Highlights

Georgia's most violent felons may be required to carry a special mark on their driver's licenses and other state identification cards.

House members voted 97-46 to add a designation on the IDs of those convicted of seven violent felonies - murder, kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation and aggravated sexual battery.

House Bill 91 requires the mark to remain as long as the person is on probation or parole. When that ends, the person can apply for a traditional license.

In the Senate, finance committee members passed a tax reform bill Friday that would require county tax commissioners to wait one year before selling property tax liens to private third parties and prevent them from selling tax liens that are under appeal.

Fulton County is the only county in Georgia that relies on the sale of tax liens as its primary method of collecting delinquent taxes.

Senate Bill 234 will go to the Senate floor next week for a vote.

Senate
Senate Bill 256: During criminal proceedings, allow consideration of a victim's impact statement following a plea of insanity or mental incompetency during a commitment hearing.
SB 257: Clarify that development authorities are authorized to conduct redevelopment.
SB 258: Change provisions for the conduct of directors of local development authorities.
Senate Resolution 379: Urge the U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service to include all outer continental shelf planning in a five-year plan for offshore development.
SR 381: Urge the U.S. Congress to refrain from cuts to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program.

House
House Bill 514: Allow for free tastings of distilled spirits on brewery premises.
HB 515: Give provisions for voluntary portfolio standard goals for public utilities' renewable energy. HB 516 is a similar bill.
HB 517: Provide for elections and terms for mayor and council members of the town of Talking Rock.
HB 518: Create inspectors qualifications for salvage or rebuilt motor vehicles.
HB 519: Prohibit motor vehicles from carrying stacked ladders more than three high in a rack.
HB 520: Change the amount of energy that a provider is required to purchase from a generator.
HB 521: Reduce certain employee contributions to the Superior Court Clerks' Retirement Fund.
HB 522: Allow for a homestead exemption of ad valorem tax for municipal purposes in Oxford.
HB 523: Change Oxford's form of government to a city manager-council government.
HB 524: Allow for a homestead exemption of ad valorem tax for education in Towns County.
HB 525: Clarify personal jurisdiction over nonresidents in domestic relations cases.
HB 526: Allow only certified marshals to serve in the court process.
HB 527: Give penalties for violations of the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act over foreclosures.
HB 528: Require procedures for unloading children under age 8 from school buses.
HB 529: Expand mandatory reporting of child abuse.
House Resolution 549: Create the House Durable Medical Equipment Study Committee to study the increasing costs of a wide variety of medical equipment, including wheelchairs, crutches and blood glucose machines.
HR 550: Urge Savannah to consider issuing bonds to support a cruise ship terminal.

Both chambers also passed various resolutions to recognize special days and people.

Carolyn Crist