The 2010 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly got under way Jan. 11 with a cloud hanging over lawmakers’ heads in the form of a state budget deficit estimated at up to $4 billion. The No. 1 item on the agenda for this session is the difficult task of approving a budget for the remainder of this fiscal year as well as fiscal year 2011 that meets the needs of the people of Georgia in the current economic conditions.
The first round of legislative budget hearings will be held Jan. 19-21. Typically, the governor presents his budget proposal during the first week of the session to legislators. This year, Gov. Perdue instead gave a “State of the State” address Jan. 13 that included no preview of his budget recommendations.
Senate budget writers will receive recommendations for short and long-term budget solutions from members of a “task force” appointed by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle. Comprised of corporate executives from companies including Georgia Power, Atlanta Gas Light and Blue Cross Blue Shield, the committee with work with the Senate Budget Office and provide advice to Senators, the lieutenant governor said.
State agencies, including our public schools, law enforcement and other vital service providers, have had their budgets cut to the bone over the past 18 months due to shortfalls in revenue. The state’s Medicaid shortfall for FY 2011 alone is estimated at $635 million. This year’s budget planning will also have to account for a lack of more than $1 billion in federal stimulus funding which enabled us to balance the budget last year.
Transportation Funding: For the past two years, the Senate and House of Representatives have failed to agree on legislation that would provide a sufficient funding source for badly needed transportation upgrades across the state. The lieutenant governor and House leaders said this week they have abandoned plans for a constitutional amendment for a statewide sales tax for transportation, which the House passed last year. The Senate’s proposed solution is a regional sales tax plan under which counties could band together to fund transportation improvements, if the voters in those counties approved the tax by referendum. The governor, meanwhile, said he would set aside $300 million in bond funds to pay for major transportation projects. He also said he wants to see a series of regional sales taxes for road projects placed on the ballot in 2012 instead of this November.
Health Insurance Reform: Some Senators are sponsoring a proposed constitutional amendment they claim would exempt Georgians from any federal health care reform legislation that requires citizens to obtain health insurance coverage. Also, Gov. Perdue has proposed legislation that would allow consumers to buy health insurance plans marketed by insurers in other states.
Gun Law Expansion: A Senate proposal would make it legal to carry guns in a wider variety of public places, including sporting events, political rallies, bars, K-12 schools, college campuses (except in dormitories) and non-secured portions of airports. The bill would also allow convicted criminals and mental patients to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon after certain time periods.
Water Issues: The governor reported “a renewed spirit of cooperation” among Georgia, Florida and Alabama in the three states’ ongoing water rights dispute. There has been a greater sense of urgency for Georgia since a federal judge’s ruling last July restricting metro Atlanta’s rights to use Lake Lanier as its main source of drinking water. Gov. Perdue said he is willing to call a special legislative session later in the year if an agreement cannot be reached during the regular session.