LEGISLATIVE REPORT
By REP. CHARLES JENKINS

Charles Jenkins

The General Assembly is now in recess for two weeks, an attempt to give the federal government more time to fully fund the $131 million shortfall in the PeachCare for Kids Program, which will have a major impact on finalizing the annual state budget.

While the full legislature is in recess, lawmakers will be working on pending bills and resolutions at the committee level. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene on March 19 for the 28th day of the 40-day session, which according to a newly adopted schedule will stretch into at least mid-April.

Last week, I joined a bipartisan group of House members in co-sponsoring House Bill 620, the PeachCare for Kids Protection Act of 2007, as a means of addressing PeachCare's short-term funding shortfall as well as stabilizing the program's stability in the long term.

This proposal would allow Georgia to use federal Medicaid funds to provide health insurance for all currently covered children at a federal reimbursement rate of 62 percent during this critical time. This is accomplished by moving all PeachCare children into Medicaid temporarily. Once Congress provides State Children Health Insurance Program funds, which are reimbursed at 73 percent, Georgia could be reimbursed for the difference.

HB 620 would also provide that all children ages 1-18 with family incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty level would remain in Medicaid. This approach also allows the children of state employees with family incomes below 150 percent of poverty to enroll in PeachCare.

Under legislation approved unanimously by House members, Georgians will be able to take advantage of two different sales tax holidays again this year.

If, as expected, HB 128 is approved by the Senate and signed into law, the first taxfree period will be Aug. 2-5, during back-to-school shopping. During that weekend, consumers would not have to pay local or state sales taxes on school supplies under $20, computer equipment $1,500 or less and clothing items under $100. With the state sales tax at 4 cents on a dollar and 1 to 3 cents locally, a shopper could see savings of $75 to $135 on a $1,500 computer.

Another holiday established in the bill applies to energy efficient products, with the government's energy efficient star sticker that cost $1,500 or less. They also have to be purchased for noncommercial home or personal use. This holiday period would be Oct. 4-7.

Georgia's sales tax holidays have become popular shopping periods, helping boost sales for retailers throughout the state.

Legislation has been introduced that would move up the date of Georgia's presidential preference primary from March 4 to Feb. 5, 2008, behind only the Iowa caucuses, and the New Hampshire, Florida and South Carolina primaries. HB 487 also changes the provisions for winning Georgia's primaries and elections from a simple majority to a 45 percent-plus plurality. Currently, candidates need 50 percent to win outright in primaries and general elections.

The bill's sponsors suggest that moving the date of Georgia's presidential preference primary ensures that Georgia will play a prominent role in choosing the nation's next president. But there is concern about the plurality provision, as some would argue that any Georgia political leader who wins with less than a simple majority of votes lack any sort of mandate for political leadership, and therefore does not represent the wishes of a majority of citizens.

Rep. Charles Jenkins (DBlairsville) represents the 8th District (Rabun, Towns, Union and White counties) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact him at 411 Coverdell Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334; by phone at 404-656-0126 or by e-mail at

c h a r l e s . j e n k i n s @house.ga.gov.