About Sandy Springs reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 2013)
New Listing! 6278 Mountain Brook Way SIGN UP! 4 Bedrooms 2.5 Bath Pool, Traditional Two Story Very Private Backyard, $600,000 CALL ME! Angle PonSELL, SANDY SPRINGS 404-226-2002 | www.isellsandysprings.com honor a life well lived For generations, remembering the many lives of our community with unique traditional to modern memorials. ARLINGTON MEMORIAL PARK (404) 255-0750 H.M. PATTERSON & SON FUNERAL DIRECTORS, ARLINGTON CHAPEL (404) 85I-99OO SANDY SPRINGS CHAPEL FUNERAL DIRECTORS (404) 255-8511 www.SandySpringsFuneralProviders.com © 2013 Dignify Memorial. 6 | MARCH22—APRIL4, 2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net COMMUNITY 2013 a busy year for local legislators BY MELISSA WEINMAN melissaweinman@reporternewspapers.net The 2013 General Assembly has been a busy one for DeKalb and Fulton County legislators. Each year, hundreds of bills are intro duced, but only a few become law at the end of the 40 day legislative session. Some have a good chance of making it to the governors desk, while others won’t make it out of committee. Many of these bills met their end on Crossover Day March 7. For a bill to have a chance of becoming law, it must be approved in the chamber where it was introduced by the 30th legislative day, known as Crossover Day, in order for it to cross into the other chamber in enough time to be considered before the session ends. As this year’s session draws to a close, we take a look at how some of the bills introduced by lawmakers from the Reporter Newspapers com munities fared. HB 41: This bill would prohibit wa ter and sewer providers from arbitrarily charging higher rates to customers out side of their geographic boundaries. Status: The ITouse Governmental Af fairs Committee favorably reported by substitute March 1. Sponsors: The bill was introduced by Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs. Other local sponsors include Joe Wilkin son, R-Sandy Springs and Mike Jacobs, R- Brookhaven. HB 264: The purpose of this bill is to extensively revise the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Act of 1965. Status: Senate read and referred on Feb. 22 Sponsors: This bill was introduced by Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Brookhaven, chair man of the MARTA Oversight Com mittee. Other local sponsors include Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Buckhead, Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Dunwoody, and Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs. HB 265: This bill repeals provisions relating to the suspension of restrictions on the use of proceeds from sales and use taxes by public transit authorities. Status: Senate read and referred on Feb. 22 Sponsors: This bill was introduced by Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Brookhaven, chair man of the MARTA Oversight Com mittee. Other local sponsors include Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Buckhead, Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Dunwoody, and Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs. HR 486: This resolution proposes an amendment to the Georgia Constitution that would authorize municipalities cre ated on or after Jan. 1, 2005 to establish independent school systems. This reso lution came in response to Dunwoody residents who want to break away from the DeKalb County School District in light of the system’s accreditation proba tion and other issues. Status: House Second Readers Feb. 27 Sponsors: This bill was introduced by Rep. Tom Taylor, R-Dunwoody. Other local sponsors include Rep. Mike Jacobs, R-Brookhaven and Rep. Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs. HB 541: This bill increases the homestead exemption in Fulton Coun ty to $60,000. Status: Adopted in the House March 13 Sponsors: Local sponsors of this bill include Rep. Edward Lindsey, R- Buck- head, Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs, and Mike Jacobs, R-Brookhaven. HB 171: This bill changes the dis tricts of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. Status: Senate read and referred March 4 Sponsors: Local sponsors of this bill include Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs and Wendall Willard, R-Sandy Springs. HB 346: This bill would make the Fulton County tax commissioner an ap pointed position, rather than an elected office. It would also limit compensation for the tax commissioner. Status: Senate read and referred March 4. Sponsors: Local sponsors include Rep. Edward Lindsey, R-Buckhead, Rep. Wendell Willard, R-Sandy Springs and Rep. Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs. HB 310: One of several ethics bills considered this year, HB 310 would re vise the rules for filing certain campaign disclosure reports, the permissible meth ods of notifying candidates of late fees, and would eliminate the grace period on certain reports, among other things. Sponsor: Rep. Joe Wilkinson, R- Sandy Springs Status: Senate read and referred March 14 SR 273: A resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to allow the re-creation of a previously existing coun ty which was merged into another coun ty, subject to the approval of voters. This resolution is an attempt to recreate Mil- ton County out of what is now north Fulton County. Status: Senate read and referred Feb. 21 Sponsors: This bill was introduced by Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell. Other lo cal sponsors include Sen. Judson Hill, R-Marietta. Source- www.legis.ga.gov ss
