This report will cover the latest news on the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, the latest comments from Governor Deal and other legislative leaders regarding religious liberty, positive news from the Georgia Department of Transportation, and another sad goodbye.
Savannah Harbor Expansion Project: The spending bill for the Army Corps of Engineers as proposed by the U.S. Senate has some good and bad news. The good news is that there is no language this year that would be a disadvantage to Georgia in the long running water wars with Alabama and Florida. The bad news is the plan allocates only $42.7 million for the project, which is about half the amount needed to keep Georgia’s largest economic development initiative on schedule. It is possible more money could be allocated during the budget process, but the ban on earmark spending makes that highly unlikely. Speaking of the “water wars,” Governor Deal just allocated $11 million from his emergency funds to continue paying legal expenses for the lawsuit. This court battle with Alabama and Florida has cost our state over $40 million in legal fees. Currently, 70 attorneys are poring over 66,0000 emails and 4 million documents produced by Florida alone.
Georgia Department of Transportation: EdenCrete, an Australian company, has announced the opening of a U.S. manufacturing plant in Augusta. The company will initially employ 230 workers and will produce a concrete additive that has been approved by GDOT for highway maintenance projects. The product, when added to traditional concrete mix, allows for a thinner replacement slab with no need for replacement re-bar. It appears this will result in a 40 percent savings on construction costs, without sacrificing the lifespan of replacement concrete. The savings can be used for more maintenance projects and possibly new construction.
Religious Liberty: In his first interview since his veto of HB 757, Governor Deal vowed to veto any similar bills passed by the legislature. He has asked the legislature to “open our eyes, take a deep breath, and think about what is happening in North Carolina” before we pass another religious liberty bill. I believe my eyes are open, just as many of the people I represent have theirs open. What is going on in North Carolina proves that we need a religious liberty bill now more than ever. Opponents of traditional family values will not be satisfied with acceptance of their views; they will not stop until they force us to comply with them. In my belief, God ordained government to punish bad behavior and reward good behavior. This nation has perverted that purpose by rewarding bad behavior and punishing good behavior. A good example is our entitlement culture. We supply one in five Georgians with food stamps and thousands more with disability checks who are able bodied and fully capable of working. The Supreme Court’s unconstitutional ruling on how we define marriage in America has put the religious liberty of Georgia citizens at risk. There will be a religious bill in Georgia, and I will be ready with a plan to override any veto by Governor Deal in the next session.
Rep. Bob Bryant/Savannah: My friend Bob Bryant passed away in February from heart failure. Bob was a very pleasant fellow and one of the more non-partisan members of the Democratic caucus. Bob had a striking resemblance to the stadium caretaker character in the movie “Rudy.” Bob’s always friendly manner, no matter how contentious the debate, will be missed.