State tackles tough water issues
By SEN. CHIP PEARSON

Chip Pearson

This week, the big news around the Capitol concerned Georgia's water supply, and how we manage that supply in the future. The Senate and House have passed the Statewide Water Management Plan, and Governor Sonny Perdue signed the legislation on Tuesday. The Plan is the culmination of years of work by the Georgia Water Council, and it identifies a set of statewide water management policies that will guide sustainable use of Georgia's water resources. While it is not a plan to address the drought conditions we currently experience, the implementation of the Water Plan will ensure that future water needs are met while protecting our environment and preserving opportunities for future generations of Georgians to grow as well.

We heard more good news from the Governor's office concerning water this week. As you

may have heard, in response to Georgia's historic drought, the filling of outdoor swimming pools had been prohibited. Gov. Perdue announced the lifting of this restriction this week, allowing outdoor pools to be filled from April through September. In addition, Gov. Perdue announced the state will ease outdoor watering limitations with minor exemptions to the restrictions set forth last September. Under this decree, hand watering will be allowed throughout the state for 25 minutes per day on the odd-even schedule between midnight and 10 a.m. Newly installed landscape can be watered up to three days a week from midnight to 10 a.m. for a period of 10 weeks based on the odd/even schedule. This decision strikes a fair balance between sound management of our water resources and support of Georgia's industries that depend on water use.

Also this week, the Water Conservation and Drought Relief Act (Senate Bill 342), which I have sponsored, passed the Senate in overwhelming fashion (44 to 1). Under the Drought Relief Act, communities can apply for state funding to enlarge existing reservoirs and obtain permits to construct new ones. Additionally, the bill creates a partnership between the state and local communities to secure necessary federal reservoir permits, which we hope will streamline the permitting process to build reservoirs. Many times the permitting process for a new reservoir takes years, and we hope to change that with SB 342. By working with local governments and water authorities as well as cutting through some of the red tape that comes with reservoir development, we are confident we can capture more rainfall and meet the needs of our state.

Another bill that I authored is making its way through the legislative process. SB 340, otherwise known as the "Sanctuary Cities" bill, is another step in the effort to curb the influx of illegal immigrants in Georgia. This bill passed in the Senate this week and now goes to the House for consideration. SB 340 prohibits local governments from implementing or enforcing sanctuary policies. A sanctuary policy is defined as any regulation, policy or practice that prevents local officials, such as law enforcement, from reporting a person's immigration status to the federal government. Local governments who fail to cooperate with the federal government in reporting a person's immigration status will be subject to the withholding of important state and/or federal funding.

In other news, transportation issues continue to be a hot topic at the Capitol, as the new Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) resolution was unveiled by Lt. Gov. Cagle to bring a funding solution to the transportation needs of our state. We must take action now, and the first step toward a funding option for transportation needs in Georgia is to allow the citizens to decide how they want their transportation dollars spent. Five more key pieces of legislation affecting transportation have been introduced as well, concerning public private initiatives, transit systems, magnetically levitated transit lines (MAGLEV), High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes and more. I have introduced SB 420, which will limit penalties assessed against the Department of Transportation (DOT) or any contractor working for the DOT for violations of the Erosion and Sedimentation Act. The measure is another step in the effort to curtail our growing problem of transportation funding, and I look forward to seeing it through the legislative process.

As always, please contact me in my office on the issues that are affecting you and your area.

Please feel free to contact Sen. Chip Pearson at his office in Atlanta at 404.656.9221 or by email at chip@team51.org.