Update on Progress of Senate Bills

SB1, the Zero-Based Budgeting Act, passed the Senate 50-0, with 2 excused (neither from SWGA). This means all local State Senators voted for the measure, which is a very good thing. It is now in comittee in the State House of Representatives.

SB8, the bill allowing students to carry EpiPens at school, favorably made it out of committee. (Health and Human Services)

SB10 has been recommitted to committee. (Health and Human Services)

SB13, making it easier for a judge to use life without parole as a sentence, has been read on the Senate Floor again after making it out of committee favorably. Senator John Crosby (R-Americus) was on this committee. (Judiciary)

SB18, dealing with creating a registry of scenic areas, hasn’t even been read on the Senate floor the first time yet and is showing as ‘Senate Prefile’. I can’t imagine this is good for this bill’s chances.

SB22 creating the Georgia Coordinating Council for Rural and Human Services has been read on the Senate floor a second time after having made it favorably out of committee. (Transportation)

SB24, the Probation Management Act cosponsored by Sen. John Crosby (R-Americus), has been read on the Senate Floor for a second time after having made it favorably out of committee. (State Institutions and Property)

SB39, the TAD Transportation bill, has made it favorably out of committee. (Transportation)

SB42 creating the Georgia Public Standards Agency has made it favorably out of committee. Senator John Crosby (R-Americus) is on this committee. (Judiciary)

SB52 creating a registry for metal thieves has been recommitted to committee. State Senators John Crosby(R-Americus) and Freddie Powell-Sims(D-Albany) are both on this committee. (Public Safety)

SB53 allowing the Governor to appoint ‘special officers’ has also been recommitted to committee. This is also the Public Safety committee that both Sen. John Crosby(R-Americus) and Freddie Powell-Sims(D-Albany) are on.

SB61 and SB62, both pertaining to insurance issues, have been favorably reported by committee. (Insurance and Labor)

State Senate Bills I Find Interesting (SB59-SB68)

Conclusions:

SB59: OPPOSE
SB60: OPPOSE
SB61: OPPOSE
SB62 and SB63: OPPOSE
SB64: OPPOSE
SB65: SUPPORT
SB66: SUPPORT
SB67: OPPOSE
SB68: SUPPORT

State Senate Bills I Find Interesting (SB46- SB58)

Conclusions:

SB 46, SB47, SB48: SUPPORT
SB49: SUPPORT
SB50: OPPOSE
SB51: SUPPORT
SB52: OPPOSE
SB53: OPPOSE
SB54: OPPOSE
SB55: SUPPORT
SB56: OPPOSE
SB57: OPPOSE
SB58: SUPPORT

State Senate Bills I Find Interesting (SB36 – SB45)

Conclusions:

SB36: SUPPORT
SB37: SUPPORT
SB39: SUPPORT
SB40: OPPOSE
SB41: SUPPORT
SB42: OPPOSE
SB43: SUPPORT
SB44: OPPOSE
SB45: SUPPORT

State Senate Bills I Find Interesting (SB26-SB35)

Conclusions:

SB26: SUPPORT
SB27: SUPPORT
SB29: OPPOSE
SB30: OPPOSE
SB31: OPPOSE
SB32: SUPPORT
SB33: OPPOSE
SB34: SUPPORT
SB35: SUPPORT

State Senate Bills I Find Interesting (SB15-SB25)

Conclusions:

SB16: SUPPORT
SB17: SUPPORT
SB18: OPPOSE
SB20: OPPOSE
SB21: OPPOSE
SB22: OPPOSE
SB23: OPPOSE
SB24: OPPOSE
SB25: OPPOSE

State Senate Bills I Find Interesting (SB1-SB15)

Conclusions:

SB2: OPPOSE
SB4: SUPPORT
SB5: OPPOSE
SB6: SUPPORT
SB7: OPPOSE.
SB8: SUPPORT
SB9: SUPPORT
SB12: OPPOSE
SB14: OPPOSE

Bills by local State Senators

State Senator George Hooks (D-Americus) is a cosponsor on SB17 regarding increasing the fees for filing late disclosure reports and SB30 regarding gasoline and ethanol.

State Senator John Crosby (R-Tifton) is a cosponsor on SB24 regarding management of probationers

State Senator John Bulloch (R-Ochlocknee) introduced SB27 regarding the creation of Confederate Heritage/History Month.

State Senator Freddie Sims (D-Dawson) is a cosponsor on SB36 regarding the adoption of a code of ethics by local boards of education.

It is good to see that unlike our local State Representatives, all of our local State Senators are actively participating in the legislative process.

Bills by local State Representatives

Mike Cheokas (D-Americus) is a cosponsor on HB4 regarding an income tax credit and qualified ad valorem tax expenses, HB11 regarding accusations and trials, and HB28 changing certain provisions relating to kidnapping.

Buddy Harden (147th) has introduced HB59 providing certain exemptions to the sales and use tax regarding controlled substances and dangerous drugs and HB120 providing for sales and use tax exemptions for certain school supplies and energy efficient products.

Gerald Greene (D-Cuthbert) has introduced HB 75 revising certain provisions of the ad valorem tax regarding bona fide conservation use property, HB87 revising certain provisions for law enforcement officers regarding arrests, and HB105 regarding 911 systems.

While not directly in the specific area we cover here at SWGA Politics, Austin Scott (R-Tifton) has introduced the ‘Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act’, aka HB33 that will be the subject of at least one follow-on post here at SWGA Politics.

Note that this means that the State Representatives for many of the districts we cover have not submitted or signed as co-sponsor on any legislation thus far in the term. Hopefully we will see this change as the term progresses.

President Obama compromising on ethics reform already?

According to the Obameter, President Obama has already failed to fully live up to at least one of his campaign promises, specifically that

No political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years. And no political appointee will be able to lobby the executive branch after leaving government service during the remainder of the administration

He signed an Executive Order this past Wednesday, on his first day in office, that upheld this promise. It turns out, however, that said EO has a waiver clause . Waivers may be granted if “the literal application of the restriction is inconsistent with the purposes of the restriction” or “it is in the public interest … . The public interest shall include, but not be limited to, exigent circumstances relating to national security or to the economy.”

I’m sorry, but when would the literal application of this restriction be inconsistent with the purpose of the restriction? Isn’t the purpose of this restriction to prevent people from benefiting either from their lobbying work of the previous two years, or their government work during Obama’s term? So when would banning, say… a former lobbyist for DoD contractor Raytheon… from becoming the Deputy Secretary of Defense be inconsistent with the stated purpose? Is he not about to benefit from his previous work? Assuming he leaves his D-SecDef job and goes back to Raytheon in two more years, would he not be benefiting from his employment with the government?