Notes From The Wild Hog:

Senate May Put Brakes On Override Train

By Dick Pettys
InsiderAdvantage Georgia

(1/14/08) It was a Wild Hog Supper Sunday night with a twist: Vernon Jones supporters standing on the streets with big campaign signs, a Grady protest led by Sen. Vincent Fort outside and a visit by the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. But for all of that, there was still plenty of barbecue, the usual packed crowd and lots of chatter.

So let’s get right to it. Here’s some of what we heard from legislative leaders last night.

Q. What’s the status of veto overrides?

Speaker Glenn Richardson:

“I’m still contemplating it. We’ll look into it further, make a decision about 10 o’clock tomorrow morning.” (When asked if the vote could come as soon as the first day, ahead of a scheduled GOP caucus, he said: “It could, if I decide. I haven’t decided if we’re going to take it up, but probably.”)

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle:

“We’ll obviously play that issue out as it unfolds. I don’t think that the Senate has a real strong appetite for overrides - instigating those overrides. If the House can make a strong case (for) the reason by which we need to act in an override as opposed to (drafting) a new bill, then certainly we’ll be at the table and listen.”

Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson:

“Senators, at this point, have been told they can vote their conscience; that we will deal with it. But we’re not going to deal with it fast. We’re going to take our time and be a little bit more deliberative about it. The Constitution says we have to consider it, so it can go to a committee, we can table it, bring it off the table later. We don’t have to do it immediately. That’s our interpretation of the rules, which would give everybody a little time to see. We’re not going to do it in the heat of the moment. We certainly don’t want to override any vetoes out of anger. If they need to be overridden strictly on policy reasons, then the Senate will probably give it careful consideration and may or may not.”

Q. What are the prospects for the Speaker’s GREAT plan?

Richardson: (Asked if he has a vote count yet):

“No. We’ll wait ‘til we put the whole bill out and then we’ll vote.”

Johnson:

“The sense I get from senators and privately from House members is he’s going to have a very difficult time getting the two-thirds vote ... I don’t know why the Democrats (would) go along with it. My sense is he’s going to have to make some more changes to get a two-thirds.”

Senate Majority Leader Tommie Williams:

“It’s probably got a 50-50 chance.”

Q. Will the NRA-backed (and Georgia Chamber-opposed) parking lot guns bill pass?

Cagle:

It’s certainly going to be coming out of committee and it will be coming quick. I think it’s a relatively close vote right now, but we’ll see. As I told both sides, it’s an issue that needs debate and I will allow that issue to come to the floor.”

Richardson:

“I’m certain that we’ll consider whatever they adopt. But, listen - the NRA position is, I think, pretty clear. I don’t have any objections to the NRA position, I’ll put it that way.”

Q. What’s the status of the DOT elections, particularly the one involving Board Chairman Mike Evans?

Tommie Williams:

“We think Mike made a great decision in choosing (new DOT Commissioner) Gena (Abraham). Vance (Smith) is a great guy and I can understand their camaraderie. (Smith, a member of the House, was backed by the House.) But at the end of the day you’ve got to pick the right person for the job. That’s what Mike did and I don’t think you can fault him for that.”

Richardson:

“I just want the best candidate to win. Two former House members (are) competing for that. Stacey Reece is a former House member interested in that and Stacey’s a good friend of mine and I think he’d do a good job in there. It might be time for a change with all the problems we’ve seen at DOT ... I mean, somebody’s got to be responsible. You can’t just blame it on somebody else. It may be time for a change in the chairman of DOT.”

(Another seat of interest is the 12th District, where Raybon Anderson, like Evans, voted for Abraham. We’ve previously reported that former Milledgeville Mayor Floyd Griffin is interested in challenging Anderson for the race. We’re now hearing that former State Bar President Jimmy Franklin could get in that race, too.)