This is a comprehensive revision of Georgia's drug laws that are meant to ease the rising costs of our prison system. Last year the budget for the Department of Corrections exceeded the $1 billion mark. The bill focuses judgments for low-risk drug offenders towards rehabilitation rather than confinement and strengthens Georgia’s probation and parole systems by increasing supervision and accountability. It also subdivides burglary in an effort to differentiate breaking into someone’s home from a place of business, although both offenses remain felonies. The bill removes the statute of li
The State Charter School Resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution of Georgia to permit the creation of state charter schools and clarify the authority of the state to establish a state-wide education policy. The law will also protect local school district revenues when state charter schools are created.
The Fiscal Year 2013 (HB 742) budget expresses very strong policy statements, as well as sound, general principles of management we all can agree are needed for the people of Georgia.
On March 24th, during the final days of negotiations on the budget, the governor revised the revenue estimate up by $117.5 million, and these additional funds are being placed very deliberately into a long-term fiscal plan for encouraging and supporting economic growth for our state.
Georgia’s Jobs and Family Tax Reform Plan is a comprehensive reform of how taxes are collected in Georgia. The plan eliminates both the sales tax and ad valorem tax on automobiles and replaces them with a one-time title fee that is paid when the title is transferred from one owner to another. The bill also phases out the taxes placed on energy used in manufacturing, which will align Georgia with surrounding states so that we are not at a disadvantage when competing for manufacturing jobs like those coming from Caterpillar’s recent investment near Athens. The bill levels the playing field
The Georgia Government Accountability Act will establish a review process for agency efficiency by creating the Legislative Sunset Advisory Committee. The “Sunset Committee” will review all state agencies and executive branch subsidiaries that receive funds through a state Appropriations Act. The committee will have the ability to recommend the abolition of an agency, if the responsibilities and obligations of the agency in question are repealed, revised or reassigned by the General Assembly. Entities established in the State Constitution shall not be subject to automatic abolishment.
Pages
Join Alan's email list for legislative updates and news from the Capitol.
|
|
|
