This Bill includes the redistricting of the Georgia Senate after a Federal District Court declared the previous actions of Georgia to be in violation of federal law. While a lot has been written about the redistricting process, the issue is very complex and difficult to explain in a short period of time. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age where everyone wants to hear the 30 to 60 second version of what is happening. This issue is not susceptible to such a quick explanation. However, every 10 years, after the Census, we are required to draw new lines so that the Senate Districts and House Districts have roughly equal amounts of population. We met for 2 months last summer and drew lines which were publicly stated to be done to advance the Democratic Party. While voting numbers indicate that an almost equal number of Georgians vote Republican as do Democrat, Democrats control a majority of the seats in the House and the Senate. Thus, the Democrats drew lines which were intentionally designed to attempt to keep Democrats in control regardless of what a majority of the people of Georgia want. The lines have no rhyme nor reason and many look like the ink blotter test that a psychologist gives to his/her patients. My new District will cause me to represent a portion of Paulding County, a portion of unincorporated Cobb County and a portion of the City of Acworth. Because Georgia has a history of voting rights violations, before any action can be taken, the Courts must determine if Georgia’s maps have been drawn so as to negatively affect black voting strength. This process is called pre-clearance. The pre-clearance process has cost the State millions of dollars and has taken many months time. Just last week, a federal court in Washington, D.C. provided a 278 page ruling. The Court found that the Senate had produced a map which violated the rights of black citizens of Georgia by drawing Districts in which a black could not reasonably be elected. It is interesting to note that all members of the Black Caucus in the House and the Senate are all Democrats. Yet, an independent federal court determined that the maps had been drawn with the wrong intent of diluting black voting strength. This Bill seeks to cure the Senate map. The Court found that the House Map and the Congressional Map did not dilute minority voting strength. Thus, these maps are acceptable and are pre-cleared. That simply means that a lawsuit will now be filed challenging many of the problems with how the maps were drawn. I have reported on these previously but one can simply look at a map and the district lines and determine that the lines were drawn either by someone who was intoxicated or by someone who was bent on destroying communities in the State of Georgia. The reason the lines are so strange is because the goal was to prevent Republicans from being reelected. Many Republicans were drawn into districts together and/or were placed in what are called multi-member districts. Virtually all Republican Districts were packed with the maximum amount of voters permitted under the rules and Democratic Districts were reduced to the minimum number of voters under the supposed rules. The entire map and redistricting process is an embarrassment to all citizens of the State of Georgia and should not be condoned.

This Bill seeks only to correct the question of black voting strength in 3 Senate District which were determined to be illegal. I voted against the Bill which nonetheless passed almost exclusively down party lines on a vote of 95 Yes to 74 No. While a suit will be filed to challenge the entire process, the results may take months, if not years, to be realized. In the interim, if you are unhappy with the way the maps were drawn and the district in which you were placed, you will get a chance to vote this November in numerous state and local elections. I suggest you exercise your vote wisely.

This Bill is intended provide rules for the operation of the new electronic scooters which are being marketed in Georgia. The bill simply provides some minimum rules which will govern the operation of the same and allows local jurisdictions to pass more detailed restrictions. The real story on this Bill was an Amendment offered by Bobby Franklin (R-Cobb County). One provision of the Bill prohibited carrying hazardous materials except for oxygen for medical reasons. Rep. Franklin offered a simple Amendment which would permit firearms to be carried by a person operating one of these scooters. Unbelievably, the Amendment failed, almost exclusively down party lines, with a vote of 76 Yes to 75 No. The Chair at the time, Larry Walker (D-Perry) voted no and caused a tie thereby meaning that the Amendment failed. Because I support Second Amendment Rights without restriction, I voted in favor of the Amendment. On the final vote of the Bill, the main Bill passed in a vote of 152 Yes to 4 No.

There is a growing belief in this Country that the right to pray in the public schools should be protected by the Constitution. Currently, there is pending before the United States Congress a proposed Constitutional Amendment which will make it clear that people are authorized to pray and recognize their religious beliefs on public property, including schools. This Resolution urges support for this United States Constitutional school prayer Amendment and requests each member of Georgia’s Congressional Delegation to vote for the same. Because I strongly support the return to prayer in our schools, I voted in favor of this Resolution which passed on a vote of 140 Yes to 9 No.

I am the author of this Bill which was first introduced by me in early January 2001. The Bill passed the House last year but has languished in the Senate. There have been 3 hearings on the Bill and it has now finally been brought back to the House. The Bill is designed to eliminate a problem which has occurred with the sale of tax fifas to private firms. Under current law, a private citizen or company is permitted to buy tax fifas for ad valorem taxes. These companies then cause tax sales to be conducted and either take property from the owner or extort high penalties for redemption. While everyone should pay their property taxes timely, I do not believe that government should enable one group of citizens to utilize the tax sale process to take property from another. I certainly do not think that if someone is late on paying their taxes, this should work a financial windfall to another. Our tax commissioners are doing an excellent job collecting taxes and, in fact, our own tax commissioner has basically stopped selling tax fifas to private entities. This Bill returned to the House after the Senate made some significant modifications. On the final vote on the agreement to the Senate changes, I voted in favor of the same which passed on a vote of 147 Yes to 13 No.

This Bill has been around for 2 years now. The Bill creates a new crime entitled "Child Endangerment." Child endangerment is defined as an act where a person intentionally or with criminal negligence places a child in imminent danger of death or cruel or excessive physical or mental pain. A violation of this act constitutes a misdemeanor. Original versions of this Bill called for the punishment to be treated as for a felony. In addition, some of the original language of the proposal was very broad and difficult to comprehend. I assisted in rewriting this Bill so that the prohibited action only applies where there is a wilful, wanton or reckless disregard for the safety of others. On the final vote on this Bill, I voted in favor of the same which passed on a vote of 150 Yes to 3 No.