Day 20- February 20, 2008

It's legislative day 20, the official half way mark of the 2008 Georgia General Assembly session.

Tonight on Lawmakers, the House and Senate vote to create boundary line commissions to resolve the border wars between Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, the Senate approves Special Local Option Sales Taxes, or T-SPLOST, a measure that would expand the use of school vouchers is heard in committee, Governor Sonny Perdue supports a new health record program he says will help millions of Americans, and legislation that addresses concerns raised over the Brian Nichols trial is announced.

The House and the Senate approved resolutions today that create Georgia-North Carolina and Georgia-Tennessee Boundary Line Commissions. Senate Resolution 822 and House Resolution 1206 create the commissions with the aim to find a way to restore Georgia’s contested northern boundary to the 35th Parallel.

The Senate voted to allow local communities to vote on Transportation Special Local Option Sales Taxes, T-SPLOST, today. Senate Resolution 845 would allow voters to decide to fund local transportation projects with the special tax. SR 845 now moves to the House.

A bill that aims to provide vouchers to students in schools that lose their accreditation was heard by the Senate Education and Youth Committee today. Senate Bill 458 would give vouchers to those students’ whose schools have been designated a “needs improvement” school or has lost its accreditation for seven consecutive years. SB 458 remains in committee.

Governor Perdue announced his support of a new health record program today. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ new electronic record system will provide incentive payments to physicians who use it. Perdue says this system could improve quality of healthcare for over three million Americans.

Legislation that is designed to address concerns raised over the long delays in the Brian Nichols trial was introduced today. House Bills 1251, 1252, and 1253 address state funding for criminal defense and also specify that senior judges shall not serve on death penalty cases.

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