Thank you for visiting SteveHenson.net. It is an honor to represent you, the people of the 41st District, in the Georgia Senate, and I appreciate your support and feedback throughout the year. Please feel free to contact me with your views on the issues facing DeKalb or Gwinnett County and the state of Georgia, or whenever I can be of service.
Last year, I was honored to have been elected unanimously as Senate Minority Leader by my fellow members of the Senate Democratic Caucus. I take the responsibilities of this leadership position very seriously and can assure you that Senate Democrats will continue to fight the good fight for the people of Georgia on all legislative issues.
Having failed to agree on legislation that would have dramatically changed Georgia’s tax code last year, the Republican majority leadership is expected to try again during the 2012 session of the Georgia General Assembly. Proposed changes include large tax breaks for corporations and tax increases on Georgia families in the form of reinstating the 4 percent state sales tax on food. Taxes will be a hotly debated issue again this year.
Other issues expected to be at the top of the agenda include:
Transportation: As the result of legislation that was passed in 2010, Georgia voters are scheduled to go to the polls during this year’s July 31 primary and decide whether to approve a one-cent sales tax, proceeds from which would be used to fund transportation improvements on a regional basis in the counties of each region where the tax referendum is approved. A proposal has been made to change the election date for the regional sales tax (T-SPLOST) vote from July to the November general election, when voter turnout is historically higher. The proposal failed to reach a vote during the General Assembly’s special session last August but is expected to be brought up again during the 2012 session. If approved, the tax would bring in $6.1 billion to the metro Atlanta region over the next 10 years.
Criminal Justice: A special council has recommended an increased use of probation and flexibility in sentencing for non-violent offenders to reduce the financial and human costs of Georgia’s overcrowded prisons. It is estimated that Georgia currently spends more than $1 billion a year and has the fourth-highest incarceration rate in the nation. Among the proposals recommended by the council include allowing judges to depart from mandatory minimum sentences in certain circumstances, expanding the use of Drug, DUI and Mental Health Courts and changing many traffic offenses from misdemeanors to violations. Gov. Nathan Deal is supportive of the proposals, and legislative leaders have said criminal justice reform will be a priority issue during the upcoming session.
Requirements for Assistance: Legislation has been introduced to require drug testing for those receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. A separate proposal would require those receiving unemployment benefits to complete 24 hours of community service each week.
Other Issues: Lawmakers will consider recommendations on revising the state funding formula for local public school systems, which has been cut by billions of dollars over the past nine years. Separate bills have also been proposed that would authorize counties to hold non-partisan elections for local offices (sheriff, tax commissioner, clerk of court, coroner, county commissioner, school board, etc.); allow persons to carry concealed firearms in public without having to obtain a gun permit; and remove the statute of limitations on prosecuting persons for child molestation or rape.
I would like to know your views on these and other issues. Please click here to participate in a short online survey. Thanks for your feedback!
