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Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Bruce Thompson

Unanimous Votes in Support of Children

The second week of business in the state Senate concluded with a unanimous, bi-partisan vote. Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senator Charlie Bethel helps children with autism get health insurance coverage. This bill is an important step in the battle for health insurance for children with conditions on the autism spectrum disorder.

SB 1 is a top priority for the Senate Majority Caucus this legislative session because autism is affecting more and more Georgians. The most recent estimates say as many as 1 in 64 children are diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The treatment these children need is expensive for their families, crucial to the development and important for the health of our society.

Children with autism who are unable to get treatment, speech therapy and social development often fall behind in school, require special attention and have trouble interacting with other kids. Brilliant, beautiful young minds with abilities to great work for years to come need a little help to make sure that they can have a happy childhood and embrace what makes them special as individuals.

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Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Bill Cowsert

Senate Unanimously Passes 10^th Grade-to-College Bill

In today’s society, those who haven’t achieved a technical school certificate or earned a college degree have a hard time finding a career path that would easily allow them to raise a family and prosper. Those without a high school diploma are all but left out of the running for any job that could be construed as a “career.” This week, Senate Republicans continued the pursuit of our legislative agenda by passing Senate Bill 2, the Lieutenant Governor’s initiative that encourages education and job readiness by removing obstacles to attaining a high school diploma, the first prerequisite to finding a good job.

Senate Bill 2, the second item on the Republican’s 2015 agenda, was passed unanimously by all 56 Senators, with every Republican and Democrat united in support. It helps eliminate barriers for high school students who are ready to take college level classes or technical college classes.

The measure pertains to students who are at least 16 years old, have finished the 10^th grade, and have completed two English courses, two math courses, two science courses, two social studies courses, and health and physical fitness requirements – typical core courses for the first two years of high school. If these high school students can pass college entrance examinations, they can begin taking courses towards an associate’s degree or technical diploma/certificate. Once they achieve their degree or certificate, their high school requirements will have been fulfilled. In effect, they will have graduated both college and high school on the same day.

This bill is a true win-win. High school students who are ready for college can get a jump start on their education. High school students who are not suited for traditional college can pursue a skilled trade or technical program and gain the training and education that will help them thrive in the workplace. In turn, Georgia gains a skilled workforce of graduates who can fill positions as welders, machinists, medical technicians, wildlife managers, and many more important functions needed in our economy.

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Your Georgia Desk

Interview Senator Josh McKoon

Your Ga Pundit correspondent spoke with Senator Josh McKoon at the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition lunch regarding the status of the religious freedom legislation:

Your Georgia Desk

From The Senate Press Office and Senator Charlie Bethel

Senate in a Minute: Day 11

Your Washington – GA 6 – Desk

From Congressman Tom Price

Price’s Opening Statement: The President’s FY 2016 Budget

As Prepared for Delivery

Good morning, everyone, and thanks for being here today.

As we discussed in last week’s hearing with the CBO director, there is no question our nation is on a fiscal and economic path that is unsustainable. Our national debt has topped $18 trillion and is growing ever larger. Vital programs that folks rely on are heading toward insolvency. And our economy isn’t growing nearly as fast as it should be. If we maintain this status quo, we’re going to have a future of less opportunity and less security for the American people.

So, it’s clear we need to move in a different direction and that requires new ideas that can actually deliver real, positive results. Unfortunately, what the president has proposed in his budget fails on many levels to solve the challenges we face.

Director Donovan, thank you for being here today. I look forward to your testimony and explanation of the president’s reasoning behind his budget proposal, because, to be honest, my colleagues and I, on this committee, have serious concerns with what the president has put forward.

A lot of what we have here in the president’s budget is just more of the same policies that have been tried over the past few years and have led us to our current state of high, and soon to be rising again, deficits and an underperforming economy. The president is proposing a $2.1 trillion tax increase and a $2.4 trillion spending increase. He’s suggesting that Washington ought to take more from American families and job creators in order to spend more in Washington. That’s a formula that hasn’t worked in the past, and it’s not going to start working now. Every dollar that is taken from Americans in taxes – and every dollar borrowed – is a dollar that can’t be spent on – paying for your kid’s education, buying a car, paying your rent, paying your mortgage, buying a house. All the things the American people want to do – are made more difficult, because of the president’s budget.

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Your Washington Desk

From Senator Johnny Isakson

Isakson Calls on Senate Democrats to End Filibuster on Homeland Security Funding Bill, Check President’s Executive Overreach on Immigration

‘Let’s get off the sidelines… and send the president a bill …that says we want a secure border, we want an immigration policy that works and we want to once again be a government of checks and balances, not a government of executive orders.’

U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today urged Senate Democratic colleagues to end their filibuster of the Department of Homeland Security funding measure. The bill would hold the president accountable for his lawless executive amnesty, while also providing funding for the Department of Homeland Security currently set to expire on Feb. 27, 2015.

The House-passed Homeland Security appropriations bill failed to advance in the Senate yesterday in a 51 to 48 vote with every Senate Democrat opposing the measure, preventing the Senate to debate the legislation. The procedural motion needed 60 votes to pass.

Isakson delivered the following remarks on the floor of the Senate today:

“I think it’s ironic that on the same day that the Islamic state tragically took the life of a Jordanian pilot that the United States Senate failed to get a 60-vote majority to vote to move to a motion to proceed to debate the most important issue that’s facing the United States of America.

“I agree with my colleagues that have talked about the danger of Islamic terrorism, the danger of porous borders, all the dangers they talked about, but you can’t solve those problems unless you get it to the floor and you debate it.

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Your Washington Desk

From Senator David Perdue

Senator David Perdue Cosponsors Balanced Budget Amendment

Continues to Advance Georgians’ Top Priorities In U.S. Senate

U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) today, along with Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and 52 other Senators, cosponsored a Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) to the Constitution. The Balanced Budget Amendment would require total expenditures for any fiscal year to not exceed total receipts for that fiscal year. Senator Perdue continues to advance Georgians’ top priorities and has already cosponsored legislation in support of building the Keystone Pipeline, rolling back regulations, fully repealing Obamacare, advancing the Fair Tax, and implementing term limits.

“Georgians sent me to the Senate to help end the dysfunction in Washington and to get our economy back on track. In turn, I promised Georgians that I would immediately cut this outrageous spending, start solving our debt crisis, and finally balance the budget. That’s why I am proud to cosponsor a Balanced Budget Amendment to Constitutionally require the federal government to get its fiscal house in order.

“The United States is in a full-blown fiscal crisis, and we are handing our kids and grandkids $18 trillion of debt, as well as tens of trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities down the road. Yet year after year, Washington is perfectly comfortable with giant budget deficits. For the sake of our economic and national security, and the future of our country, this has to stop.

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Your Georgia Desk

From The Senate Press Office and Senator Greg Kirk

Senate in a Minute: Day 10

Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Judson Hill

Greetings from your state Capitol  

We settled into the 3rd week of the 2015 Session. All pending bills die at the end of every 2 year term; therefore, the Senate committees have only a few pending new filed bills meaning in Chamber Session days will be shorter until more bills are filed. A bill has until legislative Day 30 to pass one Chamber so our focus will not turn to House bills for several more weeks. Below is a list of notable legislation that has been introduced in the Senate and is under deliberation in their respective committees.

The legislature continues to hold hearings on the proposed state budgets in various Appropriations subcommittees. We will adjust both the current FY 2015 ($20.8 billion) budget as well as consider and pass the FY 2016 ($21.1 billion) budget. This 2015-16 GA State Budget link takes you to documents to view a more detailed description of Governor Deal’s proposed 2015 Amended and 2016 state budget.

The Georgia State Budget Process

The Amended FY2015 State budgeting process ensures Georgia closes out the fiscal year with a balanced budget on June 30th in order to begin the new fiscal year on July 1st.

After consideration and passage of the Amended 2015 Budget, which considers the second half of the fiscal year, the General Assembly will work on the fiscal year 2016 budget, commonly called the “big budget” because it will determine spending and programs hrough June of 2016.

Several FY 2016 Budget Highlights presented in the Governor’s Budget-

1.      $280 million for the K-12 QBE Formula is intended for systems to pass on to teachers as furlough replacement or pay raises for teachers.

2.      $16.7 million in Lottery funds for a 3% increase in the HOPE scholarship in public and private colleges to keep up with tuition increases.

3.      $139.8 million to fund the Annual Required Contribution for Employees Retirement, Teachers Retirement and Public School Employees Retirement Systems.

4.      $149.1 million in new funds for Medicaid growth and Affordable Care Act compliance, and voluntary case management for the Age, Blind and Disabled population.  Offset by reductions totaling $179.4 million in PeachCare and Medicaid costs and an increase in the federal match.

5.      $239.6 million to fund growth in K-12 enrollment and teacher pay scale recognizing 1.35% increase in enrollment this past year.  Georgia’s schools now educate 1.72 million students.

6.      $800 million in bonds including $230.0 million for K-12 school construction, $197.7 million for Regents projects, and $19.8 million for Technical Colleges.

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Your Georgia Desk

From Senator Jeff Mullis 

Update from the Gold Dome

The General Assembly took a break from the regular legislative schedule during the week of January 19 – 23 to attend budget briefings and review the funding requests presented by state agencies. While the Governor’s budget recommendations are certainly a guiding framework, it is up to the House and Senate to finalize the general FY 2016 and the amended FY 2015 appropriations bills—right down to the very last line item. While the amended FY 2015 bill has already passed the House and is now undergoing review in the Senate, the general FY 2016 budget will take much longer to evaluate.

Past years of responsible budgeting, even during tough financial times, has allowed Georgia’s economy to rebound faster than many other states. The proposed budget increase—from $20.8 billion in FY 2015 to $21.7 billion in FY 2016—is proof that Georgia is continuing to grow and invest in the future of our state. Governor Deal’s FY 2016 budget recommendations include $239 billion to fund enrollment growth and training for over 1.72 million K – 12 students and 121,000 teachers and administrators. An additional $280 million has been included to increase instructional days and properly compensate our best educators.

The HOPE scholarship program allows Georgia college students to receive a quality, affordable education in their home state, but the program has seen a sharp decrease in funding in recent years. Governor Deal has recommended, for the second year straight, a 3 percent increase in the award amount for HOPE scholarships and grants. This will be funded through $16.7 million in additional lottery funds. Nearly $19.7 million in bonds has been recommended for new capital projects, as well as renovations and new equipment, throughout the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).

Improving Georgia’s transportation infrastructure remains a top priority for both the Governor and the General Assembly. Approximately $17.5 million in additional motor fuel funds have been allotted for road and bridge projects, based on anticipated collections.

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