From the upper chamber 2007April 11

Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The thirty-fifth day of the 2007 legislative session was called to order by Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle.
Senator Don Balfour of the 9th stated that the journal had been read and was found to be correct.
Senate Bills 322 and 323, Senate Resolutions 593 and 598 and House Bills 488 and 785-788 were read for the first time and assigned to committee. The clerk of the Secretary then read the reports of standing committees and second readers.
Sen. George Hooks of the 14th moved to dispense with the morning roll call and there was no objection.
Sen. Jim Whitehead, Sr. of the 24th then took the rostrum to lead the Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance. He introduced the Chaplain of the Day, Pastor Kevin D. Hynes of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for the University of Georgia, who led the Senate in the daily devotional.
Sen. Chip Rogers of the 21st took the well on a Point of Personal Privilege to discuss government spending at the state and local level, and to commend the Senate for its work on the FY 07 Supplemental budget.
SR 590-592, 594-597 and 599-614 were read and adopted.
Sen. Jack Murphy of the 27th moved that Senate rules be suspended to allow the first reading of a resolution. There was no objection and SR 619 was read for the first time and assigned to committee.
The Senate Local Consent Calendar, consisting of HB 191, 349, 511, 533, 697, 700, 702, 723, 724, 728, 736, 743, 755-758, 784 and 727, was adopted by a vote of 49 to 0.
From the Upper Chamber Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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Sen. Nancy Schaefer of the 50th moved that HB 147 be engrossed. There was objection.
Sen. Kasim Reed of the 35th took the well to speak against the motion to engross. He also discussed a potential amendment to the bill.
Sen. David Adelman of the 42nd took the well to also speak against the motion to engross.
Sen. Regina Thomas of the 2nd took the well to oppose the motion to engross HB 147.
The motion to engross HB 147 was adopted by a vote of 32 to 23.
The Secretary read HB 79, which will exempt certain vehicles from the prohibition against window or windshield tinting. Amendment 1 was also read.
Sen. Whitehead took the well to present the bill.
Sen. Joseph Carter of the 13th took the well to explain Amendment 1, which makes a minor technical change to the bill.
Amendment 1 was adopted by a vote of 35 to 0.
HB 79 passed as amended by a vote of 50 to 0.
The Secretary read SR 529, which recognizes Savannah State University's President Carlton Brown. President Pro Tempore Eric Johnson of the 1st and Sen. Thomas of the 2nd took the rostrum to introduce President Brown to the Senate.
Sen. Rene Unterman of the 45th took the rostrum to greet the Collins Hill High School Girls Basketball team, who were seated in the Senate gallery.
Sergeant-at-Arms Lorenzo Wallace escorted Senators Whitehead, Jeff Chapman of the 3rd, Schaefer and others and their guests to the rostrum. The Secretary read SR 314, which commends Coach Frank Inman on his lifetime achievements as a football coach. Several Senators took the rostrum to honor Coach Inman.
The Secretary read HB 90, which changes state law on the number of required caskets on the premises at funeral homes.
Sen. Murphy took the well to present the Committee Substitute.
Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen of the 12th took the well in support of the bill.
The Committee Substitute was adopted by a vote of 29 to 0.
From the Upper Chamber Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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HB 90 passed by substitute by a vote of 51 to 0.
Sergeant-at-Arms Wallace escorted Sens. Robert Brown of the 26th, Tim Golden of the 8th and others and their guest to the rostrum. Sen. Golden then introduced U.S. Congressman Jim Marshall to the Senate.
Sergeant-at-Arms Wallace escorted Sens. Schaefer, Chip Pearson of the 51st and others and their guests to the rostrum. The Secretary read SR 565, which recognizes November as Lung Cancer Awareness Month in Georgia. Sen. Schaefer then took the rostrum to honor several Georgia lung cancer survivors.
Sen. Thomas of the 2nd took the rostrum to introduce the Doctor of the Day, Dr. Dan DeLoach of Savannah.
The Secretary read HB 101, which provides that agricultural or food system records, data or information that are considered a part of the critical infrastructure shall not be subject to disclosure.
Sen. John Bulloch of the 11th took the well to present the bill.
HB 101 passed by a vote of 49 to 0.
HB 147 was read. The legislation will require that a pregnant female desiring an abortion shall be offered an ultrasound or sonogram examination of her unborn child, and an opportunity to view the ultrasound or sonogram image.
Sen. Schaefer took the well to present the Committee Substitute.
Sen. Steve Henson of the 41st took the well to voice his concerns with the bill. He yielded to questions from Sen. David Shafer of the 48th.
Sen. Nan Orrock of the 36th took the well to speak against the bill.
Sen. Thomas of the 2nd took the well to also speak against HB 147.
Sen. Vincent Fort of the 39th took the well to speak against the legislation.
The Committee Substitute to HB 147 was adopted by a vote of 29 to 5.
HB 147 passed by substitute by a vote of 36 to 17.
SR 395 was read. The resolution honors Brandi Nicole Shaw for the selfless act of donating an organ to a fellow Georgian. Sen. Bill Heath of the 31st took the rostrum to introduce Miss Shaw to the Senate.
Sen. Mitch Seabaugh of the 28th took the rostrum to welcome members of Coweta Youth Leadership, who were seated in the Senate gallery.
From the Upper Chamber Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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Sen. Preston Smith of the 52nd moved that HB 153 be placed at the foot of today's calendar. There was no objection.
The Secretary read HB 202, which provides that a contractor that is more than 25 percent behind in the performance of certain contracts shall not be eligible to bid on any additional state public works construction contracts or Department of Transportation contracts until the performance of such contracts is brought current or completed.
Majority Leader Tommie Williams of the 19th took the well to present the bill.
HB 202 passed by a vote of 54 to 0.
HB 220 was read. The legislation repeals the code section that created the Georgia Criminal Justice Improvement Council.
Sen. Johnny Grant of the 25th took the well to present the bill.
HB 220 passed by a vote of 54 to 0.
The Secretary read HB 227, which is known as the Consumer Choice for Television Act. The legislation will expand the franchising of cable and video services in Georgia, allowing other types of companies to offer cable television services.
Sen. Shafer took the well to explain the legislation and Amendment 1, which provides language on the number of Public, Educational and/or Government (PEG) channels any cable or video service provider should offer. He yielded to questions from Sens. Hooks and Unterman.
Sen. Thomas of the 2nd took the well to discuss the legislation.
Sen. Reed asked the Secretary to read Senate rule 5-1.8 (d). The rule states that no Senator shall vote on any question if the Senator or any member of the Senator's immediate family has a direct pecuniary interest in the result of such vote.
Amendment 1 was adopted by a vote of 50 to 0.
The Committee Substitute was adopted as amended by a vote of 50 to 0.
HB 227 passed by substitute by a vote of 52 to 2.
Sen. Seabaugh moved that HB 227 be immediately transmitted to the House.
The Secretary read HB 231, which provides that towing services used to remove vehicles from roadways where there is determined to be a threat to public safety or to mitigate traffic congestion shall be guilty for instances of gross negligence only.
From the Upper Chamber Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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Sen. Jeff Mullis of the 53rd took the well to present the bill. HB 231 passed by a vote of 47 to 1. The Secretary read HB 270, which changes several provisions relating to courtappointed guardians in a juvenile court proceeding. Sen. Smith took the well to explain the Committee Substitute. The Committee Substitute was adopted by a vote of 46 to 0. HB 270 passed by substitute by a vote of 54 to 0. HB 441 was read. The legislation will revise provisions concerning the adjustment of taxable income with respect to income from federal obligations and other obligations. Sen. Murphy took the well to present the bill. HB 441 passed by a vote of 46 to 2. The Secretary read HB 153, which provides for new notification requirements when changing the placement of children who are in the custody of the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). Sen. Smith took the well to explain the Committee Substitute. The Committee Substitute was adopted by a vote of 41 to 0. HB 153 passed by substitute by a vote of 53 to 0. The Secretary then read House Resolution 622, which is relative to the adjournment of the General Assembly. HR 622 was adopted unanimously. Majority Leader Williams took the well to outline the upcoming schedule for the Senate. Following the announcements, Majority Leader Williams moved that pursuant to HR 622, the Senate stand at ease until 5:00 p.m., and then stand adjourned until 9:00 a.m., Friday, April 13.
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From the Upper Chamber Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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