Newspaper Page Text
Legislative Report
from
Bill Jones
Rep. of District 78
The Georgia General As
sembly adjourned sine die on
schedule, Thursday, March
10,1977, concluding a session
which brought about ac
claims of success from
educational groups for edu
cational improvement pro
grams, S3O million for an
off-system road repair pro
gram in the state, a
legislative overview of rule
making by state agencies,
and a promise of tax reform
studies by executive and
legislative leaders to cite a
few of the activities by the
1977 legislative bodies.
One of the most prevalent
complaints I hear expressed
by the citizens' of the 78th
Representative District is
that of the ever menacing
problem of escalating ad
valorem property taxes.
During the 77 session of the
General Assembly, there
were at least five different
tax reform measures intro
duced in the Georgia House
alone designed to afford
property tax relief to those
persons most in need of it.
None of these proposals were
reported out of committee
but were held for an interim
study to be done by a Ways
And Means subcommittee
and reported back to the full
committee and subsequently
the full House during the 1978
session. Hopefully some
meaningful tax reform pro
posals will be forthcoming
from the efforts of this
interim study committee.
There were upwards of
2,000 House and Senate Bills
introduced during the 1977
session of the General
Assembly. Included below
will be bills of major interest
which passed both the House
and Senate and await the
Governor’s signature to be
signed into law. This list does
News from
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I,y ' -S*
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An organ is a part of the body
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Organs are the “laborers”
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tasks required to keep the
body operating. A group of
organs, working together,
form a system. Included are
the respiratory, muscular,
skeletal, circulatory, ner
vous, digestive and other
similar systems. When one
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HINT FOR THE HOME:
Keep a large cork in your
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th**m ill
not include special bills
which have only local
application. If anyone is
interested in having a copy of
any of the bills introduced
during the 1977 session, let
me know and I will have a
copy sent to you.
HB 5 Repeals the law
requiring tax collectors to
prepare special occupational
tax digests.
HB 7 Repeals the require
ment that tax stamps on
cigars and cigarettes show
the amount of tax paid.
HB 11 Repeals double
taxation penalty for failure to
make tax returns.
HB 24 & 26 Prohibits
candidates from campaign
ing within 250 feet of polling
areas on election day.
HB 25 Permits unopposed
candidates receiving no
contributions in excess of
slOl to make only the initial
and final report as required
under the campaign and
financial disclosure act.
HB 27 Requires candidate
to sign a pauper’s oath to
qualify for a state office if
they are unable to pay a
qualifying fee... Eliminates
qualifying petitions.
HB 31 Allows county tax
appraisers to serve on the
county board of tax asses
sors.
HB 34 Requires poll
officers to inspect voting
machines once every hour.
HB 37 Exempts persons
driving farm vehicles tem
porarily operated on the
state's highways from opera
tor’s license requirements.
HB 39 Prohibits a divorced
man from making a charit
able contribution of more
than one-third of his estate to
the exclusion of his wife or
child.
HB 57 Allows substitution
of lower priced generic drugs
(brand x) for brand name
medications if physician,
pharmacists, and patient
agree the substitute is
acceptable.
HB 64 Enables certain
members of the public school
retirement system to claim
prior service credit for
service between 1945 and
1970.
HB 67 Authorizes courts to
consider the finances of both
husband and wife in award
ing attorneys fees as part of
court costs for divorce
litigation.
HB 78 Prohibits a distribu-
AND NOW FOR THE
WEEKEND NEWS.
CALL ON WEEKENDS AHDSAVI.
That’s when long distance rates are lower. On out
of-state calls, weekend rates apply from Friday 11 p.m. until
sp.m. Sunday, when the evening rates (5 p.m.-ll pm)go into
effect On calls within the state, you get the low evening rates
al weekend long. Weekends are a good time to duff direct*
and save.
*1 Jlrect-dial (without an operator s assistance) rates apply on all calls within the U.S.
(except Alaskal. Direct dial rates do not apply to person to person, coin, hotel guest, f r*lA q .. q,|
credit card, collect calls, calls charged to another number, or to time and charge calls. W, J oOUtnem D6II
For direct dial rates to Hawaii, check your operator.
the JACKSON PROGRESS-ARGUS, JACKSON, GEORGIA
tor from refusing to deal with
a gasoline dealer without
specific and justifiable rea
sons.
HB 95 Extends existing law
prohibiting odometer tam
pering to include provisions
against import and sale of
vehicles with falsified odo
meters.
HB 130 Allows Justices Of
The Peace to collect fees for
issuing search and arrest
warrants.
HB 143 Allows for Justice
Of The Peace to receive
compensation only if there is
probable cause to justify
issue of a criminal warrant.
HB 157 Allows holders of
drivers licenses signed by
Jimmy Carter to keep them
as souvenirs after expiration.
HB 174 Allows people over
65 years of age to serve on
county boards of equaliza
tion.
HB 175 Allows local school
boards to have an option
whether or not to provide
coverage under a health
insurance plan to teachers
within the system.
HB 183 Restricts direct
competition against vending
facilities operated by the
blind in state buildings.
HB 209 Raises monthly
public school system retire
ment benefits to $6.00
multiplied by number of
years creditable service.
HB 215 Adjusts benefits for
teachers retirement system
members whose benefits
were reduced because of
being less than normal
retirement age on retiring.
HB 250 provides a penalty
for performing sexual acts on
cadavers... There is no exist
ing state law against this act.
HB 263 Clarifies a 1974 act
providing for installment
payment of ad valorem taxes
to include public utilities.
HB 289 Permits the
garnishment of wages of
officials and employees of
government.
HB 291 Enabling legisla
tion exempting non-profit
nursing homes from ad
valorem taxes.
HB 293 Administration bill
authorizing the Georgia
Environmental protection
Division of DNR to regulate
use of the state’s surface
water. Those municipalities
and industries using 100,000
gallons of water daily would
be required to apply for
permits. Provisions for re
view are included.
HB 303 Allows the wide
buses on Georgia’s interstate
highways... Amended to in
clude 14 foot wide trailers on
a trial basis for one (1) year.
HB 317 Allows persons
losing their drivers license
lor accumulated points to
obtain limited drivers li
censes if driving is necessary
for their livelihood.
HB 339 Sets minimum age
for County Tax Assessors at
21 and maximum age at 72.
HB 410 Provides that the
Revenue Department shall
regulate and license the
operation of non-profit bingo
games. The bill provides for
a SIOO license fee. However,
the bill was amended such
that schools and churches
could obtain permits from
the Revenue Department for
the operation of bingo games
one day each year without
obtaining licenses or paying
fees. All other operators
would have to make annual
report to the Revenue
Department listing all pro
ceeds and the names and
addresses of all persons
involved in the operation.
Nobody involved could re
ceive fees, commissions or
salaries under the measure.
HB 457 Eliminate points
toward license revocation for
speeding violations not ex
ceeding 65 M.P.H. and
provides a graduated assess
ment scale for violators
exceeding the speed limit by
more than 10 miles per hour.
HB 481 Lowers minimum
age for qualifying as a Grand
Juror from 21 to 18 years of
age.
HB 498 Provides for higher
education qualifications for
Georgia’s sheriffs.
HB 501 Clarifies the State
Ethics Commissions investi
gatory powers and directs
the commission to monitor
exclusively campaign and
financial disclosure viola
tions.
HB 559 Authorizes the
courts to determine paternal
obligation by ordering a
defendant to take a blood test
if he claims not to have
fathered a disputed child.
HB 583 Would give the
Governor emergency powers
during an extreme energy
shortage including regula
tory power over industrial
and residential users of
natural gas and electricity
with homes the last area to
be affected.
HB 769 Establishes a
cancer prevention program
under DHR.
HB 999 Requires children
to be immunized before
admission to a day care
center.
SB 14 Provides for legisla
tive overview of executive
agencies by requiring com
mittee approval of rules and
regulations promulgated by
state agencies.
SB 18 Comprehensive
adoption act requiring dis
closure of retainers fees
exceeding SSOO in adoption
cases... Also requires notice
to natural fathers that a child
is being placed up for
adoption if the father’s
whereabouts are known and
allows mothers surrendering
custody of a child 10 days
grace period to change her
mind.
SB 23 Provides additional
retirement benefits for mem
bers of the teachers retire
ment system.
SB 25 Allows teachers to
carry accumulated days of
unused sick leave to another
school system if the teacher
transfers.
SB 26 Allows left turns
onto one way streets with
traffic flow moving to the
driver's left.
SB 27 Allows teachers to
take three days personal
leave yearly without declar
ing the reason for their
absence.
SB 29 Provides paid leave
to teachers serving on juries.
SB 45 Blocks implementa
tion of the Hay report without
approval of the General
Assembly, regards classifi
cation of state employees.
SB 52 Tightens measures
requiring motorists to carry
no fault auto insurance and
authorizes the Department of
Public Safety to suspend
drivers licenses of operators
failing to comply with no
fault insurance require
ments.
SB 87 Allows sale of
unclaimed lots in publicly
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THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1977.
owned cemeteries with 75
percent of the purchase prize
being applied toward historic
site preservation.
SB 108 Prohibits smoking
in health care facilities
except in an enclosed area.
Amended to prohibit smok
ing on the floor of the House
and Senate.
SB 138 Prohibits adjust
ment of child support
payments based on an
increase in wife’s income
following a divorce, but
allows a decrease in alimony
payments if recipient’s in
come increases substantial
ly
SB 152 Authorizes counties
to levy taxes to fund projects
aimed at development in
dustry and employment.
SB 153 Authorizes cities to
levy taxes to find projects
aimed at developing industry
and employment.
SB 202 In compliance with
federal legislation, allows
public employees, domestic
help earning SIOO.OO quarter
ly. and certain agricultural
workers to receive unem
ployment insurance if they
are actively seeking another
job.
SB 241 Extends member
ship on the Economic
Development Council to
include private citizens each
appointed by the Governor.
Lt. Governor and Speaker Of
The House.
SB 295 Allows recipients of
bad checks to charge $5.00 or
5 percent of the check’s value
as a handling charge.
SB 310 Changes the offense
for breaking into a railroad
car or aircraft from criminal
trespassing to burglary if
intent to steal can be proven.
SB 315 Requires fathers
who have abandoned their
children to pay Department
of Human Resources for
child expenses.
SB 331 Provides court
procedures for interim col
lection of city and county
taxes when tax digests are
tied up in litigation.
This will be my last
newspaper report on the 1977
session of the Georgia
General Assembly. I con
sider it a distinct honor and
privilege to serve as your
Representative of the 78th
Mil 1 "" . ""illll
For the Moment When M
Words Alone Are Not Enough
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Representative District and I
hope that when you feel I can
be of service to you, you will
contact me at the following
address or telephone num
bers. My mailing address is
P.O. Box 3933, Jackson,
Georgia 30233. My phone
number is 404-775-3879 at my
office and 404-775-5240 at my
home.
Becoming Suspicious
Al’s wife began getting
suspicious as his hours
became more and more
irregular. Determined to
find out where he’d been
spending his time at nights ,
the wife wired five of his
friends: “Al is not home. Is
he spending the night with
you?” By the time Al
arrived home that night, his
wife had received five tel
egrams, aU reading: “Yes.”