Thread: Ga: House Members Tackling Final Measures In Session

House members tackling final measures in session's last day:

By Chris Joyner and April Hunt

Thursday, April 14, 2011

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

7:36 p.m.: Sunset Act likely going to conference

Lawmakers from the House and Senate are likely to soon be hashing out just how to review state agencies, boards, departments and commissions for possible elimination.

The House just disagreed to changes in Senate Bill 223, which sets up the Sunset Advisory Committee. The 14-member committee, to be appointed by the House speaker and lieutenant governor, could also suggest a change in mission or a consolidation with other departments.

If the Senate insists to hold its position, a conference committee is likely.

7:26 p.m.: House is back

Dinner is over and the House is taking action again.

6:15 p.m. House on dinner break

The House is in recess for dinner. It reconvenes at 7:15 p.m.

6:01 p.m.: House zipping through bills

The House has agreed to a half dozen minor bills from the Senate in record time.

The pace has quickened as word has spread that the Senate approved House Bill 87, the main immigration measure, in a way that keeps E-verify in place.

Requiring businesses use the federal database that indicates whether hires are legal U.S. residents has been a sticking point between the two chambers' versions of the bill. With a phasing in of E-verify, the House is likely to sign off on the bill and send it off to Gov. Nathan Deal.

5:44 p.m. Deal is speaking to the House

Gov. Nathan Deal has begun addressing the House.

Speaker David Ralston lauded the governor in his introduction, going so far as to call Deal “his excellencyâ€

Thought this was interesting:

[quote]House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, halted action in the House for about 10 minutes and ordered pages to collect a handout he said violated rules against personal attacks on representatives.

The handout was a three-page essay slamming Rep. Matt Ramsey, R-Peachtree City, for reintroducing tougher language back into House Bill 87, an Arizona-style anti-illegal immigration bill.

The essay was headlined “Did Rep. Matt Ramsey Lie About HB 87, Again?â€

GEORGIA Passes Illegal Immigration Crackdown

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-234837.html