In regard to amending HB116 in the Senate: As I understand it, when legislation is assigned a number, it is also assigned a categorical position in regard to the amendment process. Earl Ehrhart assigns these categories as the chairman of the rules committee–I think he’s the most powerful person in the House next to Glenn because of this privilege, unless Glenn is dating an especially drop dead gorgeous influential hotty- then maybe Earl would be third down the line. Too bad I’m not a hotty, or single, or dating Glenn, or influential. I might get HB 1 to the House Floor for a vote otherwise.

-Open Rule: means the bill can be amended at any time.
-Modified Open: You must submit the amendment 1 hour before the speaker calls the bill for consideration.
-Modified Structured: Only the rules committee can offer amendments for the bill.
-Structured: No amendments can be offered.

HB116 is a structured bill. Historically, when a structured bill has been sent by Glenn to the Senate and it comes back amended, Glenn sends it back as if rejected by the House, without having the House vote it down. It is an automatic rejection. But this could be the exception.

David Ralston was kind enough to vote against HB 116, as he couldn’t offer an amendment to make the tax cut applicable to Georgians. Thank you, David. Of course, Bobby Franklin voted against HB116. I probably didn’t need to tell y’all that.

On the other hand, if you’re an aspiring politician, who’s county commissioner is up for reelection in the next year or two, well, there will probably never be a better time to beat an incumbent!

The direct mail just writes itself…

Today our esteemed Republican House passed HB116 so that rich people who fly their planes in to Georgia, and need repairs in Georgia don’t have to pay sales tax on the repair work. Yes, you heard right, as long as the aircraft is not registered in Georgia, you don’t pay sales tax.

At least our Georgia GOP only screws Georgians. So it’s all in the family.

There are a lot more local officials out there to make their case than there are state GOPers. If the State/Republican leaders wish to choose a fight with local officials over government spending, they better hope they don’t need grass roots efforts in their next elections.

I was thinking along the same lines-thanks for stating the case.

It’s a battle of ideas. Blame the state for raising taxes or blame the county for out of control spending.

And the people who collect the money from the homeless meters, I guess.

Non-core functions to me is anything beyond teachers, firemen, police, EMS and absolutely essential personnel to conduct local government business.

My county just cut 10% at the BOC, the BOE refused to raise the millage rate as requested by the school administration resulting in $1 million worth of non-essential personnel layoffs. None of the cuts will come without activism on the local level.

From what I understand, the House put the money back in for this year and said that future years were dependent on whether or not the State has a surplus.

It’s easy for me to say since I don’t have to face the voters but I say discontinue this next year so folks have a chance to adjust. Killing it this year is tantamount to a retroactive tax increase.

Take it up with your county commissioners and school board members. They are the ones who levey (most of ) the taxes. The state’s portion of property taxes is negligible.

If Comrade Bannister and his merry band of misfits want to waste money building a stadium to the braves so they can get xxxxxx for blockseats, then they should have the balls to raise taxes and not expect handouts from the Gold Dome.

I can’t wait to see that.

As soon as the counties send out “supplemental” property tax bills for a year in which they have already levied and already been paid property tax, expect taxpayer litigation to explode all over the state.