When the 2010 Georgia Legislature opened on Jan. 11, lawmakers faced significant challenges for the next 40 days. Some were of their own making; others were born out of a national economy turned sour. They promised a "renewal." Here is a look at what they accomplished:
Budget
Challenge: The struggle to fund state programs in this grinding recession was difficult as legislators sought ways to balance next year's budget.
Action: Lawmakers approved a $17.8 billion spending package, which funds everything from schools to prisons. The 2011 budget balances the books by cutting spending, raising some user fees and taxing hospital revenue. The budget also is balanced with more than $1 billion in federal stimulus money. About $96 million should be generated from dozens of increased or new state fees. The new budget cuts basic funding for K-12 schools and the University of System of Georgia instruction by more than $600 million.
What it means for you: Basic state services, such as handing out driver's licenses, incarcerating felons, patrolling interstates, providing parks and paying for health care for the poor and disabled, will continue. In education, there will be fewer teachers per student, layoffs and furloughs in local school systems, and likely sharp increases in tuition at universities and technical colleges.
Transportation
Challenge: Legislators were pressed to develop a statewide transportation plan that would bring relief to commuters and keep Georgia attractive to businesses.
Action: Legislators passed HB 277, a bill dividing the state into 12 regions and allowing a referendum in each for a 1 percent sales tax to fund transportation projects.
What it means for you: If Gov. Sonny Perdue signs the bill, an elected officials round table in the 10-county Atlanta region will draw up a project list and submit it to voters in 2012. If approved, perhaps $7 billion in transportation projects would be built in the region over 10 years
Ethics
Challenge: Lawmakers sought to restore order following the resignation of Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram). He quit after his ex-wife exposed his affair with a utility company lobbyist; Richardson was championing legislation that would have benefited the utility. New Speaker of House David Ralston promised changes in the manner legislators work with lobbyists.
Action: The ethics reform package will establish new reporting and fee requirements for lobbyists. The bill would stiffen penalties for bribery in Georgia and install an abuse-of-power provision to target officials who engage in harassment and coercion.
What it means for you: While certain reporting standards have been strengthened this session, there still are no caps on lobbyist gifts to lawmakers.
Property Taxes
Challenge: Lawmakers wanted to streamline the property tax process.
Action: The reform bill will allow annual property tax assessments and longer appeal times. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's investigation last year showing a wide disparity between property tax assessments and sale values in several metro Atlanta counties prompted this action. The AJC found tax appraisers had reduced the value of residential properties, but not enough to match market value decline.
What it means for you: The bill, considered the most sweeping overhaul of Georgia’s property tax system, would require that every property owner receive annual Notice of Assessment that guarantees the right to appeal, each assessment to contain estimated property tax, the appeal time expanded from 30 to 45 days, and an automatic favorable outcome when government fails to respond to a taxpayer appeal within 45 days.
Guns
Challenge: How to expand the rights of licensed gun owners.
Action: Senate Bill 308, promoted by Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburgh), would expand state law to allow guns in non-secure areas of airports and bars (with owners consent), and parking lots of colleges, jails and courthouses.
What it means for you: Seabaugh expected clarity on where licensed gun owners can carry weapons. The Legislature already has approved the NRA-backed Senate Bill 291, allowing airport gun possession in non-secure areas and bans the governor from confiscating or controlling firearms in a declared state of emergency.
Nancy Badertscher, Ariel Hart, James Salzer, Ernie Suggs and Todd C. Duncan contributed to this article.
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