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Senator Seabaugh to Host Page Day at Capitol
Senator Seabaugh Hosts Chaplain Day at Capitol
Georgia’s Lawful Carry Act Signed into Law
SHARPSBURG (June 8, 2010) – The Georgia Common Sense Lawful Carry Act, authored by State
Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), was signed into law today by Gov. Sonny Perdue. Georgia’s
400,000 lawfully carrying citizens and Georgia’s law enforcement officials now have clearer
guidelines as to where weapons can and cannot be carried.
“Georgia’s Common Sense Lawful Carry Act protects lawfully carrying citizens from unknowingly
becoming criminals by clarifying where they can and cannot carry their weapons. They know all too
well that a license to carry is not a license to commit a crime. This law was truly written by the
citizens of Georgia, with input from all interested constituents. Government should work for the
people to protect their freedoms and constitutionally guaranteed rights,” said Seabaugh. “I want to
thank Gov. Perdue and my colleagues in the Legislature for their support and willingness to work on
this legislation. I also want to thank everyone who provided valuable input into writing this bill to help
achieve a law that makes sense.”
The confusing public gathering clause no longer exists in Georgia law and the new law provides
specifics as to where it is lawful for properly licensed citizens to carry a weapon and clearer penalties
for infractions. Property owner rights were successfully preserved by allowing their discretion as to
having weapons on their property. No weapons will be allowed in any K-12 school. Additionally, no
weapons will be allowed in government buildings, courtrooms, jails or prisons, and churches. Properly
licensed individuals will be able to keep their weapon in their vehicle parked on the lot. Lawfully
carrying citizens can also leave their weapon secured in their parked vehicle at the airport and have
them in their vehicle when driving through the airport. Citizens with a carry license will be able to
leave their weapon in a parked vehicle on college and university campuses. However, it will be a
misdemeanor if they have a license and carry onto a college or university campus. It will still be a
felony crime to carry a weapon onto a campus without a license to carry.
Seabaugh worked to move the bill through
the Senate and House by walking legislators through each
section of the bill. He talked to the process of working with all
parties who had interest in the
legislation, including gun safety advocates. Since introduction of the
bill in January, Seabaugh met
with representatives from the Board of Regents, Georgians for Gun
Safety, Georgia Carry, churches,educators, law enforcement officials,
prosecutors, and judges. Each of them had the opportunity to learn about
the Lawful Carry bill and had suggestions of their own for
improvements. The final outcome includes their input.
The Lawful Carry Act takes effect upon the governor’s signature. The
complete law can be found at
http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/fulltext/sb308.htm .
Newnan High School Drama Students
Visit State Capitol
NEWNAN (May 17, 2010) - Thirteen students from the Newnan High School drama department recently visited the Georgia State Capitol to meet with Gov. Sonny Perdue and state legislators about representing Georgia and the United States in their upcoming performance in Scotland.
 In February 2009, Newnan High School drama director Bob Ramseur received notification that Newnan High School had been nominated for participation in the American High School Theatre Festival. The nomination came from high school and college level adjudicators who attended productions by the drama department over the past three years. The nomination included an extensive application that was completed and returned to the organizers of the Festival. In April 2009, Ramseur was notified that the application had been approved and an invitation to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival was awarded to Newnan High School. The performance trip was approved by the Board of Education and then announced to the students of the drama department during the last week of school last May.
No school funds or public dollars are used to support student activities such as this. Each individual family must raise the necessary funds for their student to participate. For the Newnan High drama students, this is $6,000.00 per student. Several of the parents have created a Drama Club Boosters group to assist in fundraising raising efforts. While they have held several events and participated in many fundraising activities, the funding has come up short of their goal. The booster group has also applied to several local groups and organizations for grants to help cover the costs, but none have yet to approve any awards.
The American High School Theatre Festival selects the finest high school theatre programs in the country to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The Edinburgh Fringe is the largest performing arts festival in the world attracting performers and visitors from all corners of the globe. For their entry in the 2010 Fringe, Newnan will revive their recent production of Bambi: A Life in the Woods. This family-friendly play by American playwright James DeVita returns to the Felix Salten novel as inspiration for this famous coming of age story. In the play, the fawn Bambi grows to assume the title of Great Prince of the Forest while encountering feelings of loss, loneliness, and love. The performance by Newnan High School’s Drama Department will mark the UK premiere of DeVita’s play.
Newnan High students met briefly with Gov. Perdue and House District 70 Rep. Lynn Smith, House District 71 Rep. Billy Horne, and Senate District 28 Sen. Mitch Seabaugh. The governor and legislators asked questions and offered advice to the students, many of whom will be first-time international travelers. Representative Smith encouraged the students to become very familiar with poet Robert Burns, whose work is beloved throughout Scotland.
The students were accompanied by Newnan Principal Doug Moore, Coweta County Commissioner Tim Lassetter, Newnan drama director Bob Ramseur and Drama Booster Club representatives Tony and Janet Hughes. In August, Ramseur and the students will represent Newnan, Georgia, and the United States when they travel to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland to perform as part of the American High School Theatre Festival.
Lawful
Carry Act passes General Assembly
ATLANTA (April 29, 2010) – The Georgia General Assembly voted today in favor of clearer laws for Georgia’s 400,000 lawfully carrying citizens and Georgia’s law enforcement officials with the passage of the Lawful Carry Act in the General Assembly. The Georgia House voted today in favor of the Georgia Common Sense Lawful Carry Act (SB 308), which will remove confusing provisions from the current law. Senator Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) sponsored the Act.
“Today was a victory for lawfully carrying citizens and law enforcement officials with the General Assembly’s support to clear up confusion in Georgia’s firearms laws. Any time we can clear up confusing laws, every citizen benefits. Property owners retained their personal rights and law enforcement will be able to properly enforce the law to keep citizens safe,” said Seabaugh. “I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate and House for their support and willingness to work on this legislation. This is truly a bill written by the citizens of Georgia. I want to thank everyone who provided valuable input into writing this bill to help achieve a law that makes sense.”
The final bill successfully removed the confusing public gathering clause and provided specifics as to where it is lawful to carry a weapon and clearer penalties for infractions. Property owner rights were successfully preserved by allowing their discretion as to having weapons on their property. No weapons will be allowed in any K-12 school, but those with a license will be able to keep them in their vehicle parked on the lot. This is the same provision that teachers have currently. Citizens with a carry license will be able to leave their weapon in a parked vehicle on college and university campuses. However, it will be a misdemeanor if they have a license and carry onto a college or university campus. It will still be a felony crime to carry a weapon onto a campus if one does not have a license to carry.
Seabaugh worked to move the bill through the Senate and House by walking legislators through each section of the bill and talked to the process of working with all parties who had interest in the legislation, including gun safety advocates. Since introduction of the bill in January, Seabaugh met with representatives from the Board of Regents, Georgians for Gun Safety, Georgia Carry, churches, educators, law enforcement officials and prosecutors. Each of them had the opportunity to learn about the Lawful Carry bill and had suggestions of their own for improvements. The final outcome includes their input.
Georgia’s Common Sense Lawful Carry Act passes in the Senate
ATLANTA (March 24, 2009) – Georgia’s 400,000 lawfully carrying citizens and Georgia’s law enforcement officials are another step closer to having clearer carrying laws. The Georgia Senate voted today in favor of the Georgia Common Sense Lawful Carry Act (SB 308), which will remove confusing provisions from the current law. Senate Majority Whip Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) sponsored the Act. The Lawful Carry Act passed 41-12.
“Lawfully carrying citizens and Georgia’s law enforcement officials were victorious today in the Georgia Senate. The majority of lawfully carrying citizens want to obey the laws. They asked for a cleaner law that doesn’t put them in a ‘gotcha’ situation and the Senate delivered,” said Seabaugh. “I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate for working with me during this process. I especially want to thank all the citizens and stakeholders that provided valuable input and truly made this their law.”
Seabaugh went before the Senate, walked senators through each section of the bill and talked to the process of working with all parties who had interest in the legislation, including gun safety advocates. Since introduction of the bill in January, Seabaugh met with representatives from the Board of Regents, Georgians for Gun Safety, Georgia Carry, churches, educators and law enforcement officials. Each of them had the opportunity to learn about the Lawful Carry bill and had suggestions of their own for improvements. The final outcome includes their input.
In the final bill, property owner rights were preserved by allowing their discretion as to having weapons on their property. Clearer penalties for infractions of carry laws were also added. Universities will have the authority to determine if lawfully carried weapons will be allowed on campuses and at athletic events.
Seabaugh also shared with Senate members a letter from the Technical Schools of Georgia in support of the bill. They were encouraged by the right to determine if weapons were permitted on school property and asked for an amendment to include Technical Schools in the bill. The amendment passed along with the final legislation.
Seabaugh announces Superior Court Reductions
Millions in savings to help $1.1 billion shortfall
ATLANTA (Mar. 10, 2010) – Senate Majority Whip Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) dropped legislation today that would reduce the number of Superior Court judges in an effort to find budget savings. Currently Georgia has 205 Superior Court judges. Seabaugh’s bill would reduce that number to 186.
“Due to declining revenues for over 20 months and significant budget cuts over the past few years, we are now forced to find efficiencies and savings everywhere possible. In some cases, this requires legislative action to reduce the size and scope of government. By eliminating 19 Superior Court judge positions, we’ll achieve approximately $13- $14 million in savings to the state budget,” said Seabaugh. “We looked at the overall cases filed per judge and found a more efficient balance of cases filed. Projected budget revenues return us to 2004-2005 levels. This is an area the legislature could find savings by reducing the number of judges to near 2004-2005 levels.”
The determination of judgeships to be eliminated in the 16 circuits was made after evaluating the number of cases filed per judge. Those areas which only have two judges will not be reduced. In many areas, the average workload of Superior Court judges is 3,200 cases. The judgeships to be eliminated averaged approximately 1,200 cases per judge. Those cases will be disbursed among the remaining judges in that circuit. Seabaugh suggests decreasing the number of judges in those areas that have much lighter number of cases filed.
“In this budget atmosphere, nobody is exempt from cuts. If we can find significant savings in areas where we can consolidate, those are cuts we won’t have to make to education. This is an initial proposal. I’m asking for input from the courts to ensure that the right judgeships are eliminated,” said Seabaugh.
The Fiscal Year 2010 budget is over seven percent lower than the 2009 budget and it is 8.5 percent lower than the governor’s original 2010 budget estimate. In these previous year budgets, the Senate has cut spending to state golf courses, set forth a plan to make the hall of fames self-sustaining, and consolidated services in certain departments. Every department’s budget has been affected by budget cuts, including Natural Resources, the Forestry Commission, the State Accounting Office and Administrative Services. The number Superior Court Judges has increased each year for the past several budget cycles. This legislation proposes to scale back in circuits where the number of cases has gone down.
To balance the Fiscal Year 2011 budget, the Senate is looking for an additional $1.1 billion in cuts from the governor’s recommended FY 2011 budget. The majority of cuts to the FY 2011 budget will come through the appropriations process. This is one of the few items that require statutory action. The Senate only has 7 days left to work legislation through the committee process and over to the House by Legislative Day 30 on March 25.
The Senate Goes Red for Republican Women
ATLANTA – (Mar. 2, 2010) State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) last week welcomed the Georgia Federation of Republican Women to the State Capitol for “Red Coat Day.” The women wore red coats in support of their organization, which has been instrumental in advocating on behalf of conservative ideals for the citizens of Georgia.
“The Georgia Federation of Republican Women dedicate themselves to protecting the concerns and issues that I continue to fight for in the Georgia Senate,” said Sen. Seabaugh. “It was an honor to host them at the Capitol and to share what we’re working on here in Georgia.”
 The Georgia Federation of Republican began as a grassroots organization with the goal of educating voters and increasing their participation in state and local elections. Beginning in 1957, the group affiliated with the national association to support conservative platforms in the state of Georgia. Today they support a platform which fights against measures that damage the economy, increase the national debt, give the federal government unprecedented power and make our nation vulnerable to our enemies. For more information about the Georgia Federation of Georgia Federation of Republican Women, visit www.gfrw.org.
Sen. Mitch Seabaugh Champions Utilities Contractor's
Bill to a Unanimous Vote in the State Senate
ATLANTA - (February 16, 2010) - State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) championed legislation through the State Senate that will ensure utility contractors are not prohibited from bidding on projects
if they do not possess a general contractor license. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 53-0.
"If we want to recover from this economic recession, we must create and laws that get Georgians back to work. Thanks to the bipartisan support from my colleagues in the Senate, Georgians will have additional job opportunities," said Seabaugh
Under this legislation, any utility contractor holding a valid utility contractor's license is authorized to bid for and perform work on any utility system in Georgia without having to obtaining a general contractor's license. Under the "Residential and General Contractors" bill, only those with a valid general contractor's license could bid and work on utility systems. Seabaugh's legislation allows electrical contractors, plumbers, conditioned air contractors, low-voltage contractors, and utility
contractors to bid upon and perform work on any utility system.
The bill was originally heard in the Senate Economic Development Committee. During the hearing, members of the utilities contractors' community voiced their support of Senate Bill 339. A representative from the Georgia Utilities Contractors Association said that municipalities often confuse the law to interpret only those with a general contractors' license can bid for utility jobs, excluding utility contactors from getting their own work.
Senator Seabaugh Hosts Annual Page Day
ATLANTA (Feb. 22, 2010) - State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R- Sharpsburg) hosted his annual Page Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 10. Students sixth grade and above from local schools in his district served as pages in the Senate Chamber, delivering messages to the senators on the floor.
 "Every year I look forward to welcoming students in my district to assist in the Senate Chamber for the legislative session," said Seabaugh. "Being a page at the Capitol is an excellent opportunity to experience the legislative process first-hand and it is a chance for students to experience Georgia politics at work."
Slots for the 2010 legislative session closed quickly with all 20 spots filled within one day. Parents and teachers keep this in mind when nominating students for next year's session. Students must be 12 years of age or older and the day will count as an excused absence from school.
Seabaugh Voluntarily Takes Furlough Days through June 2010
ATLANTA (Jan. 26, 2010) - State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) is voluntarily taking a furlough day a month for the remainder of the fiscal year. With these additional days, Seabaugh will have taken a total of eleven furlough days in fiscal year 2010. The money will be returned to the State Treasury to help fill additional budget gaps.
"The State Legislature is not immune to the economic recession and just like many Georgia families and businesses, we must limit our spending. We cannot ask others to make sacrifices that we wouldn't make ourselves. We have a duty and responsibility to our citizens to make the right choices and that includes reducing our own budgets. We're in this together and must work collectively to find solutions to our budget crisis. Volunteering to take eleven furlough days is the least we can do as legislators to mitigate the deep cuts to the budget," said Seabaugh.
Seabaugh and other legislators took one furlough day a month between August and December of 2009 and are now voluntarily agreeing to another day per month through the end of June. State Agencies have taken anywhere between 3 and 12 furlough days. The legislator furlough days will be in addition to the $3.08 million cut in appropriations the General Assembly voted to give itself in 2010 general budget, plus any potential further cuts that may be needed to balance the 2010 budget.
Seabaugh, with other senate leaders, has worked diligently to balance the state budget by making the appropriate reductions in government spending and government programs. The General Assembly also returned $2.7 million in FY2009 surplus funds to the Treasury. This fiscal constraint has been noticed by the Bond rating agencies in New York, making Georgia one of only seven states to earn and maintain a Triple-A Bond rating. Georgia is one of the lowest taxed states in the nation and has the lowest dept per capita among the 50 states.
Senator Seabaugh to Host Page Day at Capitol
ATLANTA (January 15, 2010) - State Senator Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) will host his annual Page Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, February 10, 2010. Students serving as pages will assist in the Senate Chamber and enjoy lunch with Sen. Seabaugh.
"I encourage students, particularly those interested in civics and government, to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to experience the legislative process first-hand," Sen. Seabaugh said. "This is a chance for students to experience American politics and watch the state legislature work."
Pages are granted access to the Senate Chamber for the day and are responsible for delivering messages to the senators on the floor. They may also be called on by senators to run special errands. Each page is sponsored by their local senator. They will receive a certificate and $10 honorarium and are scheduled to have their pictures taken with Lt. Governor Cagle and Sen. Seabaugh.
Parents and teachers who would like to nominate students to serve as pages should contact Sen. Seabaugh's office at 404-656-6446. Students must be 12 years of age or older. The day will count as an excused absence from school. Please submit any page requests as soon as possible. There are six slots remaining this year and students will be considered on a first come, first serve basis.
Senator Seabaugh Hosts Chaplain Day at Capitol
SHARPSBURG (Jan. 14, 2010) - This week State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) hosted Pastor Jeff Chandler of SouthCrest Church in Newnan, GA, as chaplain for the day in the Georgia Senate. Following Lt. Governor Cagle's opening remarks, Chandler gave the morning devotional prior to the Senate convening their daily business.
 "It was my pleasure to introduce Jeff Chandler to my colleagues in the Senate," said Sen. Seabaugh. "His message was inspirational to all those within the chamber as we begin this new legislative session."
His messaged centered on life's moments and how those shape each individual. He reminded the Senators that although they face great challenges, they also have an opportunity to shape the state of Georgia and its citizens in a profound way.
Chandler received his degree in Religion and Psychology from Mercer University and his Master's in Ministry from Tennessee Temple University, and is currently pursing his doctorate. He first interned at New Hope Baptist Church and then went on to serve at First Baptist in Woodstock, GA. There, as the Minister of Students, his weekly meetings were attended by more than 1,000 members.
A native of Atlanta, Chandler resides in Newnan with his wife Dawn and his three children: Madison, Morgan, and Jay.
Seabaugh Introduces Common Sense
Lawful Carry Act
ATLANTA (Jan. 12, 2010) - Today Majority Whip Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg) filed Georgia's Common Sense Lawful Carry Act, which amends the current firearms legislation. Seabaugh cited confusion in the current law and presented how his bill will make the necessary corrections to provide lawfully carrying citizens and law enforcement clear guidelines.
"Laws should be easy to follow, simple to enforce and always balance public safety and private citizens' rights. This legislation will get us there," said Seabaugh. "This legislation is fair to lawfully carrying citizens and ensures that any infractions and prohibitions are monitored and reported correctly, effectively and efficiently. This is common sense legislation that upholds community safety and personal freedoms."
The Common Sense Lawful Carry Act provides clearly defined carry areas, a more streamlined system for permitting and reporting of violations, and greater personal property rights by allowing property owners to determine whether firearms can be carried on their property. The legislation still provides strong consistencies for public and private K-12 and secondary schools, school functions and government agency offices.
 Seabaugh is pushing two major features of the bill - removing the confusion behind what constitutes a "public gathering" and bringing all rules regulations and licensing under the guidance of the Secretary of State's office. Many law enforcement officials throughout the state have expressed their confusion of how to enforce and even prosecute offenders under the current "public gathering" definitions. In addition, each of Georgia's 159 counties has a different way of processing and issuing licenses. By bringing the system under the Secretary of State's office, each county will have the same standards. The amendment maintains all background checks currently in place while imposing new disqualifiers on who can obtain a license.
Sen. Seabaugh also noted that he has reached out to representatives from Georgians for Gun Safety and Million Moms March so he may have a chance to walk them through these updates. His plan is to have a productive conversation without speculation and present the facts of the legislation.
All federal firearms laws and regulations still apply. With this legislation, Georgia's firearms laws will be in addition to federal laws without being contradictory or duplicative. Restaurant owners, churches and any other private property owners will have the choice to permit lawfully carried weapons on their property, or not to permit these weapons. Law-abiding citizens will be able to secure their weapons in a locked compartment in a vehicle that is parked in the parking facility of a government building, courtroom, jail, prison, any public school or private entity prohibiting their weapons.
Schools are still protected by school safety zones in which firearms cannot be carried at all. These zones are noted to be within 1,000 feet of any real property owned or leased to any public or private elementary school, secondary school, or school board and used for elementary or secondary education. This includes school functions as well as school property.
"Last year I held a series of study committee meetings that were an open forum for Georgians to express their concerns about the current carry laws. I listened to those concerns and developed this bill. As we go through the process of amending this law, I'm committed to working with all concerned parties to create a law that is sensible and realistic," said Seabaugh.
The Comprehensive Firearms Law Study Committee was created in the 2008 session to examine Georgia's firearms laws and the way these laws are applied in our state. Seabaugh chaired the committee and held a series of public hearings regarding Georgia's firearms law. The committee heard testimony from a variety of constituent groups including Georgians for Gun Safety, Georgia Trial Lawyers, Georgia Sheriff's Association, Georgia Carry, the University System of Georgia and various religious groups.
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