Golf hall, coliseum bills still up in air

ATLANTA --- Augusta lawmakers will be racing the clock today to pass two closely watched bills.

Success will depend on timing, legislative skill and considerable luck.

A bill to restructure the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority passed the House on Monday, with two working days remaining in the session. Normally, bills require at least three.

To make up for lost time, either of the two Augusta senators, Ed Tarver or J.B. Powell, could ask for the rules to be suspended for the bill, an uncommon measure requiring two-thirds of the Senate to agree. As long as the two agree on the wording of the bill, it could pass with the Senate rules suspended.

Because the bill has been revised in the Senate, it must return to the House for final passage.

"Barring some unforeseen happening, it should work out," Rep. Barbara Sims said.

Legislation to dissolve the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame board could be even trickier because there is a group opposed to what Mr. Tarver said the local officials want to do. He wants to find a bill he can amend with wording he drafted that would dissolve the board and transfer its land and golfer statues to the city.

But the board voted to ask Rep. Larry O'Neal, R-Bonaire, to introduce an amendment that would let the board decide the fate of the statues before it disbands. Mr. O'Neal said Thursday that Gov. Sonny Perdue's chief of staff, Ed Holcomb, helped draft the amendment.

"There's never been, that I've been aware of from the board folks that I've talked to, the option of just giving it to the city of Augusta," he said.

Mr. Tarver has said he thought transferring the land and statues to the city for the price of $1 had been agreed to by the governor. The senator expressed frustration that he hasn't been able to get that message from Mr. Holcomb.

"I'm not accustomed to someone in government repeatedly not returning my phone calls," Mr. Tarver said.

Both Mr. Tarver and Mr. O'Neal might have a difficult time finding an appropriate bill to attach their competing amendments to under legislative rules. It must deal with approximately the same legal subject and must be longer than the amendments they want to add.

All of their legislative efforts depend on timing. In the rush to finish the session, every other lawmaker will be trying to get personal projects completed, too, and the presiding officers have wide latitude over which bills they call for consideration on the last day.

The constitution's 40-day limit means the final deadline is midnight, but it's common for the House and Senate to adjourn as soon as the budget is passed.

When agreement on the budget comes as early as 6-8 p.m., the General Assembly sometimes quickly adjourns, leaving hundreds of bills suddenly dead for the year.