House and Senate conferees were able to agree on a final version of HB 119 today by a vote of 137-41, the state's FY 2010 state budget that begins July 1st.  The $18.6 billion plan uses $1.3 billion in federal stimulus money to balance and includes $1 billion in spending cuts.  The budget restores cuts to Medicaid and provider fees that were proposed by the Governor and would have devastated hospitals and medical treatment for the poor.

 

Senators also agreed before midnight to the House version of SB 200 sending it to the Governor.  The legislation creates a new position of Director of Planning at the Department of Transportation, who is appointed by the Governor.  They are charged with developing a long term plan for the DOT which is submitted to the Governor and General Assembly for approval.  But, DOT board members and rank and file House and Senate members, who have a say in what projects are funded now, would have their power limited under the bill.  In turn, House and Senate leaders and the Governor would have greater authority over the DOT appropriations process.  The DOT Commissioner would still be appointed by the board but would only be responsible for running the department and implementing the long range plan.

 

What Georgians did not see this session is an agreement on a much needed transportation funding proposal. The House version was a constitutional amendment calling for a statewide 1 cent sale tax that, if approved by the voters, would have raised $25 billion over ten years for transportation projects. Senators insisted on a plan allowing contiguous counties to band together and vote to pass a 1 cent sales tax for transportation projects in that region. House and Senate conferees could not agree and any solution for funding transportation in Georgia is dead for another year.

 

The House passed and sent to the Governor HB 438 which provides certain Georgia employers a $5,000 tax credit for creating new jobs.  An amendment was added in the Senate mandating that those applying for the credit must go through an electronic verification system to ensure that the employee is not an illegal immigrant.

 

In the same vain, House members adopted the conference committee report on HB 481 by a vote of 112-52, which provides a $2,400 tax credit for corporations that hire those who have been unemployed for at least 4 weeks. However, the legislation was amended to cut the capital gains taxes by 25 percent on investment earnings in 2010 and 50 percent in following years.

 

Another measure adopted in the House was HB 261. Lawmakers agreed to the conference committee report of HB 261 by a vote of 158-5.  The bill provides a $1,800 tax credit to first time home buyers and will be spread out over three years. Originally the bill called for a $3,600 tax credit.

 

In an effort to help improve the Department of Human Resources the House passed HB 228 that reorganizes one of the largest agencies in state government. Under the bill the current responsibilities of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases under DHR would be replaced by a new Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities that would be overseen by a council appointed by the Governor. Additionally, the legislation moves the public health division into the new Department of Community Health. DCH would also be overseen by a new public health advisory council.

 

Georgians will also be able to formally adopt embryos with the final passage of HB 388 by a vote of 108-61. It allows parents to bring the embryo to life and be the legal parents. Under the bill, a human embryo is defined as a fertilized egg, from the single-cell stage to 8-week development.

 

Other bills of interest were:

SB 155- was adopted in the House by a vote of 106-58.  The bill would remove "ephemeral streams" from the list of state waters that require a 25 foot buffer.

 

SB 164- did not pass the House.  The bill would have provided for certain height limitations on such signs; to allow owners of legally erected and maintained signs to obtain permits to remove vegetation from the viewing zones of their signs if certain specified conditions are met.

 

SB 246- was unanimously adopted by the House.  The bill would provide notice of the release of a child from detention under certain circumstances.  Specifically, if a child accused of a violent delinquent act is detained pending adjudication the juvenile court intake officer shall provide notice to the victim, whenever practicable, that such child is to be released from detention not less than 24 hours prior to such child's release from detention. Furthermore, if a child has been convicted of a crime, the juvenile court intake officer shall, whenever practicable, provide notice to the victim of such pending release, not less than 48 hours prior to the release.