Conclusions:
HB 51: OPPOSE Rating: 4
HB 52: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 53: OPPOSE Rating: 4
HB 54: OPPOSE Rating: 5
HB 55: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 56: OPPOSE Rating: 4
HB 57: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 58: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 59: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 60: SUPPORT Rating: 7
Commentary:
HB 51 essentially transfers control of licensing of bingo from the GBI to the Department of Revenue. Even though I object to such licensing to begin with, I was prepared to support this measure because it wasn’t enhancing government encroachment so much as transferring it, and while I didn’t like that I could live with it for now. That was until I saw two key sections, however. One, the proposed Code Section 16-15-54(c), is a ‘failure to comply’ clause which states your license can be revoked if you do not ‘fully cooperate’ with government authorities. The other is exactly one section above, in the proposed Code Section 16-15-53(c), and says that you will be refused a bingo license if you failed to file a state tax return or haven’t paid your taxes. Because of these two sections, I must OPPOSE this bill.
HB 51: OPPOSE
Rating: 4
HB 52 allows the PSC to charge a utility for the cost of providing expert testimony and providing assistance in auditing or monitoring the industries it regulates. It also allows the utility to pass that cost on to its ratepayers. Meaning that if the PSC hires an expert witness – aka lobbyist – to testify about nuclear power on behalf of Georgia Power, not only is Georgia Power not having to pay for that up front, but they can also pass that charge on to their customers. I see a lot of potential for corruption here, and no benefits to the People of Georgia, so I’m going to strongly OPPOSE this bill.
HB 52: OPPOSE
Rating: 2
HB 53 is an anti-racial profiling bill that basically says that cops can’t stop you based on racial profiling. However, when they DO stop you, they’ve got quite a bit of paperwork to fill out that has to be saved for at least seven years. That’s a LOT of paperwork in some areas, and quite a bit even in less populated areas, or so I would imagine. Furthermore, if a cop stops you and doesn’t give you a citation or a written warning, he has to give you a card with his name, badge number, and the agency he works for on it. Meaning even MORE paperwork he has to keep on him, and yet another expense the agency he works for incurs. I like the first section of this bill, the one that simply bans racial profiling. I don’t think it is as needed as some make it out to be, but I honestly think it is a good thing to have on the books. The rest of the bill, however, requiring annual training and all that paperwork, is a bunch of bullcrap, and I’m going to OPPOSE this bill just to help out cops throughout this state and keep them from even more paperwork that would make their job that much more difficult.
HB 53: OPPOSE
Rating: 4
HB 54 deals with spousal benefits under the Georgia Judicial Retirement System. I don’t really understand this one, so I’m going to default OPPOSE it.
HB 54: OPPOSE
Rating: 5
HB 55 orders the clerk of every Superior Court in the state to remove social security numbers from certain real estate and personal property records. I see this as a very good thing in regards to privacy, and therefore this one has my full support.
HB 55: SUPPORT
Rating: 10
HB 56 changes the procedures for cities and counties to resolve disputes over the joint sales taxes, which is a part that honestly I didn’t fully understand. One thing I did understand though, and it kills the bill for me: the bill would eliminate the provision in current law that says basically that if a dispute is unresolved, the sales tax goes away. Instead, this bill specifically says that any unresolved dispute does not cause the sales tax itself to come into question. I like the “Solomon’s Baby” wisdom of the current law, and I OPPOSE this bill because of these provisions.
HB 56: OPPOSE
Rating: 4
HB 57 repeals a lot of laws regrding interstate motor carriers, which I think is a good thing – though admittedly, I haven’t looked at the specific laws being repealed. HOWEVER, it also requires all motor vehicle carriers operating within the State to have on record with the State proof of insurance, which in and of itself is enough to kill this bill for me. But then it gets worse. It federalizes much of the control of interstate motor carriers and puts any of these organizations operating within this State under Federal law. Because of these last two provisions, I must strongly OPPOSE this bill.
HB 57: OPPOSE
Rating: 2
HB 58 provides a $1000 tax break for a certain group of people. I object to ANY such limited break, as it only serves to further complicate the tax code and provide for artifically unequal status among taxpayers. The group protected by this bill is truly irrelevant to my objection here, but for the sake of transparency it is volunteer firefighters who have served for at least three years prior to receiving the credit and have achieved at least one level of firefighter certification. However, as noted, because this bill only serves to further complicate the tax code and provide for further exceptions for preferred groups of people, I strongly OPPOSE this measure.
HB 58: OPPOSE
Rating: 2
HB 59 allows a sales tax exemption for drug samples and other clinical trial drugs/products. I OPPOSE this bill due to its further complications of the tax code as well as its preferential treatment of one industry, in this case the pharmaceutical industry.
HB 59: OPPOSE
Rating: 2
HB 60 basically says that if you’re exempt from being required to be licensed to practice professional counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy, you cannot in any way imply that you are licensed to perform those functions. Honestly, I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, you have free speech. On the other, you have the legitimate government interest of preventing blatant fraud. Of course, these licenses shouldn’t exist to begin with, as that in and of itself is not a valid function of government, and the licenses not existing would make this debate a moot point. With these factors noted, I ultimately come down in SUPPORT of this bill as a legitimate effort to curtail blatant fraud.
HB 60: SUPPORT
Rating: 7
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State House Bills I Find Interesting (HB 51 – HB 60)
Conclusions:
HB 51: OPPOSE Rating: 4
HB 52: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 53: OPPOSE Rating: 4
HB 54: OPPOSE Rating: 5
HB 55: SUPPORT Rating: 10
HB 56: OPPOSE Rating: 4
HB 57: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 58: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 59: OPPOSE Rating: 2
HB 60: SUPPORT Rating: 7
Commentary:
HB 51 essentially transfers control of licensing of bingo from the GBI to the Department of Revenue. Even though I object to such licensing to begin with, I was prepared to support this measure because it wasn’t enhancing government encroachment so much as transferring it, and while I didn’t like that I could live with it for now. That was until I saw two key sections, however. One, the proposed Code Section 16-15-54(c), is a ‘failure to comply’ clause which states your license can be revoked if you do not ‘fully cooperate’ with government authorities. The other is exactly one section above, in the proposed Code Section 16-15-53(c), and says that you will be refused a bingo license if you failed to file a state tax return or haven’t paid your taxes. Because of these two sections, I must OPPOSE this bill.
HB 51: OPPOSE
Rating: 4
HB 52 allows the PSC to charge a utility for the cost of providing expert testimony and providing assistance in auditing or monitoring the industries it regulates. It also allows the utility to pass that cost on to its ratepayers. Meaning that if the PSC hires an expert witness – aka lobbyist – to testify about nuclear power on behalf of Georgia Power, not only is Georgia Power not having to pay for that up front, but they can also pass that charge on to their customers. I see a lot of potential for corruption here, and no benefits to the People of Georgia, so I’m going to strongly OPPOSE this bill.
HB 52: OPPOSE
Rating: 2
HB 53 is an anti-racial profiling bill that basically says that cops can’t stop you based on racial profiling. However, when they DO stop you, they’ve got quite a bit of paperwork to fill out that has to be saved for at least seven years. That’s a LOT of paperwork in some areas, and quite a bit even in less populated areas, or so I would imagine. Furthermore, if a cop stops you and doesn’t give you a citation or a written warning, he has to give you a card with his name, badge number, and the agency he works for on it. Meaning even MORE paperwork he has to keep on him, and yet another expense the agency he works for incurs. I like the first section of this bill, the one that simply bans racial profiling. I don’t think it is as needed as some make it out to be, but I honestly think it is a good thing to have on the books. The rest of the bill, however, requiring annual training and all that paperwork, is a bunch of bullcrap, and I’m going to OPPOSE this bill just to help out cops throughout this state and keep them from even more paperwork that would make their job that much more difficult.
HB 53: OPPOSE
Rating: 4
HB 54 deals with spousal benefits under the Georgia Judicial Retirement System. I don’t really understand this one, so I’m going to default OPPOSE it.
HB 54: OPPOSE
Rating: 5
HB 55 orders the clerk of every Superior Court in the state to remove social security numbers from certain real estate and personal property records. I see this as a very good thing in regards to privacy, and therefore this one has my full support.
HB 55: SUPPORT
Rating: 10
HB 56 changes the procedures for cities and counties to resolve disputes over the joint sales taxes, which is a part that honestly I didn’t fully understand. One thing I did understand though, and it kills the bill for me: the bill would eliminate the provision in current law that says basically that if a dispute is unresolved, the sales tax goes away. Instead, this bill specifically says that any unresolved dispute does not cause the sales tax itself to come into question. I like the “Solomon’s Baby” wisdom of the current law, and I OPPOSE this bill because of these provisions.
HB 56: OPPOSE
Rating: 4
HB 57 repeals a lot of laws regrding interstate motor carriers, which I think is a good thing – though admittedly, I haven’t looked at the specific laws being repealed. HOWEVER, it also requires all motor vehicle carriers operating within the State to have on record with the State proof of insurance, which in and of itself is enough to kill this bill for me. But then it gets worse. It federalizes much of the control of interstate motor carriers and puts any of these organizations operating within this State under Federal law. Because of these last two provisions, I must strongly OPPOSE this bill.
HB 57: OPPOSE
Rating: 2
HB 58 provides a $1000 tax break for a certain group of people. I object to ANY such limited break, as it only serves to further complicate the tax code and provide for artifically unequal status among taxpayers. The group protected by this bill is truly irrelevant to my objection here, but for the sake of transparency it is volunteer firefighters who have served for at least three years prior to receiving the credit and have achieved at least one level of firefighter certification. However, as noted, because this bill only serves to further complicate the tax code and provide for further exceptions for preferred groups of people, I strongly OPPOSE this measure.
HB 58: OPPOSE
Rating: 2
HB 59 allows a sales tax exemption for drug samples and other clinical trial drugs/products. I OPPOSE this bill due to its further complications of the tax code as well as its preferential treatment of one industry, in this case the pharmaceutical industry.
HB 59: OPPOSE
Rating: 2
HB 60 basically says that if you’re exempt from being required to be licensed to practice professional counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy, you cannot in any way imply that you are licensed to perform those functions. Honestly, I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, you have free speech. On the other, you have the legitimate government interest of preventing blatant fraud. Of course, these licenses shouldn’t exist to begin with, as that in and of itself is not a valid function of government, and the licenses not existing would make this debate a moot point. With these factors noted, I ultimately come down in SUPPORT of this bill as a legitimate effort to curtail blatant fraud.
HB 60: SUPPORT
Rating: 7