State of Georgia Legialation BIlls and Laws Passed & General State Of Georgia Issues

A Loop Hole You Could Drive a Pick-Up Through

By Sen. Don Thomas

As a state senator my most important duty is to represent my constituents as part of a broader responsibility to support policy that improves the lives of all Georgians. It is human nature that sometimes a legislator’s personal opinion conflicts with the public’s best interest. In such cases, personal opinion must be set aside.
Case in point: Georgia’s Safety Belt law currently excludes pickup trucks. And although 92.8% of Georgians support repealing this exemption, legislative leadership in Georgia’s House of Representatives has never allowed even a hearing on the safety belt bill for the past three years. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill in 2007 and again on February 12 of this year. The current version of the bill even includes an exemption for agricultural use, so that farmers using their trucks in their work won’t be penalized.
Georgia is the only state in the nation with a safety belt law that excludes pickup trucks, yet pickups represent 21% of all registered passenger vehicles in the state. Closing this loophole will increase safety belt use among pickup truck occupants by 10.4 percentage points, saving at least 20 lives and preventing 411 serious injuries each year. In 2006, 67.6% of pickup truck fatalities were unrestrained versus 41.6% of those in other passenger vehicles – a difference of over 25 percentage points.
Looking forward, the state will lose out on millions in federal funds for 2009 and pay at least $17.6 million in additional taxpayer-subsidized Medicaid expenses over the next ten years on top of millions more in trauma care costs. Hospital costs are approximately 50% lower for belted crash victims compared with those who did not buckle up.
The costs in terms of lives and money have continued to escalate every year that the General Assembly has failed to act. Just re-cently, three members of a Warner Robins family died after a tragic crash in Hawkinsville. A seventy-six year old man was driving a 2005 extended cab Dodge Dakota pickup on Ga. 247 in the rain when he lost control, left the road and hit a tree. The man, his wife and 20-year old grandson all lost their lives. None were wearing safety belts.
Protecting the lives of our citizens is the foremost responsibility we have as elected officials. Indeed, our Constitution states clearly: “The protection of person and property is the paramount duty of government.” It’s time to live up to our constitutional duty to our citi-zens. It’s time for the leadership in Georgia’s House to let democracy work by permitting a hearing for the safety belt bill in committee and allowing the full House to vote. There are many good reasons why Georgia should close the pickup truck loophole in the safety belt law. It’s time for a vote!

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Volume 16 issue # 2 - FEBRUARY 2009 ISSUE

 Senator Rogers Authors the Taxpayer Protection Amendment

Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers today introduced Senate Resolution 1, The Taxpayer Protection Amendment, which would limit the spending of any future budget surpluses. The measure requires any budget surplus first go to fund increases in student enroll-ment and then be placed into the state reserve fund. If the state reserve fund were to reach 10% of the previous year budget, surplus funds would then go to pay off state debt or be returned to the taxpayers.
“Georgians deserve a budget process that rebuilds our state reserves and prevents the unwise spending of excess tax revenue. When taxpayers are forced to pay more than what is necessary to fund the state budget it is only right that the money is set-aside for a rainy day so that taxes aren’t raised or essential government services aren’t cut during difficult economic times,” Sen. Rogers said today. “At a time when the politicians in Washington, D. C. show no signs of any fiscal discipline, we in Georgia must provide for the future of our children and grandchildren by properly managing taxpayer money.”
Georgia is one of 29 states in the nation that is required by law to balance its budget each year, unlike the Federal government that can run on deficit spending. The legislature's current Rainy Day Fund is a $1.2 billion reserve account to assist the state in difficult fi-nancial times. Governor Perdue has applied these funds to his 2010 budget proposal. Rogers’ proposed legislation would ensure greater spending accountability and provide for the most essential government services first.
Rogers has been a champion steward of taxpayer dollars. In 2008, he sponsored legislation that created the “Transparency in Gov-ernment Web Site” which gives Internet users access to information on billions of dollars in state spending. The “Transparency in Gov-ernment Act” requires state spending information be placed on a searchable website allowing Georgia taxpayers easy access to where their tax dollars are being spent. The web site was launched on January 1, 2009 and can be found at www.Open.Ga.gov. Rogers’ sup-ports property tax reform that provides property tax relief and finding greater efficiency in collecting local sales tax so taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill for government inefficiencies.
If Rogers’ Taxpayer Protection Amendment is approved by two-thirds of the Senate and House, SR 1 will appear on the ballot in 2010 as a “yes/no” question for the voters. For more information on the resolution, go to www.legis.ga.gov.

Georgia One Step Closer to Transportation Reform Senate Passes TSPLOST Measure

The State Senate today passed the most sweeping form of transportation legislation in Georgia’s history. Authored by Senator Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga), the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) will fund much needed, long-term transportation infrastructure across the state, strengthening Georgia’s competitive edge in a global economy.
“The time is now to implement a true infrastructure stimulus. Traffic congestion stifles economic growth, hinders businesses, and costs jobs. Georgia cannot continue to suffer such losses in the current economic climate,” said Sen. Mullis. “Passing this bill now gives us the chance to educate the public on its benefits before they are faced with a vote on the November 2010 ballot.”
This voter-approved transportation funding enhancement will allow counties the option to band together to levy a one percent sales tax to fund transportation projects in their district. The bill creates only one defined region – 10 County ARC Region (Cherokee, Doug-las, Fulton, Fayette, Clayton, Henry, Rockdale, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb). Other counties around the state have the option to be individual regions or come together as larger regions with local approval. They may also opt not be a TSPLOST region at all. Offering a flexible solution to meet the diversity of needs across the state, the measure allows voters to also decide what projects in their area need funding the most.
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle offered his support of the bill by saying, “Our statewide, regional approach is a flexible and op-tional solution for Georgia allowing for true local input and influence of transportation projects. Just as our state has many diverse trans-portation needs, a funding mechanism should respect the diverse regional needs.”
Many lawmakers are looking to transportation this session as a means of jump starting the economy. The TSPLOST will generate up to $850 million in funding each year for the metro Atlanta area, and up to $1.2 billion for the entire state. Contributing to transporta-tion infrastructure will produce jobs and a better economy, capitalizing on the relationship between transportation development and economic growth. Sen. Mullis noted that due to the severe traffic congestion, Georgia has already lost $185 billion in infrastructure, along with several Fortune 500 companies.
There was a strong showing of bi-partisan support for the measure as Senators from both sides of the aisle took the floor to urge passage of the bill. Senate Resolution 44, the Constitutional Amendment, and its enabling legislation Senate Bill 39 passed overwhelm-ingly, becoming the first major piece of legislation to pass through the Senate for the 2009 Legislative Session. The bill now moves to the House, where it will first be debated in committee.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to finally pass the transportation relief that we have been working on for the past three years,” Sen. Mullis added. “This is not a Republican or Democratic issue, this is a Georgia issue. There is not a single city or county in the state that does not need transportation improvements.”

Economic Study Estimates Meth Abuse Costs Georgia $1.3 Billion, $23.4 Billion Nationally A RAND Corporation study released recently

“The Economic Cost of Methamphetamine Use in the United States,” estimates that the national cost of Meth abuse in one year alone exceeds $23.4 billion. The study marks the first time the annual costs of methamphetamine abuse—including the intangible costs associated specifically with methamphetamine addiction have been analyzed on a national scale. Based on the RAND cost model and current use rates in Georgia, Meth use could cost the state $1.3 billion each year. The study found that methamphetamine abuse imposes a significant and disproportionate burden on both individuals and society in money spent on treatment, healthcare, and foster care services, as well as the costs of crime and lost productivity associated with the drug. In 2007, 32% of federal drug offenses in Georgia involved methamphetamine, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy and for the last five years methamphetamine has been the fastest growing drug problem in Atlanta, Dalton, and Gainesville. “Methamphetamine is crippling our state. We spend millions each year on Meth-related incarcerations alone, and yet the number of addicts in Georgia continues to grow rapidly,” said Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker. “If we do nothing, our criminal justice system will reach a breaking point. As a state, we must take a stand against this drug that is all too rapidly addicting our youth.” In response to the growing Meth problem in the state, Attorney General Baker and other key state leaders are working with the pri-vate sector to establish the Georgia Meth Project, a large-scale prevention program aimed at reducing Meth use through public service messaging, public policy, and community outreach. Central to the program will be a statewide research-based messaging campaign that communicates the risks of Meth use, paired with community outreach programs. The Meth Project currently operates in Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Montana, and Wyoming. Montana and Arizona, the first two states to launch Meth Project prevention campaigns in 2005 and 2007, respectively, have seen 45% reductions in teen Meth use in two years. “Our goal in sponsoring this study was to provide a definitive economic cost estimate of the Meth problem that legislators and regulators can consider while establishing social priorities,” said Tom Siebel, founder and chairman of the Meth Project. “This appears to be a preventable problem. The staggering economic and human costs of Meth use can be avoided.” The Georgia Meth Project campaign will focus on preventing Meth use among the state’s most vulnerable population, its young people. According to the Department of Health, 51% of people entering treatment for Meth in Georgia are between the ages of 12 and 25, substantially higher than the national average, and Georgia is third in the nation in total number of Meth users between the ages of 12 and 17. The Georgia Meth Project is working to secure funding from the private sector to launch its statewide prevention campaign later this year. To view the full results of the RAND study, please visit www.methproject.org.

Stop Metal Theft Task Force Created to Combat Rising Tide of Metal Theft
State Leaders speak out to raise awareness of new local effort to crack down on rampant criminal problem

Georgia General Assembly leaders banned together today to crack down on rampant metal thefts around the state and in hopes of calling atten-tion to this nation-wide issue. State Senator Jack Murphy (R-Cumming), chairman of the Senate Public Safety Committee, announced the formation of the Stop Metal Theft Task Force to combat the rising problem of recycled metals being stolen from homes, cars and even graveyards.
“Metal theft is a wide-spread problem in Georgia and other states across the nation,” said Murphy. “Thefts increase during downturns in the economy and this situation is quickly escalating to a crisis. Home builders and vehicle owners are particularly at risk and we must do everything we can to help prevent more crimes.”
Joe Bulat, 24 yr. veteran of Atlanta PD and Director of Security, Schnitzer Steel, outlined the scope of the metal theft problem in the area and explained how the task force will fight the problem and put thieves and their black marketers behind bars. The task force’s work will be maximized by the STOP METAL THEFT (SMT) ™ website, which has been dubbed the MySpace of metal theft. Items that are typically at risk include catalytic converters, copper piping in vacant homes, copper coils and wires in air-conditioning units and platinum.
Gwinnett County is a leading example in Georgia of the brazenness of thieves. Criminals in 2008 pulled hundreds of pounds of underground wiring that power the outdoor lamps at five popular parks. Electricians who repaired the electrical systems believe the crooks used trucks to pull the heavy wiring from the ground.
Authorities across the country also have linked metal thefts to the illegal drug trade. Recyclable metals are now valuable enough to be attractive to drug users who formerly may have stolen jewelry and other valuables from homes to support their habits.
“Criminals see metal thefts to be easy and hard to trace,” said website founder Maria Strollo Zack, of The Strollo Group. “Not any more! STOP METAL THEFT (SMT) ™ Task Forces are impeding the proliferation of these kinds of thefts and putting criminals where they belong - in jail!”
Metal theft can also be deadly for those who commit it. A 36-year-old Rockmart man died Nov. 8 as he was trying to cut copper cable from a Georgia Power pole in Floyd County, police said.
The Georgia law that took effect July 1, 2007 provides prosecutors with more ability to seek a felony conviction of thieves, rather than a misde-meanor. The law allows prosecutors to go after the full cost of restoring the property to its condition before the theft, rather than just the cost of the metal. The new law also compels those convicted to make full restitution to the owner. In passing the law, Georgia joined more than 20 other states that are aggressively pursuing those who traffic in stolen metals.
State Senator Seth Harp proposed additional legislation today for seizing vehicles and tools of the criminals that were used during the crime and creating a registry for metal thieves so they will be known throughout their neighborhoods.
“GA is a model state in the country in reducing metal theft crimes,” said Harp. “The two bills I’m proposing today will strengthen our laws and shut this black market down. We must stop those who prey upon the vulnerability of others and protect our communities.”
The Atlanta Region Stop Metal Theft Task Force is modeled after the Macon-Middle Georgia Theft Committee that was formed in November 2006 and has received national acclaim for its success in driving down the number of metal theft incidents. The National Crime Prevention Council said the Macon organization is a “stellar” example of a community stake-holders banding together to address a common threat.
The task forces forming across Georgia will go after the criminals who steal metal from homes, businesses, graveyards, streets and even electri-cal substations and sell it on the black market. The group’s work will be enhanced by the STOP METAL THEFT (SMT) ™ website, which enables members to communicate while eliminating the need for administrative support. The alert system allows a businesses or government hit by a theft to send an alert to the task force administrators with extensive information that identifies the stolen materials. The alerts will put recyclers on notice that identifiable materials have been stolen. Unscrupulous buyers know they place themselves at risk of prosecution if they knowingly purchase stolen materials.
To learn more about the task forces, go to www.stopmetalthefts.com. The website was created and designed by Maria Strollo Zack, of The Strollo Group www.strollogroup.com, while serving on the lobbying team promoting stronger penalties for those convicted of metal thefts. The lobby team was responsible for the passage of Georgia Senate Bill 203 in 2007 making felony convictions easier by assessing the true cost of the crime rather than the scrap value previously utilized for the arrest. This creates a felony conviction where previously one might have been charged with a misdemeanor crime. 

 

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