A few weeks ago one of us left a voice mail for someone and got a text back asking, "Where are you? Church?" There are multiple school choirs singing in the rotunda or on the main stairs every day of the session. "It doesn't make it hard to hear what's going on in the House and Senate?" you might ask. Yes, it does.
Today we actually had some high school's rock band. Not kidding. They had gone electric, and there were these two kids singing alt rock.
Then we had another elementary school choir, and someone commented that they felt like they were in the cafeteria in third grade.
To which a more astute lobbyist replied, "This whole place is like high school. You've got the rich kids over there [the corporate lobbyists, who hang out in one spot], you've got the poor kids over here [the progressive non-profit lobbyists, who hang out in another spot], and then in both you've got all these different cliques."
And of course there are bullies. Leaving out some of the bullies inside the chambers, there's a certain infamous, nationally-known anti-immigrant lobbyist who likes to follow around those of us who work to protect immigrants' rights, post up on a wall, and try to stare us down. Or something. It's actually a little unclear what he's trying to accomplish. But isn't it always that way with bullies?
Speaking of which, we're fighting 3 bills that have passed the House and are in committee this coming Tuesday. They all seek to keep Georgia in the past:
First of all, there's SB 20 and SB 86. Rather than rehash the issues with those bills here, you can go back to Day 21 and read about SB 20 and HB 45, which is the House version of SB 86. (Sometimes they'll pass separate House and Senate versions of a bill in case one of them gets held up somewhere and risks not passing.) Day 21 is here: http://georgiasummithotline.blogspot.com/2009/02/just-plain-mean.html.
Then there's SB 67. It would require that driver's license exams be given only in English. The sponsors apparently want to make a point about immigrants needing to learn English. But the real effect will be to discourage foreign companies from doing business here. If you're Kia -- the car company -- for example, and you're planning to build a plant in Georgia, and you find out that your executives' spouses, who might stay home with the kids and not really need to learn English to live their lives, are gonna have to learn English just to be able to drive to the grocery store, wouldn't you take another look at some other state that doesn't have such restrictions?
The thing is, the road test is already given only in English. If you don't understand English well enough to understand the person riding with you administering your road test, and you fail that, you don't get a driver's license. But the bill's sponsors want the written test to be given only in English too. Lots of business folks oppose this bill. As one of them told us, he has plenty of clients -- foreign business-people working in the U.S., many with Green Cards -- who are completely fluent in English but who might not do well on a written English test full of technicalities. If we effectively make companies pay for those employees to get extra English training when they're already fluent, are they really gonna want to come here?
At a time when Georgians are suffering crisis levels of unemployment, we're apparently about to tell these companies that we don't want their jobs. All just to make a political point.
***We can really use your help on Tuesday. If you want to come to the capitol to help us oppose the bill at the committee meeting, please email brooksGRUS@gmail.com. You don't have to have any experience; we just need you to show up.***
Showing posts with label general assembly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label general assembly. Show all posts
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Day 30 - Crossover Madness 4: Rules, Shmules
So, the Republicans came back from the arm-twisting recess ready to fall in line. They introduced a new version of SB 169, with at least 5 amendments and a new name. Sen. Steve Thompson (D) raised an objection, saying with the amendments and the name change, the bill either had to go through the usual committee process (which there would not be time for since it was Crossover Day) or the Senate would have to approve putting the new bill on the Calendar with a 2/3 vote.
Lt. Gov Casey Cagel and the Sec. of the Senate denied Thompson's invocation of the rule - ignoring the rule - and put the new version of the bill on the Calendar for debate.
During the debate, Thompson gave an impassioned speech about the Lt. Gov.'s violation of the rules, saying that the majority party ran the risk of damaging our system of government by playing "fast and loose" with the rules, that the Senate was supposed to be "the deliberative house," and that the embryo/stem cell issue should take a year and a half of work, not be crammed through like it was being.
He, along with others, also took issue with Sen. Ralph T. Hudgens's (R - sponsor of the bill) comparison of embryonic stem cell research to the deadly and torturous experimentation on humans of the Nazi Dr. Mengele and the Tuskegee Experiment. Yes, he really made that comparison.
Sen. David Adelman (D), read the language in the bill that made the use of in vitro fertilization legal only in cases of infertility. Adelman said that this would take away in vitro fertilization away as an option in cases where both members of a couple are fertile but the woman has health problems that make carrying a baby or giving birth dangerous. Hudgens said that in that case the woman was infertile. After much back-and-forth, Adelman nailed Hudgens down on the point, asking, Are you saying that if a woman can get pregnant, but she has a heart condition that makes it dangerous for her to carry a baby, then she is infertile? Hudgens finally answered Yes.
Lt. Gov Casey Cagel and the Sec. of the Senate denied Thompson's invocation of the rule - ignoring the rule - and put the new version of the bill on the Calendar for debate.
During the debate, Thompson gave an impassioned speech about the Lt. Gov.'s violation of the rules, saying that the majority party ran the risk of damaging our system of government by playing "fast and loose" with the rules, that the Senate was supposed to be "the deliberative house," and that the embryo/stem cell issue should take a year and a half of work, not be crammed through like it was being.
He, along with others, also took issue with Sen. Ralph T. Hudgens's (R - sponsor of the bill) comparison of embryonic stem cell research to the deadly and torturous experimentation on humans of the Nazi Dr. Mengele and the Tuskegee Experiment. Yes, he really made that comparison.
Sen. David Adelman (D), read the language in the bill that made the use of in vitro fertilization legal only in cases of infertility. Adelman said that this would take away in vitro fertilization away as an option in cases where both members of a couple are fertile but the woman has health problems that make carrying a baby or giving birth dangerous. Hudgens said that in that case the woman was infertile. After much back-and-forth, Adelman nailed Hudgens down on the point, asking, Are you saying that if a woman can get pregnant, but she has a heart condition that makes it dangerous for her to carry a baby, then she is infertile? Hudgens finally answered Yes.
Day 30 - Crossover Madness 3: A Bad Bill Fails, and the Arm-Twisting Begins
As we write, some Republican senators arms are being twisted in the backroom of the Senate. We're outside listening for that snapping sound that means, well, you know...
Just a bit ago, there was applause from all the folks glued to the monitor in the hallway, after SB 169 was tabled (meaning it wouldn't have a chance to pass this year.)
SB 169, by Sen. Hudgens, was rewritten in special a subcommittee by Senator Smith. Much of the original language was removed but the revised bill would ban cloning and stem cell research and would elevate the legal status of an embryo to that of a "person".
For couples who are challenged with fertility issues, it would throw up road blocks that interfere with their ability to build their families.
Elevating the legal status of embryos, to that of a “person,” could have random implications and broad, legal and medical ramifications.
And other language that would shut down stem cell research projects in Georgia.
The "debate" was hilarious. Sen. Hudgins (R) took question after question that he admitted to not being able to answer.
In response to many questions about the bill, his response was, "I'm not a scientist" [and thus can't answer the question.]
Sen. Seth Harp (D) asked, Wouldn't the bill, if passed, make anyone who destroys an embryo guilty of capital murder? Hudgins's response, after saying at least once that he wasn't a lawyer: "I'm not gonna argue the law with you."
Apparently he isn't much of anything.
In response to Sen. Nan Orrock's (D) question about the 71,000 Georgians that have in vitro babies that wouldn't have been able to be born under this law, Hudgins said, "We want that embryo declared an 'embryonic human being' - or whatever you wanna call it."
This bill was about three things: science, the law, and legal definitions of embryos. Yet Hudgins directly and indirectly said that he couldn't address any of those things.
Thankfully, the bill failed. And now, the arm-twisting has begun.
. . .
On the House side, they're still working their way through the bills on the calendar. And we're still waiting to see if they do a supplemental Rules meeting when they're done, meaning...will they meet to add more bills to the calendar. We're crossing our fingers that the relative calm of today's Crossover Day will not be shattered in the next couple of hours, and that everybody can go home at a reasonable time and without having to deal with any more crazy bills or backroom mauneuvers.
Just a bit ago, there was applause from all the folks glued to the monitor in the hallway, after SB 169 was tabled (meaning it wouldn't have a chance to pass this year.)
SB 169, by Sen. Hudgens, was rewritten in special a subcommittee by Senator Smith. Much of the original language was removed but the revised bill would ban cloning and stem cell research and would elevate the legal status of an embryo to that of a "person".
For couples who are challenged with fertility issues, it would throw up road blocks that interfere with their ability to build their families.
Elevating the legal status of embryos, to that of a “person,” could have random implications and broad, legal and medical ramifications.
And other language that would shut down stem cell research projects in Georgia.
The "debate" was hilarious. Sen. Hudgins (R) took question after question that he admitted to not being able to answer.
In response to many questions about the bill, his response was, "I'm not a scientist" [and thus can't answer the question.]
Sen. Seth Harp (D) asked, Wouldn't the bill, if passed, make anyone who destroys an embryo guilty of capital murder? Hudgins's response, after saying at least once that he wasn't a lawyer: "I'm not gonna argue the law with you."
Apparently he isn't much of anything.
In response to Sen. Nan Orrock's (D) question about the 71,000 Georgians that have in vitro babies that wouldn't have been able to be born under this law, Hudgins said, "We want that embryo declared an 'embryonic human being' - or whatever you wanna call it."
This bill was about three things: science, the law, and legal definitions of embryos. Yet Hudgins directly and indirectly said that he couldn't address any of those things.
Thankfully, the bill failed. And now, the arm-twisting has begun.
. . .
On the House side, they're still working their way through the bills on the calendar. And we're still waiting to see if they do a supplemental Rules meeting when they're done, meaning...will they meet to add more bills to the calendar. We're crossing our fingers that the relative calm of today's Crossover Day will not be shattered in the next couple of hours, and that everybody can go home at a reasonable time and without having to deal with any more crazy bills or backroom mauneuvers.
Day 30 - Crossover Madness 2: What's Austin Scott up to?
HB 225: This bill would require a person to be a Georgia resident in order to register voters in Georgia. That's right, it would be illegal for someone to come here as a volunteer to register voters. It's most likely a response to Obama's success using voter registration teams. The bill had been tabled in committee, giving us a brief sigh of relief. Then Monday we had heard it might be added as an amendment on the floor, and people were running all over to get the opposition together. The rumor that the bill would be resurrected was only half true. It turned out that the attempt to resurrect was not on the floor but in committee. Governmental Affairs Committee Chair, Rep. Austin Scott (R), briefly had HB 225 on his agenda, but when questioned about why the tabled bill was coming back up, he removed it from the agenda. That was Monday.
So what happened yesterday...when the legislature wasn't even in session? Chairman Scott (also an announced candidate for Governor) held a committee meeting and started talking about the bill. He did not follow procedure and post a notice about the meeting on the House notice board. The meeting was at 11:00; we happened to notice at 11:30 that it was posted on the small board outside his office.
In the committee, he didn't even discuss taking it back off the table. He just started talking about it again. Both Republican and Democratic Committee members were clearly not much interested in passing the bill. Scott just said we're going to pass this bill.
Things are hard enough to accomplish when the rules are stacked against you...but ignoring the rules makes things impossible. This is what gives politicians a bad name. And the public a cynical view of government.
Rep. Alisha Thomas-Morgan (D) filed a Minority Report, a procedure which will give her 20 minutes to speak on the floor about her and fellow committee members' objections to the bill. In addition, she challenged the rules violations that occurred when the bill was not voted off the table and when the meeting notice was not properly given.
We're curious to see if Rep. Scott wants that discussion to happen on the House floor.
Technically the bill does not qualify for the regular 30th day calendar, because even with the shenanigans, it came out of committee a day too late. But it could come up again if the House calls a supplemental Rules Committee meeting to add more bills to today's calendar to try to get it through by the end of the day. We expect at least one of these meetings later today on the House side. Stay tuned.
So what happened yesterday...when the legislature wasn't even in session? Chairman Scott (also an announced candidate for Governor) held a committee meeting and started talking about the bill. He did not follow procedure and post a notice about the meeting on the House notice board. The meeting was at 11:00; we happened to notice at 11:30 that it was posted on the small board outside his office.
In the committee, he didn't even discuss taking it back off the table. He just started talking about it again. Both Republican and Democratic Committee members were clearly not much interested in passing the bill. Scott just said we're going to pass this bill.
Things are hard enough to accomplish when the rules are stacked against you...but ignoring the rules makes things impossible. This is what gives politicians a bad name. And the public a cynical view of government.
Rep. Alisha Thomas-Morgan (D) filed a Minority Report, a procedure which will give her 20 minutes to speak on the floor about her and fellow committee members' objections to the bill. In addition, she challenged the rules violations that occurred when the bill was not voted off the table and when the meeting notice was not properly given.
We're curious to see if Rep. Scott wants that discussion to happen on the House floor.
Technically the bill does not qualify for the regular 30th day calendar, because even with the shenanigans, it came out of committee a day too late. But it could come up again if the House calls a supplemental Rules Committee meeting to add more bills to today's calendar to try to get it through by the end of the day. We expect at least one of these meetings later today on the House side. Stay tuned.
Day 30 - Crossover Madness 1
It's Crossover Day, the 30th day of the session, when a bill has to pass either the House or the Senate or it's dead.
Here's where we are:
HB 388 passed the House, 96-66. Clost vote: They needed 91 to pass. What does it do? Allows you to adopt human embryos. Yeah. Very useful. Good use of taxpayer money. But Obama just lifted the ban on federal funding for stem cell research, right? Right. But with this bill, NONE of that money can come to Georgia. Apparently, some of our legislators would rather save zygotes than save human lives with stem cell research. "Pro-life"? Really?
SB 228 passed the Senate, 49-3. It's a terrible bill, which exempts "ephemeral" and "intermittent" streams from the statewide 25-foot stream buffer. The buffer exists to prevent construction within 25 feet of all waterways, in large part to protect our waterways from construction runoff. This bill exempts all ephemeral and intermittent streams, streams which only appear when it rains, from the buffer. The problem: When it rains, these streams appear, and whatever runs into them runs right into our water supply.
COBRA Extension: Read the post from yesterday for the details on what SB 182 would have done. It's a no-brainer. All it will do is help Georgians keep health insurance while they're unemployed, and it will cost taxpayers nothing. So it's hard to figure out why it wasn't put on the calendar today. But it wasn't. We're looking at other ways to get the extension passed, and we're hoping our legislators will do the right thing. Read the post from yesterday and stay tuned.
Here's where we are:
HB 388 passed the House, 96-66. Clost vote: They needed 91 to pass. What does it do? Allows you to adopt human embryos. Yeah. Very useful. Good use of taxpayer money. But Obama just lifted the ban on federal funding for stem cell research, right? Right. But with this bill, NONE of that money can come to Georgia. Apparently, some of our legislators would rather save zygotes than save human lives with stem cell research. "Pro-life"? Really?
SB 228 passed the Senate, 49-3. It's a terrible bill, which exempts "ephemeral" and "intermittent" streams from the statewide 25-foot stream buffer. The buffer exists to prevent construction within 25 feet of all waterways, in large part to protect our waterways from construction runoff. This bill exempts all ephemeral and intermittent streams, streams which only appear when it rains, from the buffer. The problem: When it rains, these streams appear, and whatever runs into them runs right into our water supply.
COBRA Extension: Read the post from yesterday for the details on what SB 182 would have done. It's a no-brainer. All it will do is help Georgians keep health insurance while they're unemployed, and it will cost taxpayers nothing. So it's hard to figure out why it wasn't put on the calendar today. But it wasn't. We're looking at other ways to get the extension passed, and we're hoping our legislators will do the right thing. Read the post from yesterday and stay tuned.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
COBRA before Crossover (Call Today)
In addition to the bills to take action on listed in the "Sleep with the Lights On" post from Monday, we've got a proactive bill that needs support
SB 182 would go a long way towards helping all the folks who are or will soon be out of work. Here's how:
When you lose your job and with it the health insurance provided by your employer, the COBRA program allows you to pay a premium for health insurance until you find another job. Right now in Georgia, however, there is a 3 month cap on COBRA coverage.
The good news is that the Federal Stimulus Package provides for 9 months of COBRA subsidized by the federal goverment at 65% (meaning the federal government will pay 65% of your COBRA premium for 9 months). But with the 3-month cap in Georgia, Georgians who are unemployed are still out of luck.
So SB 182 has been forth to remedy the problem. SB 182 calls for increasing the Georgia cap on COBRA coverage to 18 months. That would allow Georgians to accept the 9 months of subsidized COBRA coverage. And unlike so much legislation, it includes the foresight that the federal government may renew the subsidies at the end of 9 months and add on another 9 months. This is a bill that just makes so much sense in these desperate times of increasing unemployment.
What you can do:
1. Of course let your own representatives and senators know you support this bill, but more importantly:
2. Call Senator Don Balfour at 404.656.0095 and tell him that you support the bill and ask him to please put the bill on the Senate Calendar. Balfour is the chair of the Senate Rules Committee, which decides which bills get put on the calendar to even get a chance of being passed. Since all bills have to be out of committee by tomorrow ("Crossover Day" - the 30th day of the session, when a bill has to get passed out of committee or it dies), your call is needed TODAY to tell him that you support SB 182 and you want it heard.
SB 182 would go a long way towards helping all the folks who are or will soon be out of work. Here's how:
When you lose your job and with it the health insurance provided by your employer, the COBRA program allows you to pay a premium for health insurance until you find another job. Right now in Georgia, however, there is a 3 month cap on COBRA coverage.
The good news is that the Federal Stimulus Package provides for 9 months of COBRA subsidized by the federal goverment at 65% (meaning the federal government will pay 65% of your COBRA premium for 9 months). But with the 3-month cap in Georgia, Georgians who are unemployed are still out of luck.
So SB 182 has been forth to remedy the problem. SB 182 calls for increasing the Georgia cap on COBRA coverage to 18 months. That would allow Georgians to accept the 9 months of subsidized COBRA coverage. And unlike so much legislation, it includes the foresight that the federal government may renew the subsidies at the end of 9 months and add on another 9 months. This is a bill that just makes so much sense in these desperate times of increasing unemployment.
What you can do:
1. Of course let your own representatives and senators know you support this bill, but more importantly:
2. Call Senator Don Balfour at 404.656.0095 and tell him that you support the bill and ask him to please put the bill on the Senate Calendar. Balfour is the chair of the Senate Rules Committee, which decides which bills get put on the calendar to even get a chance of being passed. Since all bills have to be out of committee by tomorrow ("Crossover Day" - the 30th day of the session, when a bill has to get passed out of committee or it dies), your call is needed TODAY to tell him that you support SB 182 and you want it heard.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Day 23 - Minority Report
The House debated SB 31 for about 3 1/2 hours today. This is the bill we've reported on several times already, which would do an end run around the Public Service Commission (PSC) and allow Georgia Power to charge us, its individual customers, in advance, for the planned construction of a nuclear plant.
How ever one feels about nuclear power, this bill was terrible for consumers.
The main argument of those who supported the bill was that it would save consumers a huge rate hike in the future by allowing Georgia Power to charge us a little bit at a time so that we wouldn't have to pay interest on interest later. This was nonsense.
Rather than demonstrating that with bits of the back-and-forth debate, we'll instead give you the Minority Report.
It's rarely used, but if something about to pass is egregious enough, a legislator can call for a Minority Report. This allows, at the end of debate, for an important group to speak. Those members of the committee that sent the bill on to the full Senate who voted against the bill when it was in that committee - in other words those who were on the losing side when the bill was voted out of committee - are allowed 20 minutes to speak about why they opposed the bill, and their report is printed up and given to all Senators.
Democrats Brian Thomas and Dubose Porter gave the Minority Report.
Thomas dismantled the arguments of the bill's supporters with the skill and precision of the archaeologist that he is. (Yes, he really is an archaeologist - pretty cool.)
First, he crushed the argument that this plan will save consumers money. Of the money that we would have added to our Georgia Power bills in fees that's supposedly going to prevent us from paying interest on interest:
Only 25% - $500 million - is going towards that goal of paying as we go so that we don't pay interest on interest later on.
50% - $1.1 million - is going straight to Georgia Power as profit. (They call it "return on equity".)
25% - $500 million - would go to paying taxes on that profit.
So, rather than saving us money, 75% of the extra fees we're charged will go towards Georgia Power making bigger profits.
Second, he said that this was not a referendum on nuclear power. The PSC will decide on construction of nuclear plants March 17 at its next meeting.
Third, he pointed out that it's not a referendum on jobs in Augusta. Those jobs will arrive if and when a nuclear plant is built there, which has nothing to do with this bill.
This bill was only about how Georgia Power gets its money.
Dubose Porter informed younger members that when a scheme like this passed through the Georgia Legislature many years ago, it became known as the "Retirement Bill," because so many members lost their seats for voting for it.
Of course, this valiant effort didn't take the day.
The converts to the church of Georgia Power ignored the many unanswered questions, and didn't seem to think it mattered if we had to fight to get them answered later. Apparently their votes were lined up in advance.
The bill passed 107-66, with about 20 Republicans voting against it and about 20 Democrats voting for it.
With so many people and groups opposing it, it's a tough loss to take, because legislators admitted that they had gotten very few to zero calls in favor from constituents. That's not the way things are supposed to work.
How ever one feels about nuclear power, this bill was terrible for consumers.
The main argument of those who supported the bill was that it would save consumers a huge rate hike in the future by allowing Georgia Power to charge us a little bit at a time so that we wouldn't have to pay interest on interest later. This was nonsense.
Rather than demonstrating that with bits of the back-and-forth debate, we'll instead give you the Minority Report.
It's rarely used, but if something about to pass is egregious enough, a legislator can call for a Minority Report. This allows, at the end of debate, for an important group to speak. Those members of the committee that sent the bill on to the full Senate who voted against the bill when it was in that committee - in other words those who were on the losing side when the bill was voted out of committee - are allowed 20 minutes to speak about why they opposed the bill, and their report is printed up and given to all Senators.
Democrats Brian Thomas and Dubose Porter gave the Minority Report.
Thomas dismantled the arguments of the bill's supporters with the skill and precision of the archaeologist that he is. (Yes, he really is an archaeologist - pretty cool.)
First, he crushed the argument that this plan will save consumers money. Of the money that we would have added to our Georgia Power bills in fees that's supposedly going to prevent us from paying interest on interest:
Only 25% - $500 million - is going towards that goal of paying as we go so that we don't pay interest on interest later on.
50% - $1.1 million - is going straight to Georgia Power as profit. (They call it "return on equity".)
25% - $500 million - would go to paying taxes on that profit.
So, rather than saving us money, 75% of the extra fees we're charged will go towards Georgia Power making bigger profits.
Second, he said that this was not a referendum on nuclear power. The PSC will decide on construction of nuclear plants March 17 at its next meeting.
Third, he pointed out that it's not a referendum on jobs in Augusta. Those jobs will arrive if and when a nuclear plant is built there, which has nothing to do with this bill.
This bill was only about how Georgia Power gets its money.
Dubose Porter informed younger members that when a scheme like this passed through the Georgia Legislature many years ago, it became known as the "Retirement Bill," because so many members lost their seats for voting for it.
Of course, this valiant effort didn't take the day.
The converts to the church of Georgia Power ignored the many unanswered questions, and didn't seem to think it mattered if we had to fight to get them answered later. Apparently their votes were lined up in advance.
The bill passed 107-66, with about 20 Republicans voting against it and about 20 Democrats voting for it.
With so many people and groups opposing it, it's a tough loss to take, because legislators admitted that they had gotten very few to zero calls in favor from constituents. That's not the way things are supposed to work.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Day 21 - Just Plain Mean
The Anti-Immigrant Zealots are at it again. Not quite as bad as last year, but still really bad. One sane Senator said today that loss of state funds, when cities declare themselves "Sanctuary Cities", as bad as it is, was "mild for these anti-people, and sometimes you have to throw them a bone." How sad when laws get made this way.
The bill was SB 20, and it did pass out of the Senate today by a wide margin. The problem is, as Sen. Emanuel Jones said from the well, "It's a bill in search of a problem."
SB 20 would make it illegal for any Georgia locality to be a "Sanctuary City." But no city in Georgia has said it had any intention of being a Sanctuary City. What's a Sanctuary City? Exactly. . . . You haven't heard of it before because it's not an issue.
And there's the rub... In committee last week, the bill's author said that he really did want it to apply to cities that "acted like" Sanctuary Cities. So it would be a technical violation...no city declaration but still liable if someone thinks you act like you declared.
The bill doesn't say how one would identify that a city is acting like that, or how the state could enforce such a law. Or even who could report violations. So what the Senate has now passed is a bill that opens up a Pandora's Box where any anti-immigrant vigilante with a gripe can go after any locality he or she wants and report it for violating some standards that don't exist.
It's just another mean-spirited bill aimed at showing how hostile Georgia is to immigrants. Sen. Nan Orrock raised, from the floor, the concern that a bill like this would discourage foreign companies from coming to Georgia. We share that concern. But for some of our legislators, it's more important to look tough by demonizing whole sectors of the population than it is to look out for the real interests of hard-working Georgians -- like, say, jobs.
Which is why yesterday another anti-immigrant bill passed out of committee.
HB 45 would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Has the state, or the bill's sponsors, or anyone, demonstrated a single instance of a non-citizen attempting to register to vote or to vote? No. Not a single one. And as Rep. Pedro Marin has said, no undocumented immigrant in her or his right mind would risk deportation by attempting to register. So this is another bill in search of a problem. Undocumented immigrants are not trying to vote.
While the bill won't address any problem, it will hurt elderly people, especially African-Americans, who don't have access to a birth certificate because they were born in another state or weren't born in a hospital. So, while there is not supposed to be any cost or poll tax for voting, you might have people who have to pay for document searches and perhaps even have to get a lawyer...just to straighten out their legitimate eligibility to vote. Put up enough barriers and people lose interest. Is that what's intended? You betcha!
The bill was SB 20, and it did pass out of the Senate today by a wide margin. The problem is, as Sen. Emanuel Jones said from the well, "It's a bill in search of a problem."
SB 20 would make it illegal for any Georgia locality to be a "Sanctuary City." But no city in Georgia has said it had any intention of being a Sanctuary City. What's a Sanctuary City? Exactly. . . . You haven't heard of it before because it's not an issue.
And there's the rub... In committee last week, the bill's author said that he really did want it to apply to cities that "acted like" Sanctuary Cities. So it would be a technical violation...no city declaration but still liable if someone thinks you act like you declared.
The bill doesn't say how one would identify that a city is acting like that, or how the state could enforce such a law. Or even who could report violations. So what the Senate has now passed is a bill that opens up a Pandora's Box where any anti-immigrant vigilante with a gripe can go after any locality he or she wants and report it for violating some standards that don't exist.
It's just another mean-spirited bill aimed at showing how hostile Georgia is to immigrants. Sen. Nan Orrock raised, from the floor, the concern that a bill like this would discourage foreign companies from coming to Georgia. We share that concern. But for some of our legislators, it's more important to look tough by demonizing whole sectors of the population than it is to look out for the real interests of hard-working Georgians -- like, say, jobs.
Which is why yesterday another anti-immigrant bill passed out of committee.
HB 45 would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Has the state, or the bill's sponsors, or anyone, demonstrated a single instance of a non-citizen attempting to register to vote or to vote? No. Not a single one. And as Rep. Pedro Marin has said, no undocumented immigrant in her or his right mind would risk deportation by attempting to register. So this is another bill in search of a problem. Undocumented immigrants are not trying to vote.
While the bill won't address any problem, it will hurt elderly people, especially African-Americans, who don't have access to a birth certificate because they were born in another state or weren't born in a hospital. So, while there is not supposed to be any cost or poll tax for voting, you might have people who have to pay for document searches and perhaps even have to get a lawyer...just to straighten out their legitimate eligibility to vote. Put up enough barriers and people lose interest. Is that what's intended? You betcha!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Day 16 - Dateline: Fantasy Island (Part II)
Wednesday, February 12
Well, the Senate passed the bill written by 70-some Georgia Power lobbyists to allow the electric company to bill customers, in advance, for the costs of building new nuclear power plants. (That’s not a typo, 70 lobbyists.) The monthly additional consumer charges will help pay for plants that have not yet even been approved for construction.
Usually the Public Service Commission oversees the rate increase process, but the legislature usurps power here as a favor to their corporate benefactors. Why a bill to step in now? The PSC’s own staff researchers recommended against approval of the Georgia Power scheme. Inquiring minds want to know why the PSC has rolled over and allowed the regulatory power to be taken away. Could it be that they would have likewise knuckeled under to their corporate friends and voted for approval against staff recommendation and they don’t want to be blamed? Shame.
Well, the Senate passed the bill written by 70-some Georgia Power lobbyists to allow the electric company to bill customers, in advance, for the costs of building new nuclear power plants. (That’s not a typo, 70 lobbyists.) The monthly additional consumer charges will help pay for plants that have not yet even been approved for construction.
Usually the Public Service Commission oversees the rate increase process, but the legislature usurps power here as a favor to their corporate benefactors. Why a bill to step in now? The PSC’s own staff researchers recommended against approval of the Georgia Power scheme. Inquiring minds want to know why the PSC has rolled over and allowed the regulatory power to be taken away. Could it be that they would have likewise knuckeled under to their corporate friends and voted for approval against staff recommendation and they don’t want to be blamed? Shame.
Day 15 - Dateline: Fantasy Island (Part I)
Tuesday, February 11
Another corporate bailout sails through as Delta and others get fuel tax breaks further reducing the state’s income to fund budget shortfalls for services. Said Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam from the well: "It is incumbent upon the state of Georgia to educate our children; it is not incumbent upon the state of Georgia to bail out private companies." In other words, with all the cuts we've made to services like education this year, why on earth would the House vote to reduce the state's revenues?
Georgia’s legislature has been giving out tax breaks to corporations for a long time. There isn’t even a list of who has received long-forgotten favoritism. And no one evaluates whether the breaks are still appropriate. The conservative mantra has been that tax cuts are best given to business so they can trickle down benefits to everyone. And how has that theory been working out for us? Time to look at who gets what, why they got it and did they do what they prom ised in exchange for the break.
Another corporate bailout sails through as Delta and others get fuel tax breaks further reducing the state’s income to fund budget shortfalls for services. Said Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam from the well: "It is incumbent upon the state of Georgia to educate our children; it is not incumbent upon the state of Georgia to bail out private companies." In other words, with all the cuts we've made to services like education this year, why on earth would the House vote to reduce the state's revenues?
Georgia’s legislature has been giving out tax breaks to corporations for a long time. There isn’t even a list of who has received long-forgotten favoritism. And no one evaluates whether the breaks are still appropriate. The conservative mantra has been that tax cuts are best given to business so they can trickle down benefits to everyone. And how has that theory been working out for us? Time to look at who gets what, why they got it and did they do what they prom ised in exchange for the break.
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