Day 5- January 18, 2008

Tonight on Lawmakers, the House and Senate both pass the Statewide Water Plan, whispers of impeachment abound, Capitol remembrances are held for Martin Luther King, Jr, and Robert E. Lee, Lawmakers presents the General Assembly Week in Review, Tom Crawford of CapitolImpact.com joins David Zelski for a discussion on the week’s events, and a special memorial for former Speaker of the House Tom Murphy, who died in December.

Both the House and the Senate passed resolutions for the Statewide Water Plan today. House Resolution 1022 and Senate Resolution 701, which contain identical language, will allow for the implementation of the Statewide Water Plan as drafted by the Georgia Water Council. The Council’s plan involves creating 11 regions, and then having 25-member water councils in these regions will have the power to access conditions and determine what actions to take. The Governor’s Office believes the next step is for these resolutions to go to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

In honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Holiday, a remembrance ceremony was held at the Capitol to remember the slain civil rights leader. Speakers included Xernona Clayton, Monica Pearson, and Gov. Perdue. The Spelman College Glee Club also performed. Accepting a proclamation from Gov. Perdue were Martin Luther King, III, Naomi King, and Isaac Farris, President and CEO of the King Center.

Lawmakers co-anchor David Zelski talked with Tom Crawford of CapitolImpact.com today about the first week of the 2008 session. Among other things, David and Tom talked about the gun bill, the Statewide Water Plan, and

Rep. Ron Forster called for the impeachment of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle today. Rep. Forster is claiming that the Lt. Governor violated the State Constitution by not immediately taking up the veto overrides that the House passed on Monday. The Lt. Governor’s office issued the following statement, “We appreciate Rep. Forster’s injection of some humor into a stressful legislative session.”

Former Speaker of the House Tom Murphy died in December. Lawmakers presents highlights of Speaker Murphy’s 29-year career as Speaker, and clips from the Lying-in-State service held at the Capitol on December 21st.

All that and more, tonight on Lawmakers. Watch Online! Just click here.