Media release: With the 2012 session of the Georgia General Assembly now in its final days, two of the major issues remaining for consideration in the House of Representatives are criminal justice reform and tax reform.
The recommendations of a Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform, appointed last year by Gov. Nathan Deal, have resulted in the introduction of HB 1176, a bipartisan proposal that seeks to find a balance between ensuring public safety and reducing Georgia's prison system costs, which have risen dramatically along with the inmate population, which has more than doubled in the past 20 years. The state spends more than $1 billion a year to incarcerate more than 56,000 inmates.
Included in the measure are provisions that would:
Give judges more sentencing discretion for nonviolent offenses.
Raise the threshold for suspects charged with certain felonies.
Revise sentencing guidelines for burglary, shoplifting, forgery, marijuana possession and other offenses.
Expand the use of drug and mental health courts, which offer alternative sentencing for certain offenders, and add more community-based treatment centers for low-level offenders.
Gov. Deal explained the reasoning behind handling nonviolent offenders differently from hardened criminals this way: "We have to decide who we're scared of and who we're just mad at. This is not a 'get out of jail free' card. If you commit a violent crime in Georgia, you're going to prison, and we have more cells to keep you there for as long as needed."
HB 1176 is being reviewed by the Special Joint Committee on Criminal Justice Reform.
Meanwhile, the legislative clock is also ticking on tax reform which has been a priority item for the legislative leadership over the past two years but has seen little or no action. House leaders have said the most likely tax reform effort to be approved this year will be legislation (HB 86) to repeal the state sales tax on energy costs for manufacturers, which the proposal's supporters say hurts Georgia's ability to compete with other states in recruiting manufacturing jobs.
Supplemental Budget
The House and Senate have given final approval to HB 741, the amended budget for the remainder of fiscal year 2012, which ends June 30. Totaling $18.5 billion, the plan now goes to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature.
Final Passage
The House also agreed with Senate changes on two measures, sending those bills to the governor's desk. They include HB 48, which would change certain provisions regarding the Freeport exemption process, and HB 477, which would change the license renewal period for insurance agents from every year to every two years.
Other Senate bills approved by the House and sent to the governor include:
SB 300, which would require proper labeling for bottles containing sugar cane or sorghum syrup.
SB 309, which would grant special hunting permits for big game or alligators to terminally ill children under the age of 21. The measure would waive some rules on weapons, antler restrictions and hunter education requirements, although the young person would have to be supervised by a licensed adult hunter.
SB 343, which would designate the state accounting officer as the official comptroller general of Georgia, a position previously held by the state insurance commissioner.
Local Legislation
Several pieces of local legislation affecting the counties and cities of House District 11 have advanced toward enactment in recent days. Gov. Deal has already signed into law HB 922, which I introduced to change the election districts for the Chattooga County Board of Education. The House and Senate have passed HB 1195, which I introduced to revise the compensation for the Chattooga County Commissioner, and the bill awaits the Governor's signature. HB 1118, which I introduced to provide a new charter for the Town of Trion, has passed the House and is pending in the Senate.
Last week, I introduced HB 1249 to provide a new charter for the Town of Lyerly, and I co-sponsored HB 1233 to change to nonpartisan elections for the offices of Probate Judge and Chief Magistrate in Floyd County.
State Revenues Increase
Georgia tax revenue collections increased by 7 percent in February over last year's figures, according to the state Department of Revenue. For the first eight months of fiscal year 2012, state revenues have grown by 4.7 percent. The increase in February followed two relatively flat months for revenue growth.
Session Schedule
The General Assembly will be in session four days this week with Thursday, March 22, being the 37th legislative day. You can read the details and check the status of legislation and watch live broadcasts of House and Senate proceedings online at www.legis.ga.gov. Please continue to contact me with your views on the issues or whenever I can be of service.
Rep. Reece can be reached at 404-656-7859 or barbara.reece@house.ga.gov. She serves on the House Education, State Institutions & Property, Science & Technology and Reapportionment Committees. She is the Vice Chairman of the House Rural Caucus and Secretary of the Working Families Caucus.
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