Gonzo Lawmakers - Day 7

A daily recap of the Georgia Public Broadcasting show "Lawmakers". The show airs weekdays at 7:00pm with a replay at 5:30am the following weekday.

Day 7

* No shockingly jacketless David Zelski today so we're off to a good start.

* Democrats have come up with their own transportation and no shock here - it comes from Sen. Steve Thompson. He wants to have a vote on a statewide sales tax where the funds wouldn't be limited to roads. He also wants to include a permanent homestead tax exemption. He ain't shy to take a big bite.

* There's a House Children and Youth Committee. Who knew! The Georgia juvenile code hasn't been revised since 1971! Lawyers and advocates want reform - things like a ban on holding children in adult facilities. It's a lot more than that and it's going to require more work for DHR.

* Here we go. The effort to redo the Public Defender system has started. More poison fruit from the Brian Nichols tree. Essentially, Republican Preston Smith wants the current council to be reduced to an advisory position. The PD system is under the Executive Branch? As Democrat Wyc Orr points out that's damned odd. They want to sue to get moved under the Judicial branch. I think we have a new front runner for issue coming from nowhere that causes the most bloodshed.

* Stephens is back with his cigarette tax. Isn't there a limit on how many times you can rise to speak on your pet project? Should be.

* Minoo!

* Joint meeting on economic development. Which means listening to lobbyist. Get out your buzzword bingo cards. "Sustainability" gets hit in the first 30 seconds.

* I just realized all the reporters at the Capitol are doing live shots. I now wonder if they are all queued up, furtively waiting for the one stationary camera. Maybe secret squirrel will provide an answer.

* GPB radio is starting a series called "The Money Crunch". Will those of us caught in the vortex of audio morphine known as WABE ever hear them? Only Lois knows.

* Someone wants to close the President Carter Visitor Center in Plains. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your particular stripe, a wily legislator has found an ancient law that if any Georgian is elected POTUS we have to provide a visitor's center. And what savings would the closure generate? $186,000.

* Super Speeder is back. Funds to go trauma network.

* Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) on Peachcare. And the liberals go wild! Really, she's railing against Governor Perdues weird tax on hospitals. The sky was yellow and the sun was blue. Ahh here comes the liberal part. We need more money from Washington so we can expand Peachcare. All is right with the world again.

* Georgia Nurses Association. More lobbyists. Karen Handel sighting! I think that's the first of the Sec. of State/Governor candidate. It's an interesting place for her to show up since this bunch doesn't want school nurses cut and that's a Democrat pet issue.

* Coal plants. Dude, this show is packed today! How will they make it all fit? Georgians For Smart Energy on one side. I'm going to start a lobbyist group call Georgians for Dumb Laziness. On the other side, Power 4 Georgians, more lobbyists not a boy band as you may have thought, says the black rock is the most economical form of energy. I'm betting the Nukes 4 Georgia boy band disagrees. Back to the "Smart" people. "The cheapest energy we have is the energy we don't spend". I swear she said that. It makes a weird sort of sense but it sounds like it comes from a fortune cookie.

* It was tourism day! Oh my dear lord there's some poor man wearing a See Rock City barn as a hat! This is better than that time Dan Weber started talking about Star Trek!

* T-SPLOST hits committee tomorrow.

* Whew! That was a ram jam episode! More tomorrow. That's a wrap.