Referendum and Two Questions on This Year’s General Election Ballot
(APN) ATLANTA — In this year’s General Election, along with a state constitutional amendment that would cap the income tax rate at six percent, voters in Georgia will have a chance to vote on a second constitutional amendment question and a referendum.
SECOND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT QUESTION
The second constitutional amendment question deals with reckless driving fees and the appropriation of those fees to a brain and spinal injury trust fund, pursuant to House Resolution 1183.
“Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended to allow additional reckless driving penalties or fees to be added to the Brain and Spinal Injury Trust Fund to pay for care and rehabilitative services for Georgia citizens who have survived neurotrauma with head or spinal cord injuries?” it asks.
The original legislation states that funds from both alcohol and drug driving offenses as well as reckless driving offenses will be added to the Trust Fund.
If passed, proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be published and submitted as 25 provided in Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution.
House Resolution 1183 was sponsored by State Reps. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville), Rusty Kidd (I-Milledgeville), Tom Dickson (R-Cohutta), Eddie Lumsden (R-Armuchee), and Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta). State Sen. Butch Miller (R-Gainesville) sponsored this referendum in the Senate.
REFERENDUM
The referendum in question would allow school (university) property to remain tax exempt, pursuant to House Bill 788.
“Shall property owned by the University System of Georgia and utilized by providers of college and university student housing and other facilities continue to be exempt from taxation to keep costs affordable?” the question to voters asks.
According to the legislation, University property is defined as “All interests in property on a campus of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia primarily used for student housing or parking held by a private party that is contractually obligated to operate such property primarily for the use or benefit of a public college or university shall be considered to be public property within the meaning of this paragraph, provided that such interest of the private party resulted from a competitive procurement.”
Sponsors from the House were State Reps. Lynne Riley (R-Johns Creek), Matt Ramsey (R-Johns Creek), Stacey Abrams (D-Atlanta), Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus), Chuck Williams (R-Watkinsville), and Butch Parrish (R-Swainsboro). State Senator Charlie Bethel (R-Dalton) sponsored in the Senate.
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