From the upper chamber 2008 March 28

Report for Friday, March 28, 2008
The thirty-sixth day of the 2008 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 559-561, Senate Resolutions 1244 and 1247 and House Bills 1447, 14491451, 1453 and 1455 were read for the first time and assigned to committee. The clerk then read the reports of standing committees and second readers.
Majority Leader Tommie Williams of the 19th moved to suspend the morning roll call. There was no objection.
Sen. Gail Davenport of the 44th led the Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance. She then introduced the Chaplain of the Day, Reverend Charles Grant of Mount Welcome Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur, who led the Senate in the daily devotional.
The Senate Consent Calendar of Privileged Resolutions, consisting of SR 1224, 12261243, 1245 and 1248-1252, was adopted.
The Senate Local Consent Calendar, consisting of HB 1208, 1304, 1309, 1312, 1313, 1406, 1423, 1427, 1430, 1282, 1424-1426, 1442, 1443 and 1445, was adopted by a vote of 46 to 0.
Sen. Chip Rogers of the 21st moved to engross HB 1244. The bill was engrossed by a vote of 30 to 18.
Sen. Rogers moved to engross HB 1246. The bill was engrossed by a vote of 30 to 18.
Sergeant-at-Arms Lorenzo Wallace escorted Sen. Ed Tarver of the 22nd and his guest, Judge John H. "Jack" Ruffin , to the rostrum. The clerk read SR 1206, which
From the Upper Chamber Friday, March 28, 2008 Page 1 of 6

recognizes and commends Judge Ruffin for his years of service on the Court of Appeals in Augusta. Sen. Tarver spoke to the resolution.
The clerk read HB 1041, which requires nursing license applicants to complete a criminal background check. Sen. Don Thomas of the 54th took the well to present the bill and Amendment 1, which makes language clarifications.
Amendment 1 was unanimously adopted.
HB 1041 passed as amended by a vote of 51 to 1.
The clerk read HB 715, which removes outdated language and allows each county board of family and children services to recommend names to the Commissioner of Human Services for the position of county director. Sen. Thomas of the 54th took the well to present the bill.
HB 715 passed by a vote of 50 to 2.
The clerk read HB 732, which allows investigators of the Composite State Board of Medical Examiners to be eligible for membership in the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund. Sen. Thomas of the 54th took the well to present the bill.
HB 732 passed by a vote 52 to 2.
The clerk read the report of the Rules Committee.
The clerk read HB 1244, which cuts the Georgia income tax rate for all income brackets by 10 percent over five years. Sen. Rogers took the well to present the bill.
The Committee Substitute to HB 1244 was unanimously adopted.
HB 1244 passed by substitute by a vote of 49 to 6.
The clerk read House Resolution 1246, which restricts assessed value increases for real property. Sen. Rogers took the well to present the resolution and yielded to questions from Senators Nan Orrock of the 36th, Judson Hill of the 32nd and Steve Henson of the 41st.
Sen. Harp rose on a Point of Personal Privilege to recognize the Flint River Academy football team, seated in the Senate gallery.
Sen. Steve Thompson of the 33rd took the well to speak in support of HR 1246 and yielded to questions from Sen. David Shafer of the 48th.
Sen. Vincent Fort of the 39th took the well to voice concerns with the lack of funding for essential initiatives.
The Committee Substitute to HR 1246 was unanimously adopted. From the Upper Chamber Friday, March 28, 2008 Page 2 of 6

HR 1246 was adopted by substitute by a vote of 46 to 7.
The clerk read HB 1126, which allows one director appointed to the board of a Downtown Development Authority to reside outside the county. Sen. Mitch Seabaugh of the 28th took the well to present the bill.
Amendment 1, which makes language clarifications, was unanimously adopted.
HB 1126 passed as amended by a vote of 49 to 3.
The clerk read HB 1243, which authorizes nonprofit civic organizations, with a temporary permit, to sell wine at retail for off-premise consumption. Sen. Seth Harp of the 29th took the well to present the bill and yielded to questions from Sens. Orrock and Shafer .
HB 1243 passed by a vote of 39 to 13.
Sen. Harp moved for the immediate transmittal of HB 1243 to the House. There was no objection.
The clerk read House Bill 241, which establishes the requirements of apprenticeship training to become a dispensing optician. Sen. Harp took the well to present the bill.
HB 241 passed by a vote of 51 to 1.
The clerk read HB 649, which creates the Georgia Blueberry Commission. Sen. Greg Goggans of the 7th took the well to present the bill.
The Committee Substitute to HB 649 was unanimously adopted.
HB 649 passed by substitute by a vote of 50 to 0.
The clerk read HB 673, which requires a liability insurer to provide a notice of damage of an automobile to a third party. Sen. Ralph Hudgens of the 47th took the well to present the bill.
Sen. Thompson of the 33rd took the well to speak in support of the bill.
HB 673 passed by a vote 50 to 0.
The clerk read HB 990, the general appropriations bill for FY 09. Sen. Jack Hill of the 4th took the well to present the bill and yielded to questions from Sens. Ed Harbison of the 15th and John Douglas of the 17th.
The Committee Substitute to HB 990 was unanimously adopted.
HB 990 passed by substitute by a vote of 50 to 0. From the Upper Chamber Friday, March 28, 2008 Page 3 of 6

Sen. Hill of the 4th moved for the immediate transmittal of HB 990 to the House. There was no objection.

The clerk read HB 1016, which clarifies the separation point between salt and fresh waters for commercial and sport fishing. President Pro Tempore Eric Johnson of the 1st
took the well to present the bill.

The Committee Substitute to HB 1016 was unanimously adopted.

HB 1016 passed by substitute by a vote of 49 to 1.

The clerk read HB 1121, which requires condominium homeowners' associations to purchase a property insurance policy and a commercial general liability insurance policy for their property. Sen. Hudgens took the well to present the bill.

HB 1121 passed by a vote of 48 to 1.

The clerk read HB 1132, known as the Uniform Environmental Covenants Act , which creates a legal mechanism to record a property's environmental problems and to include land use restrictions for contaminated property. Sen. Harp took the well to present the bill and yielded to questions from Sen. Henson .

Sen. Michael Meyer von Bremen HB 1132. There was no objection.

of the 12th moved to be excused from voting on

The Committee Substitute to HB 1132 was unanimously adopted.

HB 1132 passed by substitute by a vote of 44 to 1.

The clerk read HB 1176, which authorizes the participation of cities, counties, the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and private partners in the acquisition of land conservation projects. Sen. Ross Tolleson of the 20th took the well to present the bill.

HB 1176 passed by a vote of 46 to 1.

Sen. Johnson took the gavel to preside over the Senate.

The clerk read HB 1186, which requires workers' compensation insurers and selfinsurers to limit the value of future assessments regarding the Subsequent Injury Trust Fund. Sen. Hudgens took the well to present the bill and yielded to questions from Sen. Regina Thomas of the 2nd.

HB 1186 passed by a vote of 44 to 1.

The clerk read HR 1103, which creates the Joint Study Committee on Teacher Training and Certification.
From the Upper Chamber Friday, March 28, 2008 Page 4 of 6

HR 1103 was adopted by a vote of 46 to 1.
The clerk read HR 1310, which solves a boundary dispute and allows for the conveyance of state property. Sen. Johnny Grant of the 25th took the well to present the bill.
The Committee Substitute to HR 1310 was unanimously adopted.
HR 1310 was adopted by a vote of 43 to 1.
Sen. Preston Smith of the 52nd moved to adhere to the Senate's position on SB 145 and appoint a Conference Committee, consisting of Sens. Joseph Carter of the 13th, Bill Cowsert of the 46th and Smith . There was no objection.
Sen. Bill Hamrick of the 30th moved to adhere to the Senate's disagreement of the House Substitute to SB 430 and appoint a Conference Committee, consisting of Sens. Jack Murphy of the 27th, Hamrick and Jeff Mullis of the 53rd. There was no objection.
Sen. John Wiles of the 37th moved to insist to the Senate Substitute to HB 1245. There was no objection.
Sen. Ronnie Chance of the 16th moved to insist to the Senate Substitute to HB 1055. There was no objection.
The clerk read HR 1427, which dedicates the Lee State Prison as the Robert S. "Bob" Boney State Prison. Sen. Hooks took the well to present the resolution.
HR 1427 was adopted by a vote of 48 to 0.
Sen. Hill of the 4th moved to insist to the Senate Substitute to HB 990. There was no objection.
The clerk read HB 358, which increases the amount of death benefits paid to beneficiaries of members of the Sheriffs' Retirement Fund. Sen. Murphy took the well to present the bill.
HB 358 passed by a vote of 47 to 0.
Sen. Williams moved t0 adhere to the disagreement to the House Substitute to SR 845 and appoint a Conference Committee, consisting of Sens. Doug Stoner of the 6th, Balfour and Mullis . There was no objection.
Sen. Williams moved to insist to the Senate Substitute to HB 1111. There was no objection.
From the Upper Chamber Friday, March 28, 2008 Page 5 of 6

The clerk read HB 1105, which requires hospitals to offer inpatient vaccination of patients age 65 or older. Sen. Renee Unterman of the 45th took the well to present the bill.
The Committee Substitute to HB 1105 was unanimously adopted. HB 1105 passed by substitute by a vote of 45 to 1. Sen. Wiles moved to agree to the House Substitute to SB 350. Sen. Wiles took the well to speak to the bill. The Senate agreed to the House Substitute to SB 350 passed by a vote of 38 to 8. Sen. Rogers moved to agree to the House Amendment to the Senate Substitute to HB 301. Sen. Rogers took the well to speak to the bill and yielded to questions from Sen. Unterman . The motion to agree to the House Amendment to the Senate Substitute to HB 301 passed by a vote of 44 to 0. Sen. Williams moved to adhere to the Senate Substitute to HB 990 and appoint a Conference Committee, consisting of Sens. Johnson , Hill of the 4th and Williams . There was no objection. Following the morning announcements, Sen. Williams moved that the Senate stand in recess until 12:00 a.m., then adjourn until 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 31.
# # # #
From the Upper Chamber Friday, March 28, 2008 Page 6 of 6