The Georgia Legislature’s 2015 session comes to a close Thursday, with the most noteworthy bills already passed and ready for Gov. Nathan Deal’s signature.
In dramatic votes near midnight Tuesday, the House and Senate approved the session’s centerpiece legislation, a plan to raise an additional $900 million a year to fix Georgia’s roads and bridges. The main element is converting Georgia’s present sales and excise taxes on fuel into a single 26-cents-per-gallon gasoline excise tax. According to the AJC, the state’s present share of fuel taxes is around 19.3 cents.
The transportation votes followed Tuesday night’s passage of the $21.8 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2016, about $900 million more than last year’s, not including the transportation funds. Previously, the Legislature in highly publicized votes approved the medical use of cannabis oil and passed Deal’s proposed constitutional amendment to create a state “Opportunity School District” to take control of failing schools.
Another controversial proposal, Senate Bill 129 by Sen. Joshua McKoon, R-Columbus, will not reach the House floor Thursday, unless attached to another bill. SB 129 was tabled in the House Judiciary Committee last week after three Republicans joined Democrats in agreeing to an anti-discrimination amendment that McKoon said gutted his bill.
Although the traditional rush to “sine die” might lack the customary excitement this year, both chambers return to crowded calendars Thursday. Unexpected controversy could arise at any time.
Democratic support proved crucial for final passage of House Bill 170, a conference committee compromise between separate House and Senate versions. House Democrats supported the conference committee bill, as they did the original House version, which sought a 29.2 cents per gallon tax. The Senate bill called for a 24-cent per gallon rate.
Senate Democrats, who had fiercely opposed the Senate bill when it narrowly passed the chamber, overwhelmingly switched to supporting the conference committee compromise. A total of 16 Democrats changed from no to yes votes, according to a Peach Pundit analysis..
The main enticement for Democrats was a separate bill approved by the Senate after the transportation bill vote. House Bill 213, to permanently end restrictions on MARTA spending, was surprisingly amended to allow the Atlanta transit agency to raise its sales tax to 1.5 percent from 1 percent if voters approve. The amendment was offered by Deal’s floor leaders, Butch Miller, R-Gainesville, Bill Jackson, R-Appling, John Kennedy, R-Macon, and Mike Dugan, R-Covington. Deal apparently told the Democrats that the MARTA amendment would be offered if they voted for the separate transportation bill.
After the amendment, the MARTA bill passed 29-20. Transportation conference committee members Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, and Senate President Pro Tem David Shafer, R-Duluth, voted against the MARTA bill, and committee member Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, did not vote.
HB 213 and the MARTA sales tax amendment also helped to shore up Democratic support in the House. When Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas, D-Atlanta, spoke against the bill because of its lack of mass transit support and guarantees of minority contractors receiving a chance at DOT work, House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, recognized Rep. Stacey Abrams, D-Atlanta, the House minority leader. Abrams urged passage of the transportation bill, citing the impending MARTA amendment. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed visited the Capitol Tuesday, possibly playing a role in crafting the sales tax enhancement. Reed and Deal have built a strong political alliance.
Now. HB 213 returns to the House, which is expected to accept the Senate amendment Thursday. However, Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, said in a tweet after the MARTA bill’s passage, “looks like Fulton taxpayers lose again at the Capitol, a casualty of HB 170 deal making, a sad day!” HB 170 also includes a $5 daily fee on hotel guests, a surprise added by the conference committee, which eliminated a rental car fee in the Senate bill.
On Wednesday, Deal praised the Legislature for passing the transportation bill. “Georgia’s legislators demonstrated leadership, foresight and courage last night as they took the tough but much needed steps to pay for our ever-growing transportation needs,” Deal said in a statement released by his office. “We faced obligations that could no longer be ignored, and current resources were simply not enough to preserve the infrastructure we need to get to work, to safely take children to school on buses and to keep the lifeblood of our economy pumping.”
