FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 5, 2010

Contact: Sen. Tim Golden, 404-656-7580 or tim.golden@senate.ga.gov

Golden co-sponsors Transportation Jobs Development Act

By Sen. Tim Golden

This week, I joined fellow Senate Democrats in co-sponsoring the Georgia Transportation Jobs Development Act, a legislative solution to the transportation funding problem that has caused Georgia to fall behind other states in recent years.

The proposed legislation (SB 366 and SR 972) calls for a constitutional amendment authorizing the formation of special transportation districts, which would give citizens in local jurisdictions the power to decide whether to levy a regional sales tax for transportation improvements in their regions. The proposal would also dedicate the fourth penny collected on the states motor fuel tax to transportation purposes.

Georgia has been losing jobs and federal dollars to other states because of the leadership's failure during the past two years to enact transportation funding legislation. For example, Florida and North Carolina were awarded nearly $1.8 billion in federal rail grants last week, while our state received only $750,000 due to the lack of support for rail projects by the Perdue administration. In South Georgia, we need both rail and road improvements to serve the distribution centers that receive and ship products to and from the rest of the country, and to attract more manufacturing plants and distribution centers to create jobs for our area citizens.

The governor recently proposed a statewide vote on a one-cent sales tax for transportation to take place in November 2012, nearly two years after he has left office. It would be 2014 before those funds would have any positive impact on transportation improvements. Georgia cannot wait four more years to catch up with the needs of a population that has outgrown its transportation system.

The Transportation Jobs Development Act would establish a 10-county metro Atlanta region and authorize counties outside that region to levy a special one-cent sales tax for transportation if approved by local referendum. The local governments within those regions would develop a list of projects to be funded prior to calling for the referendum.

The fourth penny of the motor fuel tax, which generated $137 million in fiscal year 2009, presently goes to the state's general treasury. The legislation calls for those funds to be dedicated to transportation purposes on a phase-in basis between 2012 and 2015.

As a proposed constitutional amendment, SB 366 and SR 972 would require a two-thirds approval of both the Senate and House of Representatives, and a majority approval by voters in the 2010 general election.

Utility Pole Fees: The Senate Economic Development Committee has approved legislation that would give cable television companies an advantage in the process of attaching their cables to poles owned by electric membership cooperatives and city-owned utilities. Under SB 328, if a cable company could not negotiate a low enough pole fee, it could move the matter to the Public Service Commission for arbitration. In its current form, I am opposed to the bill because it would interfere with the free market system and with a model agreement on pole fees the EMCs had already negotiated with cable companies and would lead to higher utility rates for consumers, and I plan to vote against it if and when it comes to the Senate floor.

From the District: It was good seeing home folks at the Capitol this week. The annual Lowndes Bird Supper for legislators and state officials was held Wednesday night, and a good contingent from Leadership Lowndes visited the General Assembly on Thursday. Also, I introduced and was pleased that the Senate adopted SR 942, recognizing the Valdosta State University Coed Cheerleading team for winning the National Cheerleading Association Open Division II competition; and SR 943, commending the VSU Red Hots Dance Team on its second consecutive national championship.

Other Senate Action: Also this week, the Senate approved SB 319, which would expand the definition of "textbook" in Georgia's public schools to include computer hardware and technical equipment to support the use of digital content, giving local school districts the flexibility to use modern, alternative methods of receiving information; and SB 315, the Uniform Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act, which would allow aid workers to temporarily come into Georgia and work during a catastrophic emergency. Both proposals now go the House of Representatives for its consideration.

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.