:: Representative Jeff Lewis ::


	State Representative Jeff Lewis. Leadership That Serves. Leadership That Counts. Since running for office 16 years ago, I have strived to be what we all wish our public servants would be – a leader who is committed to our values and quietly effective. Unlike many politicians, I don’t send out press releases every time I drop a bill. I don’t kowtow to the elite at the expense of your family. I value your vote and your trust and have always served you with integrity. Your investment in me has paid big dividends for Bartow County’s families. With my key committee assignments and relationships with Georgia’s top leaders, our families now have a position of prominence in the State House that we have not had since Joe Frank Harris served in the House in the 1970s. We cannot afford to start over now. With your vote I will continue to provide the very same effective, conservative leadership for your family in the State House. Representative Jeff Lewis’ Record of Effective Leadership for Bartow County’s Families. Effective & Respected Leadership Jeff was recently awarded The Georgia Chamber of Commerce Legislator of the Year for his effective leadership in the State House. It was Jeff’s position on the vital House Appropriations committee which helped us secure $11 million for the North Metro Technical College in Bartow County to help fund the Allied Health Building and its nursing program. Protecting Our Values Jeff helped secure a $50,000 grant for our Bartow County Women’s Resource Center which puts pro-life principles into action helping women facing crisis pregnancies. Jeff has encouraged and supported his wife’s devoted leadership on the Board of the Bartow County Women’s Resource Center. During his tenure in the House, Jeff has been a consistent supporter of pro-life legislation, faith based initiatives in state governments, and legislation protecting the rights of our students to pray in school. Energy/Water/Health Care Consumer Protection Jeff sponsored The Consumer Choice in Television Act which will give Georgians more choice in the cable television providers starting Jan. 1, 2008. He also sponsored HB 1325 to help expand the distribution of natural gas across Georgia. Water For the first time ever, Georgia has a statewide water management plan, an effort Jeff Lewis strongly supported. Jeff also voted to approve legislation to streamline the construction of reservoirs and put $40 million towards the construction of new reservoirs. Healthcare In the last Legislative Session, Jeff voted to approve $60 million for funding the State Trauma Commission to provide care for those in severe car accidents and other serious trauma incidents. This is the first funding ever appropriated for trauma in Georgia. He supported reforms to the state’s outdated Certificate of Need (CON) program in a way that will expand access and reduce costs. The CON changes will allow doctors like general surgeons to expand ambulatory surgical centers while allowing hospitals like Floyd Medical and Redmond to provide Level 1 obstetrical services if they choose to do so – all without the bureaucratic approvals of the past. Jeff also supported legislation that provides some of the most aggressive incentives in the country for self-employed and small business owners to purchase low-cost health insurance with a health savings account. Taxes Cutting taxes is what first led Jeff to run for office. Over his years of service he has consistently opposed tax increases and vote for numerous tax cuts. In the 2007 Supplemental, Jeff proudly cast his vote for a $142 million property tax cut for Georgia homeowners who take a homestead exemption. It is the equivalent of about $100 per homeowner. Jeff opposed irresponsible tax policy legislation this past year and strongly supported efforts to cut the car tag tax and state income taxes. Economic Development Jeff was honored this year by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce with Legislator of the Year Award. Jeff authored House Bill 272 to repeal Georgia’s uncompetitive “energy tax” on manufacturers. He supported House Bill 451, “The Georgia Tourism Development Act,” to create new incentives for businesses to locate destination attractions in Georgia. He chaired the five-member Business Incentive Study Committee to examine the effectiveness of current incentives used to retain or expand existing business. Jeff voted for HB 1129 to promote tourism related development and create billions of dollars in economic development. He also supported HB 1249 which provides tax credits to bring new manufactures into Georgia to produce solar energy cells. Education Nearly half of the state budget goes towards providing education in Georgia, and in recent years Georgia has seen a steady improvement in SAT scores – but there is still much work to be done. This year, the House set a goal early in the session of reducing so-called austerity cuts, reductions in spending made in tough budget years. In the end, the legislature succeeded in reducing the cuts by $50 million, resulting in the largest budget ever for K-12 education in Georgia history. Jeff supported The Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Act to help special needs children receive the educational help they need. He also voted for HB 881 which will create an alternate method for forming charter schools. A new special state commission will review and approve charter applications rejected by local school systems. HB 1133 institutes new tax credits for private citizens and corporations who donate money to nonprofit scholarship organizations that fund scholarships for children to attend private schools. Jeff strongly supported this effort. Jeff also backed Governor Perdue’s “IE2 Commission” recommended legislation, HB 1209, that allows public school systems to bypass state regulations if they meet certain performance goals. Transportation Over his many years of public service, Jeff has supported a wide range of legislative efforts to improve transportation in our area and across the state. This past Session, Jeff supported HB 1019 which created the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank to provide low interest loans to local communities for transportation projects, thus saving local taxpayers money on financing infrastructure projects. He also supported HB 1189 to require DOT to create a Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan by June 30, 2009 and each year thereafter. Jeff also voted for SB 417 which will require the DOT Commissioner to publish benchmarks and a completion schedule annually for all projects over a million dollars. Representative Jeff Lewis’ Vision for What’s Next Republicans have had control of our government for just a few short years, but already we have made huge strides in making our government work more efficiently and effectively for our families. Georgia is now one of the most fiscally sound state in the nation. While dozens of states currently raise taxes or operate with a budget deficit, Georgia has a budget surplus and cut taxes by more than half a billion dollars. Governing magazine ranked Georgia the fourth best run state government in the country. We have done much, but there is more to do. As we move forward, I will continue to proudly lead efforts to address critical issues like water, education reform, tax relief, job creation, and protecting our traditional values.