Greetings from the Gold Dome!  The gavels came down this morning as the General Assembly commenced its 2003 Session.  Tension was high as the Speaker’s race continued to be the most interesting piece of news.  Rep. Terry Coleman and Rep. Larry Walker have been vying to become the next Speaker of the House, following the defeat of long-serving Speaker Thomas B. Murphy in the election.  Reps. Coleman and Walker were making calls to fellow Legislators as late as Sunday in an effort to line up votes to ensure their election.  However, by mid-morning, Rep. Walker had withdrawn his name, and the House elected Rep. Terry Coleman from Eastman to be its next Speaker by a vote of 109 to 70.  Rep. Dubose Porter from Dublin was elected as Speaker Pro Tempore.  

          In the past week, the Joint House and Senate Appropriations Committee held hearings with various associations and others concerning the Budget.  Needless to say, with the State’s current economic situation, the likelihood of expanded or new initiatives will be limited while cuts may be more prevalent.   

Dr. Roger Tutterow, a professor from Kennesaw State, gave a lengthy presentation on the State’s economy.  Dr. Tutterow noted that in 2001 and 2002, the State began to feel a disproportionate share of softness in the economy.  He also explained the differences in the 2001 recession and the others which have taken place since World War II.  The 2001 recession was not driven by consumer spending but by business investment or the pullback of business from capital expenditures.  Growth in the national economy for 2001-2002 was around 2.4-2.5%.  There is an expectation of growth for 2003 between 2.5 and 2.6%.  Dr. Tutterow reminded Legislators that it was important to have a prepared workforce and that it would take monies to develop a well-trained labor force (he cited an example of the ICAAP project).  He also noted that for an improved economic situation, federal stimuli were necessary as was a regional convergence.  

          There were a few Committee and Task Force meetings held during the week as well.  The House Agriculture Committee met to hear two bills: 1) a pest control bill wherein information about a pest control company’s insurance will no longer be required to be delivered each time a treatment is made; and 2) a re-write of the State’s current law on the veterinary profession.  Both of these bills, which have not been re-dropped, were topics discussed in the General Assembly previously but were not passed.   

          Rep. Jeff Brown hosted a Senior Prescription Drug Task Force this past week.  His Task Force, made up of various pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, doctors, etc., had been meeting to gather recommendations on solving drug access to the elderly who have difficulty in paying for their drugs.  A second draft was proposed which will eventually make its way to the House in a final form for the House to consider.  

          The Wild Hog Supper, the annual pig picking, was held Sunday at the Georgia Railroad Depot.  As one would expect, the Depot was crowded with lobbyists, state employees, and the politically interested.  Hopefully, everyone will be filled with pork (as the Budget will likely not contain much) as the Session commences.  One person noted that perhaps it should be renamed “Hog Wild,” referring to the hordes of folks present.  

          In other news, the Senate also developed protocols in moving forward.  The Senate is now controlled by the Republicans but has a Democrat as its President, Lt. Governor Mark Taylor.  In an interesting move, a joint decision on assignment of bills will be made in an effort to soothe partisan issues and still allow Lt. Governor Taylor to play a role in the process.  A “committee” will be used when disagreement concerning the assignment occurs.  The committee which will be made up of Sen. Eric Johnson, Sen. Tom Price, and Lt. Governor Mark Taylor. This new process required an amendment to the Senate’s Rules.  

          Phillips Arena hosted the Swearing-in Ceremony for the Honorable Sonny Perdue.  Governor Perdue took the seal from Governor Barnes in front of a packed hall which included dignitaries such as the Honorable Zell Miller; Honorable George Busbee; Georgia Supreme Court Justices; Georgia Court of Appeals Judges; and others.  The Honorable Clay Land, United States District Court Judge for the Middle District of Georgia and former State Senator, administered the oath of office to Governor Perdue.