Eight Legislatiave Days Completed
This week marked the completion of eight legislative days for the 2015 Legislative Session. With 32 more days left to pass a balanced budget, vet legislation and welcome special guests, the Georgia General Assembly is hard at work for the citizens we’ve been elected to represent.
This week, the Gold Dome hosted special guests from across the state, including members of our outstanding Georgia National Guard. It was nice to welcome these men and women along with new Adjutant General Joe Jarrad to thank them for their service to our great state. I admire the countless hours they’ve spent away from their families serving Georgia and am proud to live in a state with such a brave and committed National Guard.
Tuesday, I was honored to recognize two very special constituents from our district. We honored Don Graham, a native of Jones County and the Jones County Emergency Management Association Director and Fire Chief. I was happy to give Don a special congratulation for being named the 2013 Georgia Emergency Management Association Director of the Year. We also took time to recognize Bart W. Jackson of Round Oak for being named 2014 Superior Court Clerk of the Year. Both of these men are fine examples of the caliber of constituents I am blessed to represent. Congratulations to you both!
On Thursday, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1, a bill that would require insurers to cover children six or younger who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Currently, one in 64 children are diagnosed somewhere on the Autism scale; a condition that, if left untreated, can cost an additional $3.2 million over the course of a lifetime. It is simply unacceptable that some of these children are not covered due to a medically proven ailment, and on Thursday, the Senate body did our job to change this. In a sign of unity, the Senate passed SB 1 by an overwhelming vote of 54-1. And as Lt. Governor Cagle so eloquently stated, this was a proud moment for this body.
As reported two weeks ago, we are at a critical juncture in our transportation infrastructure funding. This week we received the proposal from the House of Representatives for Georgia to fund $1 billion to maintain our vast transportation infrastructure. Their plan would convert Georgia’s combination of sales and excise taxes on fuel to a 29.2 cent-per-gallon excise tax. When implemented, the package would create a new $200 annual fee for alternative fuel vehicles, with the exception of hybrids. Mass transit systems in Georgia would have access to a combined $100 million in bonds next year.
Last week, Governor Nathan Deal unveiled his Fiscal Year 2016 recommendations. These recommendations will provide the General Assembly with a blueprint for allocating funds. Balancing the state budget is a top priority because it translates into meaning we don’t spend money that we don’t have. And in this process, the Governor must estimate revenues for the future year in order to determine how much money will be in the state budget. The Governor set the fiscal year 2016 (FY ’16) proposed budget at $21.7 billion, an increase from the fiscal year 2015 (FY ’15) budget of $20.8 billion. This is further proof that Georgia is continuing to grow and invest in the future of our state.
Senators and Representatives will continue working together over the next few weeks to ensure all state operations are properly funded without overspending. In addition to setting the framework for the FY ‘16 budget, the FY ‘15 budget must be revised to account for unexpected expenses and growth. The Governor has recommended that the Amended FY 2015 Budget include an additional $134 million to cover school enrollment growth, $4.8 million for Georgia Regents University to conduct clinical trials for the use of cannabidiol oil to treat children with severe seizure disorders, and $15.4 million for the improvement and expansion of child welfare services. An additional $20 million is slated for strategic economic development project grants and loans for local communities.
We returned to the Gold Dome on Monday, Feb. 2 for Day Nine of the Legislative Session. I remain committed to supporting policies that promote business growth and get Georgians back to work. It remains a pleasure to serve you, the constituents of the 25th Senate District. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 404.656.0082 or via email at burt.jones@senate.ga.gov.