Day 26 - "The United States of this country"

That's how Rep. Mills managed to refer to our nation when speaking in support of his HB 45. Ironic that the point of the bill is to require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Shouldn't you have to know the name of the country too?

As we write this, debate has begun on HB 45, yet another voter disenfranchisement bill. For the reasons it's such a bad idea, go here:
http://www.lwvga.org/documents/proofofcitizenship2AA7EC_000.pdf

The Gold Dome was swarming with folks this morning. By the People Day/Women in the Halls (co-sponsored every Wednesday by the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Feminist Women's Health Center, and GRUS), had two special foci today: Immigrants' Rights and Raising the GA Minimum Wage. So many people came to advocate that we had to split into two different rooms.

The group headed from the LOB over to the Capitol, we had a lot to work on. We lobbied hard against HB 45, sending information in to legislators and calling them out from the floor to talk to them about why it's such a bad bill.

One member, who started out telling us he wanted to prevent voter fraud, but who seemed to come around to the reality that voter fraud is not an issue that we have any reason to be worried about, and that this bill would in fact threaten citizens' right to vote, finally just said, "What am I supposed to tell my constituents in North Georgia? They won't understand me voting against it."

Well, it just so happened that a few of his constituents, who had come down to the Capitol for other issues, happened to be standing behind us, overheard us, and then said that they in fact did want him to vote against it. They called him back out from the floor to talk to him about it. No word, unfortunately, on how that went.

Speaking of all these voter ID-voter registration-picture ID-birth certificate bills, if they ever get around to passing one of the several bills giving rights to embryos (or zygotes at this point), does the mother get the embryo's vote? (Yes, bills have been introduced allowing you to adopt embryos. Yea! I'm already picking out names for mine!)

So here we are almost at the end of the session, and as bad as the budget is, they still haven't moved any revenue bills. What's up with that?

At the same time, Ways and Means has a dozen tax credit bills for corporations that they're considering. When have you ever benefited from corporate tax breaks?

*** And we're abruptly brought back to more ridiculousness: HB 45 has now passed. A partisan vote with only one Republican voting No. So get ready to find your birth certificate when you want to register to vote. Don't have it? Just get your passport. Too poor to think about traveling overseas? They don't care.

And that legislator who said he had to listen to his constituents' wishes, and whose constituents told him they wanted him to vote against it? He voted for it. Republican leadership called for a block vote and only one had the courage to bolt, but not this guy who actually had consituent input.

Meanwhile, the Senate ended up passing another terrible anti-immigrant bill this morning. SB 136 is intended to speed up the deportation process for those undocumented who are incarcerated. It would allow Pardons and Paroles to half the sentence when the inmate agreed to voluntarily waive legal rights and representation. And then be immediately deported without possibility of return. The bill also takes the decision issue final deportation orders away from an immigration judge and delegates that part to the prison system folks. So, no matter what you think of the immigrantion issue, it is not a good idea to entice people to give up their rights...and an even worse idea to take away the role of judges to determine what the law actually allows.

So let's recap, shall we?

What our legislators are spending time on:
- Taking away and/or erecting barriers for the right to vote.
- Allowing us to adopt embryos.
- Giving tax breaks to corporations.

What our legislators are not spending time on:
- Budget shortfalls.
- Jobs.
- Education.
- Health Care.
- Things on top of the list of what you actually need.


Remember that you can always look up legislation and find out who your legislators are and how they voted on legislation, on the General Assembly's website: http://www.legis.ga.gov/

And you can come down here and talk to your legislators whenever you want.

Speaking of which, Polly McKinney of the League of Women Voters had about 25 third graders down here with her this morning. We suspect they were a bit disappointed when they left.

Day 25 - Deja Vu all over again

It was another marathon debate in the Senate March 3 when Democrats offered spirited and near unanimous opposition to a bill by the author of the 2005 Voter ID bill. This time it was a bill that would require proof of citizenship at time of registration. SB 86 is said by sponsor Cecil Staton (R-Macon) to "just prevent fraud" and voting by illegal aliens. But in close to three hours of debate, no one spoke in favor of the bill except Staton. Same old claims that the "potential" for "illegals" voting outweighed the disenfranchishment of those who cannot produce or cannot afford to track down the paperwork necessary to satify the voter registration requirements. Nevermind that no examples of anyone voting illegally exists. Nevermind that no non-citizen, who might be undocumented, is likely to rush down to register to vote and thus turn themselves in for deportation. Nevermind that African Americans, the elderly, the disabled and those born at home will have a heck of a time producing papers the state would require. Putting up barriers that actually discourage voting is not preventing fraud, it's voter suppression. Republican Senators silently sat through the impassioned reasoning and still voted as a block to prevent a "problem" for which no actual case exists. More about this later, the House is expect to vote on it's version of this same scheme (HB 45) later today.

Days 3 & 4 - Animals, Kids, and the Budget (and even scarier stuff like Foreclosures and Car Seizures), Oh My!

The H.O.T. Line
Here's Our Take

January 14 & 15

Senators Vincent Fort and Steve Thompson are working with a Republican Committee Chairman on a fair lending bill that will bring some relief for the foreclosure crisis in Georgia. But there is not a whole lot the state can do. Since Federal proposals are mired in indecision, a bipartisan Georgia effort is critical. Watch for a bill number to emerge soon...and get ready for the fight. The banks and subprime lenders that created the crisis are formidable opponents who don't want to give up a dime of what they squeezed out of folks. The real estate collapse was the largest transfer of wealth from African-Americans to whites in history.


The Capitol is always crowded with lobby day advocates, school field trips, high school bands, etc. Today the place was mobbed with 8-year-olds...and just to be clear, we're talking about outside the legislative chambers.


And speaking of bands, addressing a marching band visiting from Cobb County Gov. Perdue said that he was preparing to attend the inauguration. He didn't say, but after his budget presentation, we hope he uses his time to promote Georgia's infrastructure needs. With the new administration and Georgia's Congressmen continuing to block vote in a partisan way....even on the SCHIP (PeachCare) vote Wednesday...he's gonna have to be smart and do some schmoozing.


Last year was a nightmare with over a dozen mean spirited anti-immigrant bills proposed. This year it started again with a couple introduced early. Including adding vehicle seizures for driving without a license, when it is already a felony to do so. A catch 22 aimed at those who are prohibited from getting a license because of citizenship. We thought conservatives were staunch opponents of the government seizing private property. And hey, what does citizenship have to do with ability to drive a car? Wouldn't you rather have the person in the next lane take a license test and be insured?


Thursday was Wildlife in Georgia Day and the rotunda was full of the woodsy types, both animal and human. There was even a huge display table of animal skins, skulls and pelts. Ironic to pass by this table on the same day that House committee assignments were announced. The fellow that had the audacity to challenge the incumbent House Speaker wound up losing his committee Chairmanship. Some of us thought that big skull in the middle of the table looked familiar.

More on the budget later, but with all the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the revenue deficit legislators of every stripe have pushed each other out of the way to get to the TV cameras to declare opposition to proposals to generate revenue. Sunday alcohol sales now looks like it's the only one that really might have a chance. On the back-burner...tobacco taxes, casinos, fees for hospital Medicaid administration, et al.

Names floating around...former Senator Brian Kemp announces his intent to run for Secretary of State now that incumbent Karen Handle declares for Governor. And lots of other names rumored for this that or the other. A noticeable silence though on the Insurance Commissioner position. John Oxendine has been on the stump for a while now trying to get support for his Governor race. But who's heard of candidates that would run for the Insurance vacancy? What does that say? Last election cycle Oxendine raised lots of money when he campaigned to move up, but then backed out. Do folks think he's going to do the same thing again?