148th Georgia General Assembly
# 148th Georgia General Assembly

The 2005 regular session of the 148th Georgia General Assembly met from January 10, 2005, to March 31, 2005, at which time both houses adjourned sine die. In addition, Governor Sonny Perdue called for a special session, which met from September 6, 2005, to September 10, 2005. This was the first session since Reconstruction that both houses were controlled by Republicans, as the House of Representatives was won by the GOP at the 2004 election. The legislature redrew legislative and congressional maps in 2005 after federal judges struck down both maps which were drawn by the 146th legislature as violating the one person, one vote guarantee of the U.S. Constitution, resulting in a reshuffling of districts which took effect in the next legislature which shored up Republican gains in both chambers and in Congress.

The 2006 regular session of the 148th General Assembly met from January 9, 2006, to March 30, 2006, at which time both houses adjourned sine die.

## Party standings

### Senate

| Affiliation | Affiliation | Members |
| - | - | - |
| | Republican Party | 34 |
| | Democratic Party | 22 |
| | Other $party^*$ | 0 |
| | Seat $vacant^{**}$ | 0 |
| Total | Total | 56 |

### House of Representatives

| Affiliation | Affiliation | Members |
| - | - | - |
| | Republican Party | 99 |
| | Democratic Party | 80 |
| | Other $party^*$ | 1 |
| | Seat $vacant^{**}$ | 0 |
| Total | Total | 180 |

$^*Active$ political parties in Georgia are not limited to the Democratic and Republican parties. Libertarians, Greens, the Southern Party of Georgia, and others, run candidates in numerous elections. However, for the 2005-06 session of the General Assembly, only one legislator was not from the two major parties, and he did not run as a member of any other party.

## Officers

### Senate

**Presiding Officer**

| Position | Name | Party | District |
| - | - | - | - |
| President | Mark Taylor | Democrat | n/a |
| President Pro Tempore | Eric Johnson | Republican | 1 |

**Majority leadership**

| Position | Name | District |
| - | - | - |
| Senate Majority Leader | Bill Stephens | 27 |
| Majority Caucus Chairman | Don Balfour | 9 |
| Majority Whip | Mitch Seabaugh | 28 |

**Minority leadership**

| Position | Name | District |
| - | - | - |
| Senate Minority Leader | Robert Brown | 26 |
| Minority Caucus Chairman | Tim Golden | 8 |
| Minority Whip | David I. Adelman | 42 |
| Minority Whip | Gloria Butler | 55 |

### House of Representatives

**Presiding Officer**

| Position | Name | Party | District |
| - | - | - | - |
| Speaker of the House | Glenn Richardson | Republican | 19 |
| Speaker Pro Tempore | Mark Burkhalter | Republican | 50 |
| Speaker Emeritus | Terry Coleman | Democrat | 144 |

**Majority leadership**

| Position | Name | District |
| - | - | - |
| House Majority Leader | Jerry Keen | 179 |
| Majority Caucus Chairman | Sharon Cooper | 41 |
| Majority Caucus Vice Chairman | Jay Roberts | 154 |
| Majority Caucus Secretary | Sue Burmeister | 119 |
| Majority Whip | Barry A. Fleming | 117 |

**Minority leadership**

| Position | Name | District |
| - | - | - |
| House Minority Leader | DuBose Porter | 143 |
| Minority Caucus Chairman | Calvin Smyre | 132 |
| Minority Caucus Vice Chairman | Nan Grogan Orrock | 58 |
| Minority Caucus Secretary | Nikki T. Randall | 138 |
| Minority Whip | Carolyn Fleming Hugley | 133 |

## Members of the Georgia State Senate, 2005-2006

| District | Senator | Party | Residence |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Eric Johnson | Republican | Savannah |
| 2 | Regina Thomas | Democratic | Savannah |
| 3 | Jeff Chapman | Republican | Brunswick |
| 4 | Jack Hill | Republican | Reidsville |
| 5 | Curt Thompson | Democratic | Norcross |
| 6 | Doug Stoner | Democratic | Smyrna |
| 7 | Greg Goggans | Republican | Douglas |
| 8 | Tim Golden | Democratic | Valdosta |
| 9 | Don Balfour | Republican | Snellville |
| 10 | Emanuel D. Jones | Democratic | Decatur |
| 11 | John Bulloch | Republican | Ochlocknee |
| 12 | Michael S. Meyer von Bremen | Democratic | Albany |
| 13 | Joseph I. Carter | Republican | Tifton |
| 14 | George Hooks | Democratic | Americus |
| 15 | Ed Harbison | Democratic | Columbus |
| 16 | Ronnie Chance | Republican | Tyrone |
| 17 | John Douglas | Republican | Covington |
| 18 | Cecil Staton | Republican | Macon |
| 19 | Tommie Williams | Republican | Lyons |
| 20 | Ross Tolleson | Republican | Perry |
| 21 | Chip Rogers | Republican | Woodstock |
| 22 | Ed Tarver | Democratic | Augusta |
| 23 | J.B. Powell | Democratic | Blythe |
| 24 | Jim Whitehead | Republican | Evans |
| 25 | Johnny Grant | Republican | Milledgeville |
| 26 | Robert Brown | Democratic | Macon |
| 27 | Bill Stephens | Republican | Canton |
| 28 | Mitch Seabaugh | Republican | Sharpsburg |
| 29 | Seth Harp | Republican | Midland |
| 30 | Bill Hamrick | Republican | Carrollton |
| 31 | Bill Heath | Republican | Bremen |
| 32 | Judson H. Hill | Republican | Marietta |
| 33 | Steve Thompson | Democratic | Marietta |
| 34 | Valencia Seay | Democratic | Riverdale |
| 35 | Kasim Reed | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 36 | Sam Zamarripa | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 37 | John J. Wiles | Republican | Marietta |
| 38 | Horacena Tate | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 39 | Vincent D. Fort | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 40 | Daniel J. Weber | Republican | Dunwoody |
| 41 | Steve Henson | Democratic | Tucker |
| 42 | David Adelman | Democratic | Decatur |
| 43 | Steen Miles | Democratic | Decatur |
| 44 | Terrell Starr | Democratic | Jonesboro |
| 45 | Renee S. Unterman | Republican | Buford |
| 46 | Brian P. Kemp | Republican | Athens |
| 47 | Ralph T. Hudgens | Republican | Comer |
| 48 | David J. Shafer | Republican | Duluth |
| 49 | Casey Cagle | Republican | Chestnut Mountain |
| 50 | Nancy Schaefer | Republican | Turnerville |
| 51 | Chip Pearson | Republican | Dawsonville |
| 52 | Preston W. Smith | Republican | Rome |
| 53 | Jeff E. Mullis | Republican | Chickamauga |
| 54 | Don R. Thomas | Republican | Dalton |
| 55 | Gloria Butler | Democratic | Stone Mountain |
| 56 | Dan Moody | Republican | Alpharetta |

## Members of the Georgia State House of Representatives, 2005–2006

| District | Representative | Party | Residence |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Jay Neal | Republican | LaFayette |
| 2 | Martin Scott | Republican | Rossville |
| 3 | Ronald L. Forster | Republican | Ringgold |
| 4 | Roger Williams | Republican | Dalton |
| 5 | John D. Meadows, III | Republican | Calhoun |
| 6 | Tom Dickson | Republican | Cohutta |
| 7 | David Ralston | Republican | Blue Ridge |
| 8 | Charles F. Jenkins | Democratic | Blairsville |
| 9 | Amos Amerson | Republican | Dahlonega |
| 10 | Benjamin D. Bridges, Sr. | Republican | Cleveland |
| 11 | Barbara Massey Reece | Democratic | Menlo |
| 12 | Tom Graves | Republican | Ranger |
| 13 | Paul E. Smith | Democratic | Rome |
| 14 | Barry Dean Loudermilk | Republican | Cassville |
| 15 | Jeff Lewis | Republican | White |
| 16 | Bill Cummings | Democratic | Rockmart |
| 17 | Howard R. Maxwell | Republican | Dallas |
| 18 | Mark Butler | Republican | Carrollton |
| 19 | Glenn Richardson | Republican | Hiram |
| 20 | Charlice H. Byrd | Republican | Woodstock |
| 21 | Calvin Hill | Republican | Canton |
| 22 | Chuck Scheid | Republican | Woodstock |
| 23 | Jack Murphy | Republican | Cumming |
| 24 | Tom Knox | Republican | Suwanee |
| 25 | James Mills | Republican | Gainesville |
| 26 | Carl Rogers | Republican | Gainesville |
| 27 | Stacey G. Reece | Republican | Gainesville |
| 28 | Jeanette Jamieson | Democratic | Toccoa |
| 29 | Alan Powell | Democratic | Hartwell |
| 30 | Tom McCall | Republican | Elberton |
| 31 | Tommy Benton | Republican | Jefferson |
| 32 | Judy Manning | Republican | Marietta |
| 33 | Don Wix | Democratic | Austell |
| 34 | Rich Golick | Republican | Smyrna |
| 35 | Ed Setzler | Republican | Acworth |
| 36 | Earl Ehrhart | Republican | Powder Springs |
| 37 | Terry Johnson | Democratic | Marietta |
| 38 | Steve Tumlin | Republican | Marietta |
| 39 | Alisha Thomas Morgan | Democratic | Austell |
| 40 | Rob Teilhet | Democratic | Smyrna |
| 41 | Sharon Cooper | Republican | Marietta |
| 42 | Don Parsons | Republican | Marietta |
| 43 | Bobby Franklin | Republican | Marietta |
| 44 | Sheila Jones | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 45 | Matt Dollar | Republican | Marietta |
| 46 | Jan Jones | Republican | Milton |
| 47 | Chuck Martin | Republican | Alphretta |
| 48 | Harry Geisinger | Republican | Roswell |
| 49 | Wendell Willard | Republican | Sandy Springs |
| 50 | Mark Burkhalter | Republican | Johns Creek |
| 51 | Tom Rice | Republican | Norcross |
| 52 | Joe Wilkinson | Republican | Atlanta |
| 53 | LaNett Stanley-Turner | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 54 | Edward Lindsey | Republican | Atlanta |
| 55 | "Able" Mable Thomas | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 56 | Kathy Ashe | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 57 | Pat Gardner | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 58 | Nan Grogan Orrock | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 59 | Douglas C. Dean | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 60 | Georganna T. Sinkfield | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 61 | Robert A. "Bob" Holmes | Democratic | East Point |
| 62 | Joe Heckstall | Democratic | East Point |
| 63 | Tyrone L. Brooks, Sr. | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 64 | Roger B. Bruce | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 65 | Sharon Beasley-Teague | Democratic | Red Oak |
| 66 | Virgil Fludd | Democratic | Tyrone |
| 67 | Bill Hembree | Republican | Winston |
| 68 | Tim Bearden | Republican | Villa Rica |
| 69 | Jeff Brown | Republican | LaGrange |
| 70 | Lynn Ratigan Smith | Republican | Newnan |
| 71 | Billy Horne | Republican | Sharpsburg |
| 72 | Dan Lakly | Republican | Peachtree City |
| 73 | John P. Yates | Republican | Griffin |
| 74 | Roberta Abdul-Salaam | Democratic | Riverdale |
| 75 | Ron Dodson | Independent | Lake City |
| 76 | Gail M. Buckner | Democratic | Jonesboro |
| 77 | Darryl Jordan | Democratic | Riverdale |
| 78 | Mike Barnes | Democratic | Duluth |
| 79 | Fran Millar | Republican | Atlanta |
| 80 | Mike Jacobs | Democratic | Brookhaven |
| 81 | Jill Chambers | Republican | Atlanta |
| 82 | Paul Jennings | Republican | Atlanta |
| 83 | Mary Margaret Oliver | Democratic | Decatur |
| 84 | JoAnn McClinton | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 85 | Stephanie Stuckey Benfield | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 86 | Karla Drenner | Democratic | Avondale Estates |
| 87 | Michele D. Henson | Democratic | Stone Mountain |
| 88 | Billy Mitchell | Democratic | Stone Mountain |
| 89 | Earnest "Coach" Williams | Democratic | Avondale Estates |
| 90 | Howard Mosby | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 91 | Stan Watson | Democratic | Decatur |
| 92 | Pam Stephenson | Democratic | Atlanta |
| 93 | Walter Ronnie Sailor, Jr. | Democratic | Lithonia |
| 94 | Randal Mangham | Democratic | Lithonia |
| 95 | Robert F. Mumford | Republican | Loganville |
| 96 | Pedro Rafael Marin | Democratic | Duluth |
| 97 | Brooks P. Coleman, Jr. | Republican | Duluth |
| 98 | Bobby Clifford Reese | Republican | Buford |
| 99 | Hugh Floyd | Democratic | Norcross |
| 100 | Brian W. Thomas | Democratic | Lilburn |
| 101 | Mike Coan | Republican | Lawrenceville |
| 102 | Clay Cox | Republican | Lilburn |
| 103 | David Casas | Republican | Lilburn |
| 104 | John Wilson Heard | Republican | Lawrenceville |
| 105 | Donna Sheldon | Republican | Dacula |
| 106 | Melvin Everson | Republican | Snellville |
| 107 | Len Walker | Republican | Loganville |
| 108 | Terry Lamar England | Republican | Auburn |
| 109 | Steve Davis | Republican | McDonough |
| 110 | John Lunsford | Republican | McDonough |
| 111 | Jeff May | Republican | Monroe |
| 112 | Doug Holt | Republican | Social Circle |
| 113 | Bob Smith | Republican | Watkinsville |
| 114 | Keith Heard | Democratic | Athens |
| 115 | Jane Kidd | Democratic | Athens |
| 116 | Mickey Channell | Republican | Greensboro |
| 117 | Barry A. Fleming | Republican | Harlem |
| 118 | Ben L. Harbin | Republican | Evans |
| 119 | Sue Burmeister | Republican | Augusta |
| 120 | Quincy Murphy | Democratic | Augusta |
| 121 | Henry Howard | Democratic | Augusta |
| 121 | Earnestine Howard | Democratic | Augusta |
| 122 | Pete Warren | Democratic | Augusta |
| 123 | Alberta Jacqueline Anderson | Democratic | Waynesboro |
| 124 | Sistie Hudson | Democratic | Sparta |
| 125 | Jim Cole | Republican | Monticello |
| 126 | David Knight | Republican | Griffin |
| 127 | Mack Crawford | Republican | Concord |
| 128 | Carl Von Epps | Democratic | LaGrange |
| 129 | Vance Smith, Jr. | Republican | Columbus |
| 130 | Debbie Buckner | Democratic | Junction City |
| 131 | Richard H. Smith | Republican | Columbus |
| 132 | Calvin Smyre | Democratic | Columbus |
| 133 | Carolyn Fleming Hugley | Democratic | Columbus |
| 134 | Mike Cheokas | Democratic | Americus |
| 135 | Lynmore James | Democratic | Montezuma |
| 136 | Robert Ray | Democratic | Fort Valley |
| 137 | David B. Graves | Republican | Macon |
| 138 | Nikki T. Randall | Democratic | Macon |
| 139 | David E. Lucas, Sr. | Democratic | Macon |
| 140 | Allen G. Freeman | Republican | Macon |
| 141 | Bobby Eugene Parham | Democratic | Milledgeville |
| 142 | Jimmy Lord | Democratic | Sandersville |
| 143 | DuBose Porter | Democratic | Dublin |
| 144 | Terry Coleman | Democratic | Eastman |
| 145 | Willie Lee Talton | Republican | Warner Robins |
| 146 | Larry O'Neal | Republican | Bonaire |
| 147 | Johnny Floyd | Republican | Cordele |
| 148 | Bob Hanner | Democratic | Parrott |
| 149 | Gerald E. Greene | Democratic | Cuthbert |
| 150 | Winfred J. Dukes | Democratic | Albany |
| 151 | Freddie Powell Sims | Democratic | Dawson |
| 152 | Ed Rynders | Republican | Albany |
| 153 | Austin Scott | Republican | Tifton |
| 154 | Jay Roberts | Republican | Ocilla |
| 155 | Greg Morris | Republican | Vidalia |
| 156 | Larry "Butch" Parrish | Republican | Swainsboro |
| 157 | Jon G. Burns | Republican | Newington |
| 158 | Bob Lane | Republican | Brooklet |
| 159 | Buddy Carter | Republican | Pooler |
| 160 | Bob Bryant | Democratic | Garden City |
| 161 | Lester Jackson | Democratic | Savannah |
| 162 | Tom Bordeaux | Democratic | Savannah |
| 163 | Burke Day | Republican | Savannah |
| 164 | Ron Stephens | Republican | Savannah |
| 165 | Al Williams | Democratic | Midway |
| 166 | Terry E. Barnard | Republican | Glennville |
| 167 | Roger Bert Lane | Republican | Darien |
| 168 | Tommy Smith | Republican | Nicholls |
| 169 | Chuck Sims | Republican | Ambrose |
| 170 | Penny Houston | Republican | Nashville |
| 171 | A. Richard Royal | Democratic | Camilla |
| 172 | Gene Maddox | Republican | Cairo |
| 173 | Mike Keown | Republican | Thomasville |
| 174 | Ellis Black | Democratic | Valdosta |
| 175 | Ron Borders | Democratic | Valdosta |
| 176 | Jay Shaw | Democratic | Lakeland |
| 177 | Mark Hatfield | Republican | Waycross |
| 178 | George Hinson Mosley | Republican | Jesup |
| 179 | Jerry Keen | Republican | Brunswick |
| 180 | Cecily A. Hill | Republican | Woodbine |

* ^ Henry Howard died in office of a heart attack on October 3, 2005. A special election was held on November 8, 2005, to fill the seat, which was won by Rep. Howard's widow, Earnestine Howard. She was sworn in on November 17, 2005, and will serve out the remainder of her late husband's term of office.

## Notable Legislation

### 2005 general session

**Voting**

House Bill 244 requires voters to provide photographic identification at polling locations in order to vote and makes voting by absentee ballot easier, and also reinstituted the majority vote and runoffs for primaries and general elections which were abolished by the Democratic-majority General Assembly in 1995. Amid great controversy, the law was signed by Governor Perdue on April 22, 2005. Although the law received preclearance from the Department of Justice under the provisions of the Voting Rights Act, the law was later ruled unconstitutional by a court in Rome, Georgia. The current status of the law remains uncertain.

### 2006 general session

**Voting**

Senate Bill 84, like H.B. 244, requires photographic identification at poll locations to vote. To address some of the concerns raised by the court ruling against H.B. 244, S.B. 84 has more extensive provisions for assisting those without photographic identification to obtain acceptable identification. The bill was passed by both chambers and signed by Governor Perdue on January 26, 2006. Like H.B. 244, S.B. 84 received preclearance from the Justice Department, although it is currently being challenged in court.

**Eminent domain**

House Bill 1313 , which would restrict the uses for which private property can be taken via eminent domain, passed both the House and the Senate with no "no" votes. The bill is expected to be signed by Governor Perdue.

House Resolution 1306 would amend the state constitution by replacing language allowing broad freedom to apply eminent domain with more restrictive language providing for additional restrictions as specified by laws such as H.B. 1313. The resolution passed the House and the Senate and was signed by Governor Perdue, and the question of its final adoption will be put to Georgia voters in the November election.

**Immigration**

Senate Bill 529 was strongly advocated by Senator Chip Rodgers and requires beneficiaries of many state services to provide proof of residency. Most Democrats voted against the legislation, but it nevertheless passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Perdue on April 17, 2006.

