Perdue OKs guns bill, cuts tax credit for poor

Gov. Sonny Perdue today signed — and vetoed — a laundry list of bills that have managed to piss off conservatives, give gun nuts a rise in their Wranglers, and throw dirt in the faces of the state’s poorest residents.

In what was one of the governor’s final chances to leave a legacy, Perdue made some quirky choices. He most notably approved Senate Bill 308. Sponsored by state Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, the legislation allows licensed gun owners to carry their weapons in more places. He said “nein” to Senate Bill 1, state Sen. David Shafer’s attempt to get the state to practice zero-based budgeting. (Conservatives, including Peach Punditeers and Americans for Prosperity, are having a helluva time over this legislation, which basically requires most state departments to show why they need their requested funding amounts each year.) Finally, Perdue OK’ed a tax-incentive measure that included language that eliminates a tax credit for the state’s poorest residents. That Sonny, he’s always keeping it classy.

And oh gawd, Perdue’s veto statements were filled with drama:

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• On the guns-in-airports bill, one which U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder called “worrisome”: The governor said legislation he’d signed earlier today already clarified gun laws. “For this reason, and despite unwarranted intrusion into this state matter by ill-advised federal officials, I VETO SB 291.” Snap, sir.

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• The governor called out the Medical Association of Georgia about its involvement in House Bill 321, saying the group “insisted (over the objections of many)” on inserting language into the bill that likely violates federal law.

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• The governor totally called out the sponsors of Senate Bill 415 — though not by name — for carrying some communications company’s water. Or just not protecting the bill from being turned into a foul piece of legislation. “SB 415 essentially provides liability protection for one company that does business in the area of emergency communications. Although I strongly support tort reform, I believe it is inappropriate to do it one company at a time, and so I VETO SB 415.” Everybody point at laugh!

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• Perdue killed the ridiculous “Legislative Economic Development Council,” one of the questionable pieces of legislation soon-to-be-former state Sen. Chip Pearson introduced this year. Want more details about the Dawsonville Republican’s bad bills? Might we point you to this story?

James Salzer and Maureen Downey of the AJC have some more details about some of the other bills, particularly one those impacting the children’s edumacations. For the five people who actually care to read the governor’s prose — honestly, some of his logic behind the veto decisions makes for good reading — we’ve pasted the full text after the jump. Enjoy!