Last week the General Assembly convened for legislative days 18-20 of the 2010 session of the Georgia legislature. We have officially reached the half-way point of the 40-day session and there is still much work to be done.

Last week the Georgia General Assembly convened on Monday through Thursday for legislative days 14-17 of the 2010 Georgia General Assembly session. There were several important bills considered on the floor of the House; also a number of significant bills are working their way through the legislative committee process.

Last week the Georgia General Assembly was in session for days 9-13 of the 2010 legislative session. Significant work continued in committees all around the Capitol and the flow of bills on the floor of the House began to increase. In addition, several important pieces of legislation were introduced last week in both the House and the Senate.

This week the Georgia General Assembly convened for days 5-8 of the 40-day session. The majority of the work this week was done in committee rooms around the Capitol as bills begin moving through the committee process so that they may be considered by the full House and Senate later in the session.

On Monday, Jan. 10, the state legislature convened for Day One of the 2010 session. In many ways it was an historic day.

We were met this weekend with the disturbing news that U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) had finally agreed to vote yes for the Democrats’ healthcare bill, providing the crucial 60th vote and assuring passage of the measure in the Senate.

Amazingly, it is now mid-December and Christmas is just a matter of days away. After the holidays the Georgia General Assembly will convene for the second year of the current two-year term of the legislature.

By REP. MATT RAMSEY and SEN. RONNIE CHANCE

It is hard to believe that it has been more than seven months since the Georgia General Assembly wrapped up the 2009 session. With the 2010 session right around the corner, we thought it would be a good time to provide an update on our state’s budget and economic picture.

The General Assembly adjourned for the year on April 3. I have previously written an update on several initiatives that were passed during the last week of the session. However, I wanted to follow up with information on some additional measures that were passed by the General Assembly and are on the Governor’s desk awaiting signature.

By Rep. MATT RAMSEY
and Sen. RONNIE CHANCE

Last week, in Fayette County, we had the privilege of addressing one of the 2,000 tea parties held nationwide to mark “tax day” in America. Every year at this time, Americans are reminded of the outrageous absurdity of a tax code so complex that one must pay an accountant or some other service simply to comply with the law. Yet something is different this year, as Americans from sea to shining sea felt compelled to come together to publicly express their displeasure.

The Georgia General Assembly adjourned the final day of the session on Friday night at 11:59 p.m. It was a hectic final week with several important pieces of legislation getting enacted, while several others were held over to next year. I wanted to give a brief overview about the final week of the session and follow up with a more comprehensive wrap-up in the weeks to come.

This past week proved to be another busy one for the House of Representatives. We are set to start our last week and the pace of bills and resolutions being considered is brisk. Last week we considered several important bills.

With Crossover Day behind us, the end of a challenging 2009 regular session draws near. The House and Senate have six legislative days remaining before we adjourn on Friday, April 3.

One of the busiest days of every legislative session is “Crossover Day.” Crossover Day, the 30th legislative day, is the last day legislation may pass out of its originating chamber to be considered by the other chamber.

Last week, the General Assembly convened for days 25, 26 and 27 of the legislative session. We are rapidly approaching Day 30, known as “Cross-Over Day” which is the last day that bills originating from the House and Senate can pass out of their respective bodies and be heard by the other body this session. Last week we considered some important measures on the floor and in committee.

Last week, the legislature convened for legislative days 22, 23 and 24. With the session now well past the halfway point, the legislature is moving at a rapid pace. The House passed several important bills this week, including the mid-year budget adjustment for 2009 and an important education related measure.

This past week, the Georgia General Assembly convened its fifth week of session. Last year, I wrote a great deal about my concern over the way the Georgia Department of Transportation conducts its business. I strongly believe that the DOT, as much as any agency of state government, needs to be reformed in a way that ensures Georgia’s taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently.

Week 4 report: The General Assembly gaveled in last week on Feb. 10 for the 16th legislative day of the 2009 session. The legislature was in session Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; however, numerous committee hearings were held Monday and Friday.

This past week was the third full week the General Assembly was in session, and Friday marked the 15th legislative day out of a Constitutional maximum of 40.

On Monday, Jan. 26, the Georgia House of Representatives convened for the sixth legislative day after adjourning for the previous week.

[Two weeks ago] the 2009 Georgia General Assembly was gaveled into session. The first day the entire body was sworn in by the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court.

After a year dominated by difficult and hard-fought elections, January will see a new President, Congress and Georgia General Assembly sworn into office.

With the election of Barack Obama as President and increased Democratic majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, we are entering an era of Democratic rule we have not seen in 30 years.

On April 26, the Dixie Air Wing in Peachtree City hosted World War II Heritage Days, an annual event commemorating World War II and honoring its veterans. I was honored to be asked to give the remarks during the opening ceremony.

Over the last 25 years, our county has seen explosive growth, with our population multiplying close to five times in that time frame.

One of the issues I hear about most frequently from citizens in our community is concern about crime and public safety.

With my first session in the General Assembly now complete, I am pleased to report that we passed many of the important pieces of legislation that I have outlined for you earlier and those are now on the way to the governor’s desk for signature.

Our work at the Capitol is coming to an end for this legislative session and I happy to report that we have already accomplished many of the goals we set forth in January.

[Editor’s note: Re. Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City) emailed the following statement Wednesday afternoon:]

With spring finally here, tax cuts continue to be a topic of discussion in the Capitol halls. This [past] week, the House and the Senate finally reached an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2008 Amended Budget and the House passed our version of the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget.