Senate votes to require seat belt use in pickup trucks
March 3, 2007 -- Atlanta, GA -- State Sen. Tim Golden (D-Valdosta) The state Senate voted this week to approve legislation I co-sponsored that would require the drivers and passengers in pickup trucks to wear seat belts. Currently, Georgia’s seat belt law does not apply to pickup trucks. Senate Bill 86 would close that loophole, while keeping the exemption for motorcycles and farm vehicles intact.

Over the years, statistics have proven that seat belt use saves lives and prevents serious injuries that drive up health care and insurance costs for everyone. Also, the pickup truck exemption has cost Georgia millions of dollars annually in federal highway safety funding.

SB 86 passed by an overwhelming 45-10 majority and now goes to the House of Representatives for its consideration.

I received an update this week from the state Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding progress toward completion of construction work on Interstate 75 in Lowndes County, from Georgia 133 to the Cook County line. DOT engineers report that a new contractor, Nicholson Consulting, has been selected to complete the project after the original contractor was declared in default with 97 percent of the work completed.

DOT had asked the consultant to place a high priority on the items of work required to open the additional lanes north of the Withlacoochee River. Nicholson Consulting has hired surveyors to gather information to ensure the guardrail has been properly installed.  The data gathering is complete for areas that we jointly agreed were priority areas to getting guardrail and paving completed north of the Withlacoochee River so I-75 may be fully utilized (all six lanes open to traffic).

Remaining work includes the widening of ramps at Exit 18 /Georgia 133 and the tie-ins at the southbound Withlacoochee River bridge, guardrail, signage, placement of remaining surface course of asphalt, final pavement markings on the mainline of I-75 and widening of Shiloh Road. There is approximately $2 million of work remaining to complete all pay items.

On Thursday, the Senate approved SB 173, which would remove the state DOT and Environmental Protection Division permits that utility companies are required to have before expanding their facilities. More specifically, the bill would make it easier for Colonial Pipeline to run a new petroleum line from Louisiana to its Georgia terminal in Powder Springs, adjacent to its existing line.

Sponsors of the legislation said it will help produce more affordable and abundant energy supplies that are needed to ensure national independence from foreign oil providers. The House will now consider the proposal.

Action by the chairman of the Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee has slowed the progress of SB 137, which would allow voters to decide whether they want to let stores sell beer, wine and liquor on Sundays. Restaurants and bars that sell food can already sell alcohol on Sundays.

The committee chairman’s decision to send the bill back to a subcommittee for further study greatly reduces the likelihood of that legislation’s adoption during the 2007 session.

With no more than 13 legislative days remaining in the session, the General Assembly is now in official recess for two weeks. Lawmakers will reconvene on March 19 for the 28th day of the 40-day session. The legislature will then be in session on March 20, 27, 28, 29 and 30. March 27 – the 30th day of the session – is “crossover” day, meaning the last day that legislation can pass from one chamber to the other for consideration this year.  In April, lawmakers will be in session on the 10th, 11th, 12th and 17th. April 17 – day 37 – could be the last day of this year’s legislative session.

This two-week legislative break is an attempt by House and Senate leaders to give Congress more time to fully fund the $131 million shortfall in the PeachCare for Kids Program. Under current projections, this program is set to run out of funds next month. PeachCare is responsible for the health care of 270,000 children currently enrolled in the program.

• State Sen. Tim Golden represents the 8th District (Brooks, Cook, Lowndes and Thomas Counties). During the legislative session, he can be reached at 121-A State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga. 30334; by phone at 404-656-7580; or by e-mail at tim.golden@senate.ga.gov.