2007 LEGISLATIVE REPORTS:

Georgia's second major airport should be here, not Tennessee

August 12, 2007 - There is already a new terminal under construction at Augusta Regional, with excess capacity to accommodate several additional airlines. December 2007 is the expected completion date for the new terminal, which has been designed for easy expansion as needed. Read more...

State did not pass legislation prohibiting cell phone use while driving

July 16, 2007 - Many constituents have been concerned about an e- mail, apparently originating from the governor's office, outlining penalties for various driving violations. Read more...

Rep. Murphy appointed to House Study Committee

June 20, 2007 - House Speaker Glenn Richardson has appointed State Representative Quincy Murphy (D-Augusta) to serve on the House Study Committee on Medical Education. Read more ...

Session Wrap-Up: Governor signs off on midyear budget

May 9, 2007 - On May 8, the governor reversed his position and signed the midyear supplemental budget into law and vetoed only the $142 million property tax cut line item. The supplemental budget provides essential funding for Georgia's PeachCare for Kids program and our public defender system operating, as well as additional education funding to cover increased enrollment in our public schools.

Governor’s action causes ‘overtime’ for session

April 23, 2007 - This has been an extremely long legislative session, but I am honored and grateful to represent the people of House District 120.  Although the General Assembly adjourned our 2007 session at midnight Friday, April 20, all indications are that Governor Perdue will call lawmakers back for a special session in the near future. Read more...

Both chambers agree on 2007 supplemental budget

April 20, 2007 - The House of Representatives adopted a $20.2 billion state budget for fiscal year 2008, which begins July 1, 2007. The budget represents a 5.7 percent increase in spending over last year’s budget and dedicates $792 million to the state’s revenue shortfall reserve fund. Read more ...

Murphy legislation would benefit Augusta area

April 6, 2007 - With no more than seven legislative days remaining in the 2007 session of the General Assembly, there are three bills of local interest that I sponsored, which have passed the House of Representatives and are under consideration in the Senate. Read more ...

Unneeded PeachCare cuts hurt Georgia children

March 30, 2007 - Tuesday, March 27 was “crossover day” for the 2007 session of the Georgia General Assembly. As the 30th legislative day of the session, it was the deadline for measures to be sent from either the House of Representatives or the Senate for consideration by the other chamber this year. Read more ...

Supplemental budget pulled for reconsideration

March 23, 2007 - The state’s supplemental budget for the remainder of fiscal year 2007 was adopted by the House of Representatives on March 20, but there was a motion later in the evening to reconsider, so the bill remains in the House due to a conflict with the Senate leadership. Read more...

Democrats’ proposal helps state fill PeachCare gap

March 16, 2007 - I was pleased this week to see the Governor and Republican Legislative Leaders join with the House Democratic Caucus by adopting the language of HB 236, introduced on January 31, which allows the state to do our part to solve the funding crisis experienced by the PeachCare for Kids program. Read more...

Career academies will benefit all Georgians

March 9, 2007 - As a strong supporter of education, I am co-sponsoring House Bill 570, which would increase graduation rates, potential job opportunities, and educational opportunities for students by establishing and providing start-up funds for career academies through the partnership of technical colleges and local boards of education. Read more...

Murphy lobbies Congress for PeachCare solution

March 3, 2007 - On Thursday, I joined a six-member delegation from the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus (GLBC) that traveled to Washington, D.C., to urge additional federal funding of the state’s health care program for children, PeachCare for Kids, and to discuss other major issues with Georgia’s congressional delegation and other top leaders on Capitol Hill. Read more...

House to consider return of ‘payday lending’

February 23, 2007 - The House Banks & Banking Committee, by a divided 17-11 vote Thursday, favorably reported House Bill 163, known as the Deferred Presentment Services Act, which would provide for the licensing of individuals who provide deferred presentment services. Read more...

Legislative session passes halfway mark

February 16, 2007 - Thursday, February 15, was the 21st legislative day of the 2007 session of the Georgia General Assembly, meaning we are now past the halfway point. Frankly, very little has been completed so far on the major issues, but I would expect the pace to pick up when we return to the Capitol on Tuesday, February 20. Read more...

School vouchers legislation under consideration

February 9, 2007 - The House of Representatives will soon be considering legislation that has already passed the state Senate, allowing the state to issue vouchers to special needs students to attend a private school or public school outside their district. Read more...

Legislature to address need for medical facilities

February 2, 2007 - A longstanding debate over how Georgia regulates the construction of medical facilities through the Certificate of Need (CON) Law is receiving legislative attention this session.

Under current law, the Department of Community Health issues a CON before any health care facility can be built and deliver certain types of medical services. Before issuing a certificate, the state analyzes the need for medical services as well as the impact on existing health care facilities. Read more...

Murphy to chair Transportation Policy Committee

January 26, 2007 - This week, I was honored by my colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus when I was appointed as chairman of the caucus’s Transportation Policy Committee for 2007-08. In this leadership position, I will preside over the consideration by our caucus of legislation related to transportation issues all over Georgia. Read more...

Lieutenant governor says ‘no’ to voter ID restrictions

January 19, 2007 - One of the most encouraging developments to take place since the beginning of the 2007 session of the Georgia General Assembly has been the announcement by new Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle that he will not bring a proposed constitutional amendment that would impose controversial voter identification restrictions to the floor of the state Senate for a vote. Read more...

Lawmakers hear Governor’s state budget proposal

January 12, 2007 - The first week of the 2007 session of the Georgia General Assembly was highlighted by ceremonial and organizational activities as newly elected or re-elected members took their oaths of office, leadership positions were filled, committees were assigned and the Governor delivered his annual State of the State address. Read more...

2006 NEWS RELEASES:

Rep. Quincy Murphy endorsed by Georgia educators

September 29, 2006 - Members of the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) have endorsed the candidacy of state Rep. Quincy Murphy (D-Augusta) for re-election to Georgia House District 120. GAE, with 40,000 members, is the only major education employee representative with an active political action program. GAE members work hard through voluntary contributions and support for candidates to ensure friends of public education are elected to public office. Read more...

Rep. Murphy calls for better pay for law enforcement
Recruiting is a problem because of low salaries and long hours

September 6, 2006 - State Rep. Quincy Murphy is calling for better pay for Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies, Georgia State Patrol troopers and Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents. It was recently reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that officers are leaving the state in droves because of low salaries and long hours. Read more...

Murphy reminds residents of Georgia sales tax holidays
July 31, 2006 - State Rep. Quincy Murphy (D-Augusta) reminds residents of Augusta-Richmond County that Georgia’s annual sales tax holiday period is scheduled for Aug. 3-6. During that four-day period, school supplies, clothing items, computers, computer accessories and certain Energy Star merchandise will be exempt from both state and local sales tax. Read more...

Rep. Murphy named to Higher Education oversight panel

June 5, 2006 - Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) has tapped state Rep. Quincy Murphy (D-Augusta) to serve on the Georgia Higher Education Facilities Authority Committee.
Read more...

Rep. Quincy Murphy announces re-election bid

April 14, 2006 - State Rep. Quincy Murphy (D-Augusta) announced Monday he will be a candidate for re-election to the House District 120 post in 2006. Read more...

2006 LEGISLATIVE REPORTS:

Budget deal reached in session's final hours

March 31, 2006 - The record budget amount, which is up more than $1 billion from the current year, includes a 7 percent pay raise for state Public Safety officers, including State Troopers, and a 4 percent pay raise for public school educators, as well as raises of 2 to 4 percent for other state employees. The measure also includes funding to provide home-based care for more seniors and disabled Georgians. Read more...

Immigration legislation fails to address real issue

March 24, 2006 - SB 529 addresses the symptoms of the problem not the actual cause, which is a do-nothing federal system. Consider the economic implications. Agriculture is our No. 1 export, followed by carpet manufacturing, construction, poultry processing, lodging and food service. This bill will hurt more than it will help. Read more...

Higher exemption level will reduce Medicaid estate seizures

March 17, 2006 - I am pleased to report that the House of Representatives agreed to an amendment that would provide a $100,000 exemption for Medicaid patients whose property would be subject to the Department of Community Health’s (DCH) estate recovery program. Read more...

PeachCare for All Kids Act would help Georgia families

March 10, 2006 - Stark estimates reveal that 100,000 of Georgia’s children are currently uninsured. As a remedy, bipartisan legislation was introduced this week. House Bill 1464 would provide health insurance for children whose parents make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford comprehensive coverage. Read more...

House votes to reduce class sizes in public schools

March 3, 2006 - For the past three years, Gov. Perdue and his supporters in the General Assembly have delayed implementation of class size reductions previously enacted into law. Smaller class sizes are a proven benefit to improving the educational experience for students and helping educators maintain discipline in the learning environment. Read more...

Title lending 'reform' could be worse for consumers

February 24, 2006 -A proposal under consideration in the House of Representatives, supported by members of the leadership, has the potential to be even less consumer friendly than current law. This bill would remove the astronomical 300 percent interest cap in the state’s existing law, giving lenders a license to charge what ever they wish. Read more...

House majority passes school spending mandate

February 17, 2006 -Despite widespread opposition from education groups and local school officials across the state, members of the House majority voted to approve the Governor’s mandate on the allocation of public school funds at the local level. Read more...

Additional revenues will help state meet its obligations

February 10, 2006 - State tax collections were up 15.5 percent last month over January 2005, and current fiscal year revenue has grown 9.5 percent. While those statistics gives Georgia a cushion to pay for the education and health care programs that remain our biggest needs, it shouldn’t cause state government to go on a spending spree. Read more...

Lawmakers eye re-regulation of natural gas industry

February 3, 2006 - Many members of the Georgia General Assembly believe it is time to re-examine the issue of regulating the natural gas industry given the dramatic rise in home heating costs in recent years. Read more...

Proposed school spending mandate raises concerns

January 27, 2006 - While well intended, this requirement would appear to contradict the governor’s previous assertion that Georgians don’t want a “busybody” government, since it gives more power to the State Board of Education at the expense of local school boards. Read more...

$2 million for Augusta library in proposed budget

January 20, 2006 - The House and Senate Appropriations Committees held two days of hearings this week on Gov. Perdue’s proposed $18.6 billion fiscal year 2007 budget, which is 8.2 percent higher than last year’s spending blueprint. I am pleased to report the budget includes $2 million in bonds to fund the construction of a new library headquarters branch in Augusta. Read more...

Changes fail to 'fix' voter ID law

January 13, 2006 - During the first week of the 2006 session of the Georgia General Assembly, it was almost amusing to watch supporters of the state’s new law requiring voters to produce photo identification when they go to the polls rushing to make changes to the legislation. Amusing, because many of us in the legislature told them last year about the many flaws in the bill and they refused to listen. Read more...

NEWS RELEASE:

Murphy urges support for National Guard families

August 24, 2005 - State Rep. Quincy Murphy is reminding Georgians that contributions may be made to the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation at any time of the year, not just at tax return filing time. Read more...

QUINCY ON THE ISSUES:

Photo ID law doesn't need fixing; it needs a burial

December 14, 2005 - U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy properly characterized this new law as a throwback to the “poll tax” that existed prior to the Voting Rights Act, to discourage certain voters from participating in the electoral process. The fees and travel required for many voters to obtain government photo ID cards, especially the elderly and poor, who do not have driver’s licenses would have the same effect that poll taxes had on African American citizens until the mid-1960s. Read more...

New ID law will cause, not solve problems

August 12, 2005 - It is interesting to see that some supporters of our state’s new voter identification law are now acknowledging it is not a perfect piece of legislation. Read more...

Patients, providers will suffer from Medicaid cuts

July 29, 2005 - Deeper cuts in Medicaid funding, if Gov. Sonny Perdue has his way, would be devastating not only for Georgians who depend on health care assistance, but also for the state’s health care providers, especially rural hospitals. Read more...

Good news, bad news from 2005 session

April 11, 2005 - From my perspective, some very positive legislation was passed, but on too many occasions, the rights of everyday Georgians were under attack. Read more...