Georgia State Rep Matt Ramsey

Thank You to Georgia Citizens

2011-05-20T10:47:00.002-04:00

Last week Governor Nathan Deal signed into law House Bill 87 that I co-authored with many other outstanding legislators which aims to comprehensively address the social and economic consequences of illegal immigration. Over the course of the last several months similar comprehensive efforts in some other states have failed and I have been asked repeatedly “why did Georgia’s effort succeed when other’s failed?” My answer has always been “because the CITIZENS of Georgia demanded action.” This was not an issue led by politicians, but rather by the hard working people of Georgia that recognize the serious consequences of our federal government’s failure to secure our borders. The purpose of this note is to simply say THANK YOU to every Georgia citizen that took the time to write, e-mail, call or visit the Capitol on behalf of this bill. The measure would not have become law without you.

In particular I want to thank the Dustin Inman Society, under the leadership of D.A. King, for its untiring and unflinching work on behalf of this initiative. D.A. has been the staunchest advocate in Georgia for years on behalf of efforts to address the issues posed by illegal immigration and his knowledge and passion are unmatched. There is no one in Georgia that has a greater knowledge of state and federal immigration law enforcement efforts than D.A. and he was integral in the passage of the landmark illegal immigration reform measure SB 529 in 2006 and HB 87 this year. D.A. is the voice for thousands of Georgians that are fed up with their federal government’s failure to enforce the rule of law and I appreciate his friendship and am proud to have worked with him on HB 87 and look forward to working with him in the years ahead as we continue the effort to address this critical issue.

I have never been involved in an issue that had such a high level of citizen involvement and engagement and the measure would not have ever gotten out of committee, much less signed into law, without the persistent lobbying efforts of thousands upon thousands of Georgians. Let me again say thank you to all of the thousands of Georgians that supported this effort.

Sincerely,
Matt Ramsey

Rep. Matt Ramsey Comments on Signing of HB 47

2011-05-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

Rep. Ramsey (R) watches as Governor Deal signs HB 47

State Representative Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) released the following statement today regarding the governor’s signing of House Bill 47:

“I want to thank Governor Deal for signing this legislation today, and by doing so, providing Georgians with more options in the health insurance market.

“HB 47 places more power into the hands of insurance-buying consumers and makes it possible for us to break down the barriers to competition in the health insurance market in our state. As a result, consumers will see an increase in options and greater latitude in their ability to make decisions that benefit their families. The consumer wins when the forces of the free-market are unlocked on their behalf, and that is exactly what HB 47 provides.”

Representative Matt Ramsey represents the citizens of District 72, which includes portions of Fayette County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2007, and was elected by the House Majority Caucus to serve as their Caucus Vice-Chairman in 2010. He also serves on the Appropriations, Congressional and Legislative Reapportionment, Judiciary Non-Civil, and Regulated Industries committees.

Affordable Health Care through Free-Market Solutions

2011-05-02T09:10:00.000-04:00

The following is a response to opponents of HB 47 and free market health insurance solutions
by Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers and House Majority Caucus Vice-Chair Matt Ramsey

Georgians don’t just need access to affordable health care; Georgians need greater access to meaningful health care. The free-market principles of competition can help drive down costs, provide for greater accessibility, and provide Georgians with more health care options.

It’s true that House Bill 47 will allow Georgia licensed insurance companies to sell products they sell in other states to Georgians. It is also true that cost isn’t the only consideration for the uninsured. Many consumers are stuck in a stagnant health insurance market with fewer carriers and plan choices than their cross-border neighbors. HB 47 would help the uninsured access a more-customized benefits package that meets their health needs.

18% of Georgia’s population has no health insurance. These Georgians are one bad illness or accident away from a complete health and financial disaster. Our state’s uninsured are individuals, families and small business owners that do not have access to insurance through their employer or a family member. The only option they have to purchase insurance is in Georgia’s one-size-fits-all individual market place, which simply lacks the choice and competition to work well for the consumer. HB 47 will unlock the forces of the free market and provide more options for Georgia’s insurance buying consumers.

In addition to bringing greater choices and access to health insurance, HB 47 will also allow Georgia to benefit from innovative plans in other states. Cross-border purchasing of health insurance will cause pressure to create a more competitive Georgia health insurance market. It will bring about quicker access to innovative plans because insurers would face fewer “barriers to entry” into Georgia. In other words, HB 47 will allow Georgians to benefit from new ideas in other states while maintaining access to all of the core consumer and licensing protections important to this state.

If a greater range of plans enters Georgia’s market, it only means that Georgians are freely choosing those plans and becoming insured and it would also reveal that Georgia’s current market place, which inhibits choice, simply is not working. It is also important to remember that this will be Georgia companies selling plans it offers in other states to Georgia consumers. This will ensure Georgia citizens with access to Georgia courts, Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner’s grievance resolution process and all other consumer protections afforded insurance buyers today in Georgia. Simply put, the purpose of insurance regulation is not to achieve fairness or protection for insurers. It is to achieve fairness and protection for Georgians.

It is clear that a one-size-fits-all solution is not working for Georgia’s diverse uninsured population. The Georgia Legislature chose to provide a way for Georgians to gain greater access to more affordable, meaningful coverage without added government regulation.

In the end the debate boiled down to one simple point. Opponents of HB 47 believe the state government is in the best position to decide what is and is not in a consumer’s insurance policy in Georgia. The majority party in the General Assembly, on the other hand, trust Georgia’s citizens to make an informed choice about what insurance option is best for their family or business. We also understand that in the history of humankind it has been proven over and over again that it is a good thing for consumers to have more choice and more competition in a market place. That is exactly what HB 47 will provide.

4/20/11 Sine Die Wrap Up

2011-04-27T12:44:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday night, just before midnight, the gavel came down and brought the 2011 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly to a close. It was a tough, but in many ways, a very productive session. Earlier in the session the legislature again passed a balanced budget without raising taxes on Georgians that will ensure Georgia will remain a leader among states in terms of fiscally conservative and responsible budgeting practices. The General Assembly also took necessary action to ensure the financial solvency of the HOPE Scholarship program for future generations of college students by realigning the program with the fiscal realities of a program that was paying far more in benefits than it was receiving in lottery receipts.

I wanted to use this letter as an opportunity to give a quick update on legislation I was personally involved in that was still in doubt on the last day of the session. First, and perhaps most talked about, was HB 87, legislation I sponsored to address the social and economic consequences of illegal immigration. I am happy to report the measure received final passage by both the House and Senate on Thursday and is on the way to Governor Deal’s desk. I have never been involved in a more difficult and time consuming legislative initiative and believe the final product is one that will truly make a difference in the years ahead in the State of Georgia. I believe the bill will benefit the taxpayers, who are currently subsidizing the presence of nearly 500,000 illegal aliens in Georgia. I believe the bill will benefit our public schools, which are overcrowded and underfunded. I believe the bill will make our communities safer. I also believe it will ensure jobs are protected for U.S. citizens and LEGAL immigrants. In the waning days of the session there was a great deal of debate and discussion with the opponents of the measure, but in the end, we got the vast majority of what we wanted in the bill with the most critical provisions remaining intact. In fact, it has been called the toughest, most comprehensive bill in the country. To citizens that wrote me and other members of the legislature in support of this measure, please know the support of grass roots citizens is what made the enactment of this bill possible by allowing us to overcome the special interests that were lobbying against the bill.

Another bill that came down to the wire on Thursday that I have been working on for more than two years is a bill to allow Georgia health insurance companies to sell products to GA consumers that they sell in other states. This is a critical free-market oriented reform meant to give Georgia insurance buying families and businesses the benefits of more choice and competition in the individual insurance market. I am very happy to report that with about an hour to spare on the last night of the session we were able to secure final passage of the bill in the Georgia House. HB 47 is now on the way to Governor Deal’s desk for his signature.

Finally, a less talked about but important bill I sponsored this year also received final passage on the final day of the legislative session. Many have read in recent weeks about the proliferation of internet sweepstakes cafes around the state, including a facility right here in Fayette County. Prosecutors and cities alike have been struggling with how to address these facilities which have been exploiting what they believe is a loophole in our state’s gambling laws and have been operating what are tantamount to slot machine casinos under the guise of running legitimate sweepstakes. City officials in every city in which one of these facilities have been opened or are attempting to open have expressed concern about their impact on crime and safety and a degradation of local community standards. The bill I sponsored with other legislators, and which is now on its way to the Governor’s desk, closes the loophole that has been exploited. I worked very closely with the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, the Georgia Municipal Association and the Attorney General’s office in crafting the language and they all believe this will address the issue we sought to address.

Thank you again for giving me the honor of serving on behalf of Fayette County in the Georgia General Assembly this year. Please never hesitate to contact me if I can be of service or address any question or concern you may have regarding your state government.

Rep. Matt Ramsey Comments on Passage of Common Sense Immigration Reform

2011-04-14T22:48:00.000-04:00

State Representative Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) released the following statement today in response to the passage of House Bill 87:

“Today members of the General Assembly came together and firmly resolved to uphold the laws of our society. This legislation closes gaping loopholes that have allowed illegal aliens to flood into our country and state, where they unlawfully take advantage of taxpayer funded services. Current economic conditions have made it painfully obvious that the state of Georgia literally cannot afford to continue this broken system. Our classrooms are more crowded, our healthcare system is at its limits, our transportation infrastructure is overburdened and our law enforcement community is pushed to the brink. Georgians have demanded action, and their state legislature has complied. We continue to welcome and encourage legal immigration, and this legislation helps those individuals, as well as all other legal Georgia residents, by ensuring that employment opportunities are filled by legal residents.”

Rep. Ramsey to Introduce “Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011”

2011-01-26T14:39:00.000-05:00

There is no country in the world more welcoming to immigrants than the United States of America. While we offer immigrants an opportunity to improve their employment, standard of living, and personal freedoms, perhaps the greatest opportunity we provide is a chance for immigrants to join the American melting pot of cultures and become American. Only in America does the stranger become, not simply a permanent resident, but one of us; every bit as American as the descendant of a Mayflower pilgrim.

With this great privilege, however, comes responsibility. The most basic responsibility, shared by us all, is to obey the law. The rule of law is the keystone that holds together our orderly society. Unfortunately, it is clear that we have experienced a complete breakdown of America’s immigration law.

Though long ignored by Washington, Georgia literally cannot afford to ignore the economic burden created by our unsecure borders. The economic downturn caused Georgia’s unemployment to rise to record highs and state revenues to plummet to new lows. We continue to see huge reductions to every segment of our state budget, meaning state services are stretched thinner than ever before. School classrooms are more crowded, our healthcare system is at its limits, transportation infrastructure is overburdened and our law enforcement community is working feverishly to do more work with fewer resources. It would be patently irresponsible not to address the issues posed by Georgia’s estimated 400,000- plus illegal aliens.

With this in mind and after a great deal of study, the members of the Special Committee on Immigration Reform are introducing the “Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011.” This legislation includes numerous common-sense reforms aimed at addressing the social and economic consequences in Georgia resulting from the federal government’s inability to secure our nation’s borders.

This legislation will require the use of the federal E-Verify system by private employers in this state. This is a common sense step towards ensuring that available job opportunities are afforded only to our legal residents and that employers stay within existing law.

The legislation will also protect citizens from an unlawful burden on taxpayer-funded services by requiring the use of only secure and verifiable identification documents for any official purpose, including the dispensation of public benefits. Further, it will provide greater incentives for law enforcement agencies to apply for participation in federal partnerships that provide for faster and more efficient identification and transfer of illegal aliens.

In addition, the bill provides important new tools for law enforcement officers and provides them greater latitude in handling immigration issues during a lawful stop or detention. The bill also creates criminal penalties for any individual that encourages an illegal alien to come to Georgia or that transports or harbors an illegal alien once they arrive. This is not an exercise in scapegoating. Our nation’s illegal immigration crisis ultimately represents a failure of government. The federal government’s failure to secure our borders serves as an open invitation for illegal immigration. The employers who encourage and reward illegal immigration are certainly not blameless. Make no mistake: those here illegally did not act alone. However, violation of the law cannot be simply ignored, particularly when the enormous costs of those violations weighs so heavily on Georgia taxpayers during these difficult economic times.

Week 1 Legislative Update

2011-01-20T14:35:00.002-05:00

Last week saw the 2011 term of the Georgia General Assembly gavel into session. However, it was certainly the most unusual start to a legislative session in my short career. There was tremendous uncertainty with the weather on the eve of session as snow and ice began to fall. However, the Georgia Constitution does not have any provision for bad weather and states we SHALL convene on the second Monday in January. With that in mind I set off for what turned out to be a four hours plus roundtrip commute to Atlanta on Monday to be sworn in myself and to see the inauguration of Georgia’s 82nd Governor, Nathan Deal, which had to be hastily moved inside to the House chambers due to the bad weather. Governor Deal gave an excellent speech which set out many of his goals and aspirations for his impending first term.

Governor Deal’s inaugural speech on Monday was followed on Wednesday by his first state of the State address before a joint session of the House and Senate. The state of the State address is historically primarily focused on the Governor’s budget recommendations and this year’s speech by Governor Deal was no different. Taken in the aggregate, his budget calls for an average spending reduction of roughly 7 % per agency, however, his recommendations certainly did not call for straight across the board cuts. Governor Deal in his speech underlined his intention to hold state funding for K-12 education harmless. Governor Deal’s budget also calls for the elimination of 14,000 state government positions, many of which are already vacant. This is definitely a good step in continuing the efforts the General Assembly have advanced in recent years to reduce the size of state government. Now that the Governor has unveiled his suggested FY 2011 amended and FY 2012 full year budgets the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will begin this week holding agency by agency hearings to review his requested budget and begin the process of authoring the appropriations bills for the General Assembly to consider in the weeks ahead.

Wednesday was the General Assembly’s second and final legislative day of the week and I introduced my first bill of the session before we adjourned that afternoon. The measure is House Bill 47 and is very similar to legislation I authored last year to allow health insurance companies to offer health insurance products that they sell in other states to Georgians. The measure passed the House last year mostly along party lines, however, stalled in the Senate Rules Committee before it could be considered by the full Senate before the end of the session. In my opinion it is a critical free-market oriented reform that will provide the hundreds of thousands of Georgians that only have access to insurance through the individual market a much greater opportunity to find a policy that fits their specific needs. This is particularly important in light of the Obama Administration’s health care reform measure that imposes a mandate on every American to buy health insurance. It is critical that we as state policy makers remove barriers to competition and put more power in the hands of the Georgia insurance buying consumers.

Due to my position in House leadership I serve on the Committee on Assignments which is tasked with making committee assignments for every member of the State House. Much of my time at the Capitol last week was spent in meetings with that Committee working to get House standing committees set for the next two years. On Friday Speaker Ralston announced the slate of Committee Chairmen and Committee positions for 2011-2012. I was honored to be appointed to serve as the Vice-Chairman of the House Reapportionment Committee. I look forward to working with the Chair of that Committee, Roger Lane (R-Darien), and all of its members over the next year to do the constitutionally mandated once-a-decade process of redrawing Georgia’s State House and Senate and Congressional legislative lines to reflect population shifts that have occurred over the past ten years. I was also appointed to serve as the Vice-Chairman of the Special Rules Committee and as a member on the House Appropriations and Ethics Committees. In addition, I will continue to serve on the House Judiciary Non-Civil and Regulated Industries Committees, as I did last term.

Next week the House and Senate are out of session so that joint Appropriations Committee hearings can be held. Over the next few weeks the legislative pace will pick up as more legislation is introduced and committees begin to meet. I look forward to providing regular legislative updates so that the citizens of this community remain informed on the goings on at their State Capitol. As always, I encourage any feedback or questions and hope citizens will call on me if I can be of any service to them.

1/17/11 - Majority Caucus Vice-Chairman Ramsey Announces Legislation Aimed at Providing More Options in the Health Insurance Market

2011-01-20T14:34:00.003-05:00

Today House Majority Caucus Vice-Chairman Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) announced the introduction of House Bill 47. This legislation is aimed at providing Georgians with more options in the health insurance market.

“We are convinced that the best way to provide Georgians with more affordable and varied health insurance options is to unlock the forces of the free market and put more power in the hands of the health insurance buying consumer,” said Rep. Ramsey. “In light of the Obama Administration’s imposition of a mandate to buy health insurance on every single American through his healthcare reform package, it is absolutely critical that we break down the barriers to competition in the health insurance marketplace in Georgia.”

Similar legislation to HB 47 passed the House last year before stalling in the Senate. HB 47, like its predecessor, would allow insurance companies licensed in Georgia to sell health insurance products that are approved for sale in other states.

Joining Representative Ramsey in introducing the measure were House Insurance Committee Chairman John Meadows (R-Calhoun), House Retirement Committee Chairman Howard Maxwell (R-Dallas), House Majority Whip Edward Lindsey (R-Atlanta), House Majority Caucus Chairman Donna Sheldon (R-Dacula), House Majority Caucus Secretary/Treasurer Allen Peake (R-Macon) and more than a dozen other majority caucus Representatives.

1/7/11 - 2011 General Assembly Session Set To Convene

2011-01-20T14:34:00.000-05:00

With the recent flip of the calendar from 2010 to 2011, it is almost time for the Georgia General Assembly to convene again for its annual 40 day session beginning on January 10th. I wanted to take the opportunity to give a preview of some of the prominent issues that will be considered by the State House and Senate this year. Before I do that, however, I would like to wish all of the readers of this column a very blessed and happy new year. I would also like to again say thank you to the citizens of Fayette County for giving me the opportunity to serve our home in the State House. I will be sworn in as a member of the Georgia General Assembly for my third term on January 10th, and please know I continue to believe the greatest honor of my professional career is to serve a wonderful community like ours.

The General Assembly has been forced to deal with some challenging issues in recent years brought on by the historic economic downturn and the resulting unemployment. I have written much in recent years about the state’s budget difficulties that have resulted in billions in spending cuts and a large reduction in the size of our state government. This has not been an easy process, but the good news is that our state maintains its balanced budget and we remain among the three lowest per-capita spending states in the country. While the state’s economy is beginning to show some signs of stabilization, we will have another session of very difficult choices, with many predicting we will need to make well in excess of $1 billion in spending reductions to keep our budget balanced. It is critical we continue to balance our budget by reducing spending and the size of government rather than look to Georgia’s families and businesses for additional revenue through the enactment of broad based tax increases. Further, we must continue the process we have engaged in over the past three years to scrutinize every dollar that is being spent by the state government to ensure taxpayers are receiving the greatest value possible for their hard earned state tax dollars.

Along those lines, I am very hopeful that a measure I have strongly supported and co-sponsored in recent years, the Zero Based Budgeting Act, will be brought up very quickly in the legislative session for consideration by the State House. The measure passed both the House and Senate last year but was ultimately vetoed by Governor Perdue. It will give current and future legislatures another tool in the effort to ensure agencies are spending tax dollars in the most efficient manner possible.

The Georgia unemployment rate continues to hover above 10 percent, and it is vital that we continue to promulgate policies that promote job creation, business expansion and business relocation to Georgia so that Georgia’s 650,000 unemployed can get back to work as soon as possible. Relatively speaking, Georgia is an incredibly well managed state considering the fact we are one of only a small handful of states to maintain its AAA bond rating through the current fiscal crisis and are among the lowest tax states in the country. However, we must continue to look at our tax code to ensure we are poised as a state to remain an economically vibrant and competitive state for generations to come. In that regard, last year the General Assembly created a Tax Reform Council whose mission was to comprehensively study our state’s tax code and provide recommendations to House and Senate on potential reforms. The Council will be releasing its findings in the coming days, and I very much look forward to reviewing the product of their months of study and public input. I strongly believe that we, as a state, need to move our tax code to one that is more consumptive based and less reliant on the taxing of individual and corporate income. Numerous states have moved in this direction and it is already bearing fruit for those states from an economic development standpoint. This is an issue that will surely receive serious consideration this session.

Another issue that must be addressed this session is the financial solvency of the HOPE scholarship program. HOPE has been very successful over its almost two decades of existence and has helped tens of thousands Georgia students continue their education beyond high school. Unfortunately, the program is becoming a victim of its own success in that its annual benefits are exceeding the amount it is collecting in lottery receipts, its primary source of revenue. Over the last several years the state has been forced to withdraw significant sums from the program’s reserves to fund benefits. In fact, the House Budget Office recently estimated that the amount that will need to be drawn down from HOPE reserves in 2011 will be approximately $250 million. The fund’s reserves peaked in 2009 at just over $1 billion, but if current projections are accurate the fund will drop to just over $300 million in 2012, a $700 million decrease in just three years. Clearly this is a trend that cannot be allowed to continue. The House Higher Education Committee has been meeting throughout the summer and fall analyzing potential solutions to this critical issue. At the moment, all options are on the table to ensure the financial stability of this important program. Although no legislation has been filed to date, this will certainly be an issue that receives a great deal of attention this session.

Finally, an issue I have been personally involved in that will undoubtedly be hotly debated this upcoming session will be that of illegal immigration reform. Georgia has passed aggressive laws in recent years seeking to address the social and economic problems that have resulted from the federal government’s failure to secure our nation’s borders; however, more needs to be done. In that regard, Speaker Ralston and Lieutenant Governor Cagle created a Special Joint Committee on Immigration Reform this past fall, and Speaker Ralston honored me by appointing me as the House Chair of the panel. We have engaged in an exhaustive study process over the past several months in anticipation of the upcoming session and will have legislation ready to be introduced in the first two weeks of the session. I will certainly write a great deal more about this topic upon the introduction of the legislation and look forward to interacting with constituents on this important issue.

As we are set to embark on another session of the Georgia General Assembly, I again very much look forward to interacting with constituents from Fayette County. Please know how much I depend on and appreciate feedback from the citizens of this great community. As always, please never hesitate to call on me if I may be of service.

Governor Perdue Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Health Insurance

2010-02-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

Today Governor Sonny Perdue announced that Rep. Matt Ramsey, one of the Governor’s Floor Leader in the House, has introduced House Bill 1184 to expand access to health insurance.

“This legislation will open up the individual insurance market and allows consumers to find the plan that best fits their needs,” said Governor Perdue. “It will also help those that are uninsured find a plan that works for them.”

The legislation will allow individuals and families to buy health plans that have been approved for sale in other states. Insurers that are licensed in Georgia, but who have alternative products that are sold in other states, will also be able to sell those policies in Georgia. Allowing for the purchase of health insurance across state lines will make affordable health insurance more accessible and increase the variety of health plans available to Georgians.

“This legislation empowers Georgians to find a health insurance plan that meets the needs of their family,” said Rep. Ramsey.

The Governor first announced this proposal in January at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs and Issues breakfast.
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Rep. Matt Ramsey Praises Signing of HB 123, Closing Loophole in Georgia's Child Molestation Statute

2009-05-06T16:07:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Governor Sonny Perdue signed House Bill 123 into law. This legislation was authored by Representative Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) to close a loophole in Georgia’s child molestation statute.

House Bill 123 fixes a problem created by a mid-nineties Georgia Supreme Court ruling in which the Court, in a close decision, interpreted the statutory definition of child molestation to require that a perpetrator be physically present with a victim in order to be prosecuted for child molestation.

“The Court’s ruling created a barrier that limited prosecutors' ability to go after predators that subject children to lewd acts via electronic means such as webcams or live streaming video. It was an unusual result in that it meant an offender that commits a lewd act in the presence of a child can be prosecuted for molestation, whereas another person who induces a child to watch the exact same act on a webcam cannot, despite the fact that the impact on the child is the same. HB 123 corrected this flaw,” said Rep. Ramsey. “Our laws must keep up with technological changes and in this case that means closing a loophole that allows predators to use technology to prey upon our children.”

Rep. Ramsey was joined at the signing ceremony by two of the legislation’s co-sponsors, Representative Mark Williams (R-Jesup) and Representative Kevin Levitas (D-Atlanta). Judge Christopher Edwards, District Attorney for the Griffin Judicial Circuit Scott Ballard and his Chief Assistant District Attorney Randy Coggin were also present at the signing.

“I truly appreciate Judge Edwards for bringing the issue to my attention and to Scott Ballard and Randy Coggin for their efforts throughout the legislative session, including participation in several committee hearings, in support of this bill,” said Rep. Ramsey.

The legislation was carried in the Senate by State Senator Ronnie Chance and passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly with bi-partisan support.

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Session Wrap Up

2009-04-27T17:41:00.001-04:00

The General Assembly adjourned for the year on April 3. I have previously written an update on several initiatives that were passed during the last week of the session. However, I wanted to follow up with information on some additional measures that were passed by the General Assembly and are on the Governor’s desk awaiting signature. Facing the toughest economic times in recent memory, the 2009 General Assembly Session proved to be a successful one for Georgians. In addition to passing a balanced budget and addressing the governance of DOT, the legislature addressed several important policy areas, including tax relief, education and our state’s trauma network.

Over the past year a statewide task force of educators, policy makers, school administrators and other education policy experts have worked to identify issues that need to be addressed in Georgia’s public education system. One of the most critical problems identified by the task force is a shortage of math and science teachers. In recent years, Georgia has beefed up its math and science curriculum to ensure our students come out of high school ready to compete in college and in the job market in a world that gets more levered to technology every day. However, currently there is a shortage of between 15%-20%, depending on the subject, of the number of teachers necessary to teach this new math and science curriculum. According to the task force, the shortage of math and science teachers is, by far, the greatest area of needs in terms of teacher recruitment. To underscore the problem, Georgia’s colleges last year only produced one physics teacher and nine chemistry teachers.

To address the issue, several legislators, including myself, introduced a measure to provide pay incentives to math and science teachers in an effort to encourage college students that excel in math and science to consider teaching as a possible occupation, rather than other opportunities. This is a market-based, common sense approach to employee recruitment that has been used successfully in the private sector forever. Simply put, if you have a need that is not being met at a given salary and benefit level, you must enhance the salary and benefits to incent additional prospective employees to consider the position. This will benefit all of Georgia’s students as they move out of high school and into college or the workforce. Further, this is an economic development issue, in that it will help make sure Georgia continues to have the kind of technically proficient workforce that will entice technology based companies to invest in and bring jobs to Georgia in the decades to come.

Tax relief for Georgians was a key issue for the General Assembly this year. It is critical in these difficult economic times that we provide measures aimed at helping financially strapped families and businesses, while encouraging economic activity, job growth and increased investment in our economy. The General Assembly passed a measure that will prevent property tax assessments from increasing at all over the next two years to help Georgians who are already struggling with out of control property tax bills. In addition, the House and Senate passed the Jobs Opportunity and Business Success Act (JOBS Act), which was introduced as a package of legislation to create, expand and attract jobs for Georgians. By combining a series of tax cuts, fee suspensions and incentives to hire unemployed Georgians this legislation actually encourages private sector economic activity, rather than the federal government’s version of a stimulus plan that seemed only focused on using taxpayer dollars to stimulate the growth of the size of the federal government.

Finally, the General Assembly worked to provide for a more robust trauma care system in this state. Georgia has the worst per-capita access to Level I trauma care in the southeastern United States. We are losing thousands of lives every year in Georgia because individuals involved in traumatic accidents are not treated quickly enough to mitigate the physical harm caused by the accident. In that regard, the Legislature and Governor Perdue worked together to craft the “Super Speeder” legislation that provides for enhanced fines for excessive speeding, reckless driving, habitual DUI offenders and other dangerous driving activities that are the leading causes of traumatic accidents on our roads. As one of Governor Perdue’s floor leaders, I was significantly involved in the passage of this legislation out of the House. The increased fines are intended to make drivers think twice before excessively speeding or engaging in other dangerous driving activities that endanger all of our families every day on Georgia’s roads. The additional funding derived from the violators of these laws will be used to help fund a statewide trauma care network that will benefit any Georgian that suffers a traumatic accident.

I believe the legislature implemented a number of common-sense measures this session that will benefit millions of Georgians. The information above is but a few of these bills. I welcome any questions from constituents on these or any other matters relevant to our state government. As I’ve said before, thank you so much for the opportunity to serve this great community in the General Assembly.

Matt Ramsey

Final Report of the Current Session

2009-04-14T11:07:00.000-04:00

The Georgia General Assembly adjourned the final day of the session on Friday night at 11:59 p.m. It was a hectic final week with several important pieces of legislation getting enacted, while several others were held over to next year. I wanted to give a brief overview about the final week of the session and follow up with a more comprehensive wrap up in the weeks to come.

First, the General Assembly passed the final $18.6 billion FY 2010 budget on Friday evening by an overwhelming bipartisan vote in favor of the House/Senate Conference Committee’s final budget. As I have constantly stated, it was a very difficult budget cycle as the state endeavored to deal with rapidly decreasing revenues that necessitated nearly $3 billion in cuts. However, we were able to balance the budget without raising taxes, unlike countless other states going through similarly difficult times, by making difficult choices and shrinking the size of government. While the cuts will certainly be felt throughout every sector of state government, I strongly believe the final budget document protects to the greatest extent possible critical state missions such as education and public safety, while focusing the largest reductions on other areas of the state budget. As I stated, I will provide a more detailed report on the final budget in the weeks to come and welcome any questions or comments.

Two of the most important pieces of legislation to pass the General Assembly were major restructurings of our state’s two largest agencies, the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Transportation. Since being elected in 2007, I have repeatedly written about my concern over mismanagement of the DOT. I strongly believe our current system is broken, which is partially evidenced by our hopelessly overburdened transportation infrastructure in Metro-Atlanta. The current system was set up several decades ago and provides an unelected Board of thirteen individuals, with no direct accountability to the citizens of Georgia, complete and total power over every aspect of planning, funding and project delivery. In my opinion, it is good ol’ boy politics at its worst and has led to the DOT over-obligating itself to the tune of several billion dollars. The legislation passed last week will provide those that are directly accountable to Georgia’s voters, the Governor and members of the General Assembly, a greater voice in our state’s transportation system. The planning and funding process will be completely transparent, rather than the current system where the process occurs in a Board Room and is often based solely on political favors and clout.

The General Assembly also provided for a significant reorganization of the Department of Human Resources, a department that provides for an incredibly wide array of services to Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens, including abused and neglected children and the elderly. The reorganization will help to ensure a more streamlined and transparent service delivery system by breaking the massive agency into three smaller more focused and targeted agencies. It is the result of a year long Health and Human Services task force that focused its efforts on determining a more effective way to serve Georgia’s citizens.

Finally, I have received a great deal of interest and wanted to provide an update on legislation I authored to add cell phone use to the list of restrictions placed on under-18, Class-D license holders. The legislation passed the House Motor Vehicles Committee unanimously, passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support, passed the Senate Public Safety Committee Unanimously, but got hung up in the Senate Rules Committee in the final days of the session without getting to the Senate floor for a vote. In the end, it was a numbers game whereby many bills didn’t make it to the House or Senate floor due to time simply running out on the session. To use a football analogy, we moved the football down inside our opponent’s five yard line but didn’t quite get it into the end zone. However, the good news for supporters of the legislation is that this is a two-year session, and the bill will still be on the five yard line when next year’s session convenes.

I am very proud to report that legislation I authored to address a gap in our child molestation statute is on its way to the Governor for signature. In addition, legislation I introduced to protect parties from costs resulting from meritless lawsuits was adopted and on its way to the Governor for signature. Also, legislation I worked on to provide our school systems greater flexibility from state mandates to help in the current economic crisis was also adopted by the House and Senate and awaits the Governor’s signature.

I look forward to providing additional information on this and other legislation addressed by the General Assembly in the weeks to come. Let me also say thank you to the numerous citizens that wrote and called me during the session. I truly enjoy the interaction with constituents and the input is absolutely invaluable.
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Week 10 Update (3/30/09)

2009-03-30T23:34:00.001-04:00

This past week proved to be another busy one for the House of Representatives. We are set to start our last week and the pace of bills and resolutions being considered is brisk. Last week we considered several important bills.

Earlier this year, we voted on Senate Bill 83 which would have provided Georgia’s voters the ability to increase their homestead exemption by $2000, which has not been increased since the 1930s on a statewide basis, but it failed along a party line vote. This week it was reconsidered and came back up for a vote, but again fell short of the 2/3 majority vote necessary to provide for such a constitutional amendment. Unfortunately, House Democrats blocked this bill’s approval again. If passed, it would have been put before the citizens and given them an opportunity to vote to give tax relief to our homeowners during these difficult economic times.

After months of committee meetings and hearings, several bills made it through the General Assembly and to the Governor’s desk this week. If signed by Governor Perdue, these bills will become law. Some of the bills awaiting the Governor’s signature include House Bills 149 and Senate Bill 13.

Senate Bill 13 gives prosecutors in Georgia the option to seek life without parole convictions for serious criminal offenses. Under current law, the only way a prosecutor can secure a life without parole conviction is to seek the death penalty. Death penalty trials are usually very costly and take longer to complete at a greater expense to our taxpayers. Often times, prosecutors seek the death penalty just to secure the life without parole option. This change in law will allow prosecutors to seek this type of conviction directly without going for the death penalty. It will also ensure that the people who need to be locked up for the rest of their life will be sentenced quicker and reduce the cost of such trials.

House Bill 149 allows 11th and 12th grade public school students to attend a college or technical school to complete high school while receiving credit towards a higher degree. This bill, commonly called the “Move on When Ready” Act, gives public school students and their families more options to fit their individual educational needs. By allowing students to choose courses that fit their personal life goals we can foster the educational interest students need to succeed.

I am also pleased to report that House Bill 123, legislation that I authored to close a loophole in our child molestation statute, passed the Senate unanimously and now comes back to the House to be agree to one technical change that was made by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Senator Chance has worked closely with me on this important legislation and did an excellent job presenting the bill on the Senate floor. We are one small step away from sending this bill to the Governor and providing for additional tools in the effort to protect children from predators.

As the 2009 Session comes to an end, many House and Senate bills are now closer to becoming law. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at my Capitol office (404-651-7737). I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Week 9 Report

2009-03-30T23:32:00.000-04:00

With Crossover Day behind us, the end of a challenging 2009 regular session draws near. The House and Senate have six legislative days remaining before we adjourn on Friday, April 3. As I have stated over and over again, this session continues to be dominated by budget discussions brought on by the historic economic downturn our state is currently facing. The shortfall in revenues will result in the largest reduction in the size of state government over a two year period in the history of the state. Last week, the House passed its version of the 2010 Budget. The measure has now been sent to the Senate where the Senate will surely adopt a differing version which will result in a conference committee meeting to iron out differences before the end of the session. As the 2010 Budget was far and away the most significant legislation adopted by the House last week, I have listed some information below about areas of the budget in which I have received the most inquiries from constituents.

Healthcare .

The budget passed by the House restores a proposed reduction of $434 million in reimbursement to hospitals and healthcare providers. The Governor continues to express concern about the ability of the State to fund expected growth in Medicaid, which will certainly come as our unemployment rate continues to rise. This will certainly be a key point of negotiation in the remaining days of the session. One issue I have heard a great deal about is the proposed elimination of the State’s supplement for school nurses and its potential impact on student health. The version passed by the House fully funds the school nurse program. The House version of the budget also maintains the current state-to-employee State Health Benefit Plan contribution ratio for current and retired employees, however, that figure may be adjusted in the Senate.

Education

The House budget includes full funding of the state salary supplement for National Board Certified Teachers, which was initially slated for elimination in the Governor’s budget recommendation. In addition, the House budget provides that Quality Basic Education enrollment growth projections for K-12 grade and the university system will receive full
funding. Education makes up roughly 60% over our State’s budget. Virtually every agency of state government went through spending reductions of 10% or greater. The House’s 2009 and 2010 budget both have reductions of approximately 3% in the area of K-12 education, far and away the least impacted area of the state budget in terms of percentage reductions. While the economic downturn has necessitated cuts (the only other alternative is tax increases, which would be a terrible idea in this economy), I believe you will continue to see the House and Senate work to the greatest extent possible to ensure that the economy does not impact our children’s education. I pledge to represent that view throughout the remaining days of the session.

Public Safety

The safety and security of the Georgia’s citizens is one of the primary responsibility of State government. It is vital that we not allow the economic downturn to jeopardize the safety of our citizens. While economic necessity has forced some cuts in public safety, the House version of the budget funds GBI crime labs throughout the state and 23 new State Patrol cars to help keep our roads safe.

These difficult economic times certainly impacts us all in one way or another. Some important services were reduced in the FY 2009 supplemental budget and in the House’s version of the 2010 budget, and if revenues continue to diminish further cuts may be necessary. However, both budget documents represent a concerted, diligent effort to cut wasteful spending and prioritize the needs of Georgians in the face of a marked and continuing economic downturn. We are constitutionally obligated to live within our means in Georgia and balance the budget, which ensures our children are not burdened by additional State incurred debt, as our federal government is fond of doing. If there is one good thing to come from these hard times it will be a renewed appreciation for the proper limits of government and fiscal responsibility.

Serving as your representative is an honor, and I take this responsibility
seriously. As the session progresses, I will continue to update you on legislation
and events important to the state and our district. Please do not hesitate to
contact me with your thoughts and comments by calling my office at (404) 651-7737.

Week 7 Update

2009-03-30T23:31:00.001-04:00

(Somehow we managed to get a bit behind on Rep. Ramsey's posts.)

Last week, the General Assembly convened for Days 25, 26 and 27 of the legislative session. We are rapidly approaching Day 30, known as “Cross-Over Day” which is the last day that bills originating from the House and Senate can pass out of their respective bodies and be heard by the other body this session. Last week we considered some important measures on the floor and in committee.

For the last several years, Georgia has passed some of the strictest immigration laws in the country. Despite this, a loophole in our elections laws allowed thousands of illegal immigrants to register to vote. As a result of this problem, we passed House Bill 45, which requires all people registering to vote to prove their citizenship. Birth certificates, driver’s licenses, passports, and U.S. naturalization documents are among the numerous types of proof that will be accepted. This small step is crucial to preventing voter fraud and preserving confidence in the electoral system.

I have continually heard from people in the education community about the difficulty in finding sufficient numbers of math and science teachers to deal with Georgia’s beefed up curriculum in those areas. Every day our economy becomes more levered to science and technology and our children’s ability to compete in the global job market in the future will depend largely on their proficiency in math and science.

Our colleges are simply not producing enough teachers in these areas to meet the current need. For example, our state colleges and universities produced only one certified physics teacher and only nine chemistry teachers. We currently have a close to twenty-percent shortage of science teachers in our public schools. House Bill 280 seeks to address the problem by providing a stipend to new math and science teachers in their first five years of teaching to encourage college students to look at teaching in the area of math and science.

Members of the Appropriations Committee while the bill was being debate on the floor that the funding needed for these increases would be derived from the Board of Regents and will not be a shift from within the Department of Education. It is my hope that this incentive will encourage more teachers in these critical areas.

Last week, legislation that I have introduced on the behalf of Governor Perdue aimed at protecting innocent parties from incurring unnecessary costs when a meritless lawsuit has been introduced against them passed unanimously out of the House Judiciary Committee. The legislation would provide for a 120 day stay of discovery whenever a motion to dismiss is filed by a party aiming to get a claim against them, that they deem to be without merit, dismissed. The discovery stay will provide time for the Judge to rule on the motion before significant dollars are expended on discovery. Fairness dictates that a party should not have to bear discovery expenses (depositions, document production, etc.) if the court ultimately determines that the underlying claim lacked legal merit.

Finally, this week the House and Senate amended our previously set schedule. This new schedule will result in the General Assembly concluding the 40th and final day of the legislative session for this year on April 3.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at my Capitol office at (404)651-7737. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Week 3 Update

2009-02-09T22:42:00.001-05:00

This past week was the third full week the General Assembly was in session, and Friday marked the fifteenth legislative day out of a Constitutional maximum of forty. The big news of the week was the announcement at the end of the week of the official state revenue numbers for the month of January. Governor Perdue announced that the revenues in January 2009 were close to fifteen percent (over $250 million) less than the revenues in January 2008. This was one of the largest year-over-year monthly decreases in our state’s history and significantly less than the revenue estimate for the month. What this means, in real dollar terms, is that the General Assembly will likely need to cut as much as $3 billion, rather than the previously estimated $2 billion in reductions, to balance the budget.

Because of the rapid deterioration in revenues, a resolution was adopted on Friday setting our schedule for the rest of the session. The House and Senate leadership determined that it was prudent to set a schedule which reserves five legislative days in the event that revenues continue to drop precipitously between now and the end of the fiscal year in June. This will allow the General Assembly to come back into session and make any necessary budget adjustments in the months to come. In order to save these days, it will require the legislature to finish our business by the thirty-fifth day of the legislative session.

Given the revenue difficulties brought on by the economy, it is important that all levels of government use their discretion to allocate dollars to critical needs. Recognizing this fact, Governor Perdue is working to provide relief from expenditure controls to give maximum flexibility to school systems in their effort to ensure classroom instruction is not diminished during this difficult time. In that regard, I have introduced legislation on behalf of Governor Perdue that will provide relief from several state budgetary restrictions for this school year and next school year. It should be heard by the Education Committee in the coming week. It is absolutely critical that we work to ensure that our children’s education is not impacted by the current budgetary limitations. I strongly believe that is the sentiment of the Governor and my colleagues in the General Assembly.

On Friday of last week, I presented my “cell phone bill” before a subcommittee of the Motor Vehicles Committee. This bill, if adopted, will prohibit cell phone use by 16 and 17-year-old drivers. The hearing went well, with the Medical Association of Georgia, AAA, and other groups testifying in favor of my legislation. I am hopeful a vote will occur in another committee meeting in the days ahead. Also, my legislation to strengthen the child molestation statute will be heard in subcommittee this upcoming week. I will provide updates on both pieces of legislation in the weeks ahead.

While the budget news is not good, I believe a good and important discussion is being brought on by the economic difficulties. Because revenues are significantly diminished, all levels of government are being forced to truly assess and evaluate the necessity of all programs and services. On the state level, budget cuts are necessary; however, when the economy improves, Georgia’s government will be more lean and efficient because of this experience, which is the silver lining to the economic black cloud hanging over us.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. I look forward to interacting with the members of this great community.

Matt Ramsey

Week 1 Report

2009-01-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

Last week the 2009 Georgia General Assembly was gaveled into session. The first day the entire body was sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. It is truly an honor to serve this community, and again swearing the oath to uphold the Constitution was an incredibly humbling moment.

Let me again thank the voters of Fayette County for the opportunity to serve this wonderful community. It was a particularly exciting day for me, as my wife and five-year-old daughter accompanied me to the swearing in. My daughter held the Bible for me when I was sworn in, which was a really exciting moment for my family, although, the high point for my daughter was pushing the “yes” button and lighting up the green light next to my name in the chamber when we took a roll call attendance vote to begin the day.

The first week of a two year session is typically light on legislative business. That is primarily due to the fact that people are just beginning to introduce bills and committees are not constituted until the end of the week when the Committee on Assignments makes committee assignments. I was excited to learn that I will again get to serve on the Non-Civil Judiciary Committee. This committee writes all the legislation that deals with criminal justice issues. It is a wonderful committee, as it allows me to work on critical community safety issues.

This week, I introduced legislation to deal with a problem created in the child molestation statute by the Georgia Supreme Court. In a controversial and close decision, the Court recently construed the child molestation statute in a way that, in my opinion, ignores the Legislature’s intent and puts numerous child molestation prosecutions in jeopardy. My bill will address the problem created by this ruling and ensure prosecutors have every tool necessary to go after these predators. It will be heard by the Judiciary Committee on which I serve.

I was also excited to learn I will be serving on the Defense and Veterans Affairs Committee, under the leadership of my friend Chairman John Yates. Chairman Yates has long been an advocate for the rights of the brave men and women that serve or have served our country in the armed forces and I look forward to working with him in that effort. I will also be serving as the Secretary of the Human Relations and Aging, which works on issues created by our rapidly aging population, and on the Regulated Industries Committee.

The big event of the week from a substantive policy standpoint was Governor Perdue’s “State of the State” speech on Wednesday. It is the first opportunity for the public and members of the General Assembly to hear Governor Perdue’s legislative agenda for this session. He outlined proposals in areas such as tort reform, local school board governance and reform of the Georgia DOT. I look forward to seeing the details of all of his proposals as the session gets underway and we begin to see the nuts and bolts of these measures.

Governor Perdue also outlined his requested budget. Obviously, the biggest challenge facing the legislature this year will be addressing our massive budget shortfall created by declining revenues. We are required by the Constitution to balance the budget, and that is exactly what we will do. While we will be undergoing significant belt-tightening, which will certainly be felt across all sectors of state government, we should all take heart that Georgia is a state that lives within its means. Now that Governor Perdue has proposed his budget, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will meet this upcoming week to begin hearings as they start the process of writing the budget. I will provide updates as details of the budget begin to come out.

It is my intention to again write regular columns in an effort to keep the community informed during this session of the General Assembly. As always, please never hesitate to write or call with any questions or opinions. Let me also say a special thanks to all that have responded to the citizen survey that I mailed out in December. In this difficult time where resources are limited and government certainly cannot be all things to all people, I believe it is more important than ever for policy makers to reach out to their constituents for input on their priorities. I have been extremely impressed by the rate of response and very much appreciate all of the thoughtful comments and opinions. This information will be invaluable to me during this and future sessions.

Matt Ramsey
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General Assembly Session Rapidly Approaching

2008-12-04T22:43:00.001-05:00

After a year dominated by difficult and hard fought elections, January will see a new President, Congress and Georgia General Assembly sworn into office. The challenges resulting from our current economic condition that are facing both the federal and state government are daunting. It will be important that elected officials on all levels of government leave the acrimony of the campaign trail behind to focus on the critical issues facing our state and nation. In Georgia, the gavel will come down on a new session of the General Assembly on January 12.

The number one issue that we will be confronting when the legislature convenes is the state budget. Due to the economic downturn in recent months, the revenues have been much less than anticipated by the Georgia Department of Revenue, meaning a significant budget reduction will be necessary. Depending on how the revenue numbers look in November and December, it will likely be somewhere between 6 and 12 percent out of a $21 billion state budget. No doubt, this will be a difficult process and hard decisions will have to be made. However, there is some good news. Georgians should take heart that they live in a state that lives within its means. Just like all of our families and businesses, when less money comes in, less money is spent. Georgia does not borrow money to engage in deficit spending and heap debt obligations on our children like the federal government does year in and year out. Our constitution requires that that the budget be balanced and that is what Georgia’s government will do. In a time when we read almost daily about huge taxpayer bailouts and an ever increasing federal deficit, we should all be proud to live in a state that coded fiscal responsibility into its constitution.

I am personally working on several pieces of legislation for introduction this session. I am working closely with Senator Ronnie Chance and other legislators on a bill addressing the metal theft problem that has become endemic in Georgia in recent years. Individuals, churches, businesses and other property owners are suffering thousands of dollars in property damage at the hands of copper thieves. Our goal in crafting this legislation is to give law enforcement the additional tools they need to help stem the tide of this problem.

I am also working on a law clarifying the definition of child molestation in Georgia. Our Supreme Court, in a close decision in a recent case, significantly limited the scope of the child molestation statute in Georgia in a way that severely limits efforts to prosecute child molesters using new technologies such as web cams to target our children. We cannot let the law fall behind the times as the proliferation of new technology gives predators more ways to prey on Georgia’s children. In my opinion, the majority of the Court in this decision ignored both the legislature’s intent and the plain meaning of the statutory language and the issue needs to be clarified through legislation.

I have also pre-filed legislation to ban cell phone use by drivers subject to graduated license restrictions (under 18) in Georgia. Studies show over 50% of all 16 and 17 year olds text while driving and over 90% talk on cell phones while driving. Another study showed that 16 year old drivers were 4.5 times more likely than adult drivers to fail to identify and react to dangerous situation on the road due to the distraction of cell phone use while driving. The focus of our graduated license law that was passed in 1997 is to provide teens with a training period, absent distractions, to more safely learn how to drive. Eliminating cell phones is the next logical step in this law. I believe there is certainly merit in considering limiting cell phone use by all drivers, but frankly, I would not be optimistic it would pass this year. Given the incredible success our graduated license law has had on reducing crashes in young drivers (37% reduction in fatal crashes for 16 year olds), the case is more compelling to address the issue with the most inexperienced and vulnerable drivers first. If the law is enacted and proves successful it will bolster the case for further efforts to reduce distractions among all drivers. Over 100 teens were killed in traffic accidents in Georgia last year. That is unacceptable and we can and must do better.

In addition to the budget, there will be significant debate this year on issues such as transportation, trauma care and education policy during the legislative session that begins in January. I look forward to interacting with the residents of Fayette County throughout the session on all issues pending before the General Assembly. It is my intention to again write regular columns updating the community on legislative matters (hopefully they won’t all be as long as this one). In the meantime, I hope everyone has a merry Christmas and my family and I wish you all nothing but the safest and happiest holiday season.

Rep. Matt Ramsey Speaks on Memorial Day

2008-06-23T06:20:00.001-04:00

WWII Remarks

2008-05-21T09:02:00.000-04:00

On April 26, the Dixie Air Wing in Peachtree City hosted World War II Heritage Days, an annual event commemorating World War II and honoring its veterans. I was honored to be asked to give the remarks during the opening ceremony. The ceremony was attended by over 80 WWII veterans and their families, along with many citizens from our area. It was a wonderfully attended celebration and it is a credit to our community to host such an event. With Memorial Day coming up next Monday, I thought it appropriate to submit the text of the speech I delivered thanking and honoring this incredibly brave generation of veterans for their sacrifice.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is truly an honor to speak to you this morning. Since being invited to give these remarks I have been wrestling with what to say. It is a difficult task I’ve been given. What can I say to you? I who never served? To you, who did? I have known only the fruits of your sacrifice; I have lived only in safety and comfort, which you bought so dearly. What can I say to you, you who served in uniform and saved the world?

That's right. I believe the veterans, the heroes, of World War II did nothing less than save our world. All military service is noble, and all wartime service has a special nobility beyond anything I will ever likely achieve. But the men who scaled the cliffs at Normandy, who flew the missions over Hitler's Fortress Europe with little hope of survival, and who took the Pacific back from Imperial Japan island by island -- these can lay claim to a special distinction. They saved us all. Never have the stakes been higher. Never has the call to duty, to honor, to valor, been answered more resoundingly.

I have always relished hearing the stories of the battles that were fought and the great victories that were won in Europe and the Pacific. Just the other day, in my office, a man told my law partner his personal story of how he ran away from home at the age of 14, enlisted in the Army, and flew more than two dozen missions over Europe as a belly gunner in a B-17. When his mother eventually discovered his true whereabouts, she ratted him out. He received a dishonorable discharge, which was rescinded several years later and changed to an honorable discharge. And what did he do when his discharge was changed to honorable? He reenlisted and went on to fly missions over Korea. Just an incredible story from an incredible person. However, what is truly incredible is that this is but one example of millions in a generation that sacrificed and risked everything to save the free world.

I've heard these stories my whole life, for my family was touched by World War II. My great grandfather, Russell West, was killed during the Battle of the Bulge and lies buried in France. Both of my grandfathers served in combat -- one in the navy in the Pacific and the other as a pilot who flew numerous missions over North Africa and Europe.

Both my grandmother and grandfather that told me stories of those fateful days during my youth have passed. It is a scary thought to me that one day, all across our great nation, there will be only silence where there was once the sound of grandfathers, like mine, telling children, like me, upon their knee the stories of those great victories. This realization gives me a deep sense of sadness, and a powerful appreciation for the need to treasure our relationships while we can.

You, having left so many of your fallen brothers on a far away shore, understand this only too well. Though it has been so long since you have seen their faces -- which stay frozen in youth even now all these long years later -- you still feel bound to them, as if no time had passed at all. They live on forever in your hearts, as all of those who pass will in ours.

Douglas MacArthur said that “old soldiers never die; they just fade away." As the father of two children, I can promise you that the story of the Greatest Generation will never be allowed to fade from their memories, or from their children's. The story will be told and retold, and will endure long after we are all gone from the earth. How dare we ever forget the unforgettable? We can not and we must not and we will not.

It is not only in our memories that your works are commemorated. The brave and selfless acts of our uniformed men and women in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere do their predecessors proud. Last month, when Michael Monsoor was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for throwing himself on a grenade to save his comrades, I could not help but think of those who went before him, who committed similar acts of extraordinary valor, who fought for the same flag, and who made the same sacrifice, in the words of Lincoln, “upon the alter of freedom.” When such men are struck down in the flower of their youth, I take comfort in knowing that God is just, and that the scales will be made even; though we in this fallen world cannot see how.

Ladies and gentlemen, all men in their hearts long to do something great. Some of us still await our chance. Until then, we have to make due with moments like these, when we can be near greatness. World War II was one of the most significant events in the history of mankind. When it mattered most, this generation of Americans showed the best qualities our country is all about. This group of men and women gave some of the best years of their lives to the most important mission this country has ever accepted. And for that I thank you -- America thanks you -- and generations not yet born, in every corner of the globe -- thank you for your service, and your greatness. And let us pray that such exertions as you endured will never be necessary again.

Thank you again for this incredible opportunity.

Transportation Key Focus of General Assembly Session:

2008-05-12T19:50:00.003-04:00

Over the past two decades Metro Atlanta has faced explosive population growth that is currently choking the region’s infrastructure. Fayette County has not been immune from these issues. Every year, as more people have moved into our county, the congestion on our roads has only increased. The time it takes to go to our jobs, or drive to the store or to drop our children off at school increases by the year. Every single minute we are on the road is one less minute we have to spend with our families. I believe addressing transportation congestion in Fayette County and Metro Atlanta must be one of the top priorities in the legislature.

Transportation in Georgia is largely funded by a tax on gasoline purchases. This funding mechanism becomes less sustainable every year as cars get more fuel efficient and more individuals are changing to hybrid cars and alternative fuels are becoming more of a reality. It is clear that our current funding model in Georgia will need to be revamped in the very near future. However, before we begin the process of fixing the funding model, I believe we need to ensure the government entity that is responsible for administering the funding, the Georgia Department of Transportation, is capable of efficiently performing such a task. Currently, I have serious doubts that the DOT has such capabilities.

During the session, the House and Senate both considered measures to provide regions of the state with the ability, through a referendum, to increase sales taxes for the purpose of funding transportation infrastructure projects. The money collected would have then been funneled through the DOT to spend on projects designated by each region, in collaboration with the DOT. The DOT would then have been tasked with designing, managing and delivering each project. Depending on how many regions of the state participated, this would have potentially routed billions of new taxpayer dollars through the GDOT. The legislation was put forth as part of a collaborative effort by a broad spectrum of interest groups including; local governments, business groups and the environmental community. While I appreciate these groups’ hard work on this legislation, I simply believed this action would have been premature at this time. For that reason, I voted against this measure that ultimately died in the Senate on the last night of the session.

The DOT’s new Commissioner, Gena Abraham, is doing great work to reform the DOT, however, it is a work in progress. When she came on board in recent months the book keeping was so poor, her staff could not even tell her how many projects they had scheduled. In the last month, state auditors determined they could not even audit the books because they were in such disarray and asked the state to fund a private sector audit. I simply do not believe this is an agency that needs to be tasked with spending billions of new taxpayer dollars, until its house is put in order. I support Commissioner Abraham’s reform efforts and believe she is making important steps. I was also pleased to support legislation that passed this session requiring a comprehensive progress report from the DOT on the Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan by June 30, 2009, and annually thereafter. The report must include costs, funding sources, and timelines for current and future DOT projects. Further, the General Assembly enacted legislation that requires the DOT Commissioner to develop and publish benchmarks detailing a realistic time frame for completion of transportation projects. This measure requires annual reports to be submitted to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House for any project above $10 million and explain discrepancies between benchmarks and actual performance. All of this will help ensure DOT is acting as good stewards of Georgia’s tax dollars.

This session, the General Assembly also enacted a program that has worked well in numerous other states. HB 1019 establishes a state revolving loan fund for infrastructure projects. This “infrastructure bank” will provide local governments with the opportunity to access low interest loans for their local projects. As the debt is repaid on these projects the money will then be available to be loaned again for additional projects in other localities. This program is subject to available annual appropriations, which will ensure close tabs are kept on the success of the program.

I am committed to working to find a solution to our transportation gridlock in metro-Atlanta and Georgia. Our funding mechanism is antiquated and needs to be overhauled. I believe it is incumbent upon office holders to work collaboratively to address our state and region infrastructure needs. However, I also strongly believe we must ensure any solution ensures that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and efficiently. I look forward to working with all groups in the coming years to address the issue of traffic congestion and infrastructure funding needs.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of assistance (404-656-0109).

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Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Tyrone

Matt introduces Georgia Speaker Glenn Richardson, Fayette County GOP Breakfast

2008-05-10T12:28:00.002-04:00

Great Session for Education

2008-05-02T18:37:00.001-04:00

Over the last twenty-five years our County has seen explosive growth, with our population multiplying close to five times in that time frame. Our population growth has partly been a product of our close proximity to Atlanta and the airport, however, the quality of life in our community is what has brought most of the decent and caring families that have moved here over the last quarter century and now call Fayette County home. One of the cornerstones of our high quality of life in this community is our outstanding public schools. Thousands of parents have elected to raise their children here because we have had some of the best schools in the state for many, many years. While other counties around Atlanta have not dealt with the growth well and have seen a significant degradation in their children’s educational opportunities, our schools have continued to thrive and remain among the best in Georgia. This is because we have had and continue to have active and involved parents, conscientious school officials and hard working and talented teachers and administrators. However, we must all do our part to ensure our children continue to have the best schools in the state now and in the years to come.

My charge in the State House is to work with my colleagues to enact legislation that will benefit our schools and prevent the enactment of legislation that would do our schools harm. This session of the General Assembly was very good for education in Georgia and, in turn, good for schools in Fayette County. Much of our focus locally this session was on legislation dealing with Clayton County’s potential loss of accreditation. Like all citizens in Fayette County, I was extremely concerned when I learned an amendment was added to Senate Bill 458 during the Senate’s floor debate on the measure that could have potentially forced our schools to accept students from failing school systems. When this legislation arrived in the House, our effort to remove the amendment that was added in the Senate was successful, ensuring Fayette County would never be forced to accept students from failing schools. Even after the most offensive provision of the bill was stripped out in committee, the legislation simply had too many problems and thankfully died without ever even receiving a vote on the floor in the House of Representatives. I am proud to have been one of the leaders in defeating this legislation that would have jeopardized the quality of our schools.

Lost in the furor over SB 458 were some important pieces of legislation that will be of great benefit to Georgia’s and Fayette County’s schools. This session, the General Assembly enacted legislation resulting from the Governor’s IE2 initiative. One of the most frequent criticisms I hear from our school officials is the overwhelming number of mandates in federal and state law. Title 20 of the Georgia Code is a laundry list of education rules and regulations that must be followed by every school in the state. This is classic one-size-fits-all government and often leaves our school officials in straight jackets when they attempt to try anything new or creative in educating our youth. What is right or works for Fayette County, will not necessarily work in another area of the state. House Bill 1209 will give school systems the ability to hold public hearings, and in collaboration with parents, develop a strategic plan to opt out of some of these onerous bureaucratic rules and regulations. The school systems will then enter into a contract with the state and in exchange for the enhanced flexibility, will accept additional accountability measures in the event the system fails to meet the goals of their strategic plan. It should be also noted, that participation is 100% optional and systems can continue operating under the current system of rules and regulations if they determine it is working for their community. I strongly believe our teachers and school officials should be able to focus 100% of their efforts on educating our youth, rather than on jumping through government red tape and bureaucratic hurdles and this legislation is an important first step in accomplishing that goal.

This year the General Assembly again passed a balanced budget, as is required by our state constitution. At around the mid-point of the session the Governor announced that state revenues were less than initially projected, which made the job of budget writers more difficult. However, I am very pleased to report that education was given the priority it deserves in the budget process and both the amended 2008 budget and the full 2009 budget provided important funding our state’s educational system. The budget includes over $100 million in new education funding, including restoration of $50 million of previous years’ austerity cuts. The budget also includes full funding of the Governor’s recommended pay raise for our hard working teachers in Georgia.

As long as I am in the General Assembly, one of my top priorities will always be to ensure our schools continue to be the best in the state. This session of the General Assembly was a positive one for education in Georgia. I grew up in Fayette County and received the benefit of a great education in our public schools. I will continue to work at the State Capitol to ensure my two young children and all the children of our community will have the same great schools in Fayette County for years to come.

General Assembly - Final Session Update

2008-04-07T22:00:00.000-04:00

With my first session in the General Assembly now complete I am pleased to report that we passed many of the important pieces of legislation that I have outlined for you earlier and those are now on the way to the Governor’s desk for signature. The most important legislation that we take up every year at the State House is the budget. It is the General Assembly’s one constitutional obligation. I am pleased to report we have passed a 2009 budget that is balanced and provides funding for many important needs in Georgia.

Georgia has nearly 9 million citizens and a state budget of $21 billion to meet their needs. From education, healthcare, public safety, and transportation – legislators strive to meet all of those needs and balance them with fiscally conservative principles. This year, despite reduced revenues, we were able to meet the needs of our citizens for the coming year. Among other items, the 2009 Budget included pay raises for our teachers and state employees, funding for Georgia’s indigent defense program, full funding of the Governor’s recommended teacher pay raise and construction projects for our schools.

I am pleased to report Senate Bill 458 died on the last day of the General Assembly session without receiving any further consideration. This ill conceived legislation has been defeated. Its supporters could never make the case that the bill addressed the problem it sought to address. Nor, could they answer critical questions related to the impact of the bill on our local public schools. Upon receiving this bill in the House, I worked diligently with my colleagues to strip the bill of the most egregious provisions, particularly the language to force school systems to accept students from non-accredited schools. However, many of us made it known that regardless of how much the bill got amended, we still had many fundamental concerns with the proposal and would not support it in any form. In the end, the supporters realized there was not sufficient support in the House to bring it forward for a vote.

While the session included many successes, I was extremely disappointed we were unable to reach consensus on a tax cut. Both the House and Senate passed significant tax relief measures earlier in the session, with the House advocating elimination of the car tax and the Senate advocating a reduction in income taxes. Over the last week, House and Senate conferees negotiated but could not reach an agreement on a final package. During that time, the House passed several versions of tax relief measures, including a compromise bill that blended the House and Senate proposals, in the hopes the Lieutenant Governor would allow a vote in the Senate. In the end, no such vote occurred. The positive news is that there is a general consensus that we must reduce the tax burden on Georgia’s citizens and we have a great deal of momentum heading into next year. It is my sincere hope that the General Assembly will take this momentum and translate it into meaningful tax relief for Georgia’s citizens.

One of my top priorities this session was to work to bring some sanity to the budget process in Georgia and shine a light on the spending by our state government. I am excited to report we were able to pass important new legislation that will do just that. The Transparency in Government Act (SB 300) will require a report by every single agency each year that details the tax revenues and operating revenues received by the agency during the immediately preceding fiscal year, the expenditures by that agency the immediately preceding fiscal year and details on every contract entered into by that agency. In addition to these comprehensive reporting requirements, the state is directed to set up a publicly available audit website that will provide Georgia’s citizens easy access to every single one of these reports. This will ensure the taxpayers have an accessible means to keep tabs on the State’s use of their tax dollars.

With the 2008 session of the Georgia General Assembly now at a close, I want to again say how honored I am to serve this great community at the State House. My goal in writing these columns each week was to keep Fayette County updated on what was occurring at the Capitol during the session. I hope it has helped to shed light on the legislative process and keep the community informed on the important debates in the legislature this year. My intention is to follow up with a more comprehensive update in the coming weeks that will include more information on other measures that passed the General Assembly this year. As always, please call me if I can be of any service or answer any questions you or your families may have.

Week 11 Update

2008-03-31T22:36:00.000-04:00

Our work at the Capitol is coming to an end for this legislative session and I happy to report that we have already accomplished many of the goals we set forth in January.

We have adopted two fiscally responsible budgets that fund our priorities, a statewide water management plan and a plan to make it easier to build new water reservoirs, and a plan to eliminate the car tax for every Georgian forever. The major item up for debate this past week in the House was a bill to address Georgia’s transportation funding mechanism. Also, myself and several other legislators spent a great deal of time working to amend a provision in Senate Bill 458 that potentially threatened our school system’s ability to refuse students from other failing school systems. I also was appointed to a special three member subcommittee convened for the purpose of holding a public comment hearing on ethics legislation pending in the House.

Much has been said and written this past week about Senate Bill 458 and our efforts to remove a provision from the bill that potentially would have forced school systems to accept students from other failing school systems. The effort to fix this legislation was a true team effort by several members of the General Assembly, our local school officials that worked to mobilize the community and all the caring parents that responded. This situation was also a prime example of why the legislative process is deliberative and has many checks along the way.

When this legislation was transmitted by the Senate to the House and the provision in question was given further scrutiny it became clear that the legislation needed to be amended. Several of us in the House and Senate from potentially affected communities successfully were able convince Chairman Amos Amerson, members of the House Science and Technology Committee and the bill’s author to amend the legislation and remove the provision that potentially threatened our schools. I want to again say thank you to all the parents of Fayette County for responding to the call! The citizens made our job easy by arming us with thousands of emails, calls and letters to use as tangible evidence to show our colleagues in the General Assembly how important it was to amend this bill. We are truly blessed to live in a community that cares so deeply about our public schools and the education of our children. As an additional bit of information, at our request the Chairman of the House Rules Committee, Earl Ehrhart, has pledged that if and when this legislation is brought to the floor for a vote it will be done so under a rule structure that will prevent floor amendments to the bill. This will ensure no further efforts are made to amend the bill and reinsert the offensive provision that started the furor.

Senate Resolution 845 is a constitutional amendment that would allow a ‘Regional Commission Area Transportation Tax’ which was debated this week in the House and ultimately passed with 136 votes. I voted against the bill as I believe it is premature and addresses the wrong problem. Under SR 845 Rural Development Commissions (RDC), which are made up of regionally grouped counties, would be given the ability to call for a 1 percent sales tax to be spent on transportation infrastructure projects in that region. This money would be funneled through the Department of Transportation and spent on projects designated by the RDC and DOT. Depending on the number of RDCs that choose to participate, this legislation could result in a tax increase in the billions to Georgia’s citizens. While I do like the fact that regions will determine which projects get top priority, rather than a centralized state authority, I simply think the legislation is premature.

My primary problem with the proposal is that it will result in billions of new dollars being sent to the Georgia Department of Transportation, which I believe is a fundamentally broken bureaucracy. The DOT Board recently approved new Commissioner Gena Abraham. When she took over she asked for a list of current projects on the books and her staff was unable to give her a precise answer. Based on media reports, they estimated somewhere between 1,000 and 9,000 projects. That is but one indication of a Department in bureaucratic chaos. I simply do not believe the DOT is in any position to efficiently manage an infusion of billions of new dollars when they cannot even determine what projects their current budget is funding. Commissioner Abraham is working hard to reform the agency and all early indications are that she is doing a great job. This session the House has also passed measures to bring further accountability and reporting obligations to the Department.

While I believe our current transportation funding model is outdated and we must work as a State to address our transportation infrastructure needs, I believe we must do so in a way that ensures we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Increasing taxes for the purpose of sending money to an agency in bad need of reform does not meet that test. My preference would be that we give the new Commissioner and reporting measures passed by the General Assembly at least one year to work and hopefully get the DOT’s house in order and then assess our transportation funding needs. I believe we will find that better management will result in significantly more dollars for infrastructure by making more efficient use of existing resources.

This past week I was appointed to a special three member subcommittee of the House State Planning and Community Affairs Committee that was convened to hear public comment on SB 372 and report back and make recommendations to the full Committee’s Chairman, Tommy Smith. This is legislation sponsored by Senator Kasim Reed that has passed the Senate and proposes important new ethics reforms. Currently, a governing body exists to receive and investigate ethics complaints against all federal and state office holders. During the hearing, it came out that less than one-third of counties, cities and school boards in our State have a mechanism in place to receive ethics complaints against its elected officials. This legislation would require that ethics panels be created and a system put in place by local governments to ensure citizens have a forum in which to bring ethics complaints against their elected representatives. The recent situation with the Clayton County school board provides a clear example of why the public needs a mechanism to raise complaints against those that violate the public’s trust while in office. While there are some technical changes that need to be made to the bill as it moves forward, all three members of the subcommittee have reported our findings and unanimously recommended to Chairman Smith that this legislation move forward as quickly as possible.

It is expected that our work here will be completed on Friday, April 4th. In our final days, we will finalize the FY09 budget, hopefully reach an agreement with the Senate on a tax cut, and still be home to spend Spring Break with our families.

I will continue to keep you up to date on our actions as the legislative session progresses. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at my Capitol office at (404) 656- 0109. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Ramsey on Senate Bill 458

2008-03-30T08:12:00.003-04:00

Senator Ronnie Chance and Representative Matt Ramsey talked to a packed house regarding controversial Senate Bill 458. To view Senator Chance's talk, click here.

Week 10 Update

2008-03-26T18:20:00.001-04:00

With Spring finally here, tax cuts continue to be a topic of discussion in the Capitol halls. This week, the House and the Senate finally reached an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2008 Amended Budget and the House passed our version of the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget. I am happy to report that we were able to restore equalization grants and the majority of the austerity cuts to education that have been made in recent years.

Our work on the state budgets this year has been difficult due to a decreased revenue estimate. We found ourselves in a position of having to make some difficult mid-stream revisions to the budget, while still funding our state’s priorities, especially in education. Nationally, Georgia ranks 49th in per-capita spending but 9th in overall per-capita education spending. I believe this is evidence of the legislature’s continued commitment to fiscally conservative policies while funding our educational needs. I can tell you that my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee worked tirelessly on these two budgets and I am proud to report to you that we have succeeded in funding our priorities.

In the FY08 Amended Budget, the original House proposal included $30 million in equalization grants for Georgia’s school systems. Our final agreement did include $20 million for those grants and we have funded the additional $10 million in the FY09 budget. We also funded over $50 million for trauma care to help hospitals like Grady in Atlanta that treat the critically injured, and $40 million for reservoir projects to meet Georgia’s future water needs. This midyear budget also included $210 million in bonds for school construction projects around the state. This budget was adopted by both the House and the Senate last week and signed by the Governor last Friday.

Earlier this session, I laid out for you the priorities of the House as we moved through the budget process. We have remained committed to funding education, healthcare, public safety and natural resources despite a $245 million downward revision in estimated revenue. Our top priority was to restore the $141 million in austerity cuts to education that have been made in recent years and after many weeks with long nights, we did restore $90 million of those cuts. While we have passed the House version of the budget, I and my colleagues will continue to work with the Senate in the last days of the session to restore the remaining $50 million in austerity cuts. I am also happy to report that the House fully funded the recommended 2.5 per cent pay raise for our teachers and state employees. Our teachers in Georgia are a critical resource and vital to the future of our state and we must continue to ensure we can recruit and retain high quality individuals to the profession. The budget also included a pay raise for our public safety officers. The measure was immediately transmitted to the Senate for consideration.

Both of these budgets are fiscally conservative and meet the needs of our citizens. The Governor must act within six days on the FY08 Amended Budget, and I hope the Senate moves quickly on the FY09 Budget and works with the House to fully restore education austerity cuts.

You may recall that last week the House adopted House Resolution 1246 that would allow Georgians to vote to eliminate the ‘birthday tax’ on personal vehicles over a two year period, eliminate the state’s portion of the ad valorem taxes on personal vehicles and property, and cap assessments on personal property at 2% per year and commercial property at 3% per year. Tied to this was a measure that would have provided for a $10 fee on every vehicle registered in Georgia to fund a statewide trauma care network. Also, the legislation required the dollars from the car tax received by cities, counties and school boards be refunded to these entities by the state, putting the burden of the tax cut on the state and not our local communities.

This week the Lieutenant Governor and members of the Senate announced a different tax plan that involves a reduction in the income tax paid by Georgians, rather than an elimination of the car tax. Based on the significant feedback I and my colleagues have received, I believe that Georgians strongly support the House’s plan to eliminate the car tax. It would permanently eliminate a tax on our citizenry and ensure Georgia’s families get significant and permanent relief. However, I am extremely encouraged that both the House and Senate agree that Georgians need tax relief in some form to help spur the economy and now the only question is how best to provide that relief. I look forward to the discussion and to bringing meaningful economic relief to Georgia’s families.

I will continue to keep you up to date on our actions as the legislative session progresses. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at my Capitol office at (404) 656- 0109. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Senate Bill 458 Amended; Allows School Systems to Determine Whether to Accept Students from Non-Accredited Systems!

2008-03-26T18:18:00.001-04:00

I am pleased to report that the House Committee on Science and Technology has amended a provision in Senate Bill 458 that would have potentially required school systems to accept students from non-accredited school systems. The amended version of the provision is now permissive and says that the receiving school system “may” accept such student, leaving it to the sole discretion of the receiving County, as was the intent in the original legislation. As now amended, the County may refuse a student for any reason and it is completely in the discretion of the school system that would accept or deny such student’s request to attend. I spoke in Committee today and thanked the Chairman and author of the bill on behalf of Fayette County for hearing and addressing our concerns.

I and several colleagues worked diligently over the last several days to convince members of the Committee that this amended provision would have seriously detrimental consequences for school systems forced to accept an influx of students from failing school districts. The underlying legislation proposes options for students that are in a school system that loses accreditation. Among the options in the original language was for students to attend school in other school systems and it provided that other school systems “may” accept such students at their discretion. However, this language was amended on the floor of the Senate, prior to the bill’s passage, to provide that other school systems “shall” accept these students, subject to space availability. I am thankful that the House Committee has agreed to change “shall” back to “may” to make crystal clear that the receiving County could refuse students from failing school systems in their sole discretion.

I would like to specifically thank all the parents that have contacted me and other members of the General Assembly in opposition to this provision. The outcry of our community made it easy for me to make the case that this was bad public policy. I am so proud to represent a district that cares so deeply about the education of our youth. We now must vigilantly track the progress of this bill to ensure further efforts to amend this legislation are defeated. As a parent of two young children about to start in our local schools, I will always fight to protect the quality of Fayette County’s schools for them and all the children of our community. As a product of Fayette County public schools, I believe it is my charge to work to ensure current and future generations of local school children have the same excellent education I was afforded.

RAMSEY APPLAUDS DEFEAT OF BILL SEEKING TO IMPOSE CHANGES TO FAYETTE COUNTY COMMISSION VOTING SYSTEM

2008-03-20T08:55:00.001-04:00

Georgia State Representative Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) today applauded the defeat of a measure that proposed to impose a change to the system by which the Fayette County Commission is elected over the objections of Fayette County's locally elected officials. The House rejected House Bill 1307 by a bipartisan vote of 91-48.

“I am pleased that the House today recognized that this proposal was not appropriate for local legislation, as it does not have the support of the local community it would affect,” Ramsey said. “This is not a debate that should occur on the floor of the House by politicians from all over the state of Georgia, this is a decision that should be made by the local citizens of Fayette County and their locally elected officials.”

HB 1307 proposed to segment Fayette County into voting districts for the purpose of electing County Commissioners in Fayette County. Currently every voter in Fayette County gets to vote for each of the five County Commissioners. This proposal would allow each voter to only vote for one Commissioner from their own geographic segment of the County. Ramsey and Representative John Yates (R-Griffin) each made parliamentary inquiries pointing out to the House that this legislation has been publically opposed by the entire Fayette County Commission, the Mayor and City Council of Fayetteville, the Mayor and City Council of Tyrone, and the Mayor of Peachtree City.

Crossover Week Update

2008-03-20T08:53:00.000-04:00

Last week, the House has crossed the 30th day of our 40 day legislative session. This is the day that a bill must have passed at least one body in order to have a chance of becoming law. With some changes to the legislation that fell short last week the House of Representatives had a second opportunity to vote for the largest tax cut in Georgia’s history.

You may recall that last week an effort in the House to allow Georgians to vote to eliminate the tax on personal vehicles fell ten votes shy of the necessary two-thirds for placement on the ballot as a constitutional amendment. Fortunately, the House Republican leadership felt so strongly that this was the right thing to do the measure was brought back for further consideration in another piece of legislation. The legislation was amended to reflect changes in the original proposal that failed last week. However, the two most critical parts of the tax reform, the freeze on property values for taxation purposes and the elimination of the car tax remain in the legislation that passed the House 166-5 on Wednesday with overwhelming bi-partisan support.

The new tax cut bill will give Georgians the chance to vote to eliminate the ‘birthday tax’ on personal vehicles over a two year period and cap assessments on residential property at 2% per year and commercial property at 3% per year, until such time as a property is sold and revalued at the sales price, which is the true fair market value. This will ensure properties are being taxed at their actual market value and bring needed reform to the property assessment process. The proposal also includes a provision for the state to refund to local communities all revenues that each governmental entity would have derived from the car tax, putting the tax cut on the back of the state. If enacted by the Senate and approved by Georgia’s voters in November, our State’s citizens will save more than $1 billion the first two years the law is in effect, making it the largest tax cut in Georgia’s history.

With the economy lagging now is the time for real tax relief. This is exactly what Fayette County and our State needs. It has been proven over and over again that the economy grows when government taxes less and taxpayers get to keep and spend more of their hard earned money as they see fit. When the economy grows, jobs are created, home ownership increases, salaries go up, all of which contributes to an increased tax base. Significant tax relief is precisely the stimulus our State’s economic needs. I am strongly encouraging my colleagues in the Senate to take up this measure and give our citizens the right to vote on this important tax relief in November.

Atlanta has Grady Hospital, a Level 1 Trauma Care Center, and if you are seriously injured in Fayette County it doesn’t take long to get there. But there are large areas of our State that are hours from a trauma center. In fact, Georgians have the worst access to Level 1 Trauma Care of any state in the southeastern United States. If Georgians vote in November to eliminate the car tax, a separate measure passed this week would provide that a $10 fee would be included in the vehicle registration process to help fund a state-wide trauma care network. Rather than paying hundreds on the car tax, Georgians would pay the current $20 registration fee plus a $10 fee to fund a statewide trauma care network. It is imperative that we support the trauma hospitals we do have and provide for new ones, as they are vital lifelines for Georgians in need of immediate critical care. We have lost far too many citizens in our State due to a lack of an adequate trauma network and it is time to get serious about fixing the problem.

You may have heard this week that Governor Perdue has lowered the revenue projections for this state. For us in the legislature, this means that we must revise the budgets we have been working on. While this does mean there is less revenue in 2008 than projected, I again reiterate that the House remains committed to funding our education needs and restoring all “austerity” cuts that have been made in recent years. The House will continue to work diligently to get those funds to our schools soon and without strings attached.

I will continue to keep you up to date on our actions as the legislative session progresses. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at my Capitol office at (404) 656- 0109. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Week 8 Update

2008-03-07T23:24:00.000-05:00

As we enter March, our work at the Capitol continues. While we did many good things this week, I was disappointed when the largest tax cut in the history of the state failed by ten votes to receive the necessary two-thirds vote to be placed on the ballot as a constitutional amendment in November. On a positive note, we adopted legislation continuing our annual sales tax holiday weekends, to provide greater local control in education, and reforming Georgia’s indigent defense program.

This week, I voted with my colleagues in the Georgia House of Representatives to provide Georgians with the opportunity in November to vote for the largest tax cut in the history of our state. The legislation would have provided Georgians with the ability to vote to eliminate the car tax on a ballot referendum in November. The elimination of the absurd “birthday tax” would have provided more than $1 billion in tax savings to Georgians in the first two years after going into effect. The proposal also included a provision for the state to refund to the local community all revenues that the local community would have derived from the car tax, putting the tax cut on the back of the state. Further, the proposal would have provided reform to the tax assessment process by freezing the value of properties, with an annual escalator for inflation, until such time as the property is sold and revalued at the true market value. This would have ensured properties are taxed at their actual market value and brought needed reform to the property assessment process. The measure was approved by the majority of the House of Representatives, but fell ten votes shy of the necessary 120 votes (2/3rd majority) to be placed on the ballot as a constitutional amendment in November. With only 107 Republicans in the House, not enough Democrats joined us in voting to give Georgians the right to vote on meaningful tax relief in November.

The debate on tax reform began more than a year ago with Speaker Richardson’s announcement of his plan to eliminate property taxes in lieu of a consumption-based tax on services. I continually voiced my questions and concerns over how this plan would have affected our local schools. The Speaker ultimately determined the support was not sufficient to pass his property tax elimination proposal and substituted the version of the legislation that was considered this week. There is absolutely no doubt that the elimination of the car tax would have provided significant economic relief for Georgians. The legislation also included a guarantee by the State, backed by Georgia’s full faith and credit, to refund to local communities the dollars they would have received from the car tax. This would have put the onus on the state government to remain fiscally responsible to ensure sufficient revenues exist to make our local communities whole. In the remaining days of the session I will continue to work with my colleagues to provide meaningful spending reform and tax relief for Georgians.

On a positive note, we were able this week to ease your tax burden for two weekends. Every August, parents all over Georgia take their children shopping for back to school clothes and supplies. This is a big shopping weekend for our families and I was happy to again support a tax free shopping weekend to help them save a little money. The House approved House Bill 948, of which I was one of the five original sponsors, setting the weekend of July 31 through August 3 as the sales tax holiday weekend for school supplies, and October 2 through October 5 as the sales tax holiday weekend for energy efficient appliances.

In education this week, House members voted in favor of House Bill 1209 introduced by my colleague Brooks Coleman, Chairman of the House Education Committee. This legislation provides greater flexibility and local control of our schools systems. Working with the State Department of Education and through public hearings with parents and the local community, school systems would develop a five-year strategic plan. Upon approval of the plan, each school system may choose to enter into a five-year contract with the State Department of Education that will provide much needed flexibility to school districts in exchange for additional accountability. School systems would have greater flexibility by relaxing any number of state mandates that constantly put our County School Board and Superintendent in straight jackets as they attempt to chart a course for our schools. If the school system fails to meet their own agreed upon goals they would be subject to greater accountability pursuant to the contract. One-size-fits-all government never works and the leaders of our school systems need flexibility, while also being held accountable if the schools fail to meet the goals and standards they have pledged to meet. This legislation provides both and will help move our educational systems forward. Under the legislation, no school system will be required to enter into a contract with the state and adopt the strategic plan if they determine the current state law governing education works for their system.

Georgia’s indigent defense program is broken. For three years, one defendant and his attorneys have abused the system and wasted millions of taxpayer dollars defending a case that should have concluded long before now. The case of alleged courthouse killer Brian Nichols has tested the process by which we provide a defense for indigent defendants and has illuminated the flaws in the system. This week, the House adopted House Bill 1245 providing comprehensive reforms of Georgia’s indigent defense program. The bill establishes a fee sharing model where the state will share the financial burden of indigent defense with the county in capitol cases and stipulates that attorneys in conflict cases be paid a flat fee for their service. HB 1245 also states that only elected judges can preside over a death penalty case ensuring the judge is always responsive to the citizens of this state. Other reforms include audits of Georgia’s Public Defenders Standards Council and expanded membership to include locally elected officials.

I will continue to keep you up to date on our actions as the legislative session progresses. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at my Capitol office at (404) 656- 0109. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Rep. Ramsey Speaks at Fayette County GOP Mass Meeting, Feb. 2008

2008-03-01T23:12:00.000-05:00

Week 7 Update

2008-02-29T20:24:00.001-05:00

The House convened this week on Tuesday, February 26th, for the 23rd day of our 40 day legislative session. On the floor, we adopted legislation addressing our continued transportation funding problems, education and local school boards and an adoption tax credit.

Several education bills were considered this week that will impact education in our state. New charter schools are opened every year in Georgia and House Bill 1065 was adopted allowing local education sales taxes to be used for a local charter school’s capital outlay projects. In communities that do not have the luxury of excellent public schools like we have in Fayette County, charter schools can sometimes be a life line to students. Unfortunately sometimes, educating our children means doing more than providing schools. It can also mean ensuring ‘bad apples’ aren’t teaching in the classroom. This week we adopted House Bill 250 enabling the Professional Practices Commission to more quickly and efficiently investigate complaints against educators involving illegal substances and sexual offenses.

Earlier this week I joined several colleagues in sponsoring House Resolution 956, The Taxpayer Protection Amendment. The Resolution proposes to cap state spending at the rate of inflation, adjusted for population increases. Families across Georgia are being forced to tighten their belts as our economy hits a soft patch and I strongly believe the state government needs to engage in some belt tightening of its own. This measure and House Resolution 1218, the Taxpayer Dividend Act, which I also cosponsored, would put some common sense back into the budget process and revolutionize the way our state treats taxpayer dollars. HR 956 would permanently cap the growth of spending in our state and HR 1218 would constitutionally require surplus dollars be returned to Georgia’s citizens in the form of a heightened tax exemption, rather that sitting in a bank awaiting someone in government to figure out how to spend it. I will work diligently to encourage the passage of these important measures.

With more children every year entering our foster system, I believe it is important that we do everything we can to support those families that give them a permanent home.
This week, I supported the adoption of House Bill 1159 providing a state income tax credit for families who adopt foster children. I hope that this measure will encourage more Georgians to open their hearts and provide these children with a permanent home.

As we continue to debate transportation proposals offered by our House and Senate Transportation Committee Chairmen, the House Transportation Committee passed several measures that I look forward to supporting. SR 781 calls on the Georgia Department of Transportation to create a state-wide strategic transportation plan and present it to the General Assembly by December 31, 2008. This is a necessary step to provide Georgia with a comprehensive map to address our transportation needs. HB 1189 would require the DOT to make an annual report to the Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker and chairs of the House and Senate Transportation Committees. The report must include progress made on the Statewide Strategic Transportation plan plus a list of projects realistically expected to begin in the next 5 years, the cost of those projects, and the source of funding for those projects. I think it is vital that the Department of Transportation get its house in order and this reporting will help ensure all steps are being taken to efficiently deliver needed infrastructure projects to Georgia’s communities.

Last week, I told you about House Bill 455 which will help law enforcement officers track the over prescription of dangerous drugs. The measure was introduced in part as a result of the Chris Benoit tragedy that profoundly affected Fayette County. This week, that measure was adopted by the full House. The legislation will now be assigned to a Senate committee for hearing and hopefully passage by that body.

Local Note**** This past week I was once again reminded how lucky we are in Fayette County to have such responsive and diligent law enforcement agencies in our community. My ever curious one year old son grabbed our cordless telephone on Saturday morning and dialed 911 on our speed dial feature before my wife or I could get the phone away from him. In a matter of seconds the 911 operator called our house back and we confirmed that it was not an emergency that prompted the call, but rather a mischievous toddler. Despite our best efforts to assure the operator all was well at our house, an extraordinarily courteous and professional Peachtree City police officer responded to my house in less than five minutes to make sure we were all safe and sound. This kind of rapid response should give all of us comfort in the event a real emergency occurs that affects our families. Due to their record of success, we have come to expect this kind of service from our Sheriff’s Department and the Peachtree City and City of Fayetteville Police Departments and we sometimes take it for granted. I just wanted to again say thank you to all of these men and women that are on the front line in the effort to keep our community safe.

I will continue to keep you up to date on our actions as the legislative session progresses. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at my Capitol office at (404) 656- 0109. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Week 6 Update

2008-02-23T07:48:00.001-05:00

The 2008 legislative session is now more than half-way complete but much important work remains. Key issues that we still must address are tax reform, a budget that is fiscally responsible and meets the needs of our citizens, transportation, and trauma care. We continue to debate tax reform in committee but with tax reform must come spending reform. This week, the House laid out our spending priorities for the Fiscal Year 2009 budget.

At a press conference this week, members of the House Appropriations Committee laid out spending priorities for the Fiscal Year 2009 budget. Among other things, my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee announced that the House is committed to fully restoring $141 million in austerity cuts in education. This will put education money back in the hands of local communities, rather than sending it to our schools with bureaucratic strings attached, or worse with unfunded mandates without the resources to pay. The budget also funds priorities such as health care, public safety and natural resources, such as water. The 2009 budget will also be one of the forums for the debate on our overburdened trauma care system in Georgia. Georgia’s citizens have the worst access to Level 1 trauma care of any state in the southeast. Georgia should be a leader, not a follower in protecting the lives of our citizens. We have lagged behind other states for far too long in providing access to trauma care. Our budget will focus on righting this long overdue wrong.

Georgia’s method of funding transportation infrastructure has come under attack this session by cities, counties and a variety of private organizations. These groups have argued that the motor fuel tax is an outdated and insufficient mechanism by which to fund our transportation system which has led to a shortfall in resources and system-wide gridlock. The House and Senate Transportation Chairmen have both unveiled plans that would give all Georgians the ability to vote on a ballot initiative in November that provides an alternative funding source for transportation. I will keep you updated as more details about the House plan are unveiled and the debate ensues. Different regions of the state have different priorities and I think it is prudent to put any such proposal before the voters so they can decide if it best suits the collective needs of our state.

This week in the House Judiciary Non-Civil committee we voted to send House Bill 250 to the full House for a vote. This legislation would authorize the Professional Standards Commission to open an investigation when it has received a written complaint from a local school board, the state school board or an individual resident of Georgia alleging an educator has been convicted of possessing or selling a controlled substance or has been convicted of a sexual offense. We must protect our students when they are in the classroom and this bill provides additional methods to do just that.

In recent months we have seen stark examples of the dangers of abusing prescription drugs. Most recently, the professional wrestler Chris Benoit took his own life after taking the life of his wife and son. News accounts tell us that prior to this tragedy, Benoit’s doctor supplied him with a 10-month supply of testosterone every three to four weeks. As a result of this and other similar tragedies, the House Judiciary Non-Civil committee passed House Bill 455 establishing the Georgia Prescription Monitoring Program. The program would require pharmacists that dispense Schedule II, III, or IV drugs to submit weekly reports containing specific information regarding when a prescription was filled, the quantity dispensed and the number of prescriptions filled to each individual patient. All information would be submitted to the Georgia Drugs and Narcotics Agency. Hopefully with this level of reporting in place we can give law enforcement the tools necessary to monitor and identify irregularities in the prescribing of these potentially dangerous drugs.

I will continue to keep you up to date on our actions as the legislative session progresses. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at my Capitol office at (404) 656- 0109. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Effort to Impose District Voting on Fayette County Would Supersede Local Control

2008-02-18T20:49:00.000-05:00

I was disturbed to learn that my colleague in the General Assembly, Virgil Fludd, is once again attempting to change the way our County Commission is elected in Fayette County through the use of “Local Legislation” in the State House. Currently, all five members of our County Commission are elected at-large by the voters of the entire County. Representative Fludd proposes to break Fayette County up into geographic districts and have some, or all, of our Commissioners elected by districts.

The local legislative process exists in the General Assembly because of the limited constitutional authority granted to counties to frame, adopt and amend their own charters, powers and laws. Such legislative changes are referred to as “Local Legislation” in the General Assembly and are put forth by each county’s legislative delegation, which is made up of all legislators that represent any portion of a given county. In the Georgia House, the Fayette County delegation consists of me, John Yates (R-Griffin), Roberta Abdul-Salaam (D-Riverdale), Virgil Fludd (D-Tyrone) and Darryl Jordan (D-Riverdale). The rules of the House are such that only a majority of our delegation (3 members) needs to sign onto a local bill to move it out of committee and the House.

The local legislative process does not exist to impose controversial top-down changes on a local community without that community’s support and against the will of the locally elected officials. The process exists to give local officials an efficient and accessible process by which they can bring proposed changes that have community support to their General Assembly delegation and constitutionally change the political subdivision’s laws or ordinances. Not one of our County Commissioners has called me in support of creating a district based voting system in Fayette County. Further, I have not heard from one of my constituents in favor of this change and have heard from dozens that oppose it out of concern for Fayette County’s future. This effort is nothing more than an attempt by a few individuals at the State Capitol to impose their will on Fayette County without the support of the community at-large or our locally elected officials.

Year in and year out, Fayette County is at or near the top of the Georgia rankings in school performance measures such as graduation rates, SAT and ACT scores and percentage of graduates going on to college. Fayette County has one of the highest median household incomes in not only Georgia, but the nation. The value of new and existing homes continues to be among the highest in the State. Crime statistics indicate Fayette County’s crime rate is one of the lowest in metro-Atlanta. By any measure Fayette County has historically and currently is one of the most prosperous and well run counties in Georgia. Our success is owed in large part to the conscientious leadership of the current and past members of the County Commission, all of which have been elected at-large, by the voters of this County. It strikes me as tremendously irresponsible to risk the success we have enjoyed by making such a major change to how our leaders are selected without the support of the community or the very Commissioners this would affect. Unlike the proponents of this change, I am not willing to gamble our County’s future by imposing such a major systemic change without being certain it is supported by our community and locally elected officials. Based on the significant feedback I have received, this proposal simply does not have the support of Fayette County.
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Weekly Update

2008-02-16T16:42:00.001-05:00

As the halfway mark of the 2008 legislative session approaches, we continue to move legislation through the General Assembly and key initiatives continue to be heard in committee prior to consideration by the full House. Tax relief has been a key issue for many months and this week I joined some of my colleagues in introducing a tax measure that could reduce the income tax burden of our citizens, while reining in spending. On the floor of the House, we adopted House Bill 919 creating oversight of the Georgia Lottery Corporation to protect the future of HOPE scholarships. In the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee I continued to work with my colleagues to ensure the safety of all Georgians.

I was pleased to co-sponsor House Resolution 1216, the Taxpayer Dividend Act, with a bi-partisan group of my colleagues. Currently, Georgia has the highest budget surplus in our State’s history. This is the hard earned money of Georgia’s taxpayers and there should be a mechanism in place to ensure responsible stewardship of surplus revenue dollars. This legislation proposes limitations on how excess revenues could be spent, rather than leave it to the unbridled discretion of the General Assembly and Governor. In years of a budget surplus, the Act proposes to first fund education shortfalls, then the state reserve “rainy day” fund, at 8% of the budget, and the remainder would be returned to the taxpayers as an income tax deduction. This combination of spending reform and tax reform is long overdue in Georgia.

Georgia’s lottery has funded the HOPE scholarships and pre-K programs that have benefited our students for many years. Recently, questions have been raised about how the Georgia Lottery Corporation has used lottery funds for excessive staff bonuses rather than for scholarships and new pre-k programs. This week I joined my colleagues in the House in voting to approve House Bill 919 to create a legislative oversight committee to ensure that we continue to use lottery funds to benefit our students above all else.

This week in the House Judiciary Non-Civil committee we voted to send House Bill 336 to the full House for a vote. This legislation would increase penalties for a DUI conviction to include mandatory jail time for repeat offenders and would make the fourth DUI offense a felony conviction, rather than a misdemeanor. This legislation was strongly supported by prosecutors, solicitors and Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. Georgia is one of the last states in America without a felony DUI statute and I was proud to vote in favor of this measure aimed at protecting the driving public. Habitual DUI offenders put our families at risk every time they drink and drive and Georgia needs to be a leader in cracking down on these individuals.

I will continue to keep you up to date on our actions as the legislative session progresses. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at my Capitol office at (404) 656- 0109. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Feb. 7 Update

2008-02-07T21:32:00.000-05:00

It seems like only last week the 2008 legislative session got underway and here we are now in February. Our committee work on the Amended Fiscal Year 2008 Budget is now complete and we are ready to move forward with our proposals. On the House floor this week, we expanded the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan, changed the dates allowed for special elections to increase participation, and officially recognized February 12th as ‘Georgia’s birthday.’

As legislators, our one constitutional obligation is to provide a budget for the state of Georgia. I have worked diligently with my colleagues to ensure that we employ conservative fiscal principles in this process. This year, we were presented a budget that used an “income factor” inconsistent with current education funding mechanisms as a basis to reduce education funding to schools across Georgia. These reductions would have had a negative impact on 16 of our school systems and nearly 30% of our student population statewide. If the cuts are not restored, the negative impact grows to effect 134 school systems and 62% of our student population.

This was unacceptable to the House and in the Amended FY 08 budget, we were able to restore $30.7 million to our schools. There will always be differences of opinion among elected leaders as to how tax dollars can best be spent, but the members of the Georgia House remain steadfastly committed to funding education in Georgia.

House Bill 1014 is a win-win for grandparents and their college bound grandchildren. We expanded the Georgia Higher Education Savings Plan to allow grandparents to make tax deductible donations to qualified 529 college savings plan.

Special elections in Georgia to approve local tax increases for specific projects have historically been held on various dates throughout the year with often low turnout. By requiring that special elections to present a question to voters, such as to approve a local option penny sales tax, must be held on the primary or general elections dates, House Bill 296 will hopefully increase turnout for these important ballot questions.

On a lighter note, the House did adopt House Bill 387 officially recognizing February 12 - ‘Georgia Day’ - as the anniversary of the landing of General Oglethorpe and the first colonists in Georgia. Without the bravery and wisdom of these early Georgians, that once small colony would not have become our now great state.

This week, I received the honor of being named a Deputy Whip for the House Republican Caucus. Deputy Whips are assigned to receive input from members of the Republican Caucus. When key legislation is presented for consideration on the House floor, Deputy Whips will assist the Majority Whip in gathering information about the leanings of caucus members.

I will continue to keep you up to date on our actions as the legislative session progresses. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at my Capitol office at (404) 656- 0109. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

General Assembly Update, Week 1

2008-02-03T17:18:00.000-05:00

It was with great excitement and an overwhelming sense of responsibility that I took my seat on Monday in the State House as the 2008 General Assembly session was gaveled in by the Speaker of the House. In the first week of session I had the opportunity to work on several issues that are of great importance to Fayette County and our State. I plan to write periodic updates during the legislative session in an effort to keep the community informed as to what is going on in the General Assembly this year.

As I said would be the case during my campaign, the first and most pressing legislation to be taken up by the General Assembly this year is a comprehensive statewide water management plan. This week I joined my colleagues in the House and Senate in voting overwhelmingly to pass a water plan. We are one of the last states in the country to put a statewide management plan in place and the current drought underscores how badly we need to take a comprehensive approach to water policy in Georgia. The plan calls for a complete assessment of our current water sources in Georgia, along with economic and population forecasts to determine how much water is currently available and how much water will be necessary in the years to come.

After completion of the assessment, which will identify water needs around the state, regional water councils will draft and implement water plans. These plans will identify the management practices local governments in each region will employ to ensure that regional water and wastewater needs are met now and into the future. The water plan describes a number of management techniques regional water councils and local governments can use in meeting long-term water needs. These include better management of demand for water (e.g., water conservation), adding supply and storage capacity (e.g., reservoir construction), and more efficient methods of returning water to our rivers and streams.

The Speaker of the House has also announced his full support of follow-on legislation to be taken up this session, which will provide significant new funding for the construction of reservoirs, along with a streamlining of the permitting process. While the water plan is not a silver bullet that will bring immediate rain, nor will it fill our lakes and reservoirs overnight, it does mark an important beginning of a process of establishing a state water policy that will prepare us for future droughts. Needless to say, such a policy is long overdue.

Upon being sworn in, I was assigned to several committees, including the House Judiciary (Non-Civil) Committee. I am honored to receive this assignment and excited that it will give me an opportunity to work directly on the type of criminal justice legislation that will have a real impact on efforts to keep our community safe. Last Tuesday at my first committee meeting, we took up legislation to impose residency restrictions on sexual offenders in Georgia. The measure provides that individuals on the sexual offender list will be barred from living or working within 1000 feet of places where minors congregate, including schools and day care centers. The law was originally passed in 2006 but was later struck down by the Supreme Court. The legislation approved by our committee Tuesday is crafted to answer the concerns of the Court and pass constitutional muster if challenged again. The committee heard from the law enforcement community, which testified that the bill would be an important tool in keeping our children safe from sexual predators.

I have personally spoken to our Sheriff and District Attorney and both strongly support this legislation, as do I. As a parent of young children, I am convinced that this is good policy that will help protect the children of our State. I actively participated in the debate and voted with the majority in passing the bill out of committee and look forward to working with my colleagues to quickly bring the legislation up for a vote on the floor of the House.

During the same hearing I also joined my colleagues on the Committee in unanimously approving tough new penalties for individuals involved in dog fighting in Georgia. We need to end this barbaric practice in our State and this legislation will send a strong message to anyone involved that Georgia will not tolerate these type of inhumane activities.

It was an eventful first week with some important accomplishments, but there is still much work to do. I hope this update has been informative.