House Bills Speed toward Senate ahead of Deadline
by
Maggie Lee
Georgia Online News Service
ATLANTA – The Georgia House plowed through more than 20 pieces of legislation Tuesday dealing with topics that included green energy, generic drugs and HOPE grants, just one day ahead of the deadline to send bills to their counterparts across the hall.
The votes on most of the day's bills are lopsided, reflecting broad bipartisan support.
Georgians are a little closer to receiving grants for green energy construction or upgrades, but only if federal money comes down to fund the House's plan.
Both businesses and homes could qualify for the grants, which could range as high as $500,000 for a business deciding to go solar or as modest as $2,500 for a homeowner installing solar power just for heating water. The bill also includes geothermal and wind provisions.
It passed on an amendment driven by Rep. Amos Amerson (R-Dahlonega) during the Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications Committee hearings.
The engineer insisted that passive green energy be added to the grant.
"In 15 years, my heating bill has been $1,500," he told the Committee, referring to his own green home, which he designed himself, on passive principles. Other passive energy savers include wide, shady overhangs or extra-thick insulation.
That bill passed in less than 10 minutes, as did another which would open the HOPE college tuition grant to children of active duty military personnel, even if they have not lived in Georgia for a year.
"It is a travesty. It is wrong to penalize men and women who wear the uniform of this country … by having a 1-year residency requirement for their children when they're stationed here under orders," said Larry O'Neal (R-Bonaire), the bill's author.
The unanimously approved measure will cost no more than $6 million, according to O'Neal's calculations.
O'Neal also drove a successful tax credit for big firms.
He expanded what he called the "mega tax credit bill" – a statute that he credits with attracting a new Kia plant to West Point.
Under the bill approved today, companies need only create at least 1,800 full-time jobs (plus meet investment and growth criteria) to qualify for the credit; the old language narrowed the credit to manufacturing firms.
Qualifying companies would get a $5,250 tax credit for each employee for five years under the bill.
One of the few contentious bills was one that would require pharmacists to refill prescriptions for organ transplant patients with branded drugs, rather than generics.
"I can tell you 'brand necessary' is being ignored," said pharmacist and Rep. Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta). She said inert substances in generic immunosuppressive drugs can be different and cause a patient to reject a drug.
Rep. Ron Stephens (R-Savannah), also a pharmacist, said his colleagues will pay attention to "brand necessary" instructions.
If you pass this bill "who you're going to be helping is all those people out in the hall [lobbyists] that has a drug that's moving off of patent that is now going to be available by competition generically," Stephens said.
The bill failed.
Under another bill, county health boards can inspect food-processing plants in order to report any potential problems to the Department of Agriculture.
Most of the day's House bills are something of a housecleaning ahead of Crossover Day. That's the last chance for each house to pass bills and send them for consideration to the other house. Crossover Day is Thursday, and controversial measures from transport funding to embryonic stem-cell research are expected on the calendar.
The state Senate spent much of its morning session approving the Georgia Fair Lending Act, which aims to circumscribe subprime home loans.
The bill requires creditors to "reasonably and in good faith" believe that a borrower could actually repay a subprime loan before making such loan. The creditor is instructed to look through a buyer's income, debts, employment status, expected taxes and other obligations.
It also prohibits flipping homes under subprime mortgages – buying a home with intent to sell it quickly in a rising market.
The Senate took much less time to approve a bill that would require Georgia schools to buy Georgia-made food and products when possible.
Maggie Lee specializes in quality of life topics, Atlanta's international communities and general reporting. She covers Georgia economic development and the Chinese community as a stringer for China Daily and chronicles life in Georgia's most diverse county for the DeKalb Champion. [full bio]
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