Gonzo Lawmakers - Day 36

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 36

Originally aired April 14, 2010

* The present approaches

* Susan live at Hogwarts

* I swear the background has changed. The Capitol backdrop looks much redder. It makes Nwandi look positively devilish. It's getting weird, bubba.

* The Fee Bill was in the Senate. They are certainly gigging themselves. New charge of $100 to file disclosure reports. A cool grand if they are great. Senate passed it.

* It then went back to the House where those devils couldn't help but muck around. In a very serious manner. They added the infamous bed tax, they phased out the state portion of the property tax and they eliminated income tax for seniors. Good lord.

* Scowling House Clerks! The streak continues!

* The tax cuts have a five year phase in.

* House Democrats cried "not germane!" Stacy Abrams, very nice woman, is pointing out that it includes fees and taxes which are supposed to be separate. You may remember there was a Lawmaker Flashback where Speaker Murphy and Earl Erhart got into it over this very issue. Speaker Murphy ruled it not germane. Speaker Ralston ruled it was. The more things change...

* So now the little chimera heads back to the Senate.

* Not surprisingly, Chip Rogers loves that the property tax is finally going to be killed.

* VIncent Fort ain't happy. Not surprising.

* The thing finally passed.

* Tape machine strikes one last time! Poor Chip Rogers face was frozen like a fun house mirror.

* House passed the 2011 budget. It took two hours to review. How thrilling that must have been.

* Dubose Porter is getting all populist! Railing against the fees and the hospital tax! He's saying things like you can't put sunglasses and wig on it, it's a tax increase! When Dubose gets the populist fire in his gut, he actually can give one helluva speech. He should try it more often.

* Now he's saying cutting education means we're just increasing the prison population in the future. He's a banging the well. It's gettin' hot.

* Rep. Al Williams is calling himself a fiscal conservative and facing people who calls themselves fiscal conservative. Mentions of Lynn Westmoreland, chocolate cake and all kinds of allegorical goodness. It's like they saved up all the good looniness for the end.

* The chryon tells me that Nwandi is in the "newsroom". Maybe the main studio was being used by Nancy Grace?

* They found one fee to cut. Something about CMOs or something.

* Wendell Willard is using his droning superpower to lull everyone to sleep again. Some legal bill about estates. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

* Someone wants to mandate hospitals give their own employees flu shots. It's sponsored by a Republican. And opposed by a Republican. Of course, the opposition is John Douglas. Apparently, he saved all the crazy for the end.

* The final passage of the synthetic marijuana band. Smoke 'em while you got 'em!

* The House Macon delegation is pleading to pass the hotel tax amendment passed in the Senate. This is the one to save the halls of fame. They passed it. Otis, the Allmans and Little Richard appear safe for the momment.

* It's machine gun bill time. They are coming so fast, I can't keep up. More cleanup of bills from last year.

* Contracts can have blue line provisions. Don't ask me. Go look it up. Now, some debt bill for the Universities. There's no telling what they could actually get through in this fury of legislating.

* Chip Rogers just explained why he wants to do away with the property tax....and I agree with him. Interesting.

* Lawmakers Flashback! More on the flag. Senate this time. Sen. Charles Walker before his favorite color became orange. There's young Sonny just after he placed an R next to his name. Pretty emotional speeches all around.

* Ricky Bevington and her BOOK OF DOOM! She's back! And she's in the studio. Nancy Grace must have finally finished up. We're getting federal funds to save the Eastern Indigo Snake. It's the largest snake in North America. Didn't know that.

* They are hustling to the end. We're motoring towards the climax. But for now, that's a wrap!