When Rep. Ron Forster, R-Ringgold, decided not to run for another term as the House member from District 3, he left the field wide open in the heavily Republican district that covers most of Catoosa County and part of Whitfield County.

Three Republican candidates will vie for the nomination in the July 15 primary: Dalton attorney Robert D. “Bob” Jenkins, Catoosa County Republican Party Chairman Brad Scott and Ringgold attorney Tom Weldon Jr.

None has held a generally elected office before.

The winner will run against the lone Democratic candidate, Ralph Noble, in the Nov. 4 general election.

Gas prices

With gas prices topping $4 a gallon in much of Georgia, all three Republican candidates said Georgia lawmakers should seriously reconsider the part of the state’s sales tax on gasoline and diesel. The sales tax is calculated based on a percentage of the price per gallon and adjusted every six months, but Gov. Sonny Perdue last month suspended a scheduled increase for July 1.

Back when gas cost only $1 or $2 a gallon, Georgia’s gas tax system made the state the cheapest place to buy gas in the region, but with rapidly rising gas prices, the flat per gallon tax rates used in most other states make their fuel cheaper, Mr. Jenkins said.

“We’ve lost the competitive edge,” Mr. Jenkins said. “The sales tax particularly needs to be addressed immediately. We need to look at this from a holistic approach. We want to reduce taxes but also look at other forms of revenue.”

Mr. Weldon said, if elected, he would plan to introduce legislation the first day of session that would change the percentage sales tax to a price-per-gallon flat tax like most other states, but at a slightly lower rate to keep Georgia competitive.

“Once we change our policy, our people will sell more fuel and get more tax dollars,” Mr. Weldon said. “We’re losing more tax dollars (now).”

In addition into reconsidering Georgia’s gas tax, Mr. Scott said he would propose a state gas tax holiday for next summer, much like the federal gas tax holiday proposed by the presumptive Republican presidential nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

“In the summer months, (the gasoline price) seems to be at the highest,” Mr. Scott said. “It’d be relief when we’re using gas the most.”

To replace the revenue, Mr. Scott he’d look at cutting “wasteful spending” in other departments.

Education

Education consumes more than half of Georgia’s $21 billion budget, and all candidates said improving how that money is spent and the quality of public schools is a priority.

All three said they would fight to fully fund the Quality Basic Education formula, which has been short-funded by more than $1 billion in the past five years.

In addition to fully funding QBE, Mr. Weldon said the funding formula should be updated to more adequately account for inflation.

“It’s eating up buying power,” Mr. Weldon said. “I will work for getting QBE tied for inflation.”

Mr. Scott, who works as a substitute teacher in Catoosa County Schools, said the state should provide more money to local school districts to carry out requirements outlined in Georgia law, including hiring teachers with specific expertise.

But, Mr. Scott said he believes schools should be controlled locally, and said he’d work toward “giving teachers more rights in the classroom, not so many state requirements.”

Mr. Jenkins, who said his wife, Kathy, once worked as a teacher, said he was also concerned about “unfunded mandates” from the state and questions the importance put on standardized tests to evaluate the quality of education. He said he wants to encourage “diversity” in teaching.

“There’s too much teaching to the test,” Mr. Jenkins said. “One of the great values to education is in having learned from a wide range of experience. They need to have that room and flexibility.”

As for higher education, Mr. Jenkins said he would work to bring a university to Northwest Georgia, possibly drawing on the resources of existing state colleges in the area.

“If you look, we’re the only region that doesn’t have a university,” Mr. Jenkins said. “It would give access to higher education” for rapidly growing communities.

Mr. Scott also lists bringing a college campus to Catoosa County on his platform.

Priorities

If elected, Mr. Scott said his “main thing” would be to “continue conservative voting record” of Rep. Forster in the House. Mr. Scott said this includes promoting low taxes and a stance against abortion rights.

His No. 1 priority legislation would be to help pass a “Human Life Amendment” that would define life beginning as fertilization in the state constitution. Rep. Martin Scott, R-Rossville, sponsored such legislation last year, but it died in subcommittee.

“My belief is life is the most important right of our society,” Mr. Scott said.

Legislation to alter the state gas tax would be Mr. Weldon’s first task as a lawmaker, he said, but also important to him would be devising ways the state could help make health insurance available to all Georgians.

He said legislation passed this session to promote high-deductible health insurance plans aren’t “really an option” for the residents who need it most, and he is looking at programs in other states as templates.

“We would keep all options available,” Mr. Weldon said. “This is one of the biggest threats to our population.”

Mr. Jenkins said his focus would be on comprehensive tax reform.

“I’d like to look at reducing ad valorem and property taxes, but we have to balance all tax cuts with appropriate spending cuts,” Mr. Jenkins said.

Mr. Jenkins also said he’d work for a tax structure and incentives that promote industry, especially in Northwest Georgia.

“We need to redirect spending in a number of areas,” he said. “In the transportation budget, Northwest Georgia has not seen its fair share. ... We are the industrial heart of Georgia.”

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