By Sen. Lee Hawkins
ATLANTA (Feb. 12, 2010) – Fiscal responsibility is key at a time when so many Georgians are unemployed and the state is struggling just to provide core government services. Anything we can do to reduce costs, burdens and regulations on citizens, businesses and government agencies must be put into practice.
To this end, the Senate passed a bill that I’ve authored to provide liability coverage for physician assistants who volunteer their services at free health clinics. Senate Bill 344 allows clinics to use the money that they would pay for that liability to produce or provide medications and health care services. This will help keep the doors open to Georgia’s 100 clinics that serve 200,000 patients annually, patients who are typically low-income and depend on these free medical services for their health and well-being. Everyone knows medical expenses are often the heaviest financial burden for individuals and families, and these clinics are especially crucial right now as so many Georgians are financially strapped. The clinic is also an alternative to using the emergency room, which will keep our state’s Medicare costs down.
While Washington continues struggling to find a way to bring down health care costs, Georgia is leading the way in reducing the financial burden at no cost to the state. Lawmakers are working to protect Georgians’ health care freedom and prohibit federal mandates from penalizing citizens. Senate Bill 399 prohibits federal health care reform provisions from being implemented in Georgia unless the General Assembly passes legislation that authorizes the state’s compliance with any health care reform provision. Georgia’s health care system has been developed to address the unique circumstances in the state and to provide solutions that work for Georgia. However, federal government proposals for health care infringe on state powers and the rights of citizens by requiring them to enroll in a third-party payer system and levying fines on those who choose to pay directly for their health care. Employers also face fines under federal proposals if they do not meet federal standards for providing health care benefits for employees, while threatening private health care systems with competing government supported health care systems. Through this measure, we will protect citizens, businesses and health care providers and systems from unnecessary financial burdens that threaten the health of Georgians and the economic health of our state.
As Georgia leads the nation in bank failures, it only makes fiscal sense to reduce burdens on banks so that they can continue lending to their customers. The full legislature recently passed House Bill 926, which allows state banks to renew some loans to customers in good standing. State legal lending limits are affected by declining property values, loan losses and the economy and keep worthy customers from renewing loans. Customers and small businesses then must take the time, and incur the cost, to seek out needed credit from other lenders. This bill will allow consumers in good standing to preserve a positive relationship with a Georgia bank without changing lenders. Because this bill is crucial to keeping banks afloat and many businesses alive, the legislature passed the measure in just a month, with the governor signing it into law the same day it came out of the Senate. I have been a supporter of this measure since the beginning, and began working with local businesses in the summer on preparing for the introduction of this bill.
Achieving cost savings in the government sector is just as important as implementing them in private businesses. As stewards of taxpayer dollars, it’s the lawmaker’s responsibility to ensure that money is being used as wisely and efficiently as possible. I was proud to co-sponsor a legislative package that was recently unveiled to achieve government savings and transparency through the Paper Reduction Act (SB 388) and Transparency in Government Act (SB 389). The Paper Reduction Act mandates electronic distribution and publication in state government, unless printing is necessary by a legal standard. This will provide easier, more instantaneous access to government information as well as cut costs of printing, paper, and mailing. Every dollar counts, and reducing paper use has proven to yield cost savings for countless businesses. Under the Transparency in Government Act, the public information website open.georgia.gov will be expanded to include all three branches of government, any regional education service agency, all local boards of education, federal pass through dollars and contracts and expenditures made by the General Assembly. With this legislation, the General Assembly will be included in the auditing and tracking functions of open.georgia.gov, run by the Department of Audits and Accounts. This bill ensures all fiscal actions of the entire legislative arm of state government are available for the general public to find.
Sen. Lee Hawkins serves as the chairman of the State and Local Governmental Operations Committee. He represents the 49th Senate District, which includes Hall County and portions of Jackson County. He may be reached at 404.656.6578 or via e-mail at lee.hawkins@senate.ga.gov.
COLUMN
For Immediate Release:
February 12, 2010
For Information Contact:
Raegan Weber, Director
Kallarin Richards, Senior Communications Specialist
kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028