ATLANTA - Exhausted Georgia lawmakers capped the longest-running legislative session in years Thursday by expanding gun rights and banning drivers from texting behind the wheel after clearing long-sought overhauls of Georgia's transportation, ethics and water conservation rules earlier in the year.
The House and Senate also put the finishing touches on the state's $17.9 billion budget that slashes spending and imposes new fees and a new tax on hospitals. The wrangling over the budget, devastated by falling tax revenues, was the main obstacle that kept legislators at the Statehouse weeks later than usual.
Lawmakers reached a deal to allow gun owners to carry their weapons into the parking lots of colleges, courthouses and jails in the final hours of the 40-day legislative session. And they adopted restrictions that could change the way millions of Georgians drive and bolster the fragile network of hospitals that care for victims of traumatic accidents.
Legislative leaders were able to shift their focus because they already had polished off many of the main priorities on their to-do list. They broke through a logjam on a transportation funding plan after three years of trying, adopted new lobbyist disclosure rules and passed a measure that would impose a wide-ranging series of water conservation efforts.
And after years of failure, lawmakers on Thursday finalized plans to place a $10 annual fee on car registrations that could raise $80 million to shore up the state's cash-strapped network of trauma hospitals. The constitutional amendment, which easily cleared both chambers, would have to be approved by voters at the ballot box before it takes effect.
It came on the heels of another victory that was years in the making: Lawmakers on Tuesday voted to make Georgia join the rest of the nation in requiring adults in pickup trucks to wear seat belts, ending at least a decade of frustration by public safety advocates who were blocked by rural opponents.
The breakthroughs came in part because ruling Republicans are wary of begin cast as a do-nothing party in the run-up to the November elections.
But they couldn't have happened without the improved relationship between the House and Senate, whose strained ties led to frustrating political gridlock in recent years. Many praised the cooperation between Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who leads the Senate, and House Speaker David Ralston, who replaced Glenn Richardson after he resigned last year.
``I'm convinced and persuaded that Georgia will be more prepared to lead the nation in economic recovery because we worked together to put our state ahead of ourselves,'' Gov. Sonny Perdue said during the session's final hours.
Still, the two chambers had their typical hang-ups as they scrambled to secure last-minute agreements on some of the most contentious proposals, failing to reach a deal on the first major abortion legislation under the Gold Dome in years.
The proposal would have banned doctors from performing an abortion if there's evidence the woman was being coerced into asking for the procedure or that she objects to the race or gender of the fetus. But supporters couldn't secure enough votes to bring the measure to the floor.
And House lawmakers abandoned a bid pushed by Perdue that would create an evaluation system to judge how well teachers do their jobs. Supporters hoped it would help Georgia's bid for up to $400 million in federal funds in the second round of the ``Race to the Top'' federal grant competition, but critics worried it would unfairly target some educators.
They could, though, close the books on the most crucial piece of legislation: Georgia's 2011 spending plan.
Forced by falling tax revenues to slash state spending by more than $2.5 billion over the last two years, lawmakers cut more than $600 million in funding for Georgia's schools and colleges and wiped out spending elsewhere. But they balanced the budget with more than $90 million in new fees and another $200 million in hospital taxes.
State legislators also reached a late compromise on measures that would ban all drivers from checking e-mail, sending text messages and using the Internet while behind the wheel. Teenage drivers would also be barred from texting or talking behind the wheel. Violating either would result in a $150 fine and a point on the driver's license.
And lawmakers eliminated a low-income tax credit for people who earn less than $20,000, a move that would likely affect thousands of seniors. It amounts to about $26 a person, but critics said it would harm poverty-stricken residents during the economic turmoil.
The frenzied day was bittersweet for many legislators. Retiring lawmakers made emotional farewell speeches and groups of politicians dotted the halls of the Statehouse posing for goodbye pictures. Still, the state's 236 lawmakers were eager to return to their districts and the campaign trail.
``Y'all ready to go home?'' Ralston asked tired lawmakers, who responded with a loud cheer.
Wednesday
October 9th, 2024
12:25AM
