Georgia Political News for May 7, 2012

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Gov. Deal signs Zero Based Budgeting, vetoes six bills

Gov. Deal signed SB 33, which calls itself both “Waste Reduction Act of 2011” and “Zero-Base Budgeting Act,” which was authored by Sen. David Shafer (R-Duluth). Under the legislation, every state agency will be required to produce a zero-based budget at least once every ten years.

Deal also vetoed HB 456 by Rep. Charlice Byrd (R-Woodstock), which would have created a  Legislative Sunset Review Committee for ongoing review of state agencies to determine whether the agency responsibilities are still required.

In his veto message, Gov. Deal wrote,

Growing state government with a new committee and statutory authority to review state agencies and the related expenses is not an effective use of state resources.

I have signed SB 33, a bill requiring that all state programs and agencies be reviewed over the next eight to 10 years using Zero Based Budgeting. The ZBB review process is the most cost-effective and efficient way to accomplish the goal of reviewing agency expenditures, evaluating performance and ensuring that we are focused on delivering essential services.

Through the budget and legislative process this session alone we have eliminated councils, committees (SB 407) and one state agency (HB 642).

The first year of ZBB reviews resulted in elimination of the State Personnel Administration, agency consolidations and realignments, over $9 million in savings, required no additional staff, was a collaborative process with agencies and the House and Senate budget offices and utilized the existing legislative process and House and Senate Appropriations Committees to make the final determinations on the ZBB recommendations.

Rep. Byrd told the Cherokee Tribune, “To say the least, I’m quite upset he’s vetoed that bill.” She also took issue with the Governor’s estimated costs for the Committee, asserting that she believes it would have saved the state money through elimination of unneeded agencies.

Debbie Dooley of Tea Party Patriots told the AJC that the veto might harm Deal’s relationship with conservatives. “I think it’s going to hurt his relationship with conservatives, absolutely. This is something that could come back and haunt him in 2014. This is something activists are not going to forget.”

Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said Deal’s conservative credentials are unassailable. “Gov. Deal has reduced the size of government, reduced the number of state employees, implemented zero-based budgeting — and used those savings to give Georgians a tax cut,” Robinson said. “That’s what he ran on and that’s what he’s done. Promises kept.”

Gov. Deal also vetoed House Bill 181, which would have made the special needs scholarship available to more Georgia families seeking to place their children in private schools that better meet their needs. In vetoing the measure, Deal wrote,

I support the main effort of this bill, which sought to better inform parents and codify the enrollment and payment dates for the scholarship, and much of this may still be accomplished via a state Board of Education rule change.

However, an amendment that was added to HB 181 would have significantly reduced the scholarship award special needs students receive.

This drastic cut would likely reduce the number of students who would be able to take advantage of this scholarship, as the award amount would no longer offset the cost of tuition at a school that would better serve these students’ needs.

Politics, Campaigns & Elections

Governor Deal will review the executive order meant to prohibit state employees from accepting gifts from lobbyists in excess of $25 after questions have been raised about compliance by some agency officials.

The AJC thinks bond funds are the new addiction for legislators adding earmarks for their districts into state issues.

“Special project became a bad phrase, because everybody looked at them and said, ‘That’s pork,’” said Rep. Ben Harbin, R-Evans, former House budget chairman. “They look at bonds, and they think, ‘These are all necessary. I don’t fault anyone for putting stuff in there to help their communities.’ But there should be some openness and transparency. Part of that is lacking now.”

Lawsuits alleging libel, slander, and defamation are flying on both sides of the aisle, as a Henry County Republican sues other activists who called her a terrorist and a felon.

Georgia Democratic Party Political Director Rashad Richey’s lawsuit against both Republican and Democratic bloggers may have found a new hurdle as Channel 2 reported that “Richey also had a felony conviction for aggravated assault in 1998 but was sentenced as a first-time offender. When he completed his sentence, the felony was wiped from his record.”

Congressman Tom Graves (R-Ranger) is urging Republicans to vote for Romney in November. “For me, it’s about (the fact that) we’ve got to beat Barack Obama,” Graves said. “Whatever it takes to beat Barack Obama, I want to be a part of that.”

Ann Romney is also heading to Georgia, to raise funds on Thursday at Sea Island’s Ocean Forest Club. General reception tickets cost $1000 and VIP reception tickets are $2500.

Congressman Lynn Westmoreland met with local EMC employees about federal regulations that make it more expensive for utilities providing services to Georgia ratepayers. He explained his vote against keeping student loan rates at 3.4% calling it “a shell game” and saying that job creation was more important.

If you have a question about the United States Constitution, ask Maria Sheffield, candidate for the Republican nomination for Congress in the new 12th District: Sheffield carries a copy of the Constitution with her everywhere.

Eight-year old Anna has a refreshingly good-natured take on Republican politics and seems to like every candidate she meets.

Ashley Fielding, writing for the Gainesville Times, attempts to answer the question why people run for public office. A scholarly article cited by Fielding lists seven possible motivations for candidates deciding to run, but also illustrates the limitation of Political Scientists not actively working in campaigns by omitting “self-aggrandizement.”

Yet another group is opposing T-SPLOST, as Athens-based nonprofit Multiple Choices announced its opposition, “[i]t’s not something that’s satisfactory for most of us in the disability community,” Multiple Choices Executive Director Bill Holley said. “It’s also not satisfactory for John Q. Public.”

Dougherty County School Board member Velvet Riggins has been indicted on felony counts of theft by taking and public records fraud and Gov. Deal may decide to remove her from office temporarily.

Muscogee County Sheriff John Darr is kicked off his reelection campaign on Saturday. “I honestly think I can stand before you and say the county jail with the hard-working men and women is in the best shape that it’s ever been,” he said.

Another candidate for Hall County Sheriff bites the dust as Richard Blevins withdraws and endorses Gerald Couch.

Lynn Laughter is running as a Republican for Whitfield County Commission.

The Rome City Commission will vote tonight to fill a vacancy.

Muscogee County School Board redistricting lines have been approved by the US Department of Justice.

Former Brooks Sheriff Richard Chafin has been found guilty in federal court of obstruction of justice and embezzlement.

The judge’s ruling found that Chafin, as sheriff, “personally wrote at least 225 checks on the jail commissary account totaling more than $65,000,” according to court documents. The dates are noted as between 2007-08.

Chafin told sheriff’s office employees that the checks were for an informant in a drug investigation; however, he cashed each check at various convenience stores and “used portions of the proceeds to buy lottery tickets which he then scratched off on-site in his vehicle.”

Ends & Pieces

The new car tag design will be available beginning today for car owners registering their car for the first time, or whose current tag was issued before December 2003.

Plant Vogtle’s role as the first new nuclear plant in the United States in more than thirty years means that construction will be under great scrutiny by regulators.

A pair of ospreys is building their nest on a cell tower near Lake Lanier.

The tall ships are leaving Savannah today in the first leg of an ocean race that will take them to Nova Scotia by July.

Leslie Knope made an appearance at a March protest at the state capitol against the fetal pain bill.

Greg Williams’s blog on national politics from the perspective of a DeKalb County Republican is always worth a read.