WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT – February 6, 2009

Senate approves regional transportation solution

By Sen. Tim Golden

Across the state of Georgia, the lack of adequate funding to improve our transportation system is a problem. But the specific needs and urgency for improvements are different in various regions of the state.

For example, some parts of rural Georgia might need to expand a two-lane state highway to four lanes to attract industry and development. In metro Atlanta, the problem is much different. Because of too much development and too many people, they might explore a light rail system to relieve traffic congestion on the roads. Still another region might need to replace old bridges or pave dirt roads.

This is why the regional approach to generating transportation funding makes the most sense: local decisions being made at the local level, with local dollars solving local problems.

This week, the Senate voted overwhelmingly for legislation I co-sponsored that would set up a regional transportation solution. SR 44 and SB 39 would authorize counties to join together and levy a regional one-cent sales tax to pay for the transportation projects that are most urgently needed in those areas. Voters in those counties would have to approve the tax in a referendum.

Because SR 44 proposes a constitutional amendment, it needs approval by two-thirds of the House of Representatives and a majority of voters in the next general election. Although House leaders have proposed a statewide transportation sales tax, hopefully they will eventually agree that the regional option is fairer to all areas of the state and more likely to win voter approval.

On Friday, the Senate narrowly passed two measures addressing property taxation. SB 83 would raise the annual state homestead exemption from $2,000 to $4,000 to give homeowners a modest property tax break. The measure still needs a two-thirds vote of approval in the House of Representatives before going on a special election ballot in June, when Georgia voters would need to approve the increase.

HB 143, meanwhile, would require the General Assembly to put $428 million into the budget this year for homeowner tax relief grants, which Gov. Perdue has proposed to cut from the budget. But the bill also includes a provision requiring a 3 percent growth in revenue in future years for the grants to be funded, virtually assuring a $200-$300 tax increase for homeowners in 2010.

I was prepared to offer an amendment to keep the grants in place upon any increase in state revenue but was not allowed to do so when a slim majority of Senators voted to "engross" the legislation, or force a vote on it with no amendments.

The Senate also voted this week to adopt legislation that would allow a "life without parole" sentence in murder cases when the prosecutor does not seek the death penalty. SB 13 would apply in cases where there might not be sufficient legal cause to seek capital punishment, but the convicted murderer still needs to be incarcerated for life with no parole.

Current law allows juries to impose a life without parole sentence only as an option in death penalty cases. Approved unanimously by the Senate, SB 13 now goes to the House for its consideration.

The Senate Natural Resources & Environment Committee is considering legislation I co- sponsored that would provide voluntary and timely investigation and remediation of properties where there have been releases of regulated substances into the environment, in order to reduce human and environmental exposure to safe levels.

SB 78, the Georgia Voluntary Remediation Program Act, has bipartisan support and would also establish the criteria to qualify for a voluntary remediation program and spell out provisions for corrective action.

Sen. Tim Golden represents District 8 (Brooks, Cook, Lowndes and Thomas counties) in the Georgia State Senate. During the legislative session, contact him at 121-A State Capitol, Atlanta, Ga. 30334; by phone at 404-656-7580 or by e-mail at tim.golden@senate.ga.gov.