During the legislative session I attempted to keep my readers up to date on the issues as they moved through the process of becoming law.

Now that the session has ended and the time has passed for the Governor to sign or veto all legislation, I would like to begin a series of articles addressing the final impact of some of the new laws.

I say a series because it will be impossible to cover the issues in one article. Initially, I would like to address those pieces of legislation that I signed as one of the sponsors and will attempt to cover issues that are similar in nature as a group in future articles.

HB59 provided for a sales and use tax exemption on controlled substances and prescription drugs lawfully dispensable by prescription for the treatment of natural persons which are either sold or are distributed without charge to physicians, dentists, clinics, hospitals, or any other person or entity located in Georgia by a pharmaceutical manufacturer or distributor.

Prescription drugs are exempt from Georgia sales tax but a technicality in the law allowed for a use tax on the drugs described above. HB59 corrects that problem and was signed into law by the Governor on April 21.

HB120 extends the sales tax exemption on certain school supplies and energy efficient products and provides for an exemption with respect to the sale of certain school supplies, clothing, footwear, computers, and computer related accessories for a limited period of time.

It also provides for an exemption from sales and use tax with respect to sales of certain energy efficient products for a limited period of time. HB120 was signed into law by the Governor on May 4.

HB149 is entitled the Move on When Ready Act and is designed to provide for a program for eleventh and twelfth grade students to attend postsecondary colleges and schools for high school credit.

It provides for notice to parents and students of the program; to provide requirements for course credit; to provide for state funding and to provide for testing.

HB149 is designed to reduce the dropout rate in our high schools by establishing new avenues for students to complete high school credit work. HB149 was signed into law by the Governor on April 29.

HB216 is legislation that I introduced at the request of the judges of the Cordele Judicial Circuit of Superior Court and simply changes the terms of court to allow the judges to more efficiently administer justice.

HB216 was signed into law by the Governor on May 6.

HB224 is a bill to amend Chapter 17 of Title 47 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Peace Officers' Annuity and Benefit Fund, so as to provide that certain persons employed as county jail officers shall be eligible for membership in such fund.

HB224 did not make it through the process and did not go to the Governor for his signature but may still be considered next year.

HB368 is known as the annual drug update and makes any necessary changes in law to ensure the protection of the public safety and welfare in the dispensing of drug products covered by state and federal law.

The Governor signed HB368 on April 21.

Local legislation is legislation requested by a local governing body such as a city or county commission.

Local legislation in our district is sponsored by unanimous consent of all of the rpresentatives that represent any portion of a county in which a local governing body has made a request.

On Crisp County local legislation, I would be the only sponsor. For Dooly County, Representative Lynmore James and I are sponsors.

In addition to me, Houston County sponsors are Representatives Larry O’Neal, Tony Sellier and Willie Talton. Pulaski County sponsors are Representative Jimmy Pruett and me. Worth County sponsors are Representative Ed Rynders and me.

HB658 is local legislation requested by Dooly County officials to establish a Board of Elections and Registration and HB646 as requested establishes a law library fee for the Dooly County Magistrate Court.

Both HB658 and HB646 were signed by the Governor on May 6 and May 11 respectively.

HB686 establishes a Board of Elections and Registration for Worth County and was signed by the Governor on May 11.

HB712 is legislation requested by the City of Warner Robins to allow the City to levy an excise tax within limits on lodging. HB713 has the same provisions for the City of Perry.

HB809 creates the Warner Robins Public Facilities Authority Act to allow the city to issue bonds and generate revenues for public facilities. All three of these laws were signed on May 11.

In addition to the above legislation I was privileged to be a sponsor on several Resolutions honoring special people or events in the district.

Those included the Georgia Peach Festival and 2009 Georgia Peach Queens; the Cordele-Crisp County Fish Fry and cooking team; Miss Lindsey Marie Mann, the Georgia Watermelon Queen; the Slosheye Trail Big Pig Jig and Pharmacy Day at the State Capitol.

I would like to express my appreciation to all of my constituents who have communicated their wishes to me in person, by e-mail or phone and to the representatives with whom I share parts of four of the five counties in District 147.

A special thanks to the newspapers in the district for publishing my Capitol Notes for their readers.

As I stated earlier, I will be writing Capitol Notes periodically until I have covered most of the legislation on which my constituents have expressed their views to me during the 2009 session and to alert my readers to those issues most likely to come before the General Assembly during the 2010 session.

Please contact me buddy.harden@house.ga.gov or 404-909-5767 if I can be of assistance to you.