LEGISLATURE 2007: Session short on time, goals: Dozens of bills yet to reach floor
BYLINE: SONJI JACOBS; Staff
It's back to business under the Gold Dome.
The House and Senate return from spring break today to face a lot of work and only six more days to complete it. The most important issue at hand: the mid-year budget.
The House already has passed a spending plan for the rest of the fiscal year. The Senate is expected to pass its version later this week, but the two sides have philosophical differences about what it should include. The Senate leadership favors a pared-down version that covers only urgent needs, while the House version included money for local projects such as museums.
Typically, the mid-year budget is passed by both chambers in March. The House and Senate also are at odds about the $20.2 billion spending plan for fiscal 2008, which begins July 1.
In addition to reaching an agreement on the budget, legislators also must work quickly to move dozens of bills through various committees so they may be eligible for a floor vote before the clock runs out. So far, the two chambers have passed little substantive legislation.
"I'm disappointed we are in one of the longest sessions in modern history and it's been so unproductive so far," said Senate Minority Whip David Adelman (D-Decatur). "We haven't done anything on transportation, education or health care."
The Senate today will consider House Resolution 102, a proposal to pay Robert Clark $1.2 million for the 24 years he spent in prison for a rape he did not commit. Several high-profile bills also are moving through House committees this week.
The House Economic Development Committee is scheduled today to take up so-called private cities legislation, which includes a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow Georgians to decide whether to grant taxing authority to private development districts.
On Monday, a House committee approved Senate Bill 23, which says that judges and parole board members can consider someone's immigration status. A House subcommittee heard 2 1/2 hours of testimony on Senate Bill 148, a measure which would establish a Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Bank, or a network of banks, overseen by a 15-member state commission. The commission also would seek grants for nondestructive stem cell research.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth), also would require all state hospitals by June 30, 2009, to inform pregnant women that they can donate placenta, umbilical cords and amniotic fluid to either public or private banks for medical research. Georgians who contribute to nondestructive stem-cell research would be eligible for a state tax break beginning Jan. 1, 2008.
"There have been a lot theories and speculation about the promise of embryonic stem cell research," said Shafer, who is personally opposed to research that destroys human embryos. "But that's all it is: theories and speculation."
Shafer argued that his bill would simply promote nondestructive stem cell research. Several organizations, including Georgia Right to Life and the Georgia Christian Alliance, spoke in favor of the bill on Monday and asked lawmakers to keep the language in the measure as written.
Some lawmakers, scientists and biomedical research companies oppose the bill because they say it contains language that implies research on human embryos is unethical. Dr. Marie Csete, an Emory University stem cell researcher, testified against SB 148, saying she fears the measure could lead to the Georgia Legislature prohibiting her research.
"I'm really worried this is a slippery slope," Csete said.
Dr. Robert McNally, CEO of Cell Dynamics, told the committee it could cost between $33 million and $61 million to process the post-natal tissue if half of Georgia women who give birth in a year decide to donate to the bank. He also said the cost for someone seeking the tissue for a transplant is about $22,000.
The full committee is expected to vote on SB 148 at 8 a.m. Thursday.
Staff writer James Salzer contributed to this report.