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WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT Return to Pressroom Return Home |
| WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT – January 12, 2007
Lawmakers hear Governor’s state budget proposal
By Rep. Quincy Murphy The first week of the 2007 session of the Georgia General Assembly was highlighted by ceremonial and organizational activities as newly elected or re-elected members took their oaths of office, leadership positions were filled, committees were assigned and the Governor delivered his annual State of the State address. Rep. Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) was re-elected as Speaker of the House of Representatives by a majority of the members. The majority also adopted new rules that will strictly limit debate on legislation under consideration on the House floor. The “hawk” system was also reinstituted, giving the Speaker the power to hand-pick a House member to vote in any or all committees to help move or stop legislation according to the wishes of the Speaker. Also, local legislation will now be handled similarly to general legislation and must pass through the Rules Committee. In his address to a joint session of the House and Senate on Wednesday, Governor Perdue proposed a fiscal year 2008 annual budget that would reach an all-time high of $20.2 billion in state government spending. The governor has proposed new education initiatives including $21.3 million for expanding graduation coaches and $750,000 for providing a statewide online tutoring program. He also is recommending a 3 percent salary increase for educators this year but is continuing his policy of recommending reductions in the QBE funding formula for local schools, cutting $139 million in his proposal for the next fiscal year. These cuts shift the tax burden from the state level to the local level and caused more than 100 Georgia school systems to raise local property taxes over the past four years to make up the difference. The Governor also proposes to cut more than $274 million in funding to the University System of Georgia. Of special interest to Augusta and Richmond County, the Governor has proposed funding for expansion of the Fort Gordon Youth Challenge Academy. I am extremely pleased that the Governor sees the benefit of expanding the youth program, an effort by the National Guard to teach life skills to teen-agers in a military setting. This program will provide the opportunity for some of our kids to make some positive changes in their lives. Also in the Governor’s budget plan are $3.3 million in additional funds for medical expenses and building improvements at the Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home and $59,000 for the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in downtown Augusta. Other funding items in the Governor’s budget plan include $417 million in bonds for capital outlay construction, $176 million to fund health insurance costs for state employees, $50 million toward purchasing and protecting undeveloped land, $15 million for more than 1,200 new prison beds, $1.4 million to add 15 new GBI methamphetamine force agents, $4.8 million to develop a real-time information system to improve cancer screenings and $5 million to restore and revitalize historic sites. The Governor also announced a $19 million proposal for “Go Fish Georgia,” a tourism initiative to build new ramps along a bass trail that would include 15 sites on the state’s major rivers and reservoirs capable of hosting large bass tournaments. The most significant piece of legislation handled by the House this week was House Resolution 13, which passed unanimously and is aimed at rescuing the PeachCare for Kids program. The measure urges Congress to fully fund the $131 million federal shortfall now faced by PeachCare, which provides health insurance for 270,000 children of Georgia’s working families. Parents and their children depend on this valuable program, and it touches families in every corner of our state, which is why it must be saved from its current economic peril. I am pleased to have been reappointed to the House Higher Education, Insurance and Transportation committees. I am also proud to serve as chairman of the Richmond County legislative delegation. I plan to sponsor legislation to change the elections for Richmond County Commission posts to even-numbered years when voter turnout is higher, and to explore the possibility of allowing part of special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) funds to be used for public safety funding. I will discuss these issues in greater detail in future reports. In the coming week, the legislature will officially be in recess, but starting Tuesday, state agency department heads will present their annual budget requests to a joint session of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees. Following the Appropriations hearings, the full legislature will reconvene on Monday, Jan. 22. Please contact me whenever I can be of service.
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