Bill Text: GA HR1359 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: House Study Committee on Video Gambling Machines; create

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-11 - House Second Readers [HR1359 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2009-HR1359-Introduced.html

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10 LC 94 2067

House Resolution 1359

By: Representatives Gordon of the 162nd, Bryant of the 160th, Stephens of the 161st, Stephens of the 164th, Williams of the 165th, and others

A RESOLUTION

Creating the House Study Committee on Video Gambling Machines; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the economic downturn is having a critical impact on states around this nation as revenues have greatly declined due to decreased individual spending, the housing meltdown, and high unemployment; and

WHEREAS, many Georgians are having difficulty making ends meet in these exceptionally historic and challenging times; and

WHEREAS, state officials have been forced to make difficult decisions in order to craft a constitutionally mandated balanced budget, cutting programs, slashing budgets of state agencies, and requiring furloughs of state employees and teachers; and

WHEREAS, from 1991 to 1999, the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation that amended the state gambling statute, Code Section 16-12-35, to effectively create a state exemption for video gambling machines; and

WHEREAS, in 2002, a law was passed that banned video gambling machines from being used in Georgia; and

WHEREAS, reinstating the policy of the 1990's and allowing video gambling machines in Georgia could generate millions of dollars for this state through taxation of the industry; and

WHEREAS, with state tax collections continuing to fall, it is vital to the future of this state and her residents to find new streams of revenue; and

WHEREAS, revenues from the reinstatement of video gambling in Georgia could specifically be used to help provide Georgians with health care and be set aside for education, eliminating the need for teachers to take furlough days; and
WHEREAS, in these economic times, it is prudent to consider and study all possible sources of revenue for this state, including video gambling machines, a revenue generating method that was successful until 2002.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that there is created the House Study Committee on Video Gambling Machines to be composed of five members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Speaker shall designate a member of the committee as chairperson of the committee. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the above issues and recommend any actions or legislation that the committee deems necessary or appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution. The members of the committee shall receive the allowances authorized for legislative members of interim legislative committees but shall receive the same for not more than five days unless additional days are authorized. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the House of Representatives. In the event that the committee makes a report of its findings and recommendations with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such report shall be made on or before December 31, 2010. The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2010.