Barrow Journal

The first full week in April, also known as Master’s Week throughout most of Georgia, is the traditional spring break period for many of the K-12 schools in our state. Students and teachers use this break to prepare for the upcoming final exams that will mark the end of the academic year. For similar reasons, the General Assembly also took a brief break this week.

This break gave us, as state legislators, a chance to review the status of legislation and prepare for the last three days of the current legislative session, which will take place on Monday, April 11 through Thursday, April 14.

In addition, as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, I spent all of last week in Conference Committee with the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and several other legislators hammering out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the 2012 Budget. After reviewing our work up to this point, I thought it would be a good idea to update you about some key pieces of legislation that have already passed the House and await final passage. [Full Story »] 

Thursday, March 31, marked legislative day 37, leaving only three legislative days in the current 40 day session.

Since first starting in January, we have been hard at work introducing, reviewing, and voting on legislation, but there is still much work to be done before the session ends on April 14.

Much of the legislation this week involved bills that create a safer and more prosperous Georgia. I would like to inform you about these pieces of legislation to bring you up to date on the issues that were addressed at your state capitol. [Full Story »] 

This week, before I try to recap the past week in the legislature, I want to take a minute to remind the senior citizens of Barrow County that there is still time to file for the Senior Citizen Ad-Valorem Tax Exemption if they have not already done so.

The deadline to file is April 1st. To qualify you need to be 62 years old or older and meet certain requirements based on income. To see if you meet these income requirements all you need to do is take your 2010 Federal Tax Return down to the Barrow County Tax Assessors Office and the good folks there will be able to see if you qualify.

Last week was a busy week down at the Capital, Wednesday, March 16th marked the 30th legislative day of the 2011 session. Known as “Crossover Day,” this critical day marks the last chance that most House bills will have to pass the House and make their way to the Senate. [Full Story »] 

Friday, March 11, 2011, marked the 28th legislative day of the General Assembly’s annual session.

With Crossover Day (Day 30) and Sine Die (Day 40, the final legislative day) quickly approaching, we are busier than ever under the Gold Dome. As our capitol days get longer and the number of bills being debated grows, I want to help you stay up-to-date on a few key issues that may affect you and your family.

As I’m sure you have noticed, the increasing cost of healthcare and health insurance has received a lot of attention since President Obama signed the “Affordable Care Act” into law on March 23, 2010. [Full Story »] 

Monday, Feb. 28, marked the twentieth legislative day, and halfway point, of the Georgia General Assembly’s 2011 legislative session.

While we have already succeeded in passing legislation improving our early voting system, increasing the safety of bicyclists, and amending our Fiscal Year 2011 state budget, there is still much left to do before we reach legislative day 40 and adjourn sine die. That was clear this week, when the House passed legislation addressing some of the most important issues facing our state and local communities. Two bills concerned the HOPE Scholarship and illegal immigration in our state. I’d like to tell you more about these bills and some of the other work done in the state House, so you can stay informed of the critical work that is being done here at the Gold Dome. [Full Story »] 

The pace at the capitol quickened this week as we worked our way closer to the halfway point of the 2011 legislative session. As committees continued to scrutinize legislation, my colleagues and I in the House passed several important pieces of legislation. The HOPE Scholarship, K-12 education funding, and early voting reform were at the forefront of issues addressed by the Georgia House of Representatives.

Early this week, Governor Nathan Deal outlined his proposals to save Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship, Pre-K, and HOPE Grant programs, all of which are funded by the Georgia Lottery. Though the Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) programs have seen overwhelming success and become trademarks of the state, their popularity continues to outpace lottery revenues. If something is not done this year, the HOPE and Pre-K programs that so many Georgians have come to depend on will become bankrupt. [Full Story »] 

While committees continued to pour over legislation this week, there was a unique buzz of excitement underneath the Gold Dome as the House heard from some of our state’s great leaders and legends.

The House of Representatives welcomed Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Carol Hunstein to the House as she presented the annual State of the Judiciary address. As Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, Hunstein leads the highest state court in Georgia, our seven member state supreme court, and also presides over our state’s entire judicial branch. Just as our governor, serving as chief of our state’s executive branch, visits the House and presents the State of the State address to the General Assembly each year, so does the chief justice in presenting the State of the Judiciary address. [Full Story »]