Friday: Property tax reform hits the House

Friday should bring the first major floor debate of the 2009 session of the Georgia General Assembly: Debate over HR 1, the reassessment cap bill, and HB 143, which seeks to guarantee homeowners tax relief grant funding for this year, but makes it harder to come by in future years.

I filed a very long legislative notebook this evening, with lots of comments from separate press events that Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Majority Leader Jerry Keen held today. So be sure to check that out on our main legislative coverage page.

I'll leave you with a good summary quote from Lt. Gov. Cagle:

"Revenues are declining, expenses are going up and raising taxes is off the table. So we have to make the tough choices and those services that we can do without, we will do without."

As Cagle said this, I couldn't help but notice he's got a sweet 46-inch-or-so Samsung flat screen T.V. hanging in his office. Maybe that's not fair to bring up, because there are sweet flat screens all over the Capitol.

Also, The Macon Telegraph and the rest of the newspapers / Web sites that actively cover the legislature get free office space. And by "free," I mean provided by the taxpayers.

No flat screens, though.