Gonzo Lawmakers - Day 39

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 39

* Welcome to the present. I can almost hear the yelps of the long night. I know they are still down there. Thrashing around. But the show must go on.

* Shot of the live sausage making.

* Both Susan and Nwandi back in the studio

* Seatbelts in trucks passed! Little Don Thomas probably gave a yelp and drank an Ensure.

* Scowling House clerks make an early entry. The streak continues!

* Farmers doing agricultural business are exempted. Does that mean if I'm driving to the feed store, I don't have to buckle up? Some youngster House member is axing that very question! The bottom line is the farmers want it, and we'se a givin' it!

* Cell phone bills. The Senate version would ban adults texting while driving. The House version only affects teens. They're going to have to combine them somehow.

* We got to see a scowling House clerk reading a bill! Or as Sen. Jack Murphy says "texing".
They save the best for last.

* Of course we have a family which suffered a tragedy due to "texing".

* They tried to tack the English Only thing onto a bill which was only dealing with converting some department documents to online. Mary Margaret Oliver is calling foul. She's not letting the scoundrel off the hook. She's subtly, okay not so subtly, cornering him to admit that its all about drivers licenses test. Eventually the Republican leaders got tired of the shenanigans and tabled the stupid thing.

* There's Don Thomas! He's so precious. And excited because it's his big day. He wants to refurbish buses. Some of his colleagues thinks we're going to have worn out buses.

* There's Nan Orrock. I should have kept record of how many times she got on camera. I bet it was a close second to the House Clerks.

* Sen. George Hooks! The Dean of the Senate! The Dean doesn't fool around. He gets right down to the brass tacks. It's about Blue Bird bus company in Ft. Valley. He wasn't successful. The thing passed.

* Pay for performance for teachers is back on the table. Chip Rogers is trying to find a way to make it work by saying it has to be designed by teachers.

* Don Thomas again! He's a rock star.

* House passed the No Happy Ending Bill. Rep. Tony Seller found out that some spas are actually cat houses. Wonder how that research took place? He says there's not much we can do to help illegal aliens held in servitude. Um, I'm pretty sure there are illegal servitude bans already on the books. But anyway...

* They extended the time to file pre-trial filings for death penalty trials. This is cleaning up something the Supremes said was needed.

* Somebody punked Seth Harp. He was given an amendement that was supposedly requested by the Speaker. But it wasn't requested by the Speaker. WHOOPSIE!

* Something about LOST. Not the popular and weird ABC series, but local option sales tax. It's about letting locals pass taxes for things like the arts and what not.

* House discussed a Senate bill which would allow an adult friend to make medical decisions in the absence of a medical directive. Sounds good on the surface but do we really want to tackle such a thorny issue on the next to the last day?

* Rep. Bearden is asking for the definition of a "friend". The subtext her is friend equals domestic partner. He also has a problem with the term "generally familiar". Despite the sub-text of the topic, he's right. They shouldn't be mucking with something so murky without a lot more discussion.

* It passed but it was a close one. 92-65. It's going back to the Senate due to changes. I smell a-tabling!

* Transportation plan passed. This causes Susan to say finally, FINALLY. It created 12 regions which could tax themselves for transportation projects. Google it for the details. It's pretty fascinating.

* Democrats had a big problem with the plan because we ain't gonna vote on it for two more years. Which means gawd knows when we'll actually see some transportation action.

* Lawmakers Flashback! Election of the first House Republican Speaker in 130 years. I hear the howling of the ghost of Glenn Richardson! Much hooting and hollering. And there's Dapper Glenn. And there's Susan holding the Bible. Ah, those were the days. His first act. Passed the "hawks rule". Dubose immediately objected. Richardson immediately overruled him. Thus, the die was cast early on.

* Former Lt. Guv Pierre Howard was in the Senate. He's talking about the redecorating that's gone on in his absence. Age brings fascination with carpet and wall paper.

* Oh no! The BOOK OF DOOM is being handled by Susannah Capaluto. Want to know what I think of that? She once called me an "entertainer" and said she would never quote a blog even if they were accurate. Well, given those ground rules, I see no need to pay attention to her clap trap segment. Selah.

* Thank god that's over. No show tomorrow as there is a recess. Thursday is Sine Die and that means double Lawmakers and double shots for me. Don't expect the recaps that night. For now, that's a wrap.