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ft Archaeology in Georgia faces deadly crisis t?
Last week I reported on a piece of anti-archaeology legislation cur
rently being considered in the Georgia legislature. It had been quiet
ly proposed by Indian activists who failed to invite the archaeological
community to have any input into
its writing. It even proposed the
establishment of a grotesquely
biased "governing panel". (The
panel was to be comprised of sev¬
en people - three full blooded
Indians, three people of Indian
descent, and one "outsider. How
about that for democracy in
action?)
Last week, the mandate was
known as "Bill 457" and was mov¬
ing toward passage. However,
thanks to several very responsible
legislators, the bill met with some
opposition. The committee which
was reviewing the law favored
tabling it for further study and
thereby allowing some input from
the scientific
However, consistent with the earlier attempts at curtailing a fair
hearing and forbidding ample time for a studied response by archae¬
ologists, the bill was snatched from the committee. In a flagrant
maneuver to ram it down our throats, "Bill 457" was then tacked
onto another piece of legislation known as the "Funeral Home Bill".
The "Funeral Home Bill" is Senate Bill 236. It is obscure and with¬
out controversy. It is, therefore, expected to sail through the legisla¬
ture without much study, attention, or opposition. If the anti-archaeo¬
logical amendment remains attached, it will be passed without even
being noticed.
Although it may be legal, this method of getting legislation passed
smacks of deceit. More often than not, such "slight of hand" maneu¬
vering serves as a signal that something is so wrong with a pro-
r ,
'Ja :%!
Rep. Robert Ray
With two weeks left in the 1991
Session of the General Assembly
and hundreds of measures waiting
for action, our days have been long
and controversial. Wednesday of
this week will be the last day the
Senate will accept any bills that
have passed the House, which
means our hours are longer in order
to try to get any measures acted
upon that deadline. All bills that
were introduced in House will still
be alive and waiting the 1992 Ses¬
sion.
A good portion of this week was
taken up on the gasoline divorce¬
ment bill and the budget bill. On
Wednesday of last week, I spoke in
the House against the gas divorce¬
ment bill because it is a known fact
the gasoline prices will increase six
or seven cents a gallon if this bill
passes. Furthermore, I don’t believe
we should pass legislation that
would require any legitimate busi¬
ness in our State to close.
This past week, the House sent
the Senate a $7.9 billion Appropri¬
ations Bill for the Senate of Geor¬
gia for the 1992 fiscal year, which
begins July 1. The proposal is
about $2.3 million more than the
state's current year austerity budget
and the bulk of the new money is
earmarked for education. The budget
also has funds to build and equip
nine boot camp prisons needed to
end the early release programs that
are returning career criminals to the
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Georgia Peach Festival folks visit capitol
streets after serving only a fraction
of their sentences. There is no
money in the budget for a cost-of
living pay raise for school teachers
and other state employees. But there
are funds for seniority pay hikes for
school teachers will have arrived.
To give the Senate ample time to
examine the proposal the General
Assembly agreed to recess Saturday,
Sunday and Monday. When the leg¬
islative clock restarts Tuesday only
seven days of the 1991 session's 40
days will remain. And the 33rd-day
deadline for introducing legislation
in time to pass both chambers will
have arrived.
Also this past week, the House
and Senate sent the Governor a
supplemental budget bill cutting
$117 million from the original
$7,785 billion fiscal 1991 budget,
which was adopted last spring. De¬
spite the cuts and measure still
earmarks $130 million for devel¬
opmental highways, and $75 mil¬
lion for expansion of the Georgia
World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Fiscal year 1991 ends June 30.
The General Assembly annually
works on two separate budgets. The
first is the supplemental budget,
which makes changes in State
spending during current fiscal year.
It simply adds to-or subtracts from
-what has already been appropriated.
The Governor's signature will bring
the total 1991 fiscal year budget to
$7.67 billion. By law, Georgia's
state government may not spend
more money than it takes in each
year. The budget has to be balanced.
The House also sent the Senate a
proposed constitutional amendment
to empower the Governor to ap¬
point the Public Service Commis¬
sion. If it passes the Senate, the
proposal will be placed on the
November 1992 ballot. The board
now is composed of five members
elected statewide. Currently 39
states have appointed public service
commissions, while 11 are elected.
The PSC decides how much Geor¬
gia Power Company, telephone
companies and natural gas utilities
can charge their customers, ap¬
proves financing requests of electric
membership corporations, and regu¬
lates truck routes. Those supporting
the change urge that the result
would be a more professional and
competent board better able to han¬
dle complex regulatory issues.
Those opposing it say they fear
concentrating such power in the
hands of a governor.
The House also passed and sent
to the Senate more anti-drunk driv¬
ing legislation. The proposals in¬
clude lowering blood-alcohol con¬
centration at which motorists are
guilty of driving under the influence
from .12 to .10, with .08 the level
of presumed intoxication. The
House also approved immediate ten
day license suspension for first-time
DUI offenders. Another measure
approved by the House would pro¬
hibit drivers from having open con¬
tainers of alcohol in cars, but ex¬
empts passengers.
The House also passed and sent
to the Senate a bill to bring Geor¬
gia in compliance with the 1990
Federal Clean Air Amendments.
The measure establishes a mini¬
mum $25 fee per ton of emissions
and sets criminal penalties for pol¬
luting Georgia's air.
The House also passed bills to
suspend the drivers licenses of per¬
sons convicted of Marijuana pos¬
session; and, of drivers involved in
traffic accidents resulting in death or
injury who refused to take a drug
test.
Other House passed proposals
posed law that it can not stand on its own merit and therefore has to
be "sneaked" through,
It is a shame that Mr. Dover and his out-of-state Indian activists
have chosen such a underhanded route for their proposed legisla¬
tion. Their attempts at blocking a full study of "Bill 457" and/or
"Senate Bill 236" jeopardizes other segments of their proposal which
do have merit and are supported by the scientific community.
The scientific community is not calling for anything more than a
delay in the passage of the bill. The delay will provide archaeolo¬
gists a chance to study the proposal and made meaningful, respon¬
sible recommendations.
It is only right for archaeologists to have some input into a law
that strikes at their very existence. It is also only right for the citizens
of Georgia to be guaranteed that their laws are founded ion factual
needs rather than personal whims.
ALL people should have a say in whether we will proceed with
scientific explorations of our State's history or return to the supersti¬
tious, backward mentality of the "Dark Ages". We ALL must speak
up and wave a warning flag over Mr. Dover's proposal. Attention
must be drawn to his legislation - whether he calls it "Bill 457", hides
it in the "Funeral Home Bill", or comes up with some other creative
disguise. We must not allow this member of the "Ways and Means
Committee" to use his political prowess to prevent fair and impartial
participation in this vital piece of legislation.
If you do not know anyone personally in the state legislature, you
may call or write Representative Robert Ray. He will listen. He will
respond according to the desires of his constituents.
Representative Ray's address is Legislative Office Building, #18
Capitol Square, Suite 601, Atlanta, Georgia 30334. His phone num¬
ber is 404-656-0254 (day) 404-681-1816 (night). (If you can, tele¬
phone him today - a letter may get there too late).
Act now! The committee which will be examining and recom¬
mending Senate Bill 236 (the "Funeral Home Bill") may have already
passed it on by the time you read this issue of Indian Footprints.
*** Copyrighted Material All Rights Reserved by the Author
-
would allow Superior Court Judges
to remain on the bench after age 75
if the Judicial Qualifications Com¬
mission certifies they are still capa¬
ble of serving; give local govern¬
ments more precise guidelines on
an application of disinter a grave;
require bail hearings before a judge
in family violence cases involving
injury; allow psychologists to as¬
sist in the commitment, evaluation
and discharge of mental health pa¬
tients from public and private facili¬
ties; and, permit state prison offi¬
cials to conduct random unan¬
nounced drug and alcohol tests of
inmates.
As reported to you a few months
ago, I introduced a resolution urg¬
ing the Public Service Commission
to reconsider a measure that allows
for intra-county telephone use
without long distance charges up to
22 miles. The resolution passed
with a two-thirds majority. It will
now go to the Senate for action.
This week Representatives of the
Georgia Peach Festival visited in
the House and Senate and dis¬
tributed peach trees to every mem¬
ber of the General Assembly. I also
presented them a signed resolution
from the House of Representatives
commemorating the Georgia Peach
Festival.
I always try to personally respond
quickly to the people who call or
write, however, because of frequent
committee meetings and long ses¬
sions in the House I have not been
able to keep up with these re¬
sponses as well and quickly as I
would like. I just ask that you bear
with me and a response will be
forthcoming just as soon as possi¬
ble.
f i
State Sen. George Hooks of
Americus has co-sponsored legisla¬
tion in the 1991 General Assembly
to create a Georgia Airport Devel¬
opment Authority to study the
state's aviation needs and select a
site for the proposed second Atlanta
area airport that would spur eco¬
nomic development in central and
south Georgia.
"A state airport authority is badly
needed to help clear direction and to
more clearly focus the efforts that
are underway to construct the sec¬
ond airport," said Hooks.
"The economic implications of
the second airport are so great, the
state needs to take an aggressive
leadership role," Hooks continued.
"It is no longer an issue of just lo¬
cal or regional significance.
Sen. Hooks said the legislation
The Leader-Tribune Wednesday, March 6,1991
IT
i
B R Peach
A
R Poster
Y V
HAPPENINGS (Byron 956-2200) (Thomas 825-8540)
SPOTLIGHT ON: LARGE PRINT BOOK COLLECTION
If reading the fine print of some books puts a strain on your eyes,
then consider the large print book collections at the library. There are
hundreds of fiction and nonfiction titles from which to choose. These
books are full-text editions with larger type that is much easier to read
than standard type edition. On your next trip to the library, come in
and browse the shelves for yourself or for a family member. A
microfiche catalog from the library in Macon lists thousands of addi¬
tional titles. These books can be borrowed for you free of charge and it
usually takes only a few days to get them by mail. Don’t limit your
reading because of weak eyesight. Large print books can let you keep
enjoying your favorite authors.
Remember, too, that Talking Books is another free service for library
users with physical handicaps. Persons unable to read printed material
can sign up to receive special cassette tape books sent directly to them
by mail. A machine on which to play the tapes is supplied through the
library and there is no charge or obligation for anyone qualifying for
the service. Call the library in Byron and Fort Valley today for details.
Listening to stories is a way anyone can enjoy books. Whether in the
car or at home, hearing authors read their own works is more than a
convenience. The narrator's voice and accent can add a whole new
dimension to a story that does not come across in print. Pick up a cou¬
ple of books on audio cassette on your next visit. The collection of
over ninety titles on tape will run on any standard cassette player and
they check out for a two-week period.
A supply of state and federal tax forms are still available along with
instruction booklets. There is also a complete set of federal forms at
the circulation desk which can be duplicated by patrons at 250 per
copy.
President Bush has appointed Anne Hancock, Director of Academic
Affairs at DeKalb College, to an advisory committee. Dr. Hancock is
one of only 11 educators throughout the country selected to serve on
the committee for student financial assistance. Most recently, Dr.
Hancock gave a very persuasive talk at the Library Legislative Day
Workshop attended by Peach Public Library staff in January.
*****New Books*****
Ivana Trump by Norman King
Bootlegger's Boy: My Story by Barry Switzer
Angel Eyes by Eric Van Lustbader
Airport dominates debate
to create the authority would not be
passed during the current session,
but would be held in the Trans¬
portation Committee so that public
hearings can be held on the issue
and committee members can more
closely examine the economic and
land use issues surrounding a new
airport
Hooks, the chairman of the Sen¬
ate Appropriations Committee's
Subcommittee on Natural Re¬
sources and Economic Development
and a member of the Transportation
Committee, said that currently there
is no statewide agency or authority
to coordinate or provide direction
for aviation development in the
state.
"At the present time the mayor of
Atlanta is advocating an airport
south of the city while the mayor
of Atlanta Regional Commission
wants the second airport north of
Atlanta," said Hooks. "There is
considerable controversy surround¬
ing the various sites that are under
consideration and this is not help¬
ing resolve this very important
question."
The Americus lawmaker said the
impact of the second airport will
extend far beyond the Atlanta area
and will be a powerful generator for
economic growth throughout Geor
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