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2013 Capitol Update - Week 1 - State of the State, Committee Assignments

Rep. Brett Harrell reports on the first week of the 2013 Georgia General Assembly.

Legislators returned to Atlanta for the 152nd Session of the Georgia General Assembly on Monday, January 14, 2013. The House re-elected Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) our Speaker and Rep. Jan Jones (R - Milton) our Speaker Pro-Tem.

Speaker Ralston and the Committee on Assignments announced on Wednesday the committee rosters for the 2013 - 2014 sessions.  I could not be more pleased that I will serve on the Budget and Fiscal Affairs OversightRegulated IndustriesTransportation, and Ways & Means Committees.

On Thursday a joint session of the House and Senate welcomed Governor Nathan Deal for his annual State of the State Address. Governor Deal focused on economic development, public safety, and education as priorities.

As always, I remain appreciative that you allow me to serve as your state Representative. I encourage you to contact me with any comments or questions you have about the legislation being considered at the state capitol.  You can reach me at my Capitol office at 404-656-0254 or on my cell at 404-966-5804 or via email at brett.harrell@house.ga.gov

Thank you again for allowing me to serve as your representative,

Brett Harrell  

At the Capitol

Please call, email, or visit Brett at the Capitol.

Representative Brett Harrell
601-D Coverdell Legislative Office Building
18 Capitol Square
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-0254
brett.harrell@house.ga.gov 

You may sign up for weekly updates during the legislative session by texting:
VOTEBRETT to 22828 or visit www.VoteHarrell.com

Follow Brett on Twitter @brettharrell 

George Wilson January 30, 2013 at 07:40 pm
The Republican leadership under the House Speaker David Ralston has made an ethics proposal that would stifle free speech. He does this by expanding the definition of a lobbyist to include many of the unpaid issue advocates. .These citizen volunteer advocates would be forced to pay a fee of $300.00 to register as lobbyists .the measure is objected to by Common Cause, Tea Part activists, and other conservative groups.
I Guess the Republican legislatures don't want to be bothered by the great unwashed electorate. You know the group that pays the legislators salary. Republicans can get by with this arrogance because of the gerrymandered districts that protects them from the voters' wrath.
George Wilson January 30, 2013 at 09:27 pm
Here are the numbers that show how out of touch and extreme our congressional delegation is from Georgia and our local state legislature.
Polls show that the vast majority of Americans support the president's reforms. Just check out the numbers from the latest New York Times poll: Americans support an assault weapons ban 53-44 Americans support a ban on high-capacity magazines 63-34 Americans support a national gun database 78-20 Americans support universal background checks 92-7 Given the gerrymandering of districts, it's not much you can do in Georgia except express your views on deaf ears.. Here’s what Congress can do right now to reduce gun violence: Require a criminal background check for every gun sold in this country. Stop the sale of military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Make gun trafficking a federal crime with harsh penalties.
George Wilson February 5, 2013 at 08:38 pm
The right-wing ideologues who have captured the Republican Party have managed to make "union" a dirty word and politicians are afraid to show overt support for unions either in rhetoric or in policy initiatives.
According to 2010 census data, 48% of individual wage earners make less than $25K. This is the infamous 47% that Romney disparaged. Those that make less than $40K include fully 2/3 of the work force. In other words, over half the country doesn't make enough money to last past one paycheck. But yet, corporate profits are at all time highs. The DOW is bouncing off of 14,000 in the middle of a terrible economy. There are several trillion dollars of corporate profits sitting in bank accounts , and there are more millionaires and billionaires than ever. We need to raise the minimum wage in Georgia. We need to change right- to work -laws in Georgia but retain the elements that people don't like about unions. Some examples would be; protecting incompetent workers stop forcing employers to pay people to do nothing, and stop out-of-control benefits.At the same time make it easy and encourage labor to organize to obtain other things like better working conditions and higher wages. This compromise could give labor a fair shot at organizing labor in the south and Georgia. Why aren't the Georgia legislature addressing issues like this to increase jobs and raise the economy by providing more purchasing power for the average worker?

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
EMILY GOLDSTEIN June 18, 2013 at 09:49 pm
Rabies tag on dog leads to a disconnected owners number
David Binder June 18, 2013 at 06:03 pm
And it's not posting my comment how I typed it. It's jumbled on the "Boards" banner.
Sharon Swanepoel (Editor) June 18, 2013 at 06:11 pm
Yea, sorry David. We are still dealing with some "issues." It rejected Jason's blog, andRead More none of us, not even our top regional editor, is being given authority to release it. Poor Jason, I know he so hates being rejected! And we hate it happening to him. The people not being "bugged" by technical issues, however, are reporting that it is super easy to use.
Tammy Osier June 18, 2013 at 01:08 am
Sadly, Mr. Newman, we have people who live in a utopic vision of the world and refuse to believeRead More that this can happen. Sounds a bit like 1984. Ironic too, is that in the bible, when the Lord was referring to people being blinded and going astray, he referred to them as sheep, and that phrase has been coined today to denote the same type of mentality. This could happen if our watchmen stop guarding the gate.
Karsten Torch June 18, 2013 at 12:39 pm
What's sad is that people will accuse you of needing a tinfoil hat because of this post. But weRead More are marching inexorably toward this end, the only thing we can really control is how quickly or slowly we get there.....
TheSkalawag June 18, 2013 at 08:29 pm
I don't think that Ray needs a tinfoil hat but I just don't see the inexorable march to theRead More dystopian world Ray is foretelling either. I do understand the gloom and doom outlook and I attribute that to the unrealistic quest for the Norman Rockwell version of life in America. That kind of life was made for tv. Life never really was like that. At least not that I remember anyway. And I would wager not for the majority of Americans.
Sharon Swanepoel (Editor) June 18, 2013 at 03:05 pm
Tom, I will see if I can find the connection.
Sharon Swanepoel (Editor) June 18, 2013 at 05:51 pm
Good news! Her name is Izzi and she has been reunited with her owners.
Tom Laverick June 18, 2013 at 09:42 pm
Great News!!!!
tijensen June 15, 2013 at 12:34 pm
The better assignment would have been how could you have written a letter to try and convince themRead More not to commit suicide. To persuade them about all the wonderful things you love about them, how special they are and what the world would miss if they were not in it. A creative teacher could have used the same exercise to teach a life lesson that may have helped someone save a life down the road.
Tammy Osier June 15, 2013 at 12:40 pm
TJ, exactly. Like you said, a GOOD teacher would have found a way to make students think outside theRead More box yet still examine the mood of the story. But I do agree with ggy that it might have been more appropriate for a college aged student. High school (girls especially) have so much drama going on inside of them, and confusion about so many things, that it might be impossible for them to be objective in an assignment like that. Boo to the teacher.
flyinby June 15, 2013 at 08:34 pm
strikes me as more subversive attempts by perverted minds dedicated to influence all our childrenRead More with this sick mindset: http://larouchepac.com/node/11188 http://www.naturalnews.com/040744_euthanasia_children_mercy_killings.html http://www.lifenews.com/2013/06/06/sarah-palin-blasts-sebelius-for-denying-girls-lifesaving-lung-transplant/ http://cnsnews.com/blog/judie-brown/lives-unworthy-be-lived-and-polst http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/the-elite-are-attempting-to-convince-us-that-killing-off-our-sick-grandparents-is-cool-and-trendy suicides higher than car crashes past few yrs http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2207089/56-million-suicide-prevention-programme-launched-study-reveals-Americans-lives-die-car-crashes.html http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/08/more-states-consider-legalizing-assisted-suicide-as-baby-boomers-age/
Octo Slash June 14, 2013 at 12:18 pm
My kids drink coffee every morning because they need something to accompany their cigarettes.
Tammy Osier June 14, 2013 at 01:12 pm
Tr - the perfect diet - the Mediterranean diet has a lot of fish in it. Olive oils etc... OurRead More American diet has a lot of animal fat in it and look at us as opposed to other nations! Fish oil is brain food. A multi is good, but we should ask our pediatricians about adding fish oil to our kids' diets. We should get our (good) fats through diet. Good fats help vitamins go where they are supposed to and do what they're supposed to do.
Deedee June 15, 2013 at 08:12 pm
My grandma always drunk coffee all day and I started around 30 and I am no good without at least oneRead More cup a day but she always stated that we couldn't have any as kids because it will stunt our growth. I have always felt that there is something to many of those old sayings and did not let my son touch it.
Tammy Osier June 17, 2013 at 01:53 pm
DR, seems like an oxymoron doesn't it? I'd like to hear from someone who is actually from there toRead More find out their spin on why they even enter a contestant in the first place. It's my understanding that a woman that shows that much skin in public will be flogged or worse? Maybe democracy is taking ahold in some places, who knows?
Good Grief Y'all June 17, 2013 at 03:24 pm
I was wrong. Guys are interested pageants. You would no doubt be happy if the contestants justRead More wore the face shawl with their bikinis.
Karsten Torch June 17, 2013 at 04:30 pm
Couple of thoughts - One, why hold it in a land where there is going to be this kind of protest?Read More Just move it and don't worry about it. Other, I find it interesting how the Muslims want us to be understanding and inclusive of their beliefs, but don't even think they'll allow anything they don't agree with. Just a tad bit hypocritical...
R June 14, 2013 at 02:06 am
You mean the FEES don't you? Cause they aint taxes don't you know...
Bonnie June 14, 2013 at 11:50 am
I call it a "rainbow!"
M.K. Osborne June 14, 2013 at 03:30 pm
Fees is when its lightning too .
Mr. B June 13, 2013 at 01:29 pm
They're not Americans. They don't deserve to step foot on American soil.
Good Grief Y'all June 13, 2013 at 01:34 pm
Meh, a difference without distinction.
Good Grief Y'all June 13, 2013 at 01:37 pm
Huh, you learn something once in a while on Patch blog threads. I didn't know you must be anRead More American citizen to be tried and convicted of crimes against America . . . ;p I think John and Sarah could handle them . . . you betcha! They would probably beg to be sent back to Gitmo. LOL
EMILY GOLDSTEIN June 7, 2013 at 10:35 am
We don't know yet..it was not me who found her. They had Gwinnett pick her up after staying withherRead More for a few hours..we will know after they process her there. I have contacted golden retriever rescues to let them know so they can see if they have lost ads ..or if need be rescue her
EMILY GOLDSTEIN June 8, 2013 at 02:24 am
She is so sad and missing her owner ANIMAL ID#32243 I am in PEN 114, FEMALE, GOLDEN RETRIEVER. TheRead More shelter thinks I am 3 YEARS OLD. I will be available for adoption starting 6/12/13. FOUND STRAY, LARGE, FRIENDLY Contact the shelter for more info 770-339-3200.
EMILY GOLDSTEIN June 10, 2013 at 03:11 am
Reunited!