Representative Jill Chambers is the only committee Chairman in the DeKalb County legislative delegation. She serves as the voice of our community as a member of the leadership in the House of Representatives.
MARTOC
Representative Jill Chambers is Chairman of MARTOC—the MARTA Oversight Committee.
As MARTOC Chairman, Representative Chambers was appointed to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Transit Analysis Steering Committee in 2005. The committee formed the new Transit Planning Board to create a regional system for increasing metro Atlanta’s transportation options. One proposal is to combine the GRTA, Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton and MARTA bus systems so that the region is served by one transit authority in order to increase federal funding eligibility. Rep. Chambers will continue to meet with federal and local officials to coordinate this effort.
In preparation for the anticipated regional transit system, Chairman Chambers passed legislation to give MARTA more flexibility with the sales tax collected in Fulton and DeKalb counties. The extension for using an additional 5% of the collected sales tax shall now be used to help MARTA build up their operations reserve.
The MARTA board of directors must now justify using this reserve fund to pay for ongoing operations costs. New transparency measures will require a detailed financial report to be posted on MARTA’s website, an annual management audit supervised by the MARTOC committee, and annual pension plan audits. Binding arbitration for labor contract disputes was restored to the MARTA Act with the passage of this bill.
Chairman Chambers co-sponsored two other successful bills affecting MARTA. HB 954 repeals the provision that prohibited a MARTA passenger from selling or exchanging a MARTA token. HB 955 prohibits access to credit card information and travel patterns of MARTA patrons using the new Breeze fare card system. The House Appropriations Committee funded a rail safety study for MARTA and added a $2 million transit grant to the 2007 State budget. These items are found in the Georgia Department of Transportation budget.
Education
Breakdown of State Education funding in Georgia— [Federal & State totals shown in brackets]
$7.2 Billion - Georgia Department of Education [$8.3 billion]
$1.9 Billion - Board of Regents (University System) [4.6 billion]
$336 Million - Technical & Adult Education [412 Million]
Pay raises for teachers, school bus drivers and school lunchroom workers are included in the 2007 State Budget. At the request of the Governor, the House Appropriations Committee added funding to include a giftcard for each teacher to buy classroom supplies.
70% of new state revenues will be spent on education including:
$5 million for school library materials
$163 million for class size reductions
$442 million in bonds for classroom construction and school buses.
Chambers brings home Local Assistance Grants for Area Schools
Local assistance grants requested by Rep. Chambers were approved for the Title I schools in District 81. These grants are to be used for new equipment in the student computer labs in the following schools:
Sequoyah Middle School
Hightower Elementary
Oakcliff Elementary
Ashford Park Elementary
Dresden Elementary
65% Rule for classroom spending
SB 390 provides that 65% of school operating funds be spent on classroom related expenses including salaries for teachers and paraprofessionals; instructional supplies; and costs for field trips, PE, art and music. Exemptions exist for hardship cases and schools meeting academic standards.
Truth in Class Size - HB 1358 defined the maximum class sizes in public schools
kindergarten: 18 students
grades 1-3: 21 students
grades 4-8: 28 students
Vicious dog legislation
Working with DeKalb Solicitor Shawn LaGrua, Rep. Chambers co-sponsored HB 1497 to allow for prosecution of owners of vicious dogs. Rather than trying to outlaw a specific breed of dog, the legislation places responsibility with the dog owner. A vicious dog is now defined as a dog whose has attacked without provocation or has been trained to fight. This definition may not be used if a dog attacks a person who is tormenting or abusing the dog or if the person was trespassing, committing or attempting to commit a crime.
Environment
Representative Chambers was the author HB 983, a bill to phase out the poisonous gasoline additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). Twenty-seven states have banned or are phasing out MTBE in preparation of ethanol blended fuels. The House Appropriations committee funded studies through the University system to prepare the state for ethanol production. HB 983 passed unanimously in the House of Representatives, but since time grew short at the end of the legislative session, final passage of the MTBE phase out requirement was attached as an amendment to a Senate bill on biodiesel fuels.
Stream buffers—the House voted down Senate legislation that would have allowed homes to be built and septic tanks installed within 25 feet of lakes trout streams in north Georgia. In order to protect our precious drinking water supplies, the House prudently did not allow this bill to pass. After observing the flooding problems in the Drew Valley community, Representative Chambers was able to use this example to persuade colleagues to vote against this measure.
Litter bill—HB 1320— clarifies the definition of litter to include all materials and hold a driver responsible for litter leaving a vehicle. It also gives police the means to enforce these anti-littering laws. Litter is a public health and safety issue for Georgia. Disease bearing vermin thrive in litter and mosquitoes breed in discarded tires. The Georgia Department of Transportation spends over $14 million annually to collect over two million bags of trash each year.
Stricter penalties for child molesters passes the state legislature Recidivist sexual offenders, sexual offenders who use physical violence or prey on children are an extreme threat to public safety. Many are prosecuted for only a fraction of their crimes. The Georgia Legislature adopted stricter standards to protect the public from these criminals.
Mandatory jail time and increased penalties for all sex crimes were approved this year with HB 1059. There will be no first offender treatment for persons convicted of these crimes. Offenders designated as sexual predators will be required to pay for and wear a GPS monitor. Offenders must register before leaving prison and sexual predators must re-register every six months.
No registered sex offender may loiter within 1000 feet of an area where children congregate. No sexual offender may be employed by any child care facility, school or church or any business located within 1000 feet of any child care facility, school or church. No sexual predator may be employed by any business located within 1000 feet of an area where minors congregate.
To read the entire bill: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2005_06/versions/hb1059_HB_1059_AP_11.htm
Does a child molester or sexual predator live in your neighborhood? Use this Department of Justice and GBI website to search by zip code: http://www.nsopr.gov/
What SB 529, the "Immigration" bill, really does
Establishes prosecution standards for persons convicted of destroying, concealing or possessing the passport or identifying documents of any person for the purpose to coerce them into labor servitude.
Makes it a felony to recruit, traffic, transport, or harbor women and children in Georgia for the purpose of sexual servitude or forced prostitution. Anyone convicted of bringing a person under the age of 18 to this state for the purpose of sexual servitude will serve a minimum of ten years in prison.
Persons arrested for a felony or DUI must have legal status verified by the US Department of Homeland Security. The jailer must notify the Department of Homeland Security of all prisoners who cannot prove legal status.
Beginning July 1, 2007, the new law requires contractors working on state projects to verify with the US Department of Homeland Security that all of their employees are in the country legally.
Requires that state payroll taxes be withheld on all employees earning greater than $600 annually if an employer claims the payroll expense as a tax deduction.
Makes it a misdemeanor to advertise or to provide immigration legal assistance unless licensed to perform such services. Only an attorney may provide legal advice and accept a fee for such services.
| 
