To our readers:

Freshman State Representative Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) reported a daily log during his first elective term during the state's Legislative Session. The session began on January 10, and lasted until March 31, 2005. The session ended one day early which saved the taxpayers of Georgia several hundred thousand dollars, please read BC's daily reports below and experience your representative government in action.

40 Days at the Capitol

(Make that 39 Days!)

Day 39 (March 31, 2005): After passing the budget on Tuesday, we are prepared to make this our final day and end the session early as Leadership had hoped. However, important legislation remains and making today sine die is not assured. Sine die is the term used to denote the last day of the session.

We're in at 10AM today and move briskly through a lengthy list of motions to agree or disagree with Senate modifications to House bills and resolutions. On those positions that we insist on, house and senate conferees meet during the day to try and work out the differences. If a compromise can't be reached the bill goes back into committee to start anew next year.

Two bills of interest that are debated today are the Violent Video Game bill and the Hair Braiders bill. The Violent Video Game bill sets up a rating system for video games and passes easily. After a long and tangled debate, action on the Hair Braiders bill is postponed. This bill would have set up qualifications and registration for hair braiders.

Also passed today was Joshua's Law. This bill creates a Georgia Driver's Education Commission and will require that all drivers license applicants complete a drivers education course before they can receive a license. It is named in remembrance of an Atlanta area teenager named Joshua who was killed in a car wreck a few years ago. Joshua's parents are in the gallery when the bill passes and are obviously delighted with the results.

As the afternoon progresses it becomes increasing uncertain whether today will be our final day. In order for the House to adjourn, the Senate must agree to adjourn at the same time. Tensions run high between the 2 chambers toward the end of the session and the hold up today is HB 48, the Governors ethics bill. Hopes of adjourning around 6PM are dashed as the conferees of this bill are at a standstill. As the evening drags on we are ‘at ease' as no progress seems to be made. Finally, a compromise is reached and we are back in session at 10:30PM. After the final compromise sits on our desk for the required one hour, we begin debating the bill around 11:30PM. The bill passes and we are set to adjourn.

In the Capitol building, both the Senate and House are on the second floor facing each other. At Sine die, both doors of the chambers are opened and the Lieutenant Governor (who presides over the Senate) and the Speaker of the House can see each other through the hallway. Simultaneously, while talking to each other on their telephones, they gavel their respective chambers into adjournment just before 12 Midnight and the 148 th session of the General Assembly is over.

What an experience! I cannot begin to tell you what an honor and privilege it has been to represent the people of the 159 th district in Atlanta. Please know that I am always willing to help in any way I can. OUR OFFICE (yours and mine) is open year round in Atlanta. OUR secretary is named Susan and she is most helpful. Please stop by OUR office if you're ever in the Atlanta area.

In the meantime, I'll be seeing you in the district!

Day 38 (March 29, 2005): We're back in at 9AM today for what we hope will be our next to last day. The new House leadership has made a point of trying to end the session early this year. State law allows 40 days for the work of the Legislature to be completed unless a special session is called. Leadership wants to show that we can finish our work in less time than the time allotted and go home early.

The budget is the most important piece of legislation enacted during a legislative session. Unless House and Senate conferees can reach an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2006 Appropriations Bill we won't be leaving early. While we do debate much legislation, much of the day is spent ‘at ease' in order to let the conferees meet and try to hammer out a deal on the budget.

A number of study committees were voted on and passed today. These are created to take a closer look at a range of specific issues such as All-Terrain Vehicle safety and Newborn health. One such committee, of particular interest to our area, is the Coastal Georgia Sound Science Initiative Study Committee. This committee will be charged with reviewing the various studies and reports of saltwater intrusion in the Upper Floridian aquifer in Coastal Georgia that EPD has funded over the past seven years. The committee will then make recommendations for any actions or legislation that may be appropriate.

Among the bills debated today is a bill that would prohibit cell phone numbers of Georgians from being included in a national directory of wireless phone numbers unless they give their permission. This will help prevent telemarketers from calling you on your cell phone and wasting your valuable minutes.

Also debated today was the Governors Slam Spam E-mail Act. This bill provides for criminal penalties for those sending Spam, false or misleading emails. It creates the new crime of initiation of deceptive commercial e-mail.

A bill of interest to local hunters was also passed today. Previously, permits to hunt deer with dogs required at least 1000 contiguous acres of land, whether leased or owned. The new law now will change the requirement for owners of land to 250 contiguous acres. Requirements for leased land will remain the same.

In educational matters, a bill was passed giving more flexibility to local school boards by allowing them to ignore legal requirements to reduce class sizes for another two years.

This bill received some opposition by those who have served previously and approved nearly $150 million the past two years for schools to prepare for this implementation. In the end the bill passed 129-38.

The House Budget conferees announce late in the afternoon that they are close to an agreement with the Senate. The Speaker allows us a recess for dinner and we are back in the chamber at 8:45PM. After conducting more business, the announcement comes that an agreement has been struck. The Budget is a very thick document and it takes nearly an hour for copies to be made for each house member. According to house rules, all members must have at least 1 hour to review the final budget before debate can take place. We finally begin debate around 10:30PM and the final budget is passed later that night.

Day 37 (March 14, 2005): After taking yesterday off, we are back in session at 10AM. Today turns out to be a long and interesting one as we are “at ease” for quite some time while the House and Senate budget conference committee tries to work out a compromise.

Much of our work today is on motions to Agree/Disagree as we have 15 of these on the calendar. While debate of these motions is seldom long, explaining the changes can be time consuming.

We take time out today to honor Ashley Smith, the Gwinnett County woman who helped police capture the suspect in the March 11 Fulton County courthouse shooting. We honor her in the House today with a resolution as she addresses us and the Senate. The Governor holds a press conference to award her with checks from various organizations totaling $70,000 as her reward for helping police catch the suspect, Brian Nichols.

A total of 13 bills are debated today including SB 4 which improves the method in which state and federal funds are allocated for public road construction. This change should benefit all areas of the state, particularly the rural areas.

Also approved today were prestige license plates bearing the NASCAR logo and promoting specific drivers or general motor sports. Proceeds from this program will go to support the Governor's Highway Safety Program.

Day 36 (March 22, 2005): The day starts out early with a Republican Caucus meeting at 8AM. We are honored to have Governor Purdue join us and speak to us about his remaining agenda for this session. Of particular interest to the Governor is HB 501 which involves the dismantling of the DMVS. Many areas of the state are experiencing long lines to obtain and renew driver's licenses and the Governor wants to move this under his control. The original bill barely passed the House and has undergone some changes in the Senate, which means it will come back to the House again.

Along with the Agrees/Disagrees, we have 15 bills on the calendar today. The Agrees/Disagrees are bills that have been passed out of the House and have been amended in the Senate. They are then sent back to the House where we either agree or disagree with the changes. If we agree, the bill is passed and goes to the Governor for his signature. If we disagree, a conference committee consisting of 3 House members and 3 Senate members is formed to work out a compromise that goes back to both chambers for their approval.

A bill that receives much attention today is the deadhead logging bill. This bill will allow divers to extract century old logs from some of Georgia's waterways including the Altamaha River in our area. This valuable harvest is left over from when timber was moved on rivers. These sunken logs are recovered and removed from the river bottom and used in high-end construction. The practice would be permitted and regulated by the Department of Natural resources. The vote is close, but the bill passes 91-76.

Also approved today is the “Georgia Smoke free Air Act.” This measure bans smoking in government facilities, enclosed public facilities, all places of employment and common areas in multiple-units residential facilities. After long and highly emotional debate the bill is passed and now will go back to the Senate on their Agree/Disagree agenda. This bill will probably end up in conference committee and come back to us again.

Finally, we revisited a proposal which fizzled out at the last encounter and approved a measure making sparklers legal in Georgia. The bill carefully spells out the size of sparklers which are allowable and prohibits their sale to children. If signed into law by the Governor, Georgia will no longer be one of only seven states that prohibits all sales of fireworks.

Day 35 (March 21, 2005): After a much needed break, we head back into session at 1PM. Today's calendar contains 12 items, including the establishment of the HERO Scholarship. This bill will allow members of the Georgia National Guard serving more than 181 days and their children to obtain a $2,000 scholarship. The scholarship could be obtained for up to 4 years totaling $8,000. Additional regulations and oversight of the scholarship will be provided by the Georgia Student Finance Commission. This is a fine program that will provide those serving our state and nation, as well as their children, the opportunity to further their education. The bill passes unanimously.

Another bill of interest to our coastal region is the extension of the prohibition on taking sponge crabs until July 1, 2008. Currently this prohibition is slated for automatic repeal on July 1, 2005. The bill passes and the prohibition date is extended.

Other legislation discussed included prohibiting crooked pyramid promotional schemes. While penalties were established to crack down on scams, careful provisions were made to protect legitimate companies such as Avon and Amway which employ multi-tiered sales structures.

Also discussed today is one of the more interesting bills of the year designating the green tree frog as the official state amphibian of Georgia. This idea came about a few years ago from a 4 th Grade class in North Georgia who was studying the Legislative process and discovered that Georgia had no official state amphibian. At their request, the green tree frog was proposed as the official state amphibian. Surprisingly there was some opposition to this by members who felt we should be spending our time on more important subject matter. When the final croak was taken, the bill passed 155-14. Ribbit!

Day 34 (March 17, 2005): For the first time in 10 years, I won't be walking or riding in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Nevertheless, I show up with my green jacket and cloverleaf tie, explaining to everyone who asks that all of us in Chatham County are Irish today.

Included in the five items that are debated today is a resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution so as to provide that the tradition of fishing and hunting and the taking of fish and wildlife shall be preserved for the people of the state. The resolution passes unanimously and now will appear on the next statewide ballot.

One of the more interesting bills to be discussed this session is the so-called Fireworks bill. While the bill passed easily in the Senate it is blown up by the opposition of several women members of the House from both parties. While I have seen much partisan politics this session, and even some that can be described as racial, this is the first truly gender politics that I have seen.

The bill would have legalized the sale of sparklers in Georgia. My seat mate, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, took the well and referred to the legislation as the "blow a child's hand off" bill. Rep Sharon Cooper, Chairperson of the Health and Human Services Committee, noted that the fire chiefs opposed the passage of the bill because of the fire and safety hazards it could create. Rep. Cooper, who holds a Masters degree in Nursing, also cited her experience as a nurse working in burn wards where she had to take care of severely burned children.

Day 33 (March 15, 2005): Our first order of business today is a meeting of the Chatham County Delegation to adopt our local rules. Each delegation adopts their own rules and submits them to the House and Senate Planning Committees. If no rules are submitted, it is presumed that all signatures are required for any local legislation to be introduced. In the case of Chatham County, where we have 6 representatives and 2 senators, only a majority of each chamber is required. This means that in order for any local legislation for Chatham County to be introduced, it must have the signatures of at least 4 Chatham County representatives and both Chatham County senators.

Among the items voted on today is a resolution authorizing the Board of Regents to create a new four-year college in Gwinnett County. The Gwinnett University Center in Lawrenceville already serves as an extension campus for the University of Georgia, Southern Polytechnic, and Georgia Perimeter College, with about 8,000 students taking classes there. The new college- to be called Gwinnett State College- will emphasize studies for degrees in education, health sciences and information technology.

Day 32 (March 14, 2005): After driving home and back up yesterday, I sleep in late and arrive at the Capitol at 9AM. Our first order of business is a caucus meeting of the Republican Party. These are meetings in which members of the party come together to discuss strategy and exchange information.

On a personal note, I have lunch with my roommate from Young Harris College who works in the Atlanta area. After nearly 27 years he looks as if he hasn't aged a bit. It's a very special time for both of us to get caught up on our lives and our friends from those special days.

At 1PM the Speaker gavels us into our 32 nd day. Ironically, our Devotional Speaker of the Day is the son of Rep. Charles Jenkins from Blairsville who represents Young Harris.

After our grueling 13 ½ hour session on Friday, our agenda is much lighter today. Part of the reason for our abbreviated schedule is to allow members to attend a ceremony this afternoon honoring the oldest member of the House, Rep. John Yates. Rep. Yates is a WWII veteran who served our country with honor and distinction and has been a public servant for many years.

Only 4 bills are on the calendar today, including a bill to require all state agencies to notify General Assembly members of the availability of reports rather than sending hard copies and a bill relating to the State Board of Accountancy to remove references to any registered public accountants. You can no longer get a degree as a “registered public accountant”' and this legislation just cleans up that language.

Day 31 (March 12, 2005): Today is family day at the Capitol and I am fortunate to be joined by my wife Amy and our youngest son Travis. We arrive at 8:30 AM just before the protestors marching from Turner Field reach the Capitol. After introducing and greeting our families, the session starts at 10AM. The Speaker has relaxed the rules today and we are allowed to bring our family members on the House floor.

As we follow our regular format for the day, the Speaker explains to all our visitors the process and reasoning behind it. This is a very special day not only because of a rare Saturday session but also because we will not be passing any new laws today. Instead we will only be repealing laws. Primarily we remove old “Jim Crow” laws from our books. These are segregationist laws that have recently been discovered and need to be removed. All of the laws are repealed by unanimous vote.

The day is made even more memorable as the Speaker announces that the suspect in the murder of the Judge and Deputies yesterday has been apprehended and is now in police custody.

The sobering events of these last two days reminds us all of the great sacrifices made by those who serve in our courts and law enforcement. May God's blessings be with their families and friends.

Day 30 (March 11, 2005): Today is crossover day and I'm at the Rules Committee meeting at 8 AM in hopes of getting my general bill added to the supplemental calendar for today. With 59 bills to be considered today, my bill doesn't make the cut. Luckily, there's more than one way to skin a cat and I'm able to amend another bill to add my bill onto it.

The session starts promptly at 9AM amid the sounds of sirens and emergency vehicles in the area. This is not uncommon in the Downtown area and we continue on with our business. During the morning order, the Speaker interrupts business to announce that a Judge and two Deputies have been shot a few blocks away at the Fulton County Courthouse. Because the assailant is still on the loose, security at the Capitol is heightened. The Speaker calls on one of our pastor members, Rep. Lynn Walker to lead us in prayer. Although our thoughts and prayers are obviously on those who have been involved in this terrible situation, we continue on with our work.

Of the many bills that we consider today, one of the most controversial is HB 153, which places certain limitations on labor organizations with regard to the funding for certain political activities (Political Action Committees). This is a bill that would require public labor organizations to separate their Union dues from their political activities. In the end the measure is defeated and the bill is tabled, meaning that it will not go anywhere this session.

Some of the interesting bills that are debated today include a bill limiting the sale of Pseudoephedrin, the ingredient used in making Methamphetamine, a bill authorizing teachers who retired on or before December 31, 2003 to continue receiving benefits if they return to full-time service, and a bill allowing taxpayers to make a partial or total donation through their income tax return to fund the Dog and Cat Sterilization Fund.

After being in session for 8 ½ hours yesterday, everyone is on edge by the time we reach hour 10 in our 13 hour session today. During debate of HB 244, which amends the election and voting act to require that a voter present a photo ID before casting a ballot, a house member speaking from the well displays a set of shackles likening the requirement to slavery. Proponents of the bill said the identification requirement was necessary to prevent voter fraud, but opponents said the bill would “disenfranchise” African-American voters. After much partisan and sometimes racially motivated debate, the bill passes, leading to a walkout by its opponents, who later return to vote on other legislation.

Day 29 (March 10, 2005): The morning starts out early with four different meetings at 8AM, of which I manage to make it to two. At 9AM I'm at the Rules Committee to present a general bill for the second time. Unfortunately, and as often is the case, the bill is not called and I must come back tomorrow. We are getting down to crunch time now as today is day 29 and all general bills must be passed out of the House by day 30 in order to be considered by the Senate. Because the Rules calendar is set for the next day, the only hope I have of getting my bill passed this year is to come back tomorrow and ask to be on the supplemental calendar.

Our session starts promptly at 10AM with a total of 25 bills on the calendar. While this is a heavy calendar, I had no idea that we would not finish until 8 ½ hours later at 6:30 PM.

The first bill we consider today is the redrawing of our 13 congressional districts. The new plan will replace a congressional map drawn in 2001 that contains irregularly shaped districts that were drawn to maximize the then majority parties voting strength. The new map makes the districts more compact and actually splits our 159 th State House District. While the vast majority of our district stays within the 12th Congressional District, a small area in Southwest Chatham will be in the 1 st Congressional District.

Also adopted today is a bill that will give financially pressed Delta Airlines a tax reduction amounting to as much as $33 million a year. The bill will cap at $15 million the amount of sales taxes paid by Delta each year on the jet fuel it purchases. The tax break is needed to help keep Delta, one of Georgia's largest employers, from going bankrupt. The bill easily passes and now heads to the Senate.

Day 28 (March 4, 2005): Friday starts out early, as all other legislative days do, as I am at the Capitol at 8AM to appear before the Rules Committee. This is a very powerful committee that sets the calendar for the next legislative day by deciding which bills are to be heard on the House floor. My first general bill (or statewide bill) is HB 377 dealing with giving additional authority to the state board of Chiropractors. It would give the board the authority, upon reasonable grounds, to require a licensee or applicant to submit to a mental or physical examination by physicians designated by the board. Normally it takes 2 or 3 visits to the committee before they will put the bill on the calendar and mine is no exception as it is not called and I must come back the next day.

Although we only have a few items on the agenda for today, they include the '05 Supplemental budget, the '06 budget and ethics reform and therefore much debate is involved. House and Senate negotiators have spent more than two weeks working out our disagreements over the '05 Supplemental budget. The version agreed to by the conference committee is approved today and now goes to the Governor for his signature.

The ‘06 budget (or big budget) is also presented today and calls for $17.4 billion in revenues spending . (you may disagree with that change) This budget starts July 1 and is approved by the House and sent over to the Senate. It is expected to meet opposition in the Senate and be placed in a conference committee of the House and Senate as was the '05 Supplemental budget.

Also debated today is the Governors Ethics legislation. While some call these bills the toughest ethics reform in the history of the state, others describe them as being watered down. Things turn comical at times as the minority leader describes these bills as having gone from a choir robe down to a G-string. He goes on to say that what is covered does need to be covered: it just doesn't cover much. After much rhetoric and debate, the majority of the bills are passed.

Day 27 (March 3, 2005): The day starts out early as I appear before the Transportation subcommittee to explain a resolution I have introduced to name the Pooler Parkway bridge over Highway 80 in Pooler after our late Mayor, Jack Shearouse. The committee requires that notification of such action be advertised in the official County newspaper and that a letter from DOT is submitted verifying that the bridge is unnamed at the present time. I meet all the requirements and the subcommittee passes the resolution on to the full Transportation Committee which meets later on that afternoon and approves it.

Day 26 (March 2, 2005): Although this is a short week in terms of legislative days, there is still much work to be done outside of the session. I arrived in Atlanta around 7PM last night and went straight to the office where I worked (why don't you say you answered constituent mail and read over legislation, saying you worked late without specifying what you're doing sounds martyresque) until 11PM. Sometimes I'm unsure whether it's worth taking time off when you get back and discover all the work that awaits.

We have quite a few items on the agenda today, ranging from licensure requirements for septic tank installers to uniform grading sheets for food service establishments administered by the Department of Human Resources. Unknown to many, including myself, the grading sheets we see in restaurants differ from county to county. This bill will bring a standard grading sheet throughout the state.

Day 25 (February 25, 2005): Although being out Monday makes this a short week, I am still glad to see Friday come. The day starts out on a very somber note as my fellow freshman colleague, Rep. Tim Bearden from Villa Rica reflects on the shooting dearth of Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy, Blake Gammil. This fine officer was killed in the line of duty last night and we have a moment of silence in his honor.

Day 24 (February 24, 2005): The Capitol is packed today as we celebrate Disability Day. It is both heartwarming and inspiring to see these special people participating in the political process. Their voices are heard and their message is clear- we are brothers, we are sisters, we are people! Both Effingham and Chatham bring up large constituencies and they allow me to share lunch with them at the Depot. With very few exceptions, I have never seen the Depot as crowded as today. What a great showing!

The agenda is light today in the number of bills considered, but significant legislation is discussed. Among this is asbestos or silica claim reform. HB 416 requires physical impairment to be an essential element of an asbestos claim and sets a limitation period for filing a claim. This is important legislation to provide a balance between companies who have been crippled by these claims while still allowing injured workers appropriate recourse. It is of particular interest to Georgia Pacific, the largest private employer in Effingham County, and I am proud to support it as it passes overwhelmingly.

After lunch, the day is packed with committee meetings. My first meeting is a sub committee meeting of Industrial Relations where we review HB 153. This is a very contentious bill involving public unions and runs late due to the extensive discussion. While the meeting finally ends, the discussion does not as I receive over 50 phone calls and in excess of 300 e-mails on the subject.

Day 23 (February 23, 2005): Today is Pharmacy Day at the Capitol and while it's always good to see old friends and colleagues, it's especially good to see so many students becoming involved in the political process. Although we go into session at our normal 10AM, we recess at 10:45 to assemble for the arrival of the body of former Governor Vandiver. After a brief memorial service that includes speeches from Gov. Perdue, former Gov. Carl Sanders, and former President Jimmy Carter, the Governor's body lies in state in the rotunda until 2PM.

We reconvene at 2:15PM with two major pieces of legislation on the agenda. First is the establishment of the Georgia Master Teacher Program. This program establishes criteria for the Georgia Master Teacher Certification and provides for the establishment of the Academic Coach Program. Teachers achieving this distinction will be offered monetary and other incentives to be academic coaches in under performing schools. The bill passes unanimously.

Also debated today is the Woman's Right to Know Act. HB 197 imposes a 24-hour waiting period on women seeking an abortion after they have been given state-mandated information on fetal pain, fetal development and alternatives to abortion such as adoption. It also requires a minor's parents or legal guardian to be notified before she undergoes an abortion. An amendment to provide an exemption from the bills requirement for women who are the victims of rape or incest is voted down 90-81. The final bill passes by a 139 to 35 margin.

Our first order of business today is to adopt HB 299, a bill that would limit the HOPE scholarship benefits that some college students can receive. The Hope Scholarship is a highly political subject and always brings out partisan debate. HB 299 would limit all recipients of HOPE to 127 hours, regardless of their program of study. Some degrees, such as Pharmacy and certain engineering degrees, require more hours to complete and in the past have been extended. Opponents of the bill argued that this was unfair, while supporters countered that HOPE was always intended for four year degrees and this would protect the scholarship for the future. Ultimately, the measure passed by the slim margin of 2 votes.

Day 21 (February 18, 2005): Friday is finally here and the session begins early at 9AM. After a long and busy week the agenda is relatively light with only 4 bills being discussed. One of the bills presented is the Georgia Seed Law. This bill comes as a response to counties in other states enacting local ordinances that would ban the planting of genetically modified seed stock. This bill preempts local governments from enacting ordinances relating to the labeling, packaging, sale, or use of seeds. These type bills are very important to the agriculture industry in our state and this legislation passes the House easily.

Day 20 (February 17, 2005): We continue our rapid pace in the House today by debating 9 bills. The most controversial is the establishment of the Georgia Virtual School. This bill authorizes the State Department of Education to create the Virtual School which provides courses over the internet to Georgia students. The students will interact with a teacher through email and phone. The DOE will make available over 60 high school courses, including over 12 AP courses. The AP courses are extremely important for many rural high school students whose schools don't offer these courses. Any Georgia student under the age of 21 years can take the course at no cost. This includes Private and Home School students. The actual costs for the program comes from Federal FTE funds for public school students and funds for Private and Home Schools students comes from the Georgia General Fund. This program is part of the Governors legislative package and the legislation passes easily.

Day 19 (February 16, 2005): I am very fortunate today to have my oldest son, Joel join me in Atlanta for a couple of days while he is on break from College. Joel is a sophomore at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA majoring in Business Management and Accounting. He is a fine young man and his mother and I are very proud of him.

Much legislation is discussed in the House today including window tint restrictions in motor vehicles. This is a follow up to legislation that was passed a few years ago and was struck down by the Supreme Court as being unconstitutional. The legislation passed today is consistent with other states laws and should stand up to any challenges.

Also passed today is the “Health Share” Volunteers in Medicine Act. This is a program similar to those in South Carolina and Florida where retired Physicians and other volunteer health care workers provide free medical care to low-income persons. The volunteers are granted sovereign immunity and the state provides for liability coverage for claims and defense of litigation. In short, the volunteer doctors provide free medical care without the risk of being sued.

Day 18 (February 15, 2005): After an early breakfast, I return to the office to do a radio interview with WTKS in Savannah. Last week, the station ran a story on the non partisan School board legislation that I have introduced for Chatham County. I was able to explain the intent and purpose of the legislation and exchange some dialogue with the announcers.

Day 17 (February 14, 2005): After having driven up late last night, I attend a subcommittee meeting for Economic Development this morning. I've quickly learned how important the committee system is and how large a role it plays in the legislative process. While we may be in session only 40 days, the work that goes into preparing for those 40 days is enormous. Now I understand why people say that the legislative session lasts 40 days and 80 nights.

I am very blessed today to have my pastor, Rev. Lowery Brantley from Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church, as the Chaplain of the Day. With very short notice, Lowry made arrangements to come up with his lovely wife Diane to bring us today's message. He did his usual great job and I was very grateful for his efforts.

We passed 4 bills today dealing with everything from changing the way the Residential and General Contractors State Licensing Board membership is appointed to creating a State Accounting Office. This Office will be responsible for inventorying and tracking the states assets. For instance, currently the state does not know how many vehicles it owns. This Office will inventory and keep track of all state owned vehicles.

Day 16 (February 10, 2005): Today the honeymoon is definitely over. Without question the most hotly debated and lobbied issue yet is tort reform. The Capitol is flooded with doctors and lawyers from across the State. I've witnessed a great deal of partisanship between political parties during my years in public service but never have I witnessed as much animosity as exists between these groups of professionals.

SB3 passed the senate earlier in the session and would limit the award of “pain and suffering” damages in malpractice trials to $250,000 for a single physician and up to $750,000 for multiple defendants. Eventually we adopt an amendment from Speaker Glenn Richardson that puts the caps at $350,000 and $1.05 million. This compromise comes after 4 hours of intense and emotional debate that garners all house members' undivided attention.

The key vote on SB 3 was on an amendment to raise the cap on non-economic damages to $750,000 with a cap not applying in cases where there is a wrongful death or a catastrophic injury resulting from a physician's negligence. Initially the house voted 88-83 to defeat the amendment, and then voted 85-82 to reconsider the action. The amendment then lost by a single vote, 86-85. The closeness of the vote indicated how divided much of the house was on this extremely important legislation.

Without question, this was one of the most important and momentous actions taken during this or any other session. Welcome to the Major Leagues!

Day 15 (February 9, 2005): After attending the House prayer caucus this morning, I stop by my office to catch up on phone calls before the session begins. The first order of business is HB 263 that provides a $250 tax deduction to educators for the cost of certain classroom supplies and materials. This legislation was proposed by the Governor and, while everyone agrees this is not enough, the bill passes unanimously.

Next we hold a joint session of the House and Senate to hear the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court delivers his ‘State of the Judiciary' address. Members of the Supreme and Appeals Courts of Georgia are also present to hear retiring Chief Justice Norman Fletcher report on these most important bodies of our judicial branch.

Later we debate more bills including the controversial HB 218. This legislation has been requested by the Department of Economic Development to allow state officials to maintain secrecy about their negotiations with businesses that are considering relocating to Georgia. In the past, state and local officials have found themselves at a disadvantage in having to reveal sensitive information during negotiations with prospective businesses. Georgia is one of the few states that does not have this protection.

As the former Mayor of Pooler and having been an active participant in the negotiations with JCB and Daimler Chrysler, I take the well to speak in favor of the bill. Although many veterans discourage freshman from speaking from the well during their first year, I cannot pass up this opportunity to share my experiences. While it's impossible to know whether my speech made a difference, the legislation does pass.

Day 14 (February 8, 2005): Today is a very special day for me as I have my first group of pages to serve in the house. The four students from South Effingham High School are joined by their teacher, Pam Corbitt, and are here to take part in Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Day at the Capitol. It is truly an honor to have Kayla Jordan, Tiffany Chance, Tiffany Collins and Tatiana Mitchell as my very first pages. I don't think they were planning on such exhausting work, so afterwards I take them all to Johnny Rockets in Underground Atlanta for lunch. These fine young ladies and their teacher represent the District well.

Another significant event for me today is the reading of my first bill. HB 377 is a bill to provide the state board of Chiropractors additional authority. If the bill passes the board will be able to revoke a license, discipline a licensed chiropractor or refuse to grant a license to an applicant. The state board of chiropractors supports the legislation as they are one of the few boards without this authority.

A number of bills are debated today, including adoption of the supplemental budget for FY 2005. This is the revised state budget for the current fiscal year that will get us through June 30th of this year. Included in this budget is $110 million to help local school systems handle increases in student enrollment and $7.6 million on top of that to give schools more money or instructional purposes.

Day 13 (February 7, 2005): As we begin our fifth week at the Capitol it's hard to figure out where time has gone. Although the excitement of a new experience still remains, the drive up on Monday mornings is already a drag.

One of the more controversial bills thus far is debated today. HB 67 is a bill intended to stop the City of Atlanta from fining the Druid Hills Golf Club over its policies that affect gay members. This bill is a direct result of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin saying the city would attempt to fine Druid Hills as much as $90,000 for not extending to gay members the same membership privileges it gives to married members.

HB 67 would prohibit local governments from imposing any penalties on organizations that don't give the same rights and benefits to unmarried persons as to married persons. It would also allow private clubs to establish rules that treat married persons differently from unmarried persons.

The legislation is opposed by many who feel it would encourage segregation as well as bias against certain groups of people. Still others argued that the bill goes too far and would weaken home rule. After many points are made and arguments heard, the bill passes 124-39 and moves over to the senate.

Day 12 (February 5, 2005): Two more bills are considered today. The first is HB 151 which deals with extending a pilot program to provide Drivers' licenses information to insurers. This program supplies limited rating information to agents, insurers and insurance support organizations. The bill passes unanimously.

The second bill is HB 199 dealing with corrections to the Elections Code. It is intended to correct typographical, stylistic and other errors and omissions in the Official Code of Georgia. These type bills are somewhat common as we try to clean up previous Acts. The bill passes unanimously.

We are out tomorrow and will reconvene on Monday afternoon. Members of the Appropriations Committee will be meeting this weekend to work on the budget. The Committee on Civil Justice Reform will meet tomorrow to work on Tort Reform. Unless something unforeseen turns up, this issue should come to the house next week for our consideration.

Although the session ends before lunch, there is much office work to be done and it's after 6PM before I head home for a much needed break.

Day 11 (February 2, 2005): After attending 3 breakfasts this morning, 10AM comes around and we start up again. Our Chaplin for the Day is Rev. Jim Perdue, son of Governor Sonny Perdue. We don't often see the Governor on the House Floor, but the proud Dad is on hand to hear this fine young man speak.

We debate 2 bills today. The first is HB 95 dealing with corrections to the Code of Georgia. This bill intends to correct any grammar or technical changes to the Georgia Code, and not to make any substantive changes of law to the Code. The bill passes unanimously.

Next we discuss HR 47. This is a resolution to rename the Legislative Office Building, the Paul D. Coverdell Legislative Office Building, in honor of the late Senator who died while in office. There is much debate on this issue and the minority party proposes an amendment to name the LOB after both Paul Coverdell and Zell Miller. This amendment is dropped before we vote on it and with good reason as we later learn that Senator Miller has faxed a letter to the House leadership requesting his name not be added to the building. Later 3 other amendments are offered to this resolution and all 3 fail. After much debate and parliamentary procedure, the resolution passes 121-47.

All Freshman Republican House members are the guests of the Speaker at an informal dinner given in our honor later in the evening. This provides a great opportunity for us to become better acquainted with the Speaker and Speaker Pro-Tem on a more personal bases.

ce the committee finishes it will come back to the House for a vote.

Later that evening Statesboro/ Bulloch County hosts their Wild Game Supper at the Depot. We all feast on Quail, Wild Hog, Venison and the like- scrumptious!

Day 10 (February 1, 2005): Day 10 (February 1, 2005): Today is a special day for me personally for a number of reasons. First, I am f