Georgia Legislative Watch

State Rep. Ron Forester’s impeachment resolution is now online:

WHEREAS, Article V, Section I, Paragraph VI of the Constitution of the State of Georgia states: “The Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall, before entering on the duties of office, take such oath or affirmation as prescribed by law.”; and

WHEREAS, Official Code of Georgia Annotated Section 45-3-1 provides that as a part of the oath of office, every public officer shall swear that he or she will support the Constitution of the United States and of this state; and

WHEREAS, Article III, Section V, Paragraph XIII of the Constitution of the State of Georgia provides that when the house of origination votes to override a veto by the Governor, the same shall be immediately transmitted to the other house where it shall be immediately considered; and

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This afternoon the United States House of Representatives passed an economic stimulus package that would give taxpayers a “rebate” between $600 and $1,200.

Here in Georgia, State Rep. Chuck Martin has proposed legislation that would supposedly exempt the rebates from the state income tax:

Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) is pushing legislation co-sponsored by leaders of both parties to make sure Georgians don’t have to pay state income taxes on the stimulus checks they might be receiving from the federal government.

And, unlike the stimulus plan, Martin said his bill doesn’t have any income caps. So more affluent Georgians who don’t receive a check would also get a tax break if the measure is approved.

The savings: on average about $72 for individuals, $144 for couples without children, a little more for families with kids.

State Sen. David Shafer (R - Duluth) introduced two bills today designed to bring reform to the financially-strapped Grady Memorial Hospital.

Senate Bill 353, the Public Hospital Integrity Act, would seek to prevent those individuals that may have financial ties to a public hospital like Grady or any major hospital vendor from serving on a governing board of a public hospital.

Sen. Shafer said, “This legislation will help ensure that the Grady board’s first loyalty is to Grady as an institution, not those who do business with Grady.”

State Sen. Vincent Fort (D - Atlanta), a co-sponsor of Shafer’s proposal, said the bill was a good first step.

“The conflict of interest bill is very, very important,” Fort said. “I am for stopping conflicts of interest.”

Sen. Shafer’s other bill, Senate Resolution 722, would create a Grady Oversight Committee composed of three members of the state Senate and three members of the state House. The Grady Oversight Committee would be charged with providing legislative oversight of the “operations, contracts, safety, financing, organization, and structure of the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority” along with the Grady Health System and Grady Hospital itself.

In describing the bill, Shafer said the language of the resolution was taken from the bill that created the MARTOC oversight committee.

“Those who run Grady have fought legislative oversight whenever it has been proposed,” Shafer said. “But when they inevitably get into financial trouble, they sing the same old lament of legislative neglect.”

Shafer pointed out that, in 1999, a similar bill to create a Grady Oversight Committee passed the Senate but stalled in the House.

[UPDATE] Here is a copy of the press release sent out by the State Senate on behalf of Sen. David Shafer.

HB892 - Motor vehicles; traffic-control signal monitoring devices; repeal provisions
Sponsored by: Hatfield,Mark 177th

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to motor vehicles, so as to repeal provisions relating to traffic-control signal monitoring devices; to correct cross-references; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

HB891 - Board of Regents; Georgia Aviation and Technical College; transfer positions
Sponsored by: Pruett,Jimmy 144th

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 2 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the board of regents, so as to provide for the transfer of positions relating to the Georgia Aviation and Technical College; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.