Plan to Hike Tobacco Tax Unveiled

Republican State Representative Ron Stephens spoke Tuesday at the State Capitol on his proposed measure for the upcoming Legislative session, that would BOOST by one-dollar, the tax per-pack on cigarettes in Georgia.

One aim for the bill is to find extra revenue to feed the state’s massive budget shortfall, expected to top two-billion dollars in the fiscal year. Another focus is the health of Georgians--Stephens says more than two-billion dollars is spent yearly in Georgia on tobacco-related illnesses.

"In my mind this is a no-brainer. The healthcare is going to better in the state of Georgia...Georgians will be healthier. We’re going to raise the revenue to plug the short-term shortfall in our budget, and in the long-term were going to save the taxpayer dollars…lots of dollars."

The Republican from Savannah points-out other states are considering hikes in their tobacco tax, which could help his bill’s chances here.

He says Georgia’s tobacco excise tax of 37-cents is one of the lowest in the nation--about 80-cents lower than the national average. Stephens projects a one-dollar tax hike in Georgia could bring-in 350-million dollars or more.

As far as how to sell this tax-hike plan to fellow Republicans, Stephens says this:

"It comes down to that real question of 'is it really a tax?’, and how do you sell that to somebody like myself that’s absolutely opposed to taxes and tax increases."

Stephens says this should be seen not as a tax increase, but as a tax savings.

Stephens’ effort is backed by a coalition of groups, businesses, and healthcare professionals.

Cagle changes stance on Sunday sales measure

A measure to allow Sunday sales of alcohol in Georgia failed to get a Senate vote during the 2008 legislative session. But the Senate may get a second chance.

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle – one of the bill’s chief opponents – says he will allow the Senate to consider a voter referendum. In a letter to nearly 2,000 constituents, Cagle says he opposes Sunday sales for religious reasons but respects the right of voters to decide for themselves.

Advocates for Sunday sales were pleased with Cagle’s change of heart. Jim Tudor is a lobbyist for the convenience store industry.

“The support of someone… the Lt. Governor… with his ability and the importance of his opinion… he is a very valuable ally and we look forward to working with him.”

Georgians can currently buy alcohol on Sundays at restaurants, ballgames and farm wineries. The measure would allow individual communities to decide whether to add grocery stores to that list.

Lawmakers reach '09 budget deal

From the Associated Press ...

Georgia lawmakers reached a deal on a $21.2 billion budget that boosts salaries for state employees and funnels money into schools on the chaotic final day of the legislative session. But an agreement on tax cuts was proving a bit more elusive today as weary legislators raced against the clock to consider hundreds of measures in the dying hours of the 40-day session. House Majority Leader Jerry Keen said, "I'm an eternal optimist. But I'm cautious." The impasse over tax cuts created a logjam for other high-profile measures, including a new fee to help the state's trauma centers and a sales tax hike to pay for transportation improvements. Republicans pledged to deliver tax relief this election year, but with a few hours left in the session's final day they remained sharply divided over how to do it. The House wanted to eliminate the car tag tax over two years. The Senate pitched a competing plan that would trim the state income tax by 10 percent over five years. Also up in the air were vast changes to the education system, drought-inspired measures to bolster Georgia's reservoir system and a proposal to allow Georgians to carry concealed weapons in more public places. The budget deal removes at least one contentious issue from the table, but both chambers won't get to vote on it until tonight.

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.

New state park planned for Perry-area

Plans for a new state park are on the boards, and the first draft is expected on Thursday. A meeting will be held on that day at the Houston County Board of Education in Perry--a third and final public hearing on the proposal.

Three different concepts have been developed, and officials are asking for the public to choose. The site for the proposed park is an 858-acre property located between Interstate-75 and U.S. 41--just south of Perry. Each of the plans include a multi-use trail, hunting fields and public fishing lake. However, there is a question as to whether funding would be available in the upcoming Legislative session.

GBI head calls for passage of hate crimes bill

The director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is urging state lawmakers to pass a hate crimes bill when it returns to work in January.

Vernon Keenan says this particular law would be a statement that a crime committed of hate or bias is a serious matter. Senate Bill 555, sponsored by Senate Democrat Vincent Fort of Atlanta, remains stalled in the Senate Rules Committee.

In 2000, the state Legislature passed a hate crimes law, only to have it struck down by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2005. It was called too vague. This version of the bill is more specific as to what constitutes a hate crime.

Governor to announce Special Session

Governor Sonny Perdue says he is prepared to summon lawmakers to a special session next week to settle a budget dispute. The divided Legislature ended one of its longest-running sessions yesterday unable to overcome Perdue's Thursday night veto of the midyear spending plan, which included a one-time $142 million dollar tax break to Georgia homeowners.

The plan also contained badly needed cash to bail out the PeachCare health insurance program for poor children and to pay for public defenders, but Perdue argued it failed to fund other critical needs.

On Friday the House voted 163-to-5 to override the veto, but Senate leaders refused to follow suit by claiming the move was unconstitutional. The two chambers managed to approve a late agreement on the larger $20.2 billion dollar budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1st. Yet the stalemate over the $700 million dollar plan that funds state operations for the rest of the fiscal year ultimately threw the chamber into a special session.

House Speaker Glenn Richardson said he was irritated at the governor's call for lawmakers to return to Atlanta. He said, "This is a sad day for Georgia. Apparently hunting season is over and he's got time to hang out at the state Capitol."

Perdue said late yesterday he would announce the special session's dates next week.

State House and Senate standoff over budget

No sooner had the State House passed the midyear budget, than representatives learned they had a problem: too much pork, according to Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Senate leaders.

In a statement, Cagle says the amended budget should be “reserved for limited spending on urgent matters.”

The House version would send more funds to the Peachcare and public defender programs, which are both running out of cash. But it also contains money for tourism projects, like Governor Sonny Perdue’s “Go Fish” initiative to add boat ramps and other amenities for anglers.

“We have all advocated that the amended budget should be for mid-year education adjustments and emergencies only,” Senate Speaker Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) said in a written statement. “We are not opposed to the projects and proposals put forth by the Governor or the House. We simply believe they should be debated within the FY 08 budget."

House members were not pleased with the Senate’s stand.

“For them to come here at the last minute with this little game, it’s unfortunate,” said House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin (R-Evans). “It doesn’t slow the process down, but it makes us have to work a little harder. But, if it’s the game they want to play, we’re going to make sure we send them a really good budget before we get it over there.”

Harbin says his committee will review the budget again tomorrow and Friday. But he stands by the House's product. As of now, he says, "nothing is negotiable."

The General Assembly must pass both the midyear budget and next year’s budget in the next 11 legislative days. It has delayed budgetary decisions because lawmakers wanted to know that the U.S. Congress would help fund Peachcare. Those assurances came last week.