House Rules Committee Chairman Earl Erhard, a Republican from Powder Springs, says he'll slow down consideration of Senate bills until the chamber decides to take up the veto overrides the House passed on the first day of the session.
Tomorrow's House callendar includes only 3 Senate propositions. Erhard said he hopes that Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and Senate Rules Committee Chairman Don Balfour get the message that the House wants to see movement on the veto overrides which were passed about 60 days ago.
"I'm not sure we can get it any clearer each day that deliberations are one thing, and outright stall in another," Erhard sais.
The House argues that the Georgia Consititution requires veto overrides to be immediately considered by the other chamber. The Senate has only voted on one of the overrides so far.
Showing posts with label Earl Ehrhart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Earl Ehrhart. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
State House slows down Senate bills to send message
Monday, August 13, 2007
Perdue health plan draws critics
Gov. Sonny Perdue is encountering road bumps as he tries to build enthusiasm for a plan to use government funds to encourage small businesses to provide health-care benefits.
Most of Georgia's small businesses do not offer health coverage to their employees, but Mike Sullivan, owner of Conyers-based Southeast Sealing Inc., does. He says it is breaking his budget.
"There are a lot of guys and women in this state who have small companies and who are being absolutely ripped apart by high health-care costs," Sullivan says. He welcomes Perdue's proposal to create a voluntary, state-run, health-insurance program for small businesses.
"It will cost someone a lot of money," Sullivan says. "I just hope that someone is not me."
The money is proving to be the sticking point. Perdue wants to subsidize the $182 million program with federal Medicaid grants and $20 million of state funds. That amount of money could cover roughly 30,000 low-income workers out of a pool of about 380,000.
The idea of using government funds to pay for the plan is drawing criticism where Perdue needs support the most: under the Gold Dome.
"Entitlement plans are not the way to solve the problem," says House Rules Chairman Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs). "If we really want to add something to this, let's have benefits for all taxpayers and let's do it through a tax credit, not through involuntary tax contributions."
Ehrhart says he doubts the General Assembly would approve Perdue's proposal without major changes.
Most of Georgia's small businesses do not offer health coverage to their employees, but Mike Sullivan, owner of Conyers-based Southeast Sealing Inc., does. He says it is breaking his budget.
"There are a lot of guys and women in this state who have small companies and who are being absolutely ripped apart by high health-care costs," Sullivan says. He welcomes Perdue's proposal to create a voluntary, state-run, health-insurance program for small businesses.
"It will cost someone a lot of money," Sullivan says. "I just hope that someone is not me."
The money is proving to be the sticking point. Perdue wants to subsidize the $182 million program with federal Medicaid grants and $20 million of state funds. That amount of money could cover roughly 30,000 low-income workers out of a pool of about 380,000.
The idea of using government funds to pay for the plan is drawing criticism where Perdue needs support the most: under the Gold Dome.
"Entitlement plans are not the way to solve the problem," says House Rules Chairman Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs). "If we really want to add something to this, let's have benefits for all taxpayers and let's do it through a tax credit, not through involuntary tax contributions."
Ehrhart says he doubts the General Assembly would approve Perdue's proposal without major changes.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Perdue looks to smooth road at Capitol
Governor Sonny Perdue says he is extending an olive branch to House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram).
"I think the misunderstanding over issues at the end of the session can be rectified," Perdue said. "We can restore a feeling of trust and relationship going forward because that’s what we must do."
Perdue angered Richardson and his leadership team by vetoing $140 million in projects lawmakers had put in the state budget. Perdue also told agencies to ignore lawmakers' instructions on spending money.
Perdue has invited lawmakers to speak with him about the budget. Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), who chairs the House Rules Committee, has likened such a meeting to "a lecture from daddy."
"I think the misunderstanding over issues at the end of the session can be rectified," Perdue said. "We can restore a feeling of trust and relationship going forward because that’s what we must do."
Perdue angered Richardson and his leadership team by vetoing $140 million in projects lawmakers had put in the state budget. Perdue also told agencies to ignore lawmakers' instructions on spending money.
Perdue has invited lawmakers to speak with him about the budget. Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), who chairs the House Rules Committee, has likened such a meeting to "a lecture from daddy."
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
GOP lawmaker investigates Perdue budget decisions
An angry Republican state lawmaker has filed an open records request for information on Gov. Sonny Perdue's recent budget decisions.
Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), who chairs the powerful House Rules Committee, filed the request because, he says, the governor has overstepped his authority.
"You have an executive branch that just does not recognize the legislative branch's participation in the budget process," he says. "It's all their way or no way, and that's unfortunate."
This is another stage in the battle between House leaders and Perdue over spending instructions lawmakers tried to include in the 2008 budget. Perdue told state agencies to ignore the directions because they did not belong in the budget. He then called a meeting of the fiscal affairs committee, a special committee of legislative leaders, to shift around budget dollars.
Ehrhart says he has requested correspondence between the Office of Planning and Budget and five state agencies regarding the fiscal affairs committee.
Perdue has invited lawmakers with concerns over the budget to meet with him.
"I'll skip daddy's lecture," Ehrhart says. The meeting "would be a lecture from daddy on how we’re doing it wrong."
Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs), who chairs the powerful House Rules Committee, filed the request because, he says, the governor has overstepped his authority.
"You have an executive branch that just does not recognize the legislative branch's participation in the budget process," he says. "It's all their way or no way, and that's unfortunate."
This is another stage in the battle between House leaders and Perdue over spending instructions lawmakers tried to include in the 2008 budget. Perdue told state agencies to ignore the directions because they did not belong in the budget. He then called a meeting of the fiscal affairs committee, a special committee of legislative leaders, to shift around budget dollars.
Ehrhart says he has requested correspondence between the Office of Planning and Budget and five state agencies regarding the fiscal affairs committee.
Perdue has invited lawmakers with concerns over the budget to meet with him.
"I'll skip daddy's lecture," Ehrhart says. The meeting "would be a lecture from daddy on how we’re doing it wrong."
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Democrats protest Peachcare reforms
Democratic lawmakers walked out of the House of Representatives today to show their opposition to attempts to limit the Peachcare child health plan.
"The House and Senate are both making it harder for working families to find health care for their kids," says House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin). He says his party had to walk out because it could support neither the House version nor the Senate version of a bill to change Peachcare eligibility requirements, and lawmakers were being asked to choose between them.
Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) shrugged off the Democrats' action as "childish."
The move came after House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) asked representatives to disagree to changes the Senate had made to his original bill. Richardson wants to limit future Peachcare enrollment to families that make under 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or $40,000 for a family of four. The current limit is 235 percent, or $47,000 for the same family.
"Peachcare is not a constitutional right," Richardson said. "Health insurance is not a God-given, inherent constitutional right that you take money from one taxpayer and give to another."
Richardson's bill passed the House mostly along party lines. Then, senators swapped it for their own version of Peachcare limits. They would expand Medicaid to include the poorest Peachcare recipients, raise premiums for some Peachcare families, and create an "extended" program for families that make a little more, for a cost. Senators passed their version on Tuesday, again mostly along party lines.
After the House disagreed with the Senate bill, Porter met reporters in the hallway. He contends that both versions are unnecessary because Peachcare is part of a federal program currently undergoing review in Congress. He further questioned GOP budget negotiators' decision to send property taxpayers rebates of $101 or less, rather than spend that $142 million on healthcare.
Gov. Sonny Perdue has also questioned the proposed tax break, which raises suspicions that he might call lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session on the 2007 midyear budget.
"The House and Senate are both making it harder for working families to find health care for their kids," says House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin). He says his party had to walk out because it could support neither the House version nor the Senate version of a bill to change Peachcare eligibility requirements, and lawmakers were being asked to choose between them.
Rep. Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) shrugged off the Democrats' action as "childish."
The move came after House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) asked representatives to disagree to changes the Senate had made to his original bill. Richardson wants to limit future Peachcare enrollment to families that make under 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or $40,000 for a family of four. The current limit is 235 percent, or $47,000 for the same family.
"Peachcare is not a constitutional right," Richardson said. "Health insurance is not a God-given, inherent constitutional right that you take money from one taxpayer and give to another."
Richardson's bill passed the House mostly along party lines. Then, senators swapped it for their own version of Peachcare limits. They would expand Medicaid to include the poorest Peachcare recipients, raise premiums for some Peachcare families, and create an "extended" program for families that make a little more, for a cost. Senators passed their version on Tuesday, again mostly along party lines.
After the House disagreed with the Senate bill, Porter met reporters in the hallway. He contends that both versions are unnecessary because Peachcare is part of a federal program currently undergoing review in Congress. He further questioned GOP budget negotiators' decision to send property taxpayers rebates of $101 or less, rather than spend that $142 million on healthcare.
Gov. Sonny Perdue has also questioned the proposed tax break, which raises suspicions that he might call lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session on the 2007 midyear budget.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
House rejects payday lending bill again
Payday lending will remain illegal in
Supporters of the bill included House Rules Chairman Earl Ehrhart. They argued that Georgians are crossing state lines to get payday loans, and the state is missing out on the revenue. But critics, including AARP, say payday loans lead consumers down a spiral of never-ending debt. They say government should protect borrowers.
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