1999 Legislative Voting Record Issues Voted Upon by Full Senate or House The following is a listing and brief description of bills which passed out of committee and were voted on the floor of the House or Senate and are included in the Georgia Chamber of Commerce 1999 Legislative Agenda. SB 57 (Georgia Chamber Position: Support) The legislation established the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority with a 15-member Board reporting to the Governor. GRTA will be responsible for projects in current non-attainment areas, and will expand as other regions become non-attainment areas as forecasted. More mass transit systems, including light rail, are expected to help deal with air quality concerns. SB 59 (Georgia Chamber Position: Support) Adds 2 judges to the Georgia Court of Appeals, currently the busiest court in the nation in cases per judge panel. Cases against business defendants should now receive a more thorough review with this increase in available review panels. SB 176 (Georgia Chamber Position: Support) Senate Vote Only: Establishes a system to collect data on the disposition of civil and criminal cases in Georgia. Will be addressed in the House during the 2000 session. SB 177 (Georgia Chamber Position: Support) Requires a rollback of property taxes when higher reassessments occur and places the burden of proof on the tax assessor rather than the property owner when reassessment disputes arise. SB 195 (Georgia Chamber Position: Support) Creates a state grant program for rural hospitals. HB 147 (Georgia Chamber Position: Support) Gives businesses a $25 tax credit per affected employee for providing federally qualified transportation fringe benefits. Examples: discounted MARTA cards or incentives to carpool. HB 374 (Georgia Chamber Position: Oppose as mandate) Requires businesses to include insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives. Proponents admitted that every insured person’s premium will rise by $17 per year. Amendments were introduced in both bodies that would have removed the health care mandate language, to allow companies continued choice in the coverage they offer employees. The voting record includes the vote on this amendment. Senate vote: The Georgia Chamber of Commerce supported the amendment offered by Senator Susan Cable; the voting record includes the vote on this amendment. House vote: The Georgia Chamber of Commerce supported the amendment offered by Representative Ron Dodson; the voting record includes the vote on this amendment. HB 577 (Georgia Chamber Position: Oppose attachment of SB 16 to HB 577) The language of SB 16 (added to HB 577) would have given optometrists (non-medical doctors) authority to prescribe a much wider range of drugs. Senate vote: The Voting Record includes the last vote to disagree with a House amendment that removed SB 16 from HB 577. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce opposed a vote to disagree. House vote: The Voting Record includes a vote to table HB 577. A motion to table is a procedural vote and a legislator’s vote on that motion may not reflect a position either for or against the bill itself. Passage of the motion to table postponed further consideration of this issue until the 2000 legislative session. HB 605 (Georgia Chamber Position: Support) Mandates character education at every grade level; provides a structured response with parental involvement for discipline problems; gives teachers the authority to remove students from class; mandates alternative education programs in every school district or in cooperation with other districts. HB 610 (Georgia Chamber Position: Support) Provides an increase in the income tax credit for the cost of operating or constructing employer provided or sponsored childcare facility. HB 779 (Georgia Chamber Position: Support) Reduces the amount businesses pay into the unemployment fund almost $1 billion over 4 years.
1999 Georgia House of Representatives Voting Record
<big><big>1999 Georgia State Senate Voting Record</big></big>
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Voted with business position
Voted against business position
