Georgia Legislative Watch

It seems that Lt. Governor Casey Cagle has issues with the House’s budget:

The feud erupted late Tuesday after the House approved its supplemental spending plan only to use a procedural maneuver to yank the budget back for reconsideration after receiving word from Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle that the Senate planned to strip out excess spending. The Senate’s hands are now tied until the House moves. The earliest the House can reconsider the budget is on Tuesday.

[…]

In a statement released on Wednesday, Cagle said “the Senate agrees many of the projects proposed by the House are important and deserve debate.”

He said the chambers differ over the particulars of where the money should be included.

“Our position is simply that we should use the 2008 budget for new spending priorities and the amended budget should be reserved for limited spending on urgent matters,” Cagle said.

The AJC reports that House leaders are calling Cagle’s bluff and are threatening to hold Senate legislation until the crisis is resolved.

The State House has passed a measure to move the presidential primary to February 5th.

House Republican leaders said Georgia should move its nominating contests up from the first Tuesday in March to Feb. 5 so the state could have a bigger impact on the race for the White House. The measure now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Nine other states have already scheduled their primaries and caucuses for the same day, including Alabama. California is one of the most recent states to move its primaries to Feb. 5. Thirteen more states are considering doing the same.

Proponents worry Georgia will be an afterthought among presidential candidates if the state waits until March to vote.

“We want to make sure that Georgia voters have input in the nomination of presidential candidates,” said Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton), who sponsored the legislation for the date change. “By moving it forward, we will ensure the major candidates will come to our state and seek the support of the voters.”

[…]

Another provision in the Georgia bill would reduce the number of votes candidates must receive to win primaries and elections, from more than 50 percent to more than 45 percent. The change would not apply to municipal elections.

68 new status changes today. More behind the cut. Click here to read about this bill

SR480 - Increasing Cargo Capacity at Georgia Ports; create Senate study committee
Sponsored by: Carter,Joseph 13th

A RESOLUTION creating the Senate Study Committee on Increasing Cargo Capacity at Georgia Ports; and for other purposes.

SB314 - Bibb County Board of Tax Assessors; no person serving within the preceding 12 months shall be eligible to serve as an employee
Sponsored by: Brown,Robert 26th

A BILL to be entitled an Act to provide that no person who is serving on the Bibb County Board of Tax Assessors or who has served on the Bibb County Board of Tax Assessors within the preceding 12 month period shall be eligible to serve as an employee of such board in any capacity; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.