Gov. Nathan Deal signed a bill earlier this month regarding how the state allocates funds to clean up tire dumps and hazardous waste sites. But he has no intention of abiding by parts of the law he signed.
The law renews the Hazardous Waste Trust fund. And it will ensure that if the state doesn’t use the money in two funds for their stated purposes, the legislature can reduce the fees accordingly.
Georgians pay fees to fund cleanups of toxic sites and other unhealthy geographic eyesores. For example, the $1 people pay when buying new tires to clean up tire dumps.
Historically, Georgia has collected the money but not always allocated funds to their stated purposes. And critics say that’s fraud.
But Brian Robinson, Governor Deal’s spokesman, says in tough times the state has to fund priorities. And he says mandating where the money goes isn’t constitutional.
“The Governor is saying that the statute is not binding to the budget process because there’s nothing in the Constitution that allows that in this particular scenario,” he said.
via One Law, Two Interpretations | Georgia Public Broadcasting.
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