Rep. England gives final ‘08 legislative report

Our very first week in session we addressed Georgia’s long-term water needs by adopting House Resolution 1022 creating the Statewide Water Management Plan. This plan provides a regional approach and long term planning for our future water needs, conservation, and best use practices to ensure we are wisely managing our water supply. The Governor has already signed this bill and we should see communities already implementing the plan. We also adopted Senate Bill 342, the Water Conservation and Drought Relief Act, which includes language from a House bill expediting the process of reservoir construction. Combined, these measures provide a long term and balanced approach to ensure we are acting wisely when it comes to our water supply. As a part of our overall water planning here in the State, we passed House Bill 1281 dealing with outdoor watering restrictions. I have told you previously about this Bill and why I authored it, but the most important part of what it does is helps to protect the environment from run off into our streams and lakes. By allowing some out door watering, new and old landscapes alike can be maintained and prevent run off. This Bill will sunset in 2 years as the Statewide Drought Management Plan is re-written and it will include the measures that HB 1281 takes care of now. Transportation was a key issue and shortfalls in transportation funding have brought up concerns about past management practices within the Department of Transportation. This year we adopted two bills that I believe will help provide oversight at the DOT and also help communities complete work on local projects. House Bill 1189 requires the DOT to draft a Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan and present it to state officials. The plan must include costs, funding sources, and timelines for current and future DOT projects, and must be submitted annually beginning June 30, 2009. While this measure provides needed oversight, House Bill 1019 creating the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank provides cash to build roads. The Governor has already signed this bill creating the Bank and it will provide low-interest loans to local communities for local road projects. We didn’t just create the Bank, we funded it in the 2009 budget for Georgia. April is tax time but this legislative session we passed several bills to save taxpayers some money. House Bill 948 re-authorizes the annual sales tax holiday weekends for back-to-school shopping and energy efficient appliances. Families can shop tax free for school items July 31, 2008, through August 3, 2008. And October 2, 2008, through October 5, 2008, consumers can save by not paying taxes on the purchase of qualified energy efficient appliances. I supported the passage of a new tax credit this year for families who adopt. House Bill 1189 provides a $2,000 per year income tax credit for families who adopt a child Georgia’s foster system. One tax cut we adopted was passed by the House and Senate but still must be approved by voters in November. House Resolution 1276 would allow a property tax cut for businesses or individuals who own at least 200 acres of forested land and enter that land into a 15 year conservation covenant. Every year we look to financial resources to our schools but we also look for ways to improve how education is delivered. This year we adopted two key reforms that will improve our educational system. House Bill 1209, also known as Investing in Education Excellence or IE2, allows local schools to enter in to contracts with the Georgia Department of Education which will provide greater local control, flexibility, accountability, and consequences for failing schools. Because we know that a traditional public school setting is not right for every student we adopted House Bill 881, the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, to open the doors for new charter schools to come to Georgia. Protecting our children is always a key concern as parents and legislators. This year we adopted Senate Bill 1, prohibiting convicted sex offenders from photographing minors without parental consent and imposing additional living and working restrictions to protect children at places like libraries and public parks. House Bill 1066 is another piece of legislation that was passed to protect not only our children, but all of those living in the State. I was proud to be the primary sponsor of this Bill outlawing the possession, use, ownership, providing for use or allowing minors to use an Alcohol Without Liquid (AWOL) Machine. This was brought to me by a constituent here in the District last fall. I had never heard of these machines until I got an e-mail explaining them and what they are used for. The more I did research on AWOL machines, the more I understood why they need to be outlawed. The alcohol is evaporated into pure oxygen or other gas and then inhaled; the alcohol then goes directly into the bloodstream in its purest form. With the Governor’s signature, these devices will no longer be available in our State. While we do a lot of great work during the legislative session, our constitution only requires that we pass a budget. This year we adopted two fiscally conservative budgets and we adopted a measure that adds a little ‘sunshine’ to how we spend taxpayer dollars. Senate Bill 300, the Transparency in Government Act, will create a free and publicly accessible website that will contain information on how the state spends the taxpayer dollars collected. Despite a decrease in state revenues, we adopted two state budgets that meet the needs of our citizens and controlled spending. The FY08 Amended Budget included $20 million in equalization grants for low-wealth schools, $50 million for trauma hospitals, $40 million for construction of water reservoirs, and $210 million for school construction projects. In the FY09 Budget, we added another $10 million for low-wealth schools, $50 million to restore austerity cuts to education, $210 million for QBE growth, a 1% increase for Pre-K providers, pay raises for law enforcement, teachers and state employees, $2 million for community health centers, and $10 for land conservation. We did all of this and still cut $245 million from the state budget. With the legislature now in recess, I will periodically update you on important issues facing Georgia and things to come in the 2009 legislative session. In the meantime, I look forward to spending more time in House District 108 and I hope to see you soon. I have enjoyed representing you in the General Assembly over the last 4 years and I am honored that you have allowed me to do so. I will be seeking re-election this year for another two-year term and I would be honored to have your support and vote. As always, may God Bless you and your family. Representative Terry England represents parts of Barrow County in the Georgia House of Representatives. He may be contacted at: Email: terry.england@house.ga.gov or work 770-867-1601