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Week Six of the 2010 Session
Under the Gold Dome
Fulton County Delegation Meeting
Potential Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice Debate
HB 1218 Passes Full Subcommittee
Anti-Bullying Halted
Purdue Proposes Cuts to Healthcare
Fulton & Douglas County Announcements
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HOW TO CONTACT
REP. ROGER BRUCE |
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rbruce5347@aol.com
404/656-0314
404/344-8051
Visit our Web site
rogerbruce.net
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| Representative Bruce's Legislation!!!
Click here to review 2009-10 legislation sponsored or co-sponsored by Rep. Roger Bruce. |
Let us know about your community meetings and events.
Rep. Bruce will attend as his schedule permits. | |
| MOTIVATIONAL MINUTE |
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"Be the change you want to see in the world."
~Mahatma Gandhi |
Representative Bruce Committees
Motor Vehicles
Small Business Development and Job Creation |
| FOLLOW ME!!!!!!
Did you join our discussion on about the Juvenile Point System and Transportation on Facebook? Are you on the look out for tweets???
The Fulton County House Delegation is your connection to legislative news - and in addition to our legislative updates pertaining to Fulton County. We also have Facebook and Twitter to keep our members informed! Facebook: Add as a friend and become a fan of the Fulton County House Delegation on Facebook! Our Facebook page features pictures from recent events and news about upcoming events!
Twitter: Follow @fchdelegation
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Greetings!
We are quickly approaching turnover day. That is the day when all bills from the House and Senate have to be sent to the opposite chamber if it is going to be considered turning this session. The top issue still to be considered is the state budget. It seems that each day brings a new challenge in that the revenue projections are continually changing. The impact of these revenue shortfalls is having a devastating impact on our educational systems, attempts to improve public transportation, health services, housing and just about every other aspect of the state and that trickles down to local government services.
We are also still engaged in the battle to prevent the effort to recreate Milton County at the expense of Fulton County and the City of Atlanta. This will be the topic of discussion at the Fulton County Delegation meeting on Friday March 19th at noon. The meeting will be in room 506 of the Coverdale Legislative Office Building. It is open to the public and I hop you will attend. |
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Under the Gold Dome
House and Senate Committees Look to Review Terms for GDOT Board Members
On Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee passed HB 1234 and HR 1446. The legislation that would change the terms of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Board from 5 years to 2 years. The legislation passed by a vote of 15-9.
Water(provided by Georgia Chamber of Commerce)
The House and Senate passed companion bills (HB1094, SB370) last week targeted at encouraging conservation, reducing water loss, and identifying new ways to increase Georgia's water supply. Based on the recommendations of the Water Contingency Planning Task Force, on which many Georgia Chamber members participated last year, the provisions in these bills will ensure sound stewardship of this precious and limited resource.
Last week, the River Basin Protection Act (HB1301, SB462) was introduced in both chambers. This bill would modify the current criteria and process for inter- and intra-basin transfers and add new regulations for the use of groundwater. Dozens of communities across Georgia successfully use both of these methods to obtain water today. The Georgia Chamber opposes this legislation because it would interfere in local communities' efforts to effectively manage water resources throughout the state. Education(provided by Georgia Chamber of Commerce)
The Georgia Work Ready program - a partnership between the Georgia Chamber and the Governor's office - is making a positive impact on communities throughout the state by certifying employees for today's jobs and connecting them with employers in all sectors of the economy. HB1195 would ensure the future of this successful program, originally created by executive order, by codifying its mission and governance. This bill is expected to receive a committee hearing this week.
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Potential Pro-life versus Pro-choice debate in the General Assembly!!!!!
On Wednesday of this week, the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee narrowly passed out a measure that would criminalize the performance or solicitation of abortions based on race, color, or sex. Any doctor performing the procedure could face up to 10 years in prison, while the patient would not be held responsible. Supporters of the HB 1155 point to statistics which indicate that there is a higher percentage of abortions that take place in predominantly minority area. This bill is likely to run afoul of Federal law and be declared to be unconstitutional. |
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House Transportation Subcommittee Passes HB 1218 - Full Committee Considering!!!!
On Monday, the House Special Transportation Subcommittee passed out their latest version of Governor Sonny Perdue's HB 1218, a transportation funding package. This bill has been heard in two previous committee hearings. It has been altered from its original state to include recommendations from opinion leaders to transportation such as, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, and the Georgia Municipal Association.
This legislation is up against the hurdles of Governor Sonny Purdue and has been questioned about the constitutionality of the entire bill. It is apparent that the bill needs more work and may not come to a vote this session. At the meeting the Public had its turn to weigh in on the legislation. It will be revisited and debated upon by full committee in the upcoming weeks.
Monday's amendments Highlights:
- Requires that legislative appointees to the Regional Commission must live in that region.
- Changes wording so that the chair of a Regional Commission could also be a mayor, chief executive officer, or sole commissioner
- Changed the legislation to limit the number of appointees to the Regional Commission from a specific county.
- Rep. Ed Lindsey (R - Atlanta) - Added language that would restrict MARTA from using their new flexible funds for raises for staff.
- A change in the distribution percentages within the regional balancing formula. |
Anti-Bullying Measure Tabled!!!!
On Thursday, After lengthy debate the Anti-Bullying Bullying stalled in the House due to opposition from fellow members. HB 927 would expand the state's current definition of bullying to include students in kindergarten through fifth grade and would allow administrators to transfer a bully to another school after the first incident. The Department of Education should adopt a model policy for bullying by January 1, 2010.
The bill, which would also make it a crime for administrators to knowingly not report bullying to authorities, was prompted by an recent incident involving an 11-year-old DeKalb County student who allegedly killed himself last year because of merciless teasing.
Opponents argued that overzealous enforcement of the bill could unnecessarily punish some students. This Bill was first introduced in 2003 |
Perdue Proposes Healthcare Cuts!!!!!
On Thursday, March 10 Governor Purdue is proposing significant drops in revenues for hospitals. He is proposing detrimental cuts to the state's healthcare providers. This will cut the amount they receive from treating Medicaid patients. Also, this action would remove the sales-tax exemption for non-profit hospitals. Also, Governor Perdue announced due to lack of revenues that the the state tax holiday that happens in the fall would end.
The Democratic Caucus responded to Governor Purdues announcement with a statement of solidarity that the state should not go after hospitals or the working class citizens of Georgia but the state should focus their efforts on collecting 100 millions plus dollars of sales tax revenues from retailers!! |
 Invitation to Weekly Meeting of the Fulton County Delegation
Meetings are held at the Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg Room#506, Friday, at noon. Call Rep Bruce's office to confirm your attendance.
At last weeks meeting Commissioner Mike Beatty of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs briefed the Delegation. Commissioner Mike Beatty & respective guest outlined Georgia's Affordable Housing Programs. Highlights:
Housing Tax Credits Program provides a 10-year federal and state tax incentive to attract private investment for the development of affordable rental housing. The process for evaluating funding requests and awarding tax credits can be found in the state of Georgia's Qualified Allocation Plan(QAP). For more information contact: Office of Affordable Housing by email at oahround2010@dca.ga.gov
HOME Rental Housing Loan Program provides loans to support the development of affordable rental housing. The process for evaluating funding requests and awarding tax credits can be found in the state of Georgia's Qualified Allocation Plan(QAP). for more information contact: Office of Affordable Housing by email at oahround2010@dca.ga.gov
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act(ARRA) established to new programs to provide state Housing Credit allocating agencies with new tools to support Housing Credit-financed rental housing- the Tax Credit Assistance Programs (TCAP). administered by HUD, and authority to exchange Housing Credits for cash(the 1602 program).
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program 1 (NSP1) provides emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that maybe left abandoned in communities
GeorgiaHousingSearch.org provides the central bridge needed to match individual and families seeking affordable rental housing options with units available for rent in the market. For more information contact: www.georgiahousingserch.org
The Georgia Dream Homeownership Program provides affordable mortgage financing to low- and moderate -income Georgians for the purchase of a home. For more information visit www.dcaloans.com
Permanent Supportive Housing Program (PSHP) provides the capital resources and rental assistance necessary to reproduced rental housing with accompanying supportive services for Homeless Tenants.For more information please visit specialneedshousing@dca.ga.gov
Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESG) provides grant funds to nonprofit organizations and local governments to provide shelter and essential services to homeless persons For more information please visit homlessprograms@dca.ga.gov
Shelter Plus Care Program provides affordable permanent housing with supportive services for homeless people with disabilities and their families. For more information please visit sheltercare@dca.ga.gov
At the Current Delegation Meeting Commissioner Albert Murray, Department of Juvenile Justice & respective guest outlined legislative initiatives to change the time served mandates to include juveniles. The current law results in longer periods of detention for juveniles. Higher bed capacity used at centers. Designated felons will be 90.3% of overall DJJ population in secure custody as of February 2010. DJJ expects the overall inmate population to increase by 10% in 2012.
HB 1144 proposes that juveniles receive credit for time served in juvenile detention prior to final sentencing. HB 1144 only provides credit for time served to youth charged with designated felony offenses. This would decrease detention population on a daily average by 809. The average stay would be 761 days. HB1144 would improve population management by 61 beds per day.
Also, Labor Commission Michael Thurmond updated the delegation on Georgia's unemployment status. The Metro Atlanta Area has a 10.8 % unemployment rate which leaves over 300,000 residents unemployed. Georgia has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country at 10.4%. The Labor Commissioner's goal is to get Georgians back to work. He believe that the actual unemployment rate for Georgia is 17%.
He hopes that citizens during this time will utilize programs such as Hope Grant, which, helps people obtain an Associates Degree or certificate from an 2 year institute no matter when you graduated from college. | |
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