Gonzo Lawmakers - Day 29

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 29

*Originally broadcast on March 24th. Crossover day approaches!

* We start with live shots of both chambers. They always work late as crossover day approaches

* The Guv is gittin' hisself a personal prosecutor to sue over Federal healthcare since AG Baker said he wouldn't do it.

* First time we've seen Thurbert and his "hair" this session. Repeating that the thing is not viable and costly.

* Speaker Ralston has some eager young aide behind furiously nodding as he says we're going to pursue other options.

* Guv mouthpiece Bert Brantley is wearing a tie! I was beginning to wonder if he owned one. He claims the suit won't cost the state anything as lawyers have volunteered to work for free.

* Dubose Porter slamming the Guv for trying to distract from all the problems. Need more thunder, Dubose.

* House Appropriations passed the hospital tax. This is the big issue of the day so we have Valarie at Hogwarts. And she's got an anonymous document! Juicy! Apparently it's the secret aggreement between the healtchcare lobbies and the General Assembly. No one would go on record however. Publishing the doc is an interesting ethical choice. Feel free to discuss.

* Gun bill passed the Senate. If it passes the House we can tote in bars, universities and the front part of the airport. City of Atlanta is challenging these types of laws in court. Mitch Seabaugh is explaining that if we let every municipality pass their own carry laws, we'd have chaos. He's right.

* Renee Unterman just said "it came to our acknowledgement". Poor thing must be tired. She was talking about multi-agency intergration of mental health services.

* Senate tabled the bill to allow us to buy health insurance from providers in other states. Tabling this close to crossover day means it's completely doomed.

* Steve Thompson (D-Land Of Never Changing Hair) is using the bill to take thinly veiled shots at Oxendine.

* Seatbelts in trucks! It passed the Senate for the fourth straight year. Sen. Don Thomas (R-Lovable Ol' Kook) thinks having a new Speaker will make a difference this time. He's just precious.

* Earnest Dan Weber wants to expand local school boards ability to create charter schools.

* Scowling House Clerks! The streak continues!

* Susan got a little flustered because she couldn't remember Rep. Roger Lane''s name. Not surprised. He's ain't one of the usual camera hogs. He wants to adjust some fees upward. And just the whiff of a tax increase leads it to the table of doom.

* Senate voted to increase the cap on the "rainy day" fund. Doesn't really matter at the moment since there practically ain't no "rainy day" fund.

* Sen. Jack Hill nearly choked talking about how the stimulating funds helped.

* Leadership series - Republican Whip Ed Lindsey. And of course, he's talking about the budget. Bottom line - we ain't got no money. He's okay with the hospital tax. How very Democrat of him! He giggled a little at the mention of the Guv strong arming the hospitals. They are all punchy.

* Shout out to my hometown of Moultrie! I smell a Hwy 133 deal.

* Lawmakers Flashback! Public initiatives, a California style thang, is being discussed in the Senate. And there's Steve Thompson. With the same hair. I swear. And there's the Guv! When he was the Senate Majority Leader and a Democrat. More importantly - he has hair! Lots of wavy hair. And there's Eric Johnson - also with hair! They were all so young and full of vinegar.

* Adam Bridges has some story about water and there's Earnest Dan Weber again. He's so tall, he's almost level with Casey even though he's three feet below.

* Ricky Bevington and her BOOK OF DOOM! Wait! Good news! A new biomass plant is opening in Waycross. Georgia Power ain't spending any more money upgrading its two oldest plants. It wants to see what the EPA will do. No tasers for School Resource Officers in Glynn County. They already carry handguns and pepper spray!

* We won't be back until March 26th. Crossover day! Until then, that's a wrap!