Gonzo Lawmakers - Day 33

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 33

Originally aired April 1, 2010

*April Fools! The journey through time continues and the present is starting to creep closer.

* Nwandi is already at Hogwarts. No Valarie again. I suppose it's time I let the cat out of the bag. Before the end of the session, Valarie was let go. I don't have any details because she didn't provide any in the lovely email she sent me.

* End of the week means Project Tom Crawford!

* Hospital tax is still on the floor. The Senate is the hotbed of action. Poor Preston Smith. But more on that later.

* First up. The man who always finds the teevee - Sen. Steve Thompson. He's blasting the thing for hurting the poor and the young. Want anyone think of the children!

* Sen. Ross Tolleson, a Republican, is actually saying it's not a tax. Jumping Jehosophat! He just said its the job of the U.S. Congress to stimulate the economy! Did someone loose an ether cloud in the chamber?

* Susan tells us Senate Bill 17 is the ethics bill to watch. It passed out of House committee today.

*Something called Common Cause, i.e. lobbyist for stronger ethics laws against lobbyists which is really funny in an insider kind of way, thinks it doesn't go far enough.

* Two of my favorites, Vincent Fort and Dan Weber, went toe to toe on waivers for class size. Fort wants it the waiver voted on every year. Weber wants it through 2012. Earnest Dan Weber says every school board under God's creation wants his version.

* The House only took up one bill on the day. Can you spell L-A-Z-Y. I knew you could.

* Ben Harbin's faux goatee is back. Grow it in Ben! Come to the dark side.

* Scowling House Clerks! The streak continues. It was a close one with only one House bill on the docket. But I saw Scowly Red peeking from behind one of the computers. I think she winked at me.

* Nwandi is joined by Negative Nellie Allan Essig of the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute. Apparently the hospital tax just passed. The jobs bill the Republicans were trying to tie to the tax bill passed separately.

* The jobs bill cuts the capital gains tax. Of course, Negative Nellie hates that! He just ran around like a chicken screaming "not fiscally responsible! not fiscally responsible!". Well. Not really. But that image is going to stick with you a while.

* State workers can't double dip. No Dairy Queen for you! Actually, it prevents recent retirees from being promptly rehired as a consultant. Trust me on this, it happens all the time and it's quite the grift.

* Increase in the sentence for harming officers of the court passed out of Senate committee. All the result of the heinous Brian Nichols killings from a few years ago.

* Susan got caught staring into space and had to explain what an "outtag" is.

* Project Tom Crawford! Does this man own anything that isn't earth tone? Come on, Tom! Snazz it up with a Jerry Garcia tie! Something! Anything! Even morticians are crying.

* More resolutions urging the Attorney General to challenge the Federal healthcare bill. They have way too much time on their hand.

* Lawmakers Flashback! First appearance of David Zelski! He's talking about silly laws on the books in honor of April Fools. If you've ever watched Georgia Traveller, Zelski is a total goof ball. He just called some dude on the street "stupid". Now, he has women with ice cream in their back pockets. But it's only illegal on Sunday so they are okay. Now, he has a dog dressed like a donkey in a bathtub. Now, rubber chickens. They must have cleaned out the prop closet. I wonder whose poor dog that was in the bathtub.

* Oh lord. This was blogger day at the Capitol. Rep. Steve Davis (R-Loves Pavement) sponsored a resolution honoring Georgia's bloggers. And there's our old friend Jason Pye! And there's Dustin Baker of galiberal. And of course, the blogger who shall not be named. The reason? He didn't pay me enough to mention him.

* Ricky Bevington and her BOOK OF DOOM! She's says she's not blogging because she's the real deal. Et tu, Ricky? No coverage for you!

* Busy episode. Good thing they have spring break to rest up. For now, that's a wrap.