GBPI: Tax Cuts Mean Service Cuts

A new report released Monday shows proposed tax cuts would cost Georgia some 1.5 billion dollars over the next five years.

The report comes from the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, an organization that looks at how state spending impacts government services. The group is concerned
about a pair of legislative bills that would give companies that hire out of work employees a 2400 dollar tax credit and cut the capital gains tax in half.

Conservative lawmakers who designed this plan say it would create at least two thousand jobs in the state. It's now on the Governor's desk waiting for his approval. GBPI's Allen Essig says the Governor needs to continue "being a responsible budget Governor. If he signs these bills, it will guarantee the state will have untennable deficits in the future."

Essig says that would mean a reduction in education, road and health care funding. Governor Sonny Perdue has not indicated what action he will take. The Governor's press office did not return calls for comment.

Rogers To Push Homestead Exemption Again

In the waning days of the General Assembly session, Republican state Senate leaders plan to take a final swing to push doubling homestead exemptions.

Last week, House Democrats were able to block a bill doubling the statewide homestead property tax exemption from $2,000, to $4,000 dollars. They say local governments would be forced to cut services and raise assessments to make up the shortfall.

But Republican Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers took issue with assertions from some Democrats that his party hasn’t done enough with property tax relief. He says instead of the homeowners tax relief grants which cost the state over $428-million, the homestead exemption should be doubled.

"We are stepping forward in cleaning-up what can only be characterized as a messy situation of granting property tax relief by sending a check to local governments...with real property tax relief in the form of increasing the homestead exemption statewide. We will be the party of cutting taxes, as we always have."

Rogers vowed to give House Democrats one more chance to pass the homestead exemption this week.

State Senate Leaders Push DOT Overhaul

State Senate leaders Monday revealed a plan that would virtually gut Georgia's Department of Transportation. The proposal announced by Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers strips all but oversight responsibility from the DOT Board and from DOT Commissioner Gena Evans. However, Rogers was quick to point out that the measure is not so much a slap in the face to the DOT. Instead he says, it's a recognition that the massive job at hand to solve Georgia's transportation issues may be too much for the department to handle:

"The transportation process in Georgia for delivering transportation projects is broken...Georgians deserve better. We spend billions of dollars on transportation, but we're not solving the problem. We're not laying all this at the feet of the DOT...that's not what this is all about."

In the proposal, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and State Road and Tollway Authority would fall into a newly-created entity--the State Transportation Authority.

Georgia DOT would retain inspection and maintenance responsibilities, but much of the road building could be awarded to private companies.

Republicans not counting on help from Washington

Georgia State Republican leaders are snubbing the massive federal bailout package saying they’ll balance the shrinking state budget without Washington’s help.

All of Georgia’s republican U.S. House Representatives voted against the stimulus package. Even though the state is facing a 2.2 billion dollars budget shortfall.

Meanwhile on the state level, Republicans budget writers are not waiting for federal who are writing the state budget stand firmly with their congressional counterparts. Chip Rogers is the state Senate majority leader. He says the stimulus package sends the wrong message.

“My fear is that what we're going to see is a rewarding of bad behavior, and that's not uncommon out of our federal government,” Rogers says. “You're going to take states like California and New York who have done an absolute miserable job balancing their budget and reward them for their bad behavior by bailing them out, whereas states like Georgia and Indiana and places that have done a good job and have been fiscally prudent- we're ultimately going to pay the price.”

So Georgia budget writers are forging ahead. They’ve already spent 11 days on the budget. According to the constitution they have 29 left. And Roger’s says lawmakers will not take a break and wait for federal help.

“Regardless of what congress does, we need to handle Georgia's business. And the longer we wait, particularly with fiscal year 09 amended budget, every day that goes by there is less money and less flexibility. “

One thing Rogers and fellow republicans vowed to do is find $428 Million dollars at least this year to fund the Homestead exemption grants which save homeowners about 2 to 300 dollars a year. Senate President pro temp Tommie Williams says state employees may need to work less to make ends meet.

“You can't get to 428 million dollars without...without furloughs. And frankly, many of the agencies are already furloughing, so we'll...we'll look throughout the budget and those that we can furlough we will,” Williams says.

He vowed that public safety and the prison system would not be required to furlough. He also says that should Congress pass a stimulus plan that includes money for Georgia, he would like to spend it on Transportation..

Transportation Bill Can Wait if Needed, Say Senate Leaders

The Georgia State Senate is expected to pass a transportation bill Tuesday, that could ultimately lead to regional taxes to fund regional transportation projects.

The House has unveiled their plan, which would ask voters to implement a statewide sales tax for fixed statewide projects.

Yet, the differences between the two might not be worked out this session, according to Senate Republican Majority Leader, Chip Rogers.

"It’s a 2010 ballot issue. While we would love to pass it out this session so we could go around the state and explain what’s in the measure, we also recognize that we’re not under any hard deadline until the next session."

The House version would cost 25 billion dollars over 10 years, and lists specific projects to be completed. We'll post a link when the legislation is placed online.

Transportation top issue for State Senate

Transportation top issue for State Senate

The Georgia State Senate is taking another crack at passing a transportation plan endorsed
by Atlanta Business Groups.

The current plan is very similar to a proposal that failed in the Senate last year---
it would allow voters in regions to decide whether they would want a 1 cent
transportation sales tax.
Senate Republican Majority Leader, Chip Rodgers says the plan puts the power of funding
transportation projects in the voters hands.


“We are certainly open to working with the house," Rodgers says. " If they have got a better plan, we’re all ears and, we’re certainly happy to incorporate it.”


Last year The plan was criticized by some rural and conservative senators as a road to higher taxes.
Those concerns helped kill that bill in the last hour of last year's session. Rodgers says he believes those concerns have been
worked out.


Jeff Mullis agrees. The Republican state senator from Chickamauga says Senate Leadership
is committed to passing the bill this year.

“You know, transportation is also the Lieutenant Governor’s priority in the General Assembly this year. He’s made no bones about it since the last session," Mullis says. " So hopefully with the Governor’s Office we’ll find a solution.”

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle caught a lot of heat after the bill's failure last year. For it's part, the state House is now pushing a plan that is much more statewide in scope, but could make it harder
to fund the metro atlanta projects. Rodgers says negotiations will continue through the
session.

New law makes dog fighting a felony

A new law signed by Governor Sonny Perdue today, makes it a felony to own, breed or transport fighting dogs in Georgia. "I refuse to call it a sport. It's not a sport. It's really barbarism and it’s dangerous and cruel and for those of us who love animals and dogs particularly, it’s unconscionable," says Perdue.

The new law also means anyone convicted of betting on or advertising dog fighting also faces felony charges. Finally anyone caught attending a dog fight, will be charged with a misdemeanor.

State Senator Chip Rogers of Woodstock is one of the bill's sponsors.

"I started on this journey back when Michael Vick was just known as the quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. Unfortunately, what he got involved with helped us bring this terrible, terrible tragedy of dog fighting to light. I say unfortunate for him, but fortunate for the rest of us, because I think it helped us bring us to this day today. We are now making a very bold statement, and that is dog fighting will not be tolerated in the state of Georgia."

Animal rights enthusiasts applauded the new law, which takes effect immediately. Georgia had been ranked by at the bottom nationwide when it comes to dog fighting laws.

Property tax assessment resolutions pass in Senate

Tax reform has been the buzzphrase at the State Capitol during this election year. Tuesday, lawmakers put some actions to their words when the Georgia Senate passed two similar resolutions that would freeze property tax assessments.

Property values would be frozen and increases would be limited each year under the resolutions. The most popular one was sponsored by Republican State Senator Chip Rogers.

"This would actually freeze the property assessments at the 2008 value for residential and non-residential property...and allow the residential to go up by 2-percent, and the non-residential property by 3-percent".

Over 30 Georgia counties have similar laws already on the books. A few Democratic Senators warned that the move could cause local governments to shift the tax burden to a higher sales tax. The resolution will need approval from the state House before it can go before voters in November as a Constitutional Amendment.

Lawmakers vow to keep swimming pools open during drought

Three state senators have introduced legislation to prevent the state’s Environmental Protection Division from closing swimming pools, should drought conditions persist beyond the spring. Senate Bill 368, authored by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), Sen. Judson Hill (R-Marietta) and Sen. John Wiles (R-Kennesaw), will remove the power from the EPD director to make such a decision.

There is fear that water could become so scarce that public and private pools may be shut down in the coming months. Lawmakers say it would not only inconvenience families with children, but could send the state’s swimming pool industry and related businesses into possible bankruptcy.

“I know of no other state where non-elected officials have taken such a drastic measure,” Sen. Rogers said today. “There is absolutely no evidence that closing swimming pools will noticeably impact our drought situation."

Officials estimate the pool industry at 150 million dollars in Georgia.

Senate Bill 368 has been assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.

State lawmaker updates push for new dogfighting laws

A day after Michael Vick was sentenced to prison for dogfighting, a state senator called a news conference for an update on legislation against the activity in Georgia.

Republican Chip Rogers from Woodstock says he hopes the Vick media focus will push his dogfighting bill over the top in January’s legislative session.

Rogers’ bill would make it a felony to stage, promote, bet on, or watch fights in Georgia. It would also raise the financial penalty. Currently, someone has to be caught at a fight to face prosecution. And the penalty Rogers says, is too low.

"If you’re only going to fine the person, if caught and convicted 5-thousand, and they could potentially win 20 or 30-thousand…as you can see, it may be a good risk on the person involved in this type of activity to go ahead and do it. We want to take that risk away, and we want the penalty to be severe".

Rogers wants a fine of 20-thousand dollars and prison time for a 1st offense.

He says Georgia’s current dogfighting laws are some of the weakest in the nation.

Willie Nelson aids state's dogfighting legislation

Nelson (AP)

State lawmakers have found the face they need to rally support for anti-dogfighting legislation: Willie Nelson.

The country music legend and animal lover has filmed a public service announcement that could appear on television and radio soon. It supports a state Senate bill that would make it a felony for anyone to sell, trade or transport dogs for the purpose of dogfighting.

Dogfighting. (AP)

In the spot, over the strains of "Georgia on My Mind," Nelson looks into the camera and makes his appeal for the bill.

"Dogfighting is against the law in Georgia, but the laws are so weak, the beautiful state of Georgia has become a haven for dogfighters from around the country," he says.

The singer was asked to shoot the PSA by the Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization that produced the piece. State Sen. Chip Rogers -a Woodstock Republican who wrote the legislation long before Vick's involvement in dogfighting became public - hopes to get the spot on TV and radio around the time of the Dec. 10 sentencing for suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

Vick pleaded guilty in August to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge after his three co-defendants pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with authorities. Police say he bankrolled a dogfighting ring out of his Virginia mansion.

The Georgia bill passed unanimously in the Senate last session. It will go before a House committee in January.

"What we want to do is create awareness of how bad the laws are in Georgia to protect dogs," Rogers said. "I think this will go a long way to help people be aware of that."

Columbus animal shelter mascot was victimized by dog fighters, who cut his ears off, according to officials. (Dave Bender)

Click here for more GPB coverage about dogfighting and Vick.