The Georgia House and Senate return to work Tuesday after a four-day holiday weekend break, with committee activity accelerating and more bills headed for floor action.
A hearing on College Board changes to the AP history curriculum framework for high school students likely will draw the most attention this week. Trevor Packer, head of the College Board’s AP program, is scheduled to appear at the hearing at 1 p.m. Wednesday to explain the new curriculum guide, which Senate leaders say distorts American history.
While Sen. William Ligon, R-Brunswick, and other top Senators are backing a resolution calling for the College Board to restore an emphasis on “American exceptionalism,” the joint House-Senate education committees will conduct the hearing.
The Senate when it returns to session Tuesday morning is scheduled to consider two proposals, Senate Bill 62, by Sen. Tyler Harper, R-Ocilla, which would increase the authority of probate courts over fish and game violations, including night hunting of deer. SB 18, by Ed Harbison, D-Columbus, would allow the Technical College System of Georgia to give academic credit for military service training, work experience and community service.
With icy weather expected, the House will consider a bill evoking summertime. House Bill 172, by Rep. Eddie Lumsden, R-Armuchee, would exempt those floating on homemade or inflatable rafts from penalties for boating while intoxicated. The Georgia Legislature increased the BUI penalties in 2013.
Lumsden told the Rome News-Tribune that he’d heard of a young man charged with boating under the influence when floating down a river on a homemade raft, and didn’t think that was the intent of the legislation. Under the law, a person charged with BUI can be fined up to $10,000 and lose driving privileges. Lumsden said disorderly conduct or public drunkenness laws are more appropriate for those drifting along on a raft.
The legislation drawing the most attention so far this session, the far-reaching transportation funding plan authored by Jay Roberts, R-Ociilla, is expected to undergo more changes. Roberts’ House Transportation Committee could take action on the proposal this week, although a meeting had not been scheduled as of Monday afternoon.
Roberts told the Transportation Committee last week that he’s still working on changes to meet objections by the Georgia School Boards Association, concerned about a significant drop in revenue. The bill would fold the local gasoline sales tax into a per-gallon fuel excise tax dedicated to transportation. Under the Georgia Constitution, school boards are restricted from spending on transportation outside of school buses, so could not receive excise tax funds.
Rep. Pat Gardner, D-Atlanta, said she would introduce an amendment on behalf of the school boards if Roberts’ negotiations fail to reach an agreement.
While the Association County Commissioners of Georgia support the bill, which allows counties to impose up to a 6 cent per gallon excise tax without a voter referendum, the Georgia Municipal Association opposes it. Georgia’s cites also foresee a significant drop in revenue from the loss of the gasoline sales tax, although cities can get a share of the excise tax funds for road and bridge work. Under the bill, cities can still levy sales taxes on food and alcohol for non-transportation uses such as parks, libraries and government facilities. The GMA wants to raise the sales tax rate from 1 percent to 1.15 percent.
Roberts at the hearing expressed support for the the fuel excise tax plan. “There are five different taxes currently today on motor fuel. We’re trying to streamline that.” He said the excise tax offers more predictable revenues, making planning easier. “We believe it’s the best method as we move forward.”
However, sentiment remains for a state sales tax dedicated to transportation, another option offered by a special legislative study committee. In response to a question from Rep. Harry
Geisinger, R-Roswell, Roberts said a state gasoline sales tax would generate as much as $1.6 billion a year.
Some estimates show the fuel excise tax plan might fall short of the $1 billion annually Roberts said it would raise. Gov. Nathan Deal in a recent interview said he didn’t want the transportation funding plan to fail to provide sufficient long-term revenues.
The special legislative committee originally suggested tying a state sales tax for transportation to a reduction in the state income tax.
