General Assembly Notes – January 10th 2011

The General Assembly convened on January 10 and the constitutional officers (Governor, Lt. Governor, etc.) and members of the General Assembly were sworn into office.

My committee assignments are as follows:

Education (Chair); Health and Human Services; Economic Development; Retirement (Vice Chair); and Governmental Oversight (Federal programs).

Governor Deal presented his budgets to the General Assembly in a joint session on January 11.

The current budget runs from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Governor Deal reduced the current revenue estimate by $27.5 million to reflect fees collected being lower than projected. He also appropriated one (1) percent of the Rainy Day Fund (reserve) to cover the increase in number of students in grades K-12 and the shortfall for non-certified personnel health care costs.

For July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012 the Governor’s budget included a 3.75 percent revenue increase over the prior year. To replace the $1 billion in stimulus funds which will not be available, state agencies must reduce in the aggregate spending by seven (7) percent. State employment is frozen at current levels and 14,000 positions are eliminated. However, K-12 education receives an additional $30 million. Teacher furloughs are eliminated and the school year will not be shortened (except for ice and snow).

The Governor’s bond package for construction is about 50 percent of what it has been in the past. Significant projects for bond funding include: $231 million for K-12 construction, equipment and buses; $15 million for charter schools that focus on science, technology, education, and math; $46 million for reservoirs; $35 million for deepening the Savannah port; $50 million for University renovations; and $28 million for technical college upgrades.

As respects the HOPE scholarship, no expenditures will be made beyond what the lottery produces (no raiding the reserve).
With federal legislation we will be adding about 650,000 people to the Medicaid rolls (health insurance for the poor and disabled). This will cost an additional $2.5 billion over the next decade.

Our population grew 18.3 percent in the last decade. Water remains a problem and the Governor plans to put $300 million into reservoirs over the next four years.

As respects transportation, the Governor feels public private partnerships must be utilized.

Bottom line, the Governor feels smaller government and personal responsibility are the way to go.

This week joint budget hearing will be held by the House and the Senate.

I realize school redistricting is on everyone’s mind. We will recommend to the public via legislation that the school board be reduced to seven members.

My personal feelings are that schools that cannot have seating for the minimum number of students for full funding from the state and can’t be expanded via capitol construction must be considered for closing. However, students need to be sent to facilities as close as possible to their residence. I do not want to see children living in Chamblee sent to Dunwoody schools or vice versa. I am a strong proponent of neighborhood schools – that is why many people moved to where they did. However, the school board not legislators make these decisions and you need to let our board members know your feelings.

Please feel free to contact me with your thoughts or comments.

Fran Millar, State Senator
Fran.millar@wellsfargo.com
404-487-7329