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By Tim Nelson, on January 27th, 2010%
The hot topic at the Lee County Board meeting wasn’t over zoning permits, and it wasn’t over water issues currently plaguing the County. The Hot button issue was should the firemen and EMS personnel in the County be able to take County vehicles to eat meals during a 24 hour shift.
Firefighters and EMS first need to be divided into 2 separate groups. EMS live in their “Bus” while on duty most days. Running from call to call going to the hospitals, re-stocking and cleaning the bus and doing it all again. I’m not against EMS Stopping to have a sit down meal in the bus in fact I wouldn’t care if they took the bus to a restaurant on the way back from taking a patient to the hospital or a simple non transport first aid type call. To me this is a no brain-er. They could do this 3 times in 24 hours if they liked it really wouldn’t bother me! I would prefer they didn’t do it between 7:30AM-9:00AM, and 4:30-6:00PM due to traffic congestion issues.
Continue reading What?? No more freakin’ Ziti?
By Jeff, on January 27th, 2010%
Senate Finance Commitee (pdf)
- SB 298, Senator Mitch Seabaugh’s bill to rename the Office of Treasury and Fiscal Services as the Office of the State Treasurer
House Judiciary Non-Civil Ramsey Subcommittee (link)
- HB 615, the Committee Substitute to the bill revising Georgia’s gun laws
House Governmental Affairs Committee (link)
- HB 665, Rep Mark Hamilton’s bill to allow a pilot program to test electronic transmission of ballots for military and overseas citizens
Continue reading In Committee Today: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
By Publius, on January 27th, 2010%
This presentation concerns the officer involved shooting on October 23, 2009 that resulted in the death of Sarah Ann Riggins at 1207 W. Gordon Avenue, Albany, Georgia; the officer involved was Patrolman Eric Strom of the Albany Police Department.
Shortly after the occurrence of this incident, I indicated that I would either present this matter to a grand jury or alternatively, I would request a coroner’s inquest. I was premature in my making this representation before receiving the completed independent investigation conducted in this situation. Following the receipt of this investigation, I have decided to make this decision on my own review as the District Attorney of this judicial circuit.
As noted, I have received the findings of the GUI investigation and in conjunction with my own observations at the scene and information I have also gathered, I have determined that this instance of an officer involved shooting does not involve any criminal liability on the part of the officer and does not require consideration by the grand jury or use of a coroner’s inquest for further investigative purposes.
[Continue Reading]
By Jeff, on January 26th, 2010%
Senate Education and Youth Committee (pdf)
- SB 298, Senator Valencia Seay’s bill requiring first aid to be taught in high school and requiring first aid certification as a graduation requirement beginning in 2014.
- SB 307, Senator Judson Hill’s Teacher’s Bill of Rights
- SB 60, Senator Lester Jackson’s bill to allow local school boards to raise the mandatory schooling age to 17 or 18.
- SB 132, Senator Vincent Fort’s Dropout Deterrent Act, which raises the mandatory schooling age to 17
Note that per the agenda, these are hearings only on these bills.
House Retirement Committee (link)
- HB 54, Rep John Lunsford’s bill regarding spousal benefits in the Georgia Judicial Retirement System
- HB 486, Rep John Meadows’ bill regarding Superior Court Clerks’ retirement
- HB 817, Rep Glenn Baker’s bill regarding juvenile court judges’ retirement
- HB 916, Rep Howard Maxwell’s bill nullifying any retirement benefits for someone who retires early and is rehired in another position with the same company
Continue reading In Committee Today: Tuesday, January 26, 2010
By Jeff, on January 25th, 2010%
It happens every day in this State. Someone, somewhere, gets in a car to drive somewhere.
Before they do so, they connect some form of device from their phone to their ear. This device allows them to use their phone hands-free, thus enabling them to use both hands while driving. A wide variety of people do this. Soccer moms, truckers, business professionals, college students, lawyers, doctors, secretaries, maintenance men… even members of the General Assembly.
And yet, under current Georgia law, use of these hands-free devices is illegal – unless you happen to be driving a motorcycle!
Continue reading [UPDATED] Cell Phones and Cars: Thousands Violated Law Today, Made Themselves Safer
By Bill Waller, on January 25th, 2010%
A source just called to report that the Democrats in the House met on Friday to discuss their options with the healthcare reform bill. With the recent election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, the Democrats no longer have a filibuster free Senate. The remaining option would be for House members to hold their nose and pass the Senate bill as it stands with the idea that the bill can be fixed later in a process called reconciliation through the use of a sidecar bill.
On Tuesday, House Democratic leader Steny Hoyer said that passing the Senate version was clearly better than doing nothing, and he went on to say that the fix (or sidecar bill) could be passed within 15 days, presumably less time than it will take to seat Brown. This appears to be the last best chance that Congress has to pass this piece of legislation. In the meantime, we are being told that there are not enough votes for the House to pass the bill. Could it be that this gambit is designed to get activists to sit on their hands? Don’t do it! Before they play this behind the scenes maneuver, call your Congressman and tell him or her that you are aware of this plan. Tell them not to sidestep the will of the people. This may be your last best chance to stop this bill.
By Jeff, on January 25th, 2010%
Senate Public Safety Committee (pdf):
- SB 52, Senator Seth Harp’s bill creating a metal theft registry
- SB 306, Senator Bill Heath’s bill allowing the use of hands-free headsets
- SR 513, Senator Jeff Mullis’ resolution creating the Joint Georgia State Fire Services Study Committee
- SR 570, Senator Nan Orrock’s resolution urging Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform.
Senate Judiciary Committee (pdf):
- SB 81, Senator Renee Unterman’s bill allowing members of an Electric Membership Corporation to serve as jurors in a trial where the EMC is a party
- SB 142, Senator Seth Harp’s bill creating the Georgia Family Violence Offender Registry
- SB 235, Senator Chip Pearson’s Microchip Consent Act
House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee (link):
- HB 219, Rep Tommy Benton’s bill to make anti-freeze taste bad
- HB 392, Rep Kevin Levitas’ bill regarding guilty and nolo contendere pleas
- HB 859, Rep Rich Golick’s bill regarding suspension of probation, with Rep Ed Setzler listed as the speaker
Continue reading In Committee Today: Monday, January 25, 2010
By Jeff, on January 24th, 2010%
Recently, some McBerry supporters have been telling me I needed to get my facts straight on him while maintaining that he has “won every straw poll except one in the winer’s home county.”
So I went through the PeachPundit archives – possibly the best single source of information for GOP straw poll results – looking for straw polls from 2009 and specifically how Ray McBerry did in them. The general data was also very interesting from the 14 straw polls I found from April through November, here’s what I saw:
Continue reading Will This Be the Results on July 20, 2010?
By Jeff, on January 24th, 2010%
Last night I got into a discussion with a conservative who is clearly a big proponent of interventionism. This person thinks that the only way to protect America is to fight them over there before they can come over here. This person said that the libertarian philosophy of non-interventionism doesn’t work because it allows attacks to happen here.
This person clearly doesn’t understand the philosophy of non-interventionism, at least as I see it.
Non-interventionism seeks peaceful relationships with all. It works to avoid or reduce any attacks from any side, while allowing all sides to maintain a position of strength in their own affairs. Similarly, the Sexton Doctrine’s “Absorb the first blow” seeks to avoid or minimize any attack.
Instead of a massive offensive military designed to fight vast wars over a period of decades, non-interventionism and the Sexton Doctrine use a military that is more focused on intelligence, rapid surgical strikes, and superior defense.
[Continue Reading]
By Jeff, on January 23rd, 2010%
Meyers joins The Club for Growth in pledging to repeal possible health care takeover
(BONAIRE, GA) – Valerie Meyers, a Republican Congressional candidate in Georgia’s 8th District, signed The Club for Growth’s “Repeal It!” pledge to sponsor and support legislation to rescind any federal health care takeover passed in 2010.
The Club for Growth is the nation’s foremost group of free-market, free-enterprise conservatives. Meyers is the first candidate in Georgia’s 8th District to sign the “Repeal It!” pledge and is one of only three candidates in the entire state to agree to the pledge.
Continue reading Press Release: Valerie Meyers Signs Repeal It Pledge
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[UPDATED] Cell Phones and Cars: Thousands Violated Law Today, Made Themselves Safer
It happens every day in this State. Someone, somewhere, gets in a car to drive somewhere.
Before they do so, they connect some form of device from their phone to their ear. This device allows them to use their phone hands-free, thus enabling them to use both hands while driving. A wide variety of people do this. Soccer moms, truckers, business professionals, college students, lawyers, doctors, secretaries, maintenance men… even members of the General Assembly.
And yet, under current Georgia law, use of these hands-free devices is illegal – unless you happen to be driving a motorcycle!
Continue reading [UPDATED] Cell Phones and Cars: Thousands Violated Law Today, Made Themselves Safer