GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE ROOM 131, STATE CAPITOL 30334 404-656-5082 1-800-282-5800 
Weekly Wrap-up #1 
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The House of Representatives of the 147th General Assembly of Georgia convened its first regular session at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 13, 2003. Among the 180 Representatives taking the oath of office administered by Chief Justice Norman Fletcher of the Georgia Supreme Court, were 51 new members. The state constitution requires all regular sessions of the General Assembly start on the second Monday in January and last for forty legislative days. New House Speaker Elected - House members chose State Representative Terry Coleman (DEastman) by a vote of 109 - 70 as the next Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives on Monday. Representative Coleman, a lawmaker since 1973, was chairman of the Appropriations Committee before replacing Thomas B. Murphy, who held the post for 28 years. Also elected in the House were Representative Dubose Porter (D-Dublin) for Speaker Pro-Tem, Robert E. Rivers as Clerk of the House, Ward Edwards as House Doorkeeper and Don Castleberry as House Messenger. Committee Chairs Named - Speaker Terry Coleman, D- Eastman, appointed committee chairs to the House's 35 legislative standing committees: Tom Buck, D-Columbus, Appropriations; JoAnn McClinton, D-Atlanta, Arts & Humanities;Johnny Floyd, D-Cordele, Banks & Banking; Butch Parrish, D-Swainsboro, Economic Development & Tourism; Bob Holmes, DAtlanta, Education; Barbara Mobley, D-Atlanta, Ethics; Alan Powell, DHartwell,Governmental Affairs;Louise McBee, D-Athens, Higher Education; Ann Purcell, DRincon, Interstate Cooperation;Keith Heard, D-Athens,Intra-Governmental Coordination; Carolyn Hugley, D-Columbus, Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment;George Maddox, D-Decatur, MARTOC; David Lucas, D-Macon, Public Utilities & Telecommunications; Michelle Henson, D-Stone Mountain, Special Rules (Policy); Gerald Greene, D-Cuthbert, State Institutions & Property; Tommy Smith, D-Alma, State Planning & Community Affairs; Richard Royal, D-Camilla,Ways and Means; Robert Ray, D-Fort Valley, Agriculture and Consumer Affairs; Georganna Sinkfield, D-Atlanta,Children and Youth; Ken Birdsong, D-Gordon, Defense & Vetrans Affiars; Bob Lane, D-Statesboro, Game Fish & Parks; Buddy Childers, D-Rome, Health and Ecology; Henry Howard, D-Augusta, Human Relations & Aging;Paul Smith, D-Rome, Industrial Relations;Jimmy Lord, D-Sandersville, Insurance; Doug Teper, D-Atlanta,Journals;Tom Bordeaux, D-Savannah, Judiciary; Gail Buckner, D-Jonesboro, Administrative Services; Bobby Parham, D-Milledgeville, Motor Vehicles; Bob Hanner, D-Parrot, Natural Resources & Environment; Mike Snow, D-Chickamauga, Public Safety; Carl Von Epps, D-Lagrange, Regulated Industries; Bill Cummings, D-Rockmart,Retirement; Calvin Smyre, D-Columbus, Rules; Curtis Jenkins, D-Forsyth, Special Judiciary; Ralph Twiggs, D-Hiawassee, Transportation. Ethics Counselor to House Members - House Speaker Terry Coleman (D-Eastman) Thursday appointed former Chairman of the Ethics Commission and municipal judge Steven Scheer, a resident of Pooler Georgia, as Ethics Counselor to House members. In making the appointment 
 
 Coleman noted, "It is essential that the public have faith and trust in state government. In order to achieve that we must have tougher ethics laws and we must give clear direction to members of the legislature on all questions concerning ethics and conduct. Judge Steven Scheer will provide those answers and give clarification to current and future ethics laws. There is not a better person for this position in the entire state," said Coleman. Budget Message to Legislators - On Wednesday, January 15, 2003 Governor Sonny Perdue came before a joint session of the legislature at 11:30 am for the first time as Governor to outline his proposed $16 billion plus budget for the 2003 and 2004 fiscal year. The state is facing a $620 million revenue shortfall and as a result, the Governor has proposed some tax increases estimated to raise $490 million. Cigarettes taxes would rise from 12 cents to 58 cents and smokeless tobacco would have a 36 percent tax. A six pack of beer would cost about 14 cents more and a bottle of wine would see an increase of 15 cents. The state's homestead exemption would also be reduced from $10,000 this year to $4,000, raising homeowners tax bill by $155. Highlights of the Governor's budget proposals: $300 million for K-12 enrollment growth; an extra $259 million this fiscal year and $380 million next year to pay for the rising cost of the Medicaid Program, $186.5 million for school construction, $100 million in the Governor's Road Improvement Program for rural highways, $81 million for next year to pay for increased college enrollment, $25 million for major building repairs and rehabilitation and $37 million for major construction projects, $53 million in new spending for the child welfare department, which includes $5.8 million to hire 125 new child protection workers, $10 million to revamp the way the state reimburses private foster care providers, $4.78 million for annual spending on indigent defense and $250,000 for three additional staffers at the state Ethics Commission. To read the Governor's speech click here To go to Governor Perdue's Wesite click here 
The General Assembly will be in recess next week. On Monday, the Capitol will be closed for the MLK Holiday and the remaining four days of the week will be used for committee hearings on the proposed state appropriations bills. Lawmakers will reconvene January 27th at 1:00 pm, the same day Gov. Sonny Perdue is scheduled to deliver his first State of the State address at 7:30 p.m. 
Georgia House of Representatives Public Information Office