January 30, 2006

     The Georgia General Assembly completed its 9th legislative day this week and this is proving to be quite an active year for legislators.  We have passed two high profile bills that we have seen the Governor sign into law.  The first is the natural gas tax cut bill and the second the voter ID bill.

     As I have discussed before in this column, the Governor signed into law the bill that was introduced essentially suspending half of the tax collected on consumer purchases of natural gas from January 1 through April 30 2006 and liquid propane from January 1 through March 31, 2006.  This legislation was introduced to help lower the spiraling cost of home heating fuels during the winter months.  This legislation will return over $16 million to Georgians who are being hit with these high winter heating costs. 

     The second major piece of legislation that we passed and the Governor has signed into law is a rewrite of Georgia law to put an end to voter fraud.  A majority of the state House agreed to legislative changes that will require a government identification card to be presented to vote in any elections in the state of Georgia.  The provision also will provide free government voting ID cards for those who do not have any other valid government ID card.  The bill would further require that the free voting identification card be provided to registered voters from their county voter registrar’s office.  This legislation makes corrections to a federal judicial ruling overturning a similar law passed last year that did not include a free ID provision.  The law, assuming the Federal Department of Justice approves it again like the first law, will require picture identification cards issued by a government entity for the Primary Election and General Election of 2006.

     We passed House Bill 973, legislation allowing law enforcement officers to use speed detection devices in properly marked school zones one hour prior, during, and one hour after the normal school operations.  We viewed this as a child safety issue which is why the bill passed 160 to 1.

     We also took care of our fire fighters by passing a series of legislative bills that would have a major effect on the calculations of pensions.  One bill would allow the Class Nine Fire Department Pension Fund to increase its maximum monthly retirement benefit from $165 to $500.  We also allowed members of our National Guard and Reserves, who are called to active duty, to be given credit for that active duty time in their pension calculations.  The last bill allows firefighters who have retired, to return to work and collect creditable service time beginning at the completion of one year versus the former rule of seven years.  In the past, retirement calculations were not redone until the completion of seven or more years returning to work.

     Please do not hesitate to let me know your position or thoughts on issues that concern you. If you would like to reach me, please call me at (404) 656-5122 or write me at: State Rep. Ron Stephens ,228 CAP, State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334 or e-mail me at ron.stephen@house.ga.gov.