Gonzo Lawmakers - Day 19

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

* Still in the time warp. This is from 2-17-10

* Nwandi still missing in action! Valerie back on the set.

* The Senate passes legistlation to prevent fraudulent insurance discounts. We didn't already have this?! Seth Harp says a grand a day is "chicken feed". He actually used the term "one blamed thang". He's pretty fired up. He's not running for Insurance Commissioner or anything is he? Naw. That couldn't have anything to do with it.

* Private ownership of public water? This sounds fraught with danger.

* Laura Fawaz at Hogwarts!

* This little nightmare bill is in committee. Chip Pearson wants to apply DOT language to the water controls. Of course the hippie river keepers are agin it. I have to say throwing building resevoirs into the private sector does give me a small case of the willies.

* Forest land protection act. My ears just perked up! This is about covenants of connservation. I let mine lapse a few years ago because of the potential fines and penalties if I ever sold. They are trying to shift that burden to the purchaser. Would have been nice if this thing had passed when I needed it.

* Scowling house clerks! The streak continues!

* Pilot program to allow the Secretary of State to transmit electronic ballots for our service men and women overseas. Interesting idea. It's not budgeted so we'd have to find grant money (meaning the Feds).

* Fulton County Taxpayers Association at some committee meeting. They're always riled up. That was the briefest clip ever. Valerie says we'll hear more in the future.

* Budget discussion with the Georgia Public Policy Foundation and and the Georgia Budget Policy Institute. The wonkiness is overwhelming. Bottom line. We ain't got no money.

* Harry Geisinger wants horse racing! I want casinos! More sin equals more money! Let the good times roll. We're getting a lesson in how pari-muteuel gambling works. I surprised the rafters of Hogwarts aren't crumbling

* Apparently Susan called Farriers - Ferrets. Good thing there isn't one nearby or she might have got a horseshoe upside the head.

* Rep. Matt Ramsey wants to increase penalties for harming court officers. He used a sports metaphor about penalties being harsher for striking the official. And this has Rep. Bobby Franklin (R - Crazyland) all riled up. He says it sends the wrong message that regular people of Georgia are less important than state employees. He just called judges state employees costumed in a robe. My god, can he get any more bat guano insane?

* Hospital tax is in sub-committee and it appears everyone in the state other than Governor Perdue hates this thing.

* Sen. Buddy Carter introduced his first piece of legislation and that means hazing! And it's about new drugs. Oh this is going to be good. They're making him pronounce the chemical names of the drugs. Oh, are they such cards! It actually is pretty funny and Valerie just flat out lost it. She can't stop laughing.

* Lawmakers flashback! Increase the Governor's pension. Ol' Gov Busbee claimed that term limits qualified as "involuntary separation" and thus a higher pension. Now that's some fine grifting. And there's a young Paul Coverdell. God rest his kind soul. They used old Lester Maddox to draw sympathy for the measure. Only in Georgia.

* Valerie is still giggling.

* Larry Platt! Pants On The Ground! HE'S IN THE SPEAKERS SPOT OF THE HOUSE! SINGING HIS SONG! The Republicans look horrified! Valerie is losing it again!

* Ricky Bevington and her BOOK OF DOOM! Morris News is in bankruptcy. No streetcars for Atlanta. And we lost one of Georgia's brave sons in the conflict overseas. Gay parade in Augusta gets the go ahead from a judge.

* Valerie's still giggling.

* Susan has to talk over the closing music. They are really running tight these days.Tomorrow we get to play Project Tom Crawford, but for now, that's a wrap!