Sen. Seabaugh to chair Senate Firearms Law Study Committee

 

Sen. Seabaugh appointed to Senate local tax collection study committee

 

Best Value Government Task Force discusses Effective Government Service

 

State Budget Crisis Nowhere Near Over

 

SBA Tops $20 Million in Disaster Loans Approved for Georgia Residents; Urges Return of Completed Applications

 

 

Sen. Seabaugh to chair Senate Firearms Law Study Committee

State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) has been appointed chairman of the Senate Firearms Law Study Committee by Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle. The study panel will meet this summer to take a comprehensive look at Georgia’s complex firearms laws and possibly recommend new legislation for the 2009 session.

“Senator Seabaugh will lead the Firearms Law Study Committee with strength as chairman,” said Lt. Gov. Cagle. “He is dedicated to his constituents and has worked diligently in the Senate. I look forward to seeing the results this study panel produces for our state.”

Created by Senate Resolution 819, the Firearms Law Study Committee will closely examine Georgia’s firearms law and the way these laws are applied in our state to ensure that the constitutional right to bear arms and the right to self-defense are properly protected, especially in light of the recent Heller decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Committee will also study state laws and rules regarding the firearms licensing process to be sure citizens are treated fairly and equitably.

“Senator Seabaugh has shown that he’s very knowledgeable when it comes to Georgia firearms law,” added Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah). “He has a solid track record in the Senate, and I am confident that he will be an asset to this important study.”

The Senate Firearms Law Study Committee will be chaired by Sen. Seabaugh, and includes Senators Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), Don Balfour (R-Snellville) and David Adelman (D-Atlanta). The Committee will make a report of its findings, with proposals for any new legislation by January 31, 2009.

 
Sen. Seabaugh appointed to Senate local tax collection study committee

State Senator Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) has recently been appointed by Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle to serve as a member on the Senate Local Sales Tax Collection Study Committee. Sen. Seabaugh will work with a group of eight committee members, consisting of fellow legislators and local officials from across Georgia to examine the tax collection rates of cities and counties.

“As costs are sharply rising throughout the economy, many families and individuals are struggling financially,” Sen. Seabaugh said. “My goal for this study committee is to find ways for local governments to cut costs to taxpayers by allowing them to choose how their taxes are collected.”

Currently under Georgia law, the state revenue commissioner collects local sales and use taxes on behalf of cities and counties, and subsequently charges them one percent of the amount collected, regardless of the total cost of collection. The study committee will look for ways for local governments to individually determine how their taxes will be collected, so that they could be charged a lower rate than the one percent charged by the state.

“Senator Seabaugh will be a valuable asset to the Local Sales Tax Study Committee,” said Lt. Gov. Cagle. “He is dedicated to his constituents and has worked diligently in the Senate. I look forward to learning more about the findings of this study committee.”

 

Best Value Government Task Force discusses Effective Government Service

ATLANTA (August 19, 2008) - State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), Senate majority whip, today led the first meeting of the Senate Government Best Value Task Force for an in-depth discussion and review of the Pew Center's Government Performance Project and Georgia's report card.

"Lt. Gov. Casey established this task force to better serve Georgians through government efficiencies," said Seabaugh. "By working collaboratively with the Governor's office, we can provide Georgians with the best government at the lowest, most efficient cost. Our intent is 100% cooperation."

The Pew Center on the States released its 50-State Report Card evaluating each state government's performance in serving the public. Georgia's grade was a B+, ranking above the national average of a B-, eighth in the nation and the leader in the southeast. Georgia had the second lowest per capita expenditure at $3,732.

While Georgia improved its score over the past 10 years and scored high on customer service and managing for results, more improvements could be made. Task Force members focused discussions on how they could work with the executive branch to move Georgia state government even further toward a results-oriented, performance measured plans.

The Senate Best Value Government Task Force seeks to examine how the state through its departments and agencies provides government service in the most efficient manner, and to further examine where these services could be, in some instances, provided by the private sector to maximize the efficiency of the public's tax dollar. Further, the Task Force seeks to determine whether there are services that are duplicated or mirrored by other state departments and agencies and whether there exists criteria to create a format or template or formula for departments and agencies to utilize in introspectively examining their own service-providing and tax-dollar efficiency.

The Pew Center's report card on the states can be found at http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id=36228 .

 
State Budget Crisis Nowhere Near Over

The Times-Herald
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
By Jeff Bishop

State Senator Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) told a Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce committee Monday afternoon that the state budget crisis is still nowhere near being over, in spite of all the recent talk about the nation coming out of the recession. He said a recent caucus retreat was devoted to examining continued revenue shortfalls and discussing new rounds of budget cuts. "I found the information very disturbing," said Seabaugh. "I'm going to need your help." He said the actual revenues of the first few months of FY 2010 are down significantly from projections. "We are already 14.24 percent below what the estimates for the budget said," said Seabaugh.

Governor Sonny Perdue built his budget around the assumption that revenues would rise 1.9 percent in FY 2010, said Seabaugh. "More than likely we are not going to make that," he said. "So that's probably another half a million dollars we'll have to cut out of the 2010 budget when we go back in January." And the U.S. government may not be able to provide much help as debt consumes more and more of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), he said. By 2012, debt may account for as much as 70 percent of GDP, Seabaugh said.

Unemployment continues to be in the double digits, and that's a trend that will likely continue for months, he said. "Almost certainly we will have another couple of months of significant decline before we catch up," Seabaugh said. He said that while Georgia has recently suffered a 24 percent cut in revenues, it's still not in as much trouble as California, which had a $45 billion shortfall, or Illinois, which passed a budget that only covered half a fiscal year.

In 2009 Georgia legislators had to cut $1.2 billion from the budget, and more cuts are coming -- especially now that the reserves have been significantly depleted, he said. Seabaugh predicts that about $573 million total will have to be excised from the 2010 budget. In 2011, about "one billion dollars of additional cuts will have to be made," he said. "By 2012, we won't have any reserves, whatsoever," he said. Seabaugh said that since projections are showing that even more cuts will have to be made in 2012, those cuts should be made now.

"I'm going to be honest with you. This is what I told the caucus," he said. "If we're going to cut another one billion in 2012, we really need to go ahead and cut it here." Seabaugh said his primary interest is to get ideas from his constituents about how businesses can be spared government regulation so that more new jobs can be created. "What is the state government doing that's having a negative impact on job creation?" he asked chamber members. "I want to do what makes sense," he said.

"We have the opportunity now to identify what the state should be doing, fundamentally, and get the government out of the rest," he said. "If it's important, then the private sector will find a way to meet those needs, and they will do it more efficiently."

SBA Tops $20 Million in Disaster Loans Approved for Georgia Residents; Urges Return of Completed Applications

October 26, 2009
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today that it has approved over $20 million in federal low-interest disaster loans to Georgia homeowners, renters and businesses who sustained damages from the severe storms and flooding that occurred from September 18 through October 8, 2009 in Georgia.

"Currently, 584 SBA disaster loans for homes and businesses have been approved in the amount of $21,984,400 for affected victims," said Frank Skaggs, Director of SBA's Field Operations Center East. "We are pleased to be able to approve these loans so the residents and businesses of Georgia can start to rebuild and resume their normal lives."

"Assisting individuals and business owners to recover from a disaster is our primary mission," Skaggs added. "We are encouraging anyone affected by this disaster to visit one of the Centers located throughout the disaster area to obtain individual assistance with completing their loan applications from our representatives. I ask anyone who has not completed their disaster loan application to do so and return the application as soon as possible."

Homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profit organizations of all sizes in the following counties in Georgia are eligible to apply for both SBA's Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Heard, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker.

SBA also offers EIDLs to help meet working capital needs of small businesses, and most private non-profit organizations ofall sizes. Small businesses and most private non-profit organizations in the following counties are eligible to apply only for Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Banks, Barrow, Butts, Clayton, Dade, Dawson, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gordon, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Meriwether, Morgan, Pickens, Polk, Spalding, Troup, Walton and Whitfield in Georgia; Cherokee, Cleburne, DeKalb and Randolph in Alabama; Oconee in South Carolina; and Hamilton County in Tennessee. EIDL assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.

If a borrower does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, the SBA will consider making a loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay their SBA loan.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace their damaged or destroyed primary residence. Homeowners and renters are eligible up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Businesses and non-profit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to homeowners and businesses to help with the cost of making improvements that prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage in the future.

Interest rates are as low as 2.750 percent for homeowners and renters and 4 percent for businesses with terms up to 30 years. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant's financial condition.

Anyone unable to visit one of the Centers may obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA's Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (or 1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired) Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. EDT, or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov . Business loan applications may be downloaded from www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance . Applications may be returned to any of the Centers or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, Texas, 76155.

Georgia disaster victims may visit SBA's secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ to apply for disaster loans. The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is November 23, 2009. The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 24, 2010.

For more information about the SBA's Disaster Loan Programs, visit our Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.