Tomorrow, we’ll be participating in the 3rd Annual Crossover Day United Live Blog with Georgia Unfiltered, Peach Pundit, JasonPye.com, SpaceyG, Georgia Legislative Watch, and probably a few others. The 2nd Annual Blogger Day at the Capitol is currently scheduled for tomorrow as well, with Rep Buzz Brockway (a longtime contributor at Peach Pundit) introducing the resolution in the House, and Senator Jason Carter introducing the resolution for the first time in the Senate. (Last year’s resolution was just in the House.)
As is my tradition, I will be manning the Live Blog producer console from the command bunker here in Leesburg from shortly before the bell rings to open the day until whenever the day finally, mercifully, ends.
One of the most talked about bills expected to hit tomorrow is SB 10, which is expected to clear the Rules Committee today after passing through a Republican Caucus vote yesterday. Yesterday’s vote on SB 150 was, per Jim Galloway, supposed to be a show of force, and it came through with a 43-9 vote – all nine nays were Republicans.
My friend David Staples sent this email to a bunch of state legislators this morning, and I urge you to do the same:
Dear Georgia Legislators,
I’m writing to you today regarding SB-10 and HB-69 – the Sunday alcohol sales bills. Thus far this session, I’m extremely disappointed that these bills have not been voted on publicly. I find it sadly amusing that Republicans constantly bash Obama for being a socialist, yet they impose their religious views on the state of Georgia when it comes to the sale of alcohol on a day that only a portion of the state observes as “the Lord’s day”. Furthermore, Obama understands that open and transparent government does not mean private and secret caucus meetings excluding those from the other political party while behind closed doors to decide issues. There is nothing open or transparent about that. Furthermore, as a resident of Powder Springs, by holding this private vote amongst Republicans only, you’ve excluded my state Senator, Steve Thompson, from having a say in the matter. Here’s a few of your own quotes that I’d like for you all to consider…
“While I support it, I certainly recognize there are a lot of people who do not support it, and if there is not the support, there is no need to continue to dwell on it. And we are moving onto the much more important issues: education, HOPE scholarships, balancing the budget and creating jobs,” he said. (Chip Rogers, via AJC article.)
There is no one line item that you can strike from the budget to balance it. It’s going to be a lot of little things. I’ve seen several different sources estimate that Georgia would take in a minimum of an extra $4M in taxes were retail sales of alcohol legalized on Sundays. Furthermore, this allows package stores to open an extra day of the week which has the ability to create more jobs. More sales means more deliveries which means more hours for the drivers (or more driver jobs). More deliveries means more fuel sales, which means more tax revenue derived from fuel sales.
“You do remember all that ‘land of the free’ mumbo jumbo, right?” (Barry Loudermilk, via Political Insider post – ‘They came for our toilets. Now, they want our light bulbs’)
So it’s the land of the free when it comes to light bulbs, but land of the TaliBaptists when it comes to alcohol, right? Let me guess, you want to be able to buy those light bulbs on Sunday too?
If Jesus can rise from the dead and bring Lazarus back from the dead, you all can bring Senate Bill 10 back from the dead. Alternatively, you could pass House Bill 69. It’s time for those hiding in back rooms to come out of the closet and vote on this publicly. Allow Georgians to see what their legislators are really up to. It’s not a matter of if a Sunday sales bill will pass… it’s when. That time is now.
The news of SB-10′s likely defeat is frustrating but we must remain focused on the task at hand. If the law if to be changed, we must all become activists and focus on the key points of why the law needs to change. I wanted to take a moment to share with you some of the specific reasons why I am so adamant about seeing our current laws change.
1) Sunday sales will increase tax revenue and create jobs without raising taxes on anyone or cutting any program. Something like this is a no-brainer in any other legislative body.
2) Alcohol is a legal product, taxed and regulated by the government. Its manufacturers and marketers as well as those who distribute product in stores or restaurants have a vested interest in the message of responsibility – as do all of us.
3) The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States estimates the annual tax revenue to the State of Georgia from the retail sale of spirits alone on Sunday to be around $4m. Think of what that number jumps to if you’d include beer and wine.
4) All of us respect each others rights to practice our religions as we choose. We respect Christians or members of any other faith who wish to abstain from alcohol on Sunday. It simply stands directly in defiance of Lady Liberty to force one’s beliefs and practices upon an other.
5) In the end, we are fighting too, for the family owned gas station or convenience store in Augusta or Lagrange, or any other along the border. Every Sunday, these shops are handcuffed and see untold numbers of vehicles drive right by into neighboring States where they purchase alcohol, fuel and who knows what else. This happens 52 days a year. We need to keep that tax revenue, those dollars and those jobs inside the State of Georgia. SB-10 gives the people the right to decide for themselves. This is fair.
Georgia is one only 3 States with laws like this that hinder growth and encroach our rights. Keep in mind that this mentality is rooted deep here. Georgia is one of only 8 States that never signed the 21st Amendment – the one that repealed Prohibition. We’re gonna need everyone on board to get this done. We may need some to seek political office as well!!
My friend David Staples sent this email yesterday to a variety of religious leaders in Georgia, and I urge you to do the same:
Greetings all,
This message is being sent to a variety of leaders within the Christian community in Georgia. There currently exist two bills in the Georgia legislature which would allow local communities to decide the issue of Sunday alcohol sales. As many of you may be aware, local control is a conservative principle. However, the Georgia Christian Coalition has begun a robo-calling campaign asking people to call legislators to ask that these bills be defeated. I understand that most of you probably don’t have any desire to purchase alcohol on a Sunday (or any other day of the week) and I respect that belief. However, like many Georgians, I believe that the Georgia Christian Coalition should respect ALL Georgians’ beliefs and allow those of us who wish to purchase a product in the grocery store that is currently only sold in restaurants and bars on Sundays to do so. I believe it is better to purchase a bottle of wine at Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, Bi-Lo, etc. and soberly drive home to drink it than to drive to a bar, imbibe, and then drive home.
As the Southern Baptist Convention states on it’s website at http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/pschurch.asp – “We stand for a free church in a free state. Neither one should control the affairs of the other.”
I am asking that the leaders of churches and Christian organizations throughout Georgia contact the Georgia Christian Coalition at 706-366-8298 and ask that they please back off of this issue and instead spend their time spreading the message of Christianity in more positive ways. Furthermore, please contact your state senator and representative to ask that they vote in favor of making Sunday alcohol sales a local issue – not a state issue. Fighting Sunday alcohol sales does not look favorably upon the various Christian denominations within Georgia nor will it win anyone over to Christianity. I ask that you call Jerry Luquire at the number above, or e-mail him at jerryluquire@aol.com (or both) and please ask that the Georgia Christian Coalition cease and desist in it’s campaign against allowing local voters to decide the issue of Sunday alcohol sales. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
David A. Staples
It is a sad day indeed when an atheist has a better understanding of Baptist doctrine than many Baptist preachers do.
HB 69 has passed unanimously from the House Regulated Industries Committee, per this tweet from freshman State Rep Brett Harrell.
This now means that so far, Sunday Sales is 2 for 2 this year, with a combined 13 – possibly 14, if a conference committee is appointed – more rounds to go.
It should be noted that the House Regulated Industries Committee, unlike the Senate State and Local Government Operations Committee SB 10 passed through, is currently dominated by “old hands” under the Dome, including at least a couple of Reps who have been there for 10 years or longer.
LP-Georgia Executive Director Brett Bittner in a debate last night on ATL’s Fox 5 with both DA King (neosocialist “conservative”) and Fox 5′s Russ Spencer
Last night, State Senator Judson Hill (R-Marietta) tweeted:
I stand with many in my district, the GA Baptist Convention, GA Conservatives in Action, & the GA Christian Coalition opposing Sunday sales
For the purposes of this post, I’m actually going to ignore the fact that this blatantly theocratic stance mirrors the Sharia laws of many Muslim theocracies, including Iran.
I applaud Judge Vinson?s ruling labeling Obama?s health care overhaul unconstitutional
You see, like most Republicans, Senator Hill has been anti-Obama from the beginning. He has correctly opposed Obamacare, even while introducing bills such as SB 6 that implement pieces of it.
But here’s my point:
Obamacare is correctly seen as overriding the State’s regulatory “duty” in healthcare. Its opponents, in essence, cry out in FAVOR of local control of these regulations – at least so far as “local” is defined as “State”,
What I am thus trying to understand is the mental gymnastics required to in the very next breath OPPOSE local control of something so minor as alcohol sales in stores.
To be fair, I find it equally hard to understand the mental gymnastics of those in favor of NON-”local” control of healthcare AND in favor of local control of sales of alcohol in stores.
Both sets of positions – and I have seen politicians and activists in this State on both of the above described sides – are absolutely logically inconsistent. Hypocritical, if you will. And both Republicans (the first set) and Democrats (the second set) share in this hypocrisy.
Indeed, the only Party in this State that has been consistent on these issues?
Earlier this week, SB 10, allowing local communities to decide whether or not alcohol can be bought at a store on Sunday, made it through an initial hurdle it had never before been able to get through: It received a vote in Committee, and the Committee voted to favorably recommend the bill. This means it goes to the Rules Committee, where it is expected to be placed on the calendar this week.
The case so far has been somewhat curious all around. The same proposal for at least 2 terms before had been placed in David Shafer’s Regulated Industries Committee, where it was promptly stalled. This Session, Lt Gov Cagle assigned it to the State and Local Government Operations (SLOGO) Committee instead. Another curious aspect is that this particular committee is the only one whose entire leadership – and a majority of its voting members – are Freshmen. Its Chairman, Butch Miller, was sworn in last May – after the 2009-2010 Session was over – after winning a Special Election for the seat when its previous holder left to pursue the vacant 9th Congressional District Seat, which was opened when Nathan Deal resigned from Congress rather than face an ethics investigation in the middle of his run for Governor. Of the 8 Committee members, 5 are Republicans – 4 Freshmen and a Floor Leader for Governor Deal. The other three are (obviously, due to Ga’s draconian ballot access laws) Democrats, including one Freshman.
But the vote for SB 10 in Committee didn’t happen by Party line or even by Experience line. No, the Committee vote for SB 10 was 6-1. I do not know who the holdout was, but I do know who the lone vote AGAINST the bill was: Jim Butterworth (R-Cornelia), Administration Floor Leader for Governor Nathan Deal, who you just saw in the link in the last sentence has said would sign the bill when it reaches his desk.
So this does make a curious case. Why would the Floor Leader for the Governor – as some in the General Assembly have not so nicely put it, the man who agrees to be the “Governor’s bitch” – vote against a bill the Governor has said he would sign?
But the case only gets stranger. On January 28, Mr. Butterworth put the question on his wall asking for feedback: “Tell me what you think: Would you support SB 10, the bill which will allow local governments to decide if they will allow Sunday Alcohol Sales? Please start your response with a Y or N…” (No link, since he put it on his personal page rather than his official page.)
By my calculation, the response was 2-4, 9-3, 7-3, 5-2, 7-2, 7-0 on each of the screen captures below, for a total of 37-14 FOR the measure. (Note that the top response on the last image and the bottom response on the next to last image are the same response, and I counted it on the next to last count.)
So this bill received public feedback nearly 3-1 in favor of SB 10, and he voted against it anyway. A very curious case indeed. Maybe he received much more private response (that I can’t see, obviously) against the bill?
Just as an aside, finishing up this post, I try to friend all of the legislators on FB, as well as follow their official pages. From the response I’ve seen to any who put this question on their pages, it seems that Georgians overwhelmingly support this idea – even in very rural areas such as Mr. Butterworth’s district. [See the Screen Grabs]
A couple of days ago, the State Senate Press Office released a press release from new State Senator (and former State Representative) Buddy Carter saying that he was introducing a “Patient Safety Act”. The bill has in deed been introduced, and is known as SB 36. It too, as many other bills of importance to the Big Government Party, has a House clone, HB 184.
For the two years that I have actively watched the Assembly, this idea has been proposed and defeated – so often that I now refer to this proposal as the “Zombie Bill” because it just. won’t. die.
Doing some research on it, I actually went back to last Session and read the bills for the Prescription Drug Monitoring Act, both HB 614 that we Georgia political bloggers had a hand in defeating, as well as HB 273 – which happened to have as its primary cosponsor one State Rep Buddy Carter and which never made it out of Committee. It was also known at the time as SB 248, and even though it had some hefty political backing in the Senate, it never made it out of Committee there. See what I mean about the clone bills and why I refer to this one as the Zombie Bill? We killed this thing three times and it KEEPS coming back!
Couple of points here: In my own reading of each of these five bills, I fail to see any significant difference between them. None. Meaning that the arguments made for the past two years still stand, including this somewhat famous speech by then State Senator Preston Smith on the Floor of the Senate in 2009:
Next, in an email response to some questions about SB 36, Senator Carter says (emphasis mine, as usual):
In response to your questions- yes this is essentially the same bill as the prescription monitoring bill. We are calling it the patient safety act because we feel it better represents the bill and unfortunately, prescription monitoring carries negative connotations for some people.
In other words, Senator Carter openly admits to being deceiving in renaming a bill to ease its passage, claiming “it better represents” a bill nearly exactly identical to the bill previously known as the Prescription Drug Monitoring Act.
For more information about the Prescription Drug Monitoring Act, please see the following links or simply Google the term on your own.
Couple of bills I want to draw your attention to this morning, both highlighting in startling clarity that there is ZERO difference, or at least BARE MINIMUM difference, between the “two” major “parties”.
It discusses SB 45, a bill that makes certain property owners (specifically, bars) liable for violent acts that happen on their property. No longer would the individual who perpetrates the violent act be solely responsible for his actions, now Big Brother insists that the bar be the keeper of its patrons.
How does this apply to the Big Government Party? Look at the two sponsors: One Democrat (the Senate Minority Leader), and one Republican (the Majority Whip). Both teaming up to prohibit responsibility for a criminal act from resting solely with the perpetrator of the crime.
Moving on to a case less of teaming up than of proposing only minimally different ideas, let’s look at SB 43 and SB 49.
SB 43 is authored and cosponsored solely by Democrats and expands the minimum schooling age from 6-16 to 5-17. Not wanting to be left very far behind, SB 49 is authored and cosponsored almost completely by Republicans (Jason Carter being the only Democrat among the 6 primary cosponsors) and expands the minimum schooling age from 6-16 to 6-16.5.
As with most other things, these two bills clearly show that “conservatism” as defined by these Republicans is clearly simply a slower version of progressivism as defined by these Democrats.
And yet millions of people in this State somehow think there is any real difference between these “two Parties”?
Give me a break!
If you want REAL differences, and you want to be part of a Party that TRULY supports small government, please join me in the ONLY Party of Principle in this State, the Libertarian Party.
Or is all that talk about “small government” just that – talk?
