Georgia taking new approach to border dispute
By Larry Brooks
Friday April 4, 2008 9:41:33am


Georgia will dissolve its border line commission and direct Gov. Sonny Perdue to negotiate directly with Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen.

The commission was formed in February to look into claims that the Georgia’s northern border with Tennessee was drawn too far south in an 1818 survey.

Georgia lawmakers will not be giving up on its fight to see the disputed border moved 1.1 miles northward and deeper into Tennessee.

Rep. Martin Scott of Rossville said of the new measure to resolve the dispute, “No matter how we pursue the issue, it is time we settle the matter.”

In February Georgia lawmakers decided to revive the debate over the long-disputed border.

In an amendment that is expected to pass the Georgia General Assembly on Friday (April 4), Sen. David Shafer of Duluth is calling for the decommission of the border line commission that his bill originally called for and replace it with a mandate allowing Gov. Perdue to negotiate directly with Bredesen.

This move comes upon the heels of the Tennessee legislature’s decision to ignore Georgia’s disputed border claim and refuse to name its own border line commission to negotiate the matter.

Scott said the move to give Gov. Perdue the ability to negotiate with the Tennessee governor, with oversight from the Georgia legislature, is a good idea.

Some news reports have said the two governors briefly shared words over the matter several weeks ago, leading Bredesen to say he won’t negotiate Tennessee’s border or its water resources from the Tennessee River.

Many are speculating as to whether Bredesen will accept the invitation of the Georgia governor to further discuss the matter.

If Bredesen refuses to negotiate, Shafer’s amendment, if passed, will allow Georgia’s general attorney to file suit in the U.S. Supreme Court.

Scott said it is time to settle the matter, even if it means taking it to the nation’s highest court.


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voterb
Comments: 12
Joined: 12/01/2007
04/04/2008 07:17:08 PM
First sentence - "Georgia will dissolve its border line commission and direct Gov. Sonny Perdue to negotiate directly with Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen."
This is apparently referring to an amendment to the bill that is scheduled to be voted on by the legislature. I thought the commission was already created back in February, according to the second sentence/paragraph and previous articles, but it is still being voted on. Does the reporter know for a fact that the amendment will be passed in order to make this prophecy. Maybe if there was a simple clause added to the sentence/paragraph such as "In a proposed amendment..."

I wonder if the amendment passed. I saw an article on another website saying the boundary commission resolution bill had final passage today, but nothing about the amendment. Do resolutions need to be signed by the governor like laws?

If you check out the legislature's website, there was no shortage of bills voted on today.

There's even more that didn't even make it to vote including more about the state line. The house had bills providing tax amnesty for the people living in the 1.1 mile border area that didn't realize they really live in Georgia and have been accidentally paying their taxes to Tennessee, and forgeting to pay taxes to Georgia. There was another one calling on the census bureau to properly count the people in the same area as being in Georgia rather than Tennessee.
 
jaydubya
Comments: 177
Joined: 11/05/2006
04/04/2008 03:02:15 PM
This is what we elect our representatives for???????? We need serious people to find solutions to serious problems. The economy. Gas prices. Immigration control. And this Mr. Scott thinks an age old border dispute is serious????? This guy needs to get a life and focus on those of us he was elected to represent or he will be a one term dreamer.
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