The Fayette Citizen-News Page

Wednesday, March 13, 2002

Seabaugh: Use gas tax revenues for local road repairs

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Fayette state Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, may get his wish to dedicate funds from Georgia's motor vehicle fuel sales tax revenues to fixing the state's roads.

His bill addressing the issue has been mirrored in a House bill proposed by House Speaker Tom Murphy, a Democrat. Seabaugh has agreed to a concession that the measure won't take affect until the 2005 fiscal year, and because of that he expects the House bill to be approved soon.

"This means road maintenance, like fixing pot holes," Seabaugh said. The funds would be dedicated to the Local Road Assistance Program, which is currently administered by the state Department of Transportation.

Seabaugh added that the overwhelming support for the legislation coming from county, city and transportation officials gave the measure a significant nudge toward passage.

"To me it is an encouraging example of the people's voice being heard in the state Legislature," Seabaugh said.

The same cannot be said for Seabaugh's proposal to give a $100 refund back to Georgia taxpayers out of the state's current $1.5 billion surplus. An amendment to that affect was defeated along party lines, even though those funds would have allowed the state's reserve budgets to be met and the state could have paid off other debt also, Seabaugh said.

Seabaugh also expressed displeasure with the $1.8 million in the budget allotted by Gov. Roy Barnes to defend the reapportionment process, which he alleges benefits Democrats by ensuring they control the Legislature.

The Republicans' effort to restore $8 million of $14 million cut from the budget for teacher staff development was also defeated by the Democrats, Seabaugh added.

Another education initiative of Seabaugh's has already been approved, however. The Senate has approved the creation of a committee to study how Georgia uses standardized testing in public schools.

The committee also will at the efficiency and timing of the tests in addition to the number of tests given each year, Seabaugh said.

"What happens is a test may be given in February but the curriculum might cover the material in May," Seabaugh said. "Teachers have to balance the curriculum and [teaching for] the test."


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