- HOPE Scholarship (SB

471) - This bill would adjust the methods of eligibility and reporting

systems for the HOPE Scholarship.

- Game and Fish (SR 563)

- This bill amends the Constitution to specifically

state citizens� rights to hunt,

fish and harvest game.

- Forest Heritage (SB

480) - Known as the Forest Heritage Trust Act of 2004,

this bill creates the Forest

Heritage Trust Program which will protect and preserve forestlands as

an element of Georgia's heritage.

- Child Molestation (SB

469) - This will protect children from convicted

molesters by enabling judges

to require perpetrators to be monitored by electronic surveillance or

global positioning tracking systems in addition to jail time. The legislation

also empowers the trial judge to restrict the offender from specific areas.

- Tax exemption for soldiers

(SB 393) - This bill assists the citizens who serve our state and

country as members of the armed forces. It provides them with certain

time extensions for payment of their ad valorem taxation.

Sen. Mike Crotts

Sen. Crotts (R-Conyers) is

hopeful for a speedy passage of the Marriage & Families Act by the

state House of Representatives. It is now in the House Rules Committee.

"I am confident in the

House Rules Committee that they will send this resolution, unamended,

to the floor of the House for immediate passage so the people of the state

of Georgia can voice their faith based values on the ballot in November,"

said Crotts. "The amendment I introduced in the Georgia Legislature

would take a big step in putting the sanctity of marriage beyond the reach

of activist judges who are trying to rewrite the law to suit their own

beliefs. They have already taken prayer out of our schools, the Ten Commandments

out of our courthouses, 'Under God' out of the Pledge of Allegiance,

and now they are trying to take the sanctity out of marriage."

Sen. Mitch Seabaugh

Last week, we addressed a variety

of issues. On Monday, the Senate

approved a proposed Constitutional

Amendment declaring that the state of

Georgia "shall recognize

as marriage only the union of man and woman." After hours of debate,the

legislation passed the Senate 40-14.

The biggest issue we dealt

with last week was redistricting. Last week, the United States District

Court for the Northern District of Georgia declared the

current State House and Senate

maps unconstitutional.

Since the decision came down

from the court, we have made a bipartisan effort to redraw the Senate

districts. In doing so we aim to comply with traditional redistricting

principles, which include: creating districts of the same size,

complying with the Voting Rights

Act, preserving communities of interest, and having compact and contiguous

districts.

The impact on my district is

that I will now represent most of Coweta County, Tyrone, Peachtree City,

South Fayette County, and West Spalding County.

Though I do not technically

represent any of these counties in its entirety, I will continue to work

hard to serve the whole county.

The House Budget was passed

this week and the Senate is now working in sub-committee to better direct

funds to the state's priorities.

Another bill of interest is

the Georgia Smoke Free Air Act, which passed out of

the Health and Human Services

Committee yesterday. SB 507 would prohibit

smoking in public places, including,

but not limited to, bars,convention facilities, theaters, licensed childcare

and adult day-care facilities, multi- unit residential facilities of all

kinds, public transportation facilities,restaurants, shopping malls, and

sports arenas. We anticipate a floor vote on this bill this week.

Also this week we expect HOPE

Scholarship proposals to be addressed in the Senate Education Committee.

These proposals would "change the reporting system

and method for determining

the eligibility for HOPE scholarships." The

proposed changes of SB 471

would increase efficiency in spending for the scholarship.