Governor Signs Senior Income Tax Cut, Eliminates State Portion of Property Tax

Governor Sonny Perdue announced May 12 that he has signed House Bill 1055, a bill that eliminates taxes on retirement income for senior citizens and eliminates the state portion of homeowner’s property taxes. The legislation also adjusts fees to help cover the actual costs of the services for which they are levied and includes a 1.45 percent hospital provider payment that will allow the state to draw down additional federal dollars and increase Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals and other providers.

“Signing this bill ensures a balanced budget and lays the groundwork for economic recovery,” said Governor Perdue. “We are creating an environment that encourages seniors to spend their retirement years and dollars in Georgia. We are also finally getting the state completely out of the property tax business and at the same time providing property tax relief for nearly all Georgians.”

The Governor championed the senior income tax cut during his successful 2006 re-election campaign. The tax cut would benefit more than 300,000 Georgians and make Georgia a more attractive location for retirees.

HB 1055 also eliminates the state portion of homeowners’ property taxes, an idea proposed by Governor Perdue during his 2008 State of the State address. The two tax cuts will provide almost $400 million in tax relief when fully implemented. The tax reductions will be phased in over five years beginning in 2012.

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Union Watchdog Group Criticizes Backers of the Employee Forced Choice Act

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Employee Freedom Action Committee (EFAC) criticized the legislators who are putting forth the deceptively named Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a bill which would effectively eliminate private voting in union organizing elections. EFCA is a blatant power grab being pushed by union leaders looking to make it easier to add dues paying members at the expense of employee privacy. The bill is to be introduced at a press conference this afternoon.

Earlier this month a poll showed that 82% of Americans do not want their job to be unionized, which demonstrates that there is no national appetite for legislation to dramatically change the organization process in the unions' favor. In addition, a new study out last week by Dr. Anne Layne-Farrar showed that in the first year after the implementation of EFCA, this job killer would cost the nation 600,000 full-time employees and permanently shrink the number of working Americans.

These facts are clear to the 100 editorial boards across the country who have opposed this undemocratic legislation, in stark contrast to the paltry three that have supported it. Even the former Democratic Party Presidential nominee, Sen. George McGovern (D-SD), has vocally opposed this legislation, saying that EFCA "cannot be justified."

"These legislators should respect the overwhelming majority of Americans who support retaining the secret ballot and have no interest in joining a union," said Employee Freedom Action Committee Executive Director Rick Berman. "They should be ashamed for backing legislation that will not only strip employees of their right to a secret ballot, but will cost the nation over a half million jobs, and force innumerable Americans into a union against their will."

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