Legislative newsletter – week 8

My colleagues and I returned to the Gold Dome on Monday, March 6, Legislative Day 28, otherwise known as Crossover Day. Crossover Day is the deadline for legislation to be passed out of its chamber of origin to remain eligible for consideration to become law this year.

The focus should be on what children need

The state of Georgia is constitutionally obligated to provide a free public education. It does this by allocating money to local public schools, primarily according to their student enrollment. But the state does not pay public schools for children they haven’t enrolled.

Heavier limits on truck weights pass Georgia House

Controversial legislation that would allow heavier trucks on Georgia’s state and local highways has narrowly cleared the Georgia House of Representatives.

Georgia House passes next step in mental-health reform

The Georgia House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a mental health reform bill Thursday that follows up on landmark mental health legislation the late House Speaker David Ralston steered through last year.

Georgia Power seeks $2.1 billion fuel costs recovery

The higher fuel costs Georgians have been paying at the gas pumps soon could be reflected in their electric bills. Georgia Power filed a request with the state Public Service Commission (PSC) Tuesday to recover $2.

General Assembly gives $32.5 billion mid-year budget final passage

The General Assembly gave final passage Monday to a $32.5 billion mid-year budget with a slightly smaller property tax relief grant than Gov. Brian Kemp requested in January.

State Senate passes bill aimed at no-cash bail

The Republican-controlled state Senate passed legislation Thursday that would mostly do away with the granting of no-cash bail to criminal suspects in Georgia.

Legislative newsletter – week 8

My colleagues and I went straight to work on Tuesday, February 21, to ensure that good, sound legislation could pass before the clock runs out. On Wednesday, we had a special guest on the House Floor.

House panel approves ‘pared back’ bill raising truck weights

A watered-down version of legislation increasing the weight limit on commercial trucks in Georgia cleared a state House committee this week.

State House approves Kemp’s income tax refund

The Georgia House of Representatives Thursday approved Gov. Brian Kemp’s proposal to provide Georgia taxpayers with state income tax refunds this year. Single taxpayers or married taxpayers filing individually are set to receive $250.