IN BRIEF:  Rockdale's delegation came together Thursday morning to brief members of the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce and the public on the bills that passed and the issues they worked on in the 2013 General Assembly session.

The delegates that attended the breakfast at Rockdale Medical Center were State Senator Rick Jeffares, House Representatives Tonya Anderson, Dee Dawkins Haigler, Tom Kirby, Pam Stephenson, and David Raynor from the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. Delegates that did not attend had family-related issues or other meetings.

Some of the issues reviewed that were worked on during this first year of the two year legislative cycle included ethics reform, the hospital fee for Medicare funds or the hospital "bed tax," juvenile justice reform,  licensing for veterans in five occupational/profession areas, transportation, workman's compensation system reform, school system rating, and balancing the state budget.

On the ethics reform bill that capped lobbyist spending at $75, Sen. Rick Jeffares, chairman of the ethics committee, said, "These people are hours away, staying away from their famliy, I hope someone is buying them dinner."

Rep. Pamela Stephenson, the senior member of the delegation, said when reasonable people are sitting at the table, they reach the best result.

Rep. Tom Kirby said, "Georgia is in the top five of most transparent states as far as lobbyists and expenditures. It's right there online for everybody."

Check back later for more.