Click on any of the following to read the press release.

Levitas Qualifies for Re-Election to Georgia House
Levitas Files Bill to Hold Habitual Violators Accountable
Levitas Files Bill to Reform DeKalb County Government
Levitas Files Bill to Provide Relief for DeKalb Taxpayers
Levitas Files Income Tax Relief Bill
Levitas Files Bill to Provide Relief for Georgia Taxpayers
Levitas Files Bill for Water-Efficient Tax Holiday

ATLANTA, GA --- April 28, 2008 --- Rep. Kevin Levitas (D-Atlanta), a businessman and former DeKalb County Assistant District Attorney, was the first to qualify today for election to a seat in the Georgia House of Representatives in 2008. Levitas has served as the Representative from House District 82 for the past two years and is a member of the Judiciary Non-Civil, Science & Technology, Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, and Information & Audits Committees. In addition to his regular committee assignments, Levitas was appointed in 2007 to serve on a special House-Senate study committee on indigent defense.

During his first term in office, Levitas passed a major reform of drunk-driving laws, establishing for the first time in Georgia a felony-level offense for driving under the influence (DUI) for serial offenders. In addition, he authored language creating a tax-free holiday for the purchase of water-efficient products. Levitas was also the House sponsor of two Senate bills, one outlawing Internet identity-theft schemes and the other closing a loophole in Georgia law that allowed offenders to escape punishment for felony vehicular homicide. These bills were passed during the 2008 Session of the General Assembly and await the Governor's signature.

In qualifying for the July 15 Primary, Levitas said he is eager to continue his service to House District 82, which includes communities in Briarlake, Brockett, Embry Hills, Evansdale, Hawthorne, Henderson Mill, Heritage, Lakeside, Livsey, Midvale, Northlake, Pleasantdale and Tucker.

Levitas noted that while he accomplished a number of legislative goals during his first term in office, there is still much he wants to do. "I am not satisfied with resting on past achievements. That is why I was first in line to qualify today. I am ready to get started with the hard work ahead between now and November and ready to get back to the House to keep serving the people in my community and this great state."

ATLANTA, GA --- December 13, 2007 --- State Rep. Kevin Levitas (House District 82; D-DeKalb) pre-filed House Bill 910, legislation to help protect Georgians from dangerous drivers threatening lives every day on roads across the state. Levitas said that his bill would remove from existing law overly complicated notice provisions that make it difficult to keep habitual violators of serious traffic offenses off of the streets. He noted that offenses committed by habitual violators include crimes such as vehicular homicide, fleeing and attempting to elude a police officer, hit and run, and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Levitas explained that the "Habitual Violator" law is supposed to keep the most dangerous drivers off of the road by making it a felony for them to operate a motor vehicle after being convicted of three serious traffic offenses within a five-year period, punishable by up to five years in prison. Levitas noted, however, that the law contains unnecessarily burdensome notice provisions that thwart this effort. "It makes no sense," Levitas said, "to require that offenders convicted of the state's most serious traffic offenses receive notice of their own convictions from a judge or via certified mail before they can be properly punished.

Levitas said that other offenses that punish repeated misdemeanor violations as felonies do not have similar notice requirements. Levitas cited shoplifting, carrying a concealed weapon and even public indecency as examples of misdemeanors that become felonies without the need to send prior notice to the offenders that committed them. "Being convicted of the underlying crimes ought to be notice enough. We have to do a better job of protecting law-abiding citizens. This bill is a step in that direction."

Levitas said that his bill will be assigned to a House committee during the 2008 Session of the General Assembly. To read the full text of HB 910, click this link:

ATLANTA, GA --- November 15, 2007 --- State Rep. Kevin Levitas (House District 82; D-DeKalb) has pre-filed House Bill 894, legislation to reform the Government of DeKalb County.

Citing the need for serious reform, Levitas stated that "DeKalb County’s form of government—the only one like it in the State of Georgia—is in need of a transformation. This bill will result in a balance of power and provide important checks and balances to a system heavily tilted, in its current form, in favor of the chief executive officer. Taxpayers across DeKalb County want a fairer and more responsive government, one which can be brought about only by serious, meaningful and comprehensive reform."

Levitas noted that his bill would allow the commissioners to set the Commission meeting agendas, to preside over Commission meetings and to provide investigation and oversight authority over the operations of county government. "As a member of the General Assembly, I cannot imagine being placed in the position of our County Commissioners. If the Governor were to set the agenda for the legislature, to preside over both the House and the Senate sessions and to be the sole arbiter of government operations, there would be little left for the people’s representatives to do. Avoiding a concentration of power in the Executive Branch is fundamental to our system of government and essential to ensuring that the citizens of DeKalb are represented by a government of the people, by the people and for the people."

Levitas said that his bill will be assigned to a House committee during the 2008 Session of the General Assembly. "I look forward to working with the DeKalb County delegation and my other colleagues in the General Assembly to establish a fairer and more democratic government for our great county."

To view the text of House Bill 894, follow this link:

ATLANTA, GA --- November 15, 2007 --- State Rep. Kevin Levitas (House District 82; D-DeKalb) has pre-filed House Bill 893, legislation to provide relief to DeKalb County taxpayers by freezing a home’s value for property tax purposes at the original purchase price of the home.

Noting the need to put a halt to unfair property tax increases, Levitas stated that "The time has come to put an end to back-door property tax increases. If DeKalb County—or any county government, for that matter—wants to raise taxes, it ought to do so uniformly and straightforwardly. Taxpayers in my District and across the County are tired of large and arbitrary tax increases imposed on them each and every year through the assessment 'process' to satisfy the insatiable budgetary appetite of government."

Under the plan introduced by Levitas, a home’s value for purposes of tax assessments would be frozen at the original purchase price and would not increase until the home was sold. "The only true measure of a home's worth," noted Levitas, "is the price at which a seller is willing to sell and the buyer is willing to buy."

Levitas also noted that his bill would protect older adults on fixed incomes who want to remain in their homes but who happen to live next door to newly built mansions and whose home values are artificially inflated. "My bill will reward those taxpayers who remain in the County for the long term and who have paid their fair share of the tax burden over the years."

Levitas said that his bill will be assigned to a House committee during the 2008 Session of the General Assembly. "I look forward to working with the DeKalb County delegation and my other colleagues in the General Assembly to return fairness to our County’s tax system."

To view the text of House Bill 893, follow this link:

ATLANTA, GA --- November 15, 2007 --- State Rep. Kevin Levitas (House District 82; D-DeKalb) has pre-filed House Bill 896, legislation to provide Georgia taxpayers with a credit against state income taxes in an amount equal to any state and county property taxes they pay. "Giving tax credits for property taxes paid would make our system fairer, and it would put dollars back in the pockets of Georgia taxpayers where they belong. This bill would foster local control of government, rein in the size of state government and lessen the burden of state income tax on Georgians."

Levitas noted that under his plan, circuit-breaker provisions would protect state reserves and prevent the issuance of refunds for the credit.

"Taxpayers whose money paves our streets, funds our police forces and supports our public schools ought to be given credit for their contribution to improving the quality of all of our lives, and those who pay the most in taxes ought to receive the greatest relief," Levitas said.

Levitas said that his bill will be assigned to a House committee during the 2008 Session of the General Assembly. "I look forward to helping provide long-overdue relief for taxpayers across our great state."

To view the text of House Bill 896, follow this link:

ATLANTA, GA --- November 15, 2007 --- State Rep. Kevin Levitas (House District 82; D-DeKalb) has pre-filed House Resolution 1012, legislation to provide relief to Georgia taxpayers by effectively freezing a home's value for property tax purposes at the original purchase price of the home.

Levitas said that his resolution "would create an equitable property tax system and force county governments to deal straightforwardly with taxpayers. The only true measure of a home's worth is the price at which a seller is willing to sell, and the buyer is willing to buy. The open market provides the only genuine measure of the value of a home." Levitas noted that, under his resolution, if a county wants to raise taxes, then it will have to do so directly and uniformly, rather than using inconsistent increases in individual property assessments to accomplish that goal.

"Georgia taxpayers deserve to be treated fairly," Levitas said, "and this measure will provide that fairness while it serves the laudable goal of making government more transparent."

Under the plan introduced by Levitas, a home’s value for purposes of tax assessments would be effectively frozen at the original purchase price and would not increase until the home was sold.

Levitas also noted that his resolution would protect long-term county residents living on fixed incomes by ensuring that a home's value is not artificially inflated solely because it is located next door to a newer and larger house. "My legislation rewards those taxpayers who remain in their home counties for the long term, who have paid their fair share of the tax burden over the years and who want nothing more than to remain in their neighborhood."

Levitas said that his resolution will be assigned to a House committee during the 2008 Session of the General Assembly. "I look forward to working to establishing a fair property tax system for taxpayers all across our great state."

To view the text of House Resolution 1012, follow this link:

ATLANTA, GA --- November 15, 2007 --- In an effort to strengthen water-conservation efforts in Georgia, State Rep. Kevin Levitas (House District 82; D-DeKalb) has pre-filed House Bill 897, legislation to provide a tax-free holiday for water-efficient products.

Levitas said of the measure: "A tax holiday will encourage the public to conserve water during Georgia's severe drought by providing an incentive to buy water-efficient products. We need to find ways to save our precious water resources, and this measure will provide an extra incentive for all of us to do our part to help."

Levitas noted that, as with the annual tax-exemption for energy-efficient products, the new tax holiday for water-efficient items would be for the purchase of energy efficient products with a sales price of $1,500.00 or less per product purchased for noncommercial home or personal use. Levitas also noted that his measure would schedule the energy-efficient and water-efficient tax holidays for the same weekend.

Explaining why his bill combines the two tax holidays into the same weekend, Levitas said, "consumers should be able to plan one shopping trip—and save extra gasoline—since both types of environmentally friendly products are available at the same store at the same time."

Levitas further noted that the legislation was an excellent example of how each citizen can make a difference, noting that the idea for the bill came from a letter he received from a constituent. "The notion of a tax holiday for water-efficient products struck me as an outstanding idea, and I drafted the bill that day."

Levitas said that his bill will be assigned to a House committee during the 2008 Session of the General Assembly.

To view the text of House Bill 897, follow this link: