The City of Brookhaven is not yet out of the planning stages, but has already drawn the wrath of Democrats in DeKalb County and their legislative delegation, who are attempting to kill the bill that would permit a vote on incorporation this July. In spite of the fact that creating a new city in DeKalb County would lower the property tax rate by as much as three full mills, State Rep. Elena Parent (D-Atlanta) has urged anti-Brookhaven activists in her district to contact members of the House via email in an attempt to delay or kill the bill. Her attempts have been met with amused derision from her colleagues.  

I’ve argued before that the best thing Georgia legislators can do this session is to make us forget that they are back in town. Sure, look over the governor’s agenda and add your own touches – other than pork, of course – to the state budget. But then get out of town after having done no real harm and kept out of the headlines. Most of us are pretty bummed out by the economy and the state of politics right now. Don’t give us reason to remember that you even exist.

On Tuesday of this week two important things took place during a Fox News debate held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. First, Newt Gingrich finally referred back to his experience as a conservative Republican in the U.S. House, and took on questions defiantly, but without insulting those posing the questions. But far more importantly, Mitt Romney, taking a far more subdued approach to the debate, stumbled badly, allowing his income taxes to cast a huge shadow over his otherwise flawless campaign.

With the legislature adjourned next week, the activity under the Gold Dome next week will be limited to appropriations hearings, with heads of State departments making their cases for their requested budgets to legislators. Appropriations hearings are among the dullest activity undertaken by the legislature, but their tone can often give clues to how power and influence is shifting inside state government. They can also sometimes make internal power struggles public, and veterans will be watching two hearings with more than a passing interest: the Labor Department and the Public Service Commission.

Base: 720 likely voters in South Carolina GOP Primary; registered in South Carolina

IVR Poll Weighted for Age, Race and Gender

Margin of error +/- 3.8%

I didn’t think it was possible for the state Senate to prove itself  a bigger embarrassment to Georgia than it did from 1971 through 1974, when Lester Maddox was lieutenant governor and, thus, presiding officer of the Senate, and Jimmy Carter – a man he had come to loathe – had replaced him in the governor’s office.  Think of a cat fight at midnight in spades.

Legislation promoting job creation should see easy passage in Georgia's General Assembly: 2012 is a not only an election year, but the 4th year of the Great Recession, with Georgia's unemployment still exceeding the national average and the prospects of any real economic recovery still unclear. The governor's vision for Georgia's future rests on using State investments in water resources, education, and transportation infrastructure specifically to create jobs. So a plan to use tax credits to invest in encourage small companies to either start or expand and stay in Georgia sounds like exactly the kind of proposal that should sail through the legislature with no problems.