By Bill Hamrick
State lawmakers are working hard under the Gold Dome to author and pass legislation that makes Georgia a better place to live and work. Our goal throughout countless committee meetings, floor debates and meetings with interested stakeholders is to craft common sense, fiscally conservative policies. This is exactly what we have done.
The amended FY 2011 budget cleared its last hurdle before going to the governor’s desk to be signed and enacted. The $18.1 billion budget included an average 4 percent cut to all agencies. The shortfall was due mostly to K-12 enrollment growth and less-than-anticipated federal matching for Medicaid expenses. We had to make tough choices to ensure that our budget is balanced as the state Constitution mandates.
We will soon begin grappling with the FY 20 12 budget, which will not be any easier to balance. The FY 2012 revenue estimate, including tax revenue, agency collections and other state general funds, is 12.75 percent above actual FY 2010 revenues. Tax revenues are expected to grow $908 million or 6 percent during FY 2012. This proves that we are slowly growing but we are still dealing with the preceding months of low revenues. I’m confident that we will balance the budget with the same fiscally conservative principles that have guided us thus far.
Another agenda item we have approached with common sense is the impending health care mandates handed down from the federal government. I supported a Senate Resolution providing a Constitutional Amendment that, if approved, would state that government can not compel individuals to purchase a particular health care plan and they can not be penalized for choosing not to have health care. Every Georgian has the right to determine whether or not he or she needs to purchase a health care program.
Other updates from the Capitol include the movement of the HOPE reform bill through the legislative process. The Senate Higher Education Committee vetted the bill and made few alterations. During debate in the full Senate, the bill was amended to allow all valedictorians and salutatorians from all Georgia schools to be eligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship and establishes a low interest loan program that will help students presently covered under HOPE to bridge the gap between actual tuition cost and costs covered by HOPE once the bill is enacted. This generous program was facing imminent bankruptcy so we had to take action. This legislation presents a sustainable solution, ensuring our children and grandchildren will be able to benefit from the HOPE scholarship program. The bill now awaits the governor’s signature.
As always, it’s an honor to serve you, the 30th Senate District. If you have any questions on current legislation in the General Assembly, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sen. Bill Hamrick serves as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He represents the 30th Senate District which includes portions of Carroll, Douglas, and Paulding counties. He may be reached at 404.656.0036 or via e-mail at bill.hamrick@senate.ga.gov.
COLUMN
For Immediate Release:
March 11, 2011
For Information Contact:
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Katie Wright, Communications Manager
Katie.Wright@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028