Monday, January 24 began our third week of the 2011 Session and committees began meeting to organize and start reviewing potential legislation. My first committee meeting was Thursday and it was a joint Senate / House Transportation Committee meeting where I had the honor of voting to confirm an outstanding Georgia Department of Transportation employee, Georgia Tech grad, Gwinnett resident, and friend Todd Long as the State Director of Planning. I was also assigned to the Ports and Local Government Sub Committee.

While passing a balanced state budget remains our primary duty, other vital issues will impact this year's legislative session.  Everyday new legislation addressing those issues is drafted, introduced, and assigned to the various committees in the House for review.  Among these are legislation addressing issues like illegal immigration, tax reform, and health insurance.  With that in mind, I would like to make you aware of some important matters that will arise in the next few weeks of session.

 Co-Chaired by Representative Matt Ramsey (R-Peachtree City), the Special Committee on Immigration Reform worked throughout the summer and fall to study the economic impact of illegal immigration in Georgia.  Currently, there are an estimated 400,000 plus illegal immigrants in our state.  Though illegal immigrants do not pay state income taxes, they do utilize state resources that are funded by taxpayer dollars.  As a result, classrooms are more crowded, our healthcare system is at its limits, transportation infrastructure is overburdened and our law enforcement community is working feverishly to do more with fewer resources.  With this in mind, Rep. Ramsey took the findings from the immigration reform committee and sponsored House Bill 87, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011.

HB 87 strives to protect taxpayers from the unlawful burden of funding services for illegal immigrants.  It includes measures to expand the use of the E-Verify system to private employers, requires secure and verifiable identification for official purposes, and helps local law enforcement agencies handle the various issues associated with illegal immigration.  It is important to note that this legislation will not affect the legal migrant workers who come to Georgia through federal work programs.

HB 59 that I co-sponsored also addresses illegal immigration by requiring students attending publically funded colleges and universities are lawfully present to do so.

Healthcare will also receive a great deal of attention throughout this year's legislative session.  House Bill 47 that I joined as a co-signer would allow insurance companies licensed in Georgia to sell health insurance products that are approved for sale in other states.  By doing this, Georgia would create a more open insurance market with greater competition, which would ultimately result in less expensive health insurance for Georgians.

As these and other pieces of legislation begin to make their way through the legislative process, I will continue to send these updates to keep you apprised of the major legislation being considered at the state capitol.  In return, I hope that you will alert me to any questions or concerns you may have about any issue that affects your family or community.  You can reach me at my Capitol office at 404-656-7859 or email me at brett.harrell@house.ga.gov. 

 Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative,

 Brett Harrell