of the initial proposal while we in the Senate have major questions and want more time to review the proposal. The proposal would lower the personal income tax rate from 6 percent to 4.5 percent while eliminating itemized deductions for tax filers as well as keep the existing $35,000 income exemption for elderly taxpayers and exempt sales tax on energy for manufacturing purposes. It would also add sales tax to the casual sales of cars and automobile repairs and impose a 7 percent tax on telecommunications services such as cable and satellite TV. As we go into session today, I offer a floor amendment on a house bill to add language from one of my earlier senate bills in case I am unable to get it passed in the House. Later I present SB 79, the statewide school board bill that will return Chatham County school board members back to four year terms, to the House education committee where it passes.

Day 36 (Wednesday, March 30, 2011): After our weekly Bible study this morning, I appear before the House rules committee to get SB 36, the prescription drug monitoring bill on the calendar but am unsuccessful in my efforts. Most of the talk at our daily caucus meeting is still on the tax revision proposal as we have found some major issues that must be resolved before we can support such an important piece of legislation. While the House is openly critical of our deliberative approach, I am proud to be a member of a body that takes such a cautious and guarded attitude to this monumental task. As we go into session later this morning, we pass out the FY 12 budget as well as five other bills. During the session, it is announced that the House rules committee is having a special meeting this afternoon to consider more Senate bills and I am successful this time in getting SB 36 on the calendar. Before leaving for the day, we have a special caucus meeting to again discuss the tax revision proposal.

Day 37 (Thursday, March 31, 2011): The news is good this morning as we have received solid numbers to support changes we have proposed to the tax revision proposal and the deliberative, thoughtful approach that the Senate has taken on this issue proves to be invaluable. As we go into session today, we approve SB 122 that will allow local governments and water authorities to work with private companies to build reservoirs. Although today turns out to be one of the most stressful days in my seven years at the Capitol because of political battles within the Senate, I am delighted that SB 36, the prescription drug monitoring bill, passes the House ending three long years of work.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March middle of April.

Day 31 (Monday, March 21, 2011): After a very short weekend, we’re back at it bright and early as I meet with the Chairman of Senate Appropriations, Sen. Jack Hill, and members of the senate budget office regarding drug courts in our state. Governor Nathan Deal, whose son Jason is a drug court judge in Hall County, has said that he wants to see our state expand this concept in order to decrease our prison population that is draining our state treasury. While violent and repeat offenders are not eligible, others who want to change their lives have had great success through this program. Although we only have one bill on the calendar today since the deadline to pass bills from one chamber to the other has passed, it turns out to be very controversial. HB 80, dealing with the annexation of unincorporated islands by cities, receives much debate and is soundly defeated. However, this will not be the last time we see this bill as the author asks for reconsideration and it is sent back to the rules committee for further work. Later I meet with Dr. Frank Mullins with the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta about legislation I will be carrying to include burn centers in the state’s trauma network.

Day 32 (Tuesday, March 22, 2011): The morning is busy with meetings as I have a total of six before noon, including one with the Governor’s director of Executive Appointments regarding an appointment to a state board as well as a Health and Human Services committee meeting. As we go into session today, I am honored to introduce our Doctor of the Day, Dr. Dan Deloach from Savannah Plastic Surgery. Dr. Deloach is serving as chairman of the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG) this year, the organization that sponsors this program. Every day that we are in session a visiting Doctor volunteers in the nurse’s clinic at the Capitol to assist those in need of medical attention. Today, we unanimously pass SR 228, a resolution urging authorities to study the feasibility of surface water withdrawal, storage and distribution from the Tennessee River basin. Later I present three bills before the House State Institutions and Properties committee as well as a resolution before the House Economic Development committee. Of the four, I am able to get two passed while the other two are sent to a subcommittee.

Day 33 (Wednesday, March 23, 2011): As is the case every Wednesday morning that we are in session, we have a Bible study at 7:15 AM in the Governor’s conference room. This particular Bible study is for legislators only and our studies are led by different legislators each week. We are in at 10 AM this morning and, while we recognize a number of groups from our state, we only have one bill on the calendar, HB 223 that exempts farm buildings used to store manure from minimum state building requirements. As can be expected, discussion on this bill gets out of hand quickly. After session I attend the weekly Chairman’s lunch with Senate leadership to review the bills we have in our committees. At 3PM I face the impossible task of being in four meetings at the same time. However, with the assistance of my intern and administrative assistant I make it to each meeting to present my bills and thankfully they all pass. It is announced today that the FY 12 budget has been received from the House and will be voted on Monday, which means that as a Chairman of an Appropriations subcommittee I will be here the rest of the week working on my department’s submissions. Also today the legislative tax reform committee announces their recommendations on plans to reform the tax code to attract jobs and encourage investment in our state. The FY 12 budget and tax reform recommendations promise to keep us busy for the remaining seven legislative days.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 29 (Monday, March 14, 2011): The Capitol is a sea of green today as we welcome the Grand Marshall and other members of the St. Patrick’s Day committee from Savannah. At first glance it would appear that we are in for a long day with 23 bills on the calendar. However, one of the things that a legislator learns is that the number of bills does not necessarily dictate the length of a day as much as the subject of the bills. Such is the case today as we debate two bills from 11AM till 5PM, then finish the other 21 bills from 5PM till 7PM. The first bill that we debate today is SB 40, the Immigration reform bill, that is described by the author as a way to help businesses and state agencies determine that people working for them are not in the country illegally primarily by the use of a computer check called E-Verify. Although this is one of the most discussed bills this session and has been worked on in committee for weeks, it remains highly controversial and generates eight amendments during the debate. After each amendment is explained and debated, a vote is taken and two are adopted. SB 63, a bill aimed at preventing Medicaid fraud using modern technology such as the “smart card”, takes up the rest of the early afternoon. Also passed today is SB 98, a gun bill that will expand the list of public locations to include churches and other places of worship where it would be legal for persons with permits to carry firearms.

Day 30 (Wednesday, March 16, 2011): While most of yesterday was spent in appropriation committee meetings dealing with the FY 12 budget, we did take time to witness Governor Nathan Deal sign the recently passed HOPE bill that will keep the popular program solvent for the near future. Today is our annual Crossover Day, signifying not only the 30th day of our 40 day session, but also it is the last day that bills can pass from one chamber to another. As is usually the case, we have a loaded agenda today with 50 bills, and, as is usually the case, only a few will take up most of our time. Today it is SB10, a bill allowing local communities the right to hold voter referendums on the Sunday sales of alcohol, an issue that has been hanging around the Capitol for the past six years that takes up most of our day. Although this may seem like an easy issue from afar, it is anything but as many Senators struggle with their strong beliefs of local control and maintaining the moral integrity as well as safety of our state. In one of the closest and most emotionally charged votes I have witnessed in my seven years in the legislature, the bill passes by a 32-22 margin. We also pass SB 210 today, a bill that protects women by allowing them to sue abortion providers if they do not conform to Georgia abortion laws. I have a busy day today as I have three bills on the agenda including SB 93, the annual drug update bill for the state board of pharmacy that allows Pseudoephedrine to remain available without a prescription but to be sold in pharmacies only. I am also able to pass SB 220 that will enable the Board of Regents to enter into multi year leases and SR 312, a resolution endorsing the deepening of the Savannah Harbor that passes unanimously. This brings to twelve the number of bills that I have passed this year, the most in my legislative career. As I head home after we adjourn around 10:30 PM, I spend most of the time on my cell phone catching up with my House colleague, Rep. Ben Watson who is about an hour ahead of me, helping keep both of us awake.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 25 (Monday, March 7, 2011): Today is 10th Amendment Day in the Senate as we take up 3 bills aimed at strengthening the rights of the State of Georgia under federal law. The 10th Amendment says that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution or prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States. Among the bills passed today is SB 9 that allows the governor to delay implementing any federal program regulating greenhouse gasses until he sees an analysis showing why it is in the best interest of Georgians. Also passed is SB 61 that, despite a federal ban beginning in 2014, will allow the manufacturing and sale of incandescent light bulbs within Georgia borders. Later today, Governor Nathan Deal announced that he is changing his proposed plan to cut pre-K class hours from 6.5 to 4 hours per day and will instead cut the number of pre-K class days from 180 to 160 as well as increase class sizes by two students to 22 each. The announcement is well received by many educators and should help alleviate many of the concerns surrounding the proposed changes to HOPE.

Day 26 (Tuesday, March 8, 2011): The day starts off bright and early with two committee meetings before 9AM. As we go into session today, I am pleased to welcome my good friend, Congressman Jack Kingston, from Savannah to the Senate chambers. One of the major bills on the agenda today is HB 179, the Outdoor Advertising bill that takes up all of our morning and early afternoon. This bill has been around for years with no resolution; however, this year a compromise has been reached that will allow billboard owners to remove trees along state highways that are blocking their signs. HB 326, the HOPE legislation, takes up our afternoon and brings protestors to our normally tranquil chambers. The protestors, who appear to be primarily college aged students, use a number of tactics to try and disrupt our discussions, including hanging banners from the gallery, hissing and snapping fingers before finally reverting to shouting. As the protestors are escorted out of the capitol, we continue our debate and the bill passes with a few amendments, including adding all valedictorians and salutatorians from all schools to be eligible for the full HOPE scholarship even if they don’t qualify academically.

Day 27 (Thursday, March 10, 2011): Yesterday was anything but a day off as we spent the whole day in committee hearings convincing many of the freshman legislators that the saying “the session lasts for 40 days and 80 nights” is true. I am honored today to welcome representatives from the state Hospice and Palliative Care Association to the Senate and present them with a resolution in their honor. I present two bills today, SB 79 changing terms for school board members to four years minimum and SB 81 which allows the state board of pharmacy to perform mental and physical evaluations with just cause to pharmacist and pharmacy techs. Also passed today is the controversial SB 160 which allows utility companies such as Georgia Power and Atlanta Gas Light to contribute directly to candidates for state office. Senator William Ligon, a freshman from Brunswick who served 17 years as a municipal court judge, also passes SB 162 today, a bill that will make driving under the influence (DUI) a felony offense for a person who is residing illegally in the United States.

Day 28 (Friday, March 11, 2011): Because today is the last day that bills can be passed out of committees in order to be heard in the full Senate chamber before crossover day on day 30, we have a rare Friday afternoon start to allow for committee meetings in the morning. One important bill that we do pass today is HB 232 that defines more specifically what a lobbyist is and which people should be required to register with the state as a lobbyist.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 20 (Monday, February 28, 2011): For the second session day in a row I have a bill on the floor as I present SB 95, legislation that I am sponsoring on behalf of the Police Chiefs Association of Georgia. This bill will allow law enforcement agencies access to written documentation of prospective employees from their previous employers. The request for this documentation will be accompanied by a notarized letter from the employee agreeing to hold the previous employer harmless when releasing the information. This bill was passed by the legislature last year but vetoed by then Governor Sonny Perdue. Instead of overriding the veto, we have made changes to the bill that were suggested by Gov. Perdue. Later in the day I meet with a House Judiciary subcommittee on SB 36, the Prescription Monitoring bill, to begin the process of working the bill through the House.

Day 21 (Tuesday, March 1, 2011): Today I present SB 66 before the Senate, a bill that protects the use of the title “nurse.” Because of problems we are experiencing with people using the title nurse, such as faith healers who are billing Medicaid using the title nurse, this bill allows only those who have obtained the educational and professional qualifications of a nurse to use the title. Also during session today, we pass SB 33, the zero-based budgeting bill vetoed by the Governor last year, that will require one-fourth of the state budget to be built from scratch each year, so that the entire budget is justified over a four-year period. Currently, more than 90 percent of the expenditures of previous budgets are rolled over automatically from year to year. Later in the day, I present SB 79, a statewide bill I am sponsoring to change all school board members to serve a four year term, before an Education sub-committee and am pleased that it passes unanimously.

Day 22 (Wednesday, March 2, 2011): We begin the day by welcoming representatives from the City of Savannah and Southern LNG to the capitol to meet with the Chatham County delegation to discuss the proposed expansion of the LNG plant. Later in the morning I present SB 67, a bill establishing continuing education and licensure requirements for clinical Perfusionist in our state. Perfusionist are medical professionals who operate the machinery used to treat blood outside the body during procedures such as heart transplants. Also today we pass SB 122 that will allow private developers to build reservoirs for local governments and water utilities. Later in the day I present two more bills to different committees and both pass out unanimously. I am carrying far more bills this year than I have ever carried, making for a very busy session.

Day 23 (Thursday, March 3, 2011): For the 5th straight session day, I have a bill before the full Senate today as I present SR 103, a yearly bill that grants utility easements to state owned property throughout the state. As Chairman of State Institutions and Properties, it is my responsibility to carry this legislation. Later in the day I present SB 79, the statewide four year term school board bill to the full Education committee and am pleased to have it pass. Finally I meet with representatives from the Insurance community regarding a bill I have introduced to increase formulary compliance of prescription medication.

Day 24 (Friday, March 4, 2011): My consecutive day streak of presenting bills before the Senate comes to an end today as I don’t have any on the agenda. Nevertheless, my streak of five in a row is not only a personal best but also the most of any Senator this session. Most of the buzz at the Capitol today centers around HB 326, the Governors proposal to overhaul HOPE, that was passed out of the Senate Higher Education committee this morning and is expected to be heard before the full Senate early next week.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 17 (Tuesday, February 22, 2011): While much of this session has been dedicated to talks about the HOPE scholarship program and the changes that will have to be made, Governor Nathan Deal announces his proposals at a news conference today. The successful program that has provided numerous Georgia students the opportunity to continue their educations has fallen on difficult times recently due to rising costs and declining revenues. The program is projected to show a deficit of around $240 million in the current fiscal year and more than $300 million in the next fiscal year. To give the program the financial stability that it needs, Gov. Deal is proposing to have HOPE only pay 90 percent of the yearly costs for most recipients. In order to retain the brightest students in our state, those with a 3.7 grade point average and who score at least 1200 on the SAT or 26 on the ACT will still be eligible to receive all of their tuition costs under the Governor’s proposal. Also proposed is a reduction in the daily schedule of the Pre-K program from 6.5 to four hours while increasing the number of slots available by 5,000. Bonuses awarded to Georgia lottery employees, a thorn in the side of many legislators for a long time, are also proposed to be limited under the Governor’s plan. Later in the morning I stop by to speak to a group of seniors from the Savannah/Brunswick Coastal Regional Commission on Aging who are visiting the Capitol to help celebrate Senior week in Georgia. During our afternoon session, we pass a number of bills including SB38 that allows the State School Superintendent to employ and dismiss employees and SB47 to require training for Magistrate Judges.

Day 18 (Wednesday, February 23, 2011): Today is a special day for me as it is VIP day at the Capitol, a time when pharmacists and pharmacy students from across the state come to visit. I am very proud to see that the breakfast hosted by the Georgia Pharmacy Association (GPhA) is packed this morning as we hear from many statewide officers, including the Governor, Speaker, Insurance Commissioner and Attorney General. As fate would have it, SB36, the Patient Safety Act of 2011 that I am sponsoring to help curtail prescription drug abuse in our state, is on the Senate calendar today. With a gallery of white coats supporting me, I am fortunate to have the bill passed with only 6 nay votes. Also today, freshman Senator Jason Carter, grandson of President Jimmy Carter, presents his first bill and endures the traditional hazing that is given to each new member of this august body. Later in the day I present SB66, a bill outlining the role and continuing education requirements of Clinical Perfusionists, and SB67, a bill limiting the use of the title nurse only to those who are qualified and duly educated, to the Health and Human Services committee where both pass unanimously.

Day 16 (Thursday, February 24, 2011): Our calendar is becoming increasingly busy as we have a number of bills today, including the FY11 amended budget. The amended budget, also referred to as the supplemental budget or little budget, will carry us through the rest of the fiscal year (ending June 30th) and is required in order to make adjustments for any changes in school enrollment during the fall. Also passed today is SR20, the Taxpayer Protection Act of 2011, a constitutional amendment that places a cap on how much the budget can increase each year based on inflation and population growth. I am a big fan of this legislation as it will require excess revenues to be put in reserves or returned to the citizens in the way of tax cuts instead of being spent. Also passed today is SB17, which creates an advisory commission to look at the financial impact that mandated medical tests and procedures have on the cost of health care plans in our state.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 14 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011): The Capitol is abuzz today with the disappointing news that the President’s budget did not include funding for the deepening of the Savannah Harbor. Members of the state legislature consider this to be one of the top priorities of any economic development project in the state and appear to be undeterred by this temporary setback, pledging to work even harder to ensure the project becomes a reality. Another major topic in the Senate today is Sunday sales of alcohol, which continues to be discussed among this very deliberative body. Poll results from the weekend are reviewed and a caucus vote on whether to bring the issue to the Senate floor is scheduled for tomorrow. As we go into session today, I am prepared to present SR84, a constitutional amendment to allow the state to enter into multi-year leases, and SB37, the legislation that describes how the multi-year leasing process will work. However, as I enter the chamber, I am approached by the minority caucus Chairman who requests that the legislation be delayed until I can meet with them to discuss any issues they may have. Later in the session, I text my three sons to let them know that we are honoring one of their favorite bands today. Widespread Panic, a popular band from Athens that my sons have followed for many years, is welcomed and honored for their success and many contributions that they have made to our state. As I get my picture taken with members of the band, I can’t help but think of how cool my sons will think I am to have had my picture taken with one of their favorite bands.

Day 15 (Wednesday, February 16, 2011): I begin the day by meeting with members of the minority caucus to discuss SR84 and SB37. After a good meeting with the caucus members, we head into session today and after honoring a few great Georgians such as long time University of Georgia tennis coach Dan Magill, we join our House colleagues across the hall for a joint session to hear the State of the Judiciary address by Chief Justice Carol Hunstein of the Georgia Supreme Court. Echoing the same concerns as Gov. Nathan Deal brought out in his State of the State address only a month earlier, Chief Justice Hunstein says that the state can’t afford the costs of incarcerating so many inmates in the prison system and calls for a sentencing revamp and the increased use of drug courts and other venues for dealing with non-violent offenders. These comments are of particular interest to me as the new Chairman of the Senate State Institutions and Property committee where I now have responsibility of overseeing the state’s prison system. Later in the afternoon I present SB 36, a bill creating the Prescription Monitoring Program, before full committee and am delighted that it passes unanimously.

Day 16 (Thursday, February 17, 2011): Deciding to concentrate on more important issues such as HOPE, jobs and the budget, Republican leadership announces today that a caucus whip count has resulted in the Sunday sales of alcohol issue being abandoned for this session. Later in the morning, along with other pharmacy caucus members, I have the opportunity to meet with Gil Kerlikowski, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control (ONDCP), who has traveled from Washington, DC, to offer his support of SB36, the Prescription Monitoring Program. As we go into session today, I present SR84 and SB37, the multi-year leasing legislation to the full Senate and am happy to have both bills pass with only 2 nay votes. Later in the afternoon I meet with leaders of the Appropriations committee to present recommendations for the FY11 amended budget for the Department of Corrections and Prisons and Parole, two areas that I have the responsibility of overseeing.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 11 (Monday, February 7, 2011): As we begin this week, we welcome the Leadership Liberty County group to the Capitol. After pictures with the Governor and a tour of the House chambers led by Rep. Al Williams, I have the privilege of leading the group on a tour of the Senate chambers. During our majority caucus meeting at lunch today, we are honored to have Governor Nathan Deal address us and give us the latest news on the HOPE scholarship. Gov. Deal has made solving the HOPE scholarship dilemma one of his top priorities this year and is intent on bringing this issue to a quick resolution. As we go into session this afternoon, we welcome the many 4-H members from across the state as we celebrate 4-H day at the Capitol. I am honored today to have 7 pages who are all 4-H members from my district. The page program is an excellent opportunity for students, ages 12 and above, to participate in activities at the Capitol. More information on this program can be found at http://www.senate.ga.gov/hr/en-US/PageProgram.aspx. Later in the afternoon I present two bills that I am sponsoring, HB 37 and HR 84, before the State Institutions and Properties committee. HR 84 calls for a constitutional amendment to allow the state to enter into multiyear leases and HB 37 details how the leasing contracts are to be carried out. Both bills pass out unanimously and now go before the Rules committee to be considered for placement before the full Senate.

Day 12 (Wednesday, February 9, 2011): Although we were not in session yesterday, we certainly had a busy agenda as committee meetings dominated the day. A number of bills have been introduced this week including SB 63, a bill that will establish the Georgia Medical Assistance Fraud Prevention Program. This program is intended to reduce Medicaid fraud by requiring Medicaid cards to be integrated with a computer chip that includes a digital photograph and fingerprint of the card holder. Also introduced is SB 65 that prohibits illegal immigrants form collecting unemployment benefits and SB 140 that will draw $10 from existing vehicle registration fees into a trauma trust fund. As a co-sponsor of all of these bills, I am excited that they are being introduced and look forward to working to have them passed. After a very short session today, I have the pleasure of spending time with members of the Savannah Federation of Educators, who have traveled to the Capitol to lobby for their group. Afterwards I meet with Department of Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens, who oversees our state’s prison and parole system which falls under the committee that I chair. Finally, I present SB36, the Patient Safety Act of 2011, to a subcommittee of the Health and Human Services committee and am pleased that it is passed on to the full committee.

Day 13 (Thursday, February 11, 2011): The day begins with good news as the Governor has announced that state revenues for the month of January have increased 8.1% compared to the same month last year. We are thick in the budget process as the House passed the FY11 Amended budget yesterday. According to our state’s constitution, the budget starts in the House and is then sent to the Senate for our recommendations. As Vice-Chairman of the Criminal Justice subcommittee of Appropriations, I have the responsibility of reviewing the House submissions for Prisons and Parole and reporting my recommendations to the full committee. As we head into session today, we finally get down to some business as we pass out our first bill of the session, SB30. In a 51-4 vote this bill will require that all municipal court judges must also be licensed attorneys and standing members of the State Bar of Georgia. As you can imagine, this bill brings out plenty of good hearted lawyer jokes.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 7 (Monday, January 31, 2011): In my seven years of serving in the state legislature this session has started off slower than any other. Compared to other sessions very few bills have been introduced and, with most of our focus on the budget and saving HOPE, many issues have been put on hold. However this is about to change as Senate Republican Leadership holds a press conference this morning to announce that we will be focusing on six issues this session. This list includes helping create jobs, bolstering the HOPE scholarship program, spending limitations, revising the education funding formula, tax revision recommendations and immigration enforcement. While this is an impressive list that many of us feel addresses the major needs of our state, much work lies ahead as all of these issues will require a great deal of work. During our session today, I introduce two bills that I will be working on this session. The first bill is the Patient Safety Act of 2011 that will assist in combating the problem of prescription drug abuse in our state by creating a computer database of all controlled prescription medications dispensed. The database will be used by doctors and pharmacists for their patients only and private information will be protected by HIPPA regulations that carry hefty fines and penalties. The other bill I introduce today is a constitutional amendment that will allow the state to enter into multi-year leases when renting property.
Day 8 (Tuesday, February 1, 2011): The Capitol is abuzz today as news of a Florida federal judge’s ruling yesterday that said the new national healthcare act is unconstitutional is welcome news to many. Gov. Deal, who as a congressman voted against the act, holds a press conference and lauds the ruling as a victory for Georgia taxpayers. Many legislators are concerned that the healthcare act will be a major financial burden on taxpayers as well as on the state as we are forced to comply with mandated coverage. Although far from over, yesterday’s ruling is yet another sign that the healthcare act may never be implemented as passed. As we go into session today, immigration reform takes center stage as SB 40 is introduced. The highly controversial bill, originally crafted after the Arizona legislation that dominated national headlines last year, is intended to crack down on illegal immigrants while not being burdensome on business and agriculture. Later that evening we are treated to a Wild Game dinner hosted by the Statesboro/Bulloch County folks that is delicious.

Day 9 (Wednesday, February 2, 2011): Sunday sales of alcohol takes center stage today as SB10 easily wins approval from the Senate’s State and Local Governmental Operations Committee. Another highly controversial issue, this legislation has been introduced many times over the years but, because of the promised veto of former Gov. Sonny Perdue, has never materialized. This year Gov. Nathan Deal has stated that he will not stand in the way of such a bill, giving new life to the issue. The bill now goes to the Rules committee for consideration of being placed on the Senate agenda for a floor vote. While not much business is conducted in session today, most of our time is spent in Appropriation subcommittee meetings reviewing individual department budget requests.

Day 10 (Thursday, February 3, 2011): Much of our session today is dedicated to recognizing different individuals and organizations for their work in our state. This is an important time for these individuals and groups and we take it very seriously in the Senate as we acknowledge the importance of their work in our state. As we spend the afternoon in even more committee meetings, much of the conversation in the halls of the Capitol centers around the announcement today of a new Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office to handle the upcoming reapportionment process. Try as we may, reapportionment is the 800 pound gorilla at the Capitol that simply cannot be ignored this year.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 3 (Monday, January 24, 2011): According to our state’s constitution, we start our legislative session on the second Monday of every January. The Governor gives his state of the state address during the first week and at that time presents his budget proposal to the full legislature. The next week is reserved for the Appropriation committees of both the House and Senate to meet and review the budget. The Governor starts the process off by briefly recapping his proposed budget then, over a period of three days, agency heads present their respective budgets and answer questions of legislators. As we go into session today, we have a better idea of what to expect in the budget process. While not much business is conducted in the Chamber today, there is much excitement at the Capitol as we welcome Mayors and City Council members from across the state for the Georgia Municipal Associations annual Mayor’s Day. We are also excited to welcome the good folks from back home for Effingham Day.
Day 4 (Tuesday, January 25, 2011): We begin the day with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s annual Eggs and Issues breakfast at the World Congress Center as we hear from the Speaker, Lt Governor and Governor on what they consider to be the major issues coming up this session. As we go into session today, we have our first debate of the year as we adopt a resolution for our housekeeping rules. Although usually adopted without fanfare, this years’ resolution contains a few changes that stir up the ire of the minority party. Although never referred to directly during the debate, the central issue involves this year’s upcoming redistricting process and who will be in charge of drawing the new maps.

Day 5 (Wednesday, January 26, 2011): The day starts with a meeting of the Chatham County delegation to discuss local issues. With the retirement of Rep. Burke Day, the dean of the delegation this year is Rep. Ron Stephens, who is now the longest serving member. While not much business is conducted today during session, most of our day is consumed by committee meetings. I am excited as today I chair my first meeting of the Senate State Institutions and Property committee. This committee handles all legislation concerning the construction and maintenance of buildings, lands and other property owned or managed by the state. Our responsibilities primarily are oversight of the Department of Corrections, which runs our prison system, and the State Properties Commission. As is the case in any management position, the key is to surround yourself with good people and we are fortunate to have Commissioner Brian Owens and Commissioner Steve Stancil overseeing these two departments. Both gentlemen are regarded to be among the best in our state in their respective roles.

Day 6 (Thursday, January 27, 2011): As is the case every year, excitement fills the air at the Capitol today as we anxiously await the Savannah-Chatham annual seafood fest tonight. Although it is wonderful to see so many people from the Savannah area at the Capitol, I spend most of the day trying to fill the requests of my colleagues in the legislature with their ticket needs. Without question a ticket to this event is the hottest item in town. We finally get down to some serious business today in the Senate as we take up a veto override of SB1 from last year. SB1, the zero based budgeting bill, was vetoed last year by former Governor Sonny Perdue even though it received near unanimous approval from both the House and Senate. Zero based budgeting requires each state department to start anew every year while preparing their budget requests as opposed to adding on to a previous year’s budget. The veto override vote is unanimous and the bill now goes over to the House for their consideration. Later that night, as always, we are treated to the most delicious food in the state, straight from Savannah.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.

To our readers: State Senator Buddy Carter (R- Pooler) will be reporting each week during the Legislative Session. The session began January 10, 2011 and is expected to last until the latter days of March.

Day 1 (Monday, January 10, 2011): If the late Atlanta Braves broadcaster Skip Carey were describing the start of the 2011 Georgia legislative session he would, no doubt, say that it was off to an inauspicious start. As tradition has it, most legislators and staff members arrived yesterday, on Sunday evening, for the 49th annual “Wild Hog Supper” held at the railroad depot near the Capitol. Sponsored by a private agriculture foundation to celebrate Georgia’s largest industry, more than 20 hogs are typically consumed, along with more than 40 gallons of Brunswick stew and 1,100 ears of corn. The event serves as the unofficial kickoff to a new legislative session. But while legislators, lobbyists and staff are excited to see each other, the talk is focused more on the weather than any other subject. With predictions of snow and sleet to start later that night, many of the planned festivities for the week, such as the Governor’s Inaugural Ball on Monday night and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs and Issues Breakfast on Tuesday morning, have already been canceled. True to the predictions, around 8PM the snow begins to fall and continues throughout the night until it is replaced by sleet, creating a winter wonderland in Atlanta. Like most cities in the deep south, Atlanta is minimally prepared for such an event and as we wake up this morning we find a city literally paralyzed by ice covered roads. However, not only does Georgia’s constitution call for the legislative session to begin on the second Monday in January, but the transfer of power from one Governor to the next must be done on this day as well. With the assistance of the Georgia State Patrol and other emergency personnel, as many legislators as possible make it to the Capitol and are sworn in at 10AM . Although both Chambers have a quorum, many legislators trickle in throughout the day and grab a Judge to inaugurate them as they arrive. At 2PM, all legislators assemble in the House Chambers to witness Nathan Deal become the 82nd Governor of the State of Georgia. Sworn in by his son Jason, a Superior Court Judge in Hall County, the new Governor also has his wife, Sandra and their 3 daughters by his side. Following his inauguration, Governor Deal next performs his first official duty of swearing in the other statewide officials. After the ceremony, Senators meet individually with the Committee on Assignments to find out committee assignments. I am delighted to find out that I have been chosen to Chair the State Institutions and Properties committee, serve as Vice-Chair of Health and Human Services and serve on the Appropriations, Ethics and Regulated Industries committees. As we head home for the day, we are informed that because of the dangerous conditions on the roads the session is canceled tomorrow and we will not go back in until Wednesday afternoon.
Day 2 (Wednesday, January 12, 2011): While conditions in the Atlanta area have not improved much, we go back into session at 1PM this afternoon so that the Governor can give his State of the State address to a joint session of the House and Senate at 2PM. During our session on Monday, we adopted new Senate rules for the year which included a change that calls for us to recite the pledge to the Georgia flag at the beginning of each session. The pledge is led today by the Dean of the Senate, Sen. George Hooks (D-Americus) who jokingly comments that he was present when the pledge was adopted back in 1935. During his address, Governor Deal presents his proposed budget for FY 2012 which includes $32 million in bonds for the deepening of the Savannah Harbor. I am all smiles as the Governor expresses his understanding and support of this vitally important project.

Senator Buddy Carter can be reached at Coverdell Legislative Office Building (C.L.O.B.) Room 301-A, Atlanta, GA, 30334. His Capitol office number is 404-656-5109.