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South Georgia at the State Capitol

 

By State Sen. Greg Goggans

Bills Passed This Past Week in the Senate

 

  • SB 8: Requires a third party audit of state agencies and allows for contracted collection for overpayments.

 

  • SB 36: Establishes an electronic database of written and filled prescriptions of controlled substances in Georgia to help doctors and pharmacists identify prescription drug abusers.

 

  • SR 20: Constitutional amendment that would limit state spending based on previous years, adjusted for inflation and population growth.

 

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Hamrick Reports from the Capitol

By Bill Hamrick

As legislators, we are faced with difficult decisions everyday. During the past couple of sessions, these tough choices have mostly been financial. Facing huge revenue gaps, we’ve had to reduce and sometimes cut government programs. But with this pain, comes an opportunity that we must not overlook. Now is the time to get the size of government under control. By increasing efficiency and reducing wasteful spending, we can ensure that each tax dollar spent is only used for essential programs.

The Senate passed the Taxpayer Protection Act of 2011 this week, which proposes a Constitutional Amendment that would limit growth in state Government. The resolution had overwhelming bi-partisan support. You have a right to say ‘enough is enough’ when it comes to state spending. If approved, the resolution will restrict the state from spending any money in excess of the previous year budget, adjusted for inflation and population. Any additional revenue beyond the spending limitations would be required to go into the Rainy Day fund until it reaches a point of 15 percent of the previous year spending. Once the rainy day fund is at 15 percent, we will reduce debts and start making cuts to the state income tax. If it is approved by the House of Representatives and Gov. Deal, the Constitutional Amendment will be on the next General Election ballot in 2012

We passed the amended FY 2011 budget, which lays out the state’s spending plan through the rest of the fiscal year ending June 30. The main strategy in balancing this budget was to share reductions between the Amended FY 2011 budget and the FY 2012 budget. This will ensure that vital programs aren’t completely cut in either year, but will face a smaller budget for both years. We are creating a baseline that we can grow from in the future.

Even though January was our eighth straight month of revenue growth, we had to be cautious because we are still facing big revenue gaps from over a year of low collections. The shortfall totaled $400 million in the amended budget. K-12 enrollment growth and less-than-anticipated federal matching for Medicaid expenses were the biggest contributors to the shortfall. We also began paying our settlement with the Department of Justice for mental health improvements in the state. The gap was filled with an average of 4 percent cuts to all agencies. Education, because it’s a firm priority in Georgia, was not hit as hard. The final amended budget totaled $18 billion.

In addition to producing a balanced spending plan for the state, another of our top priorities this session is to overhaul the HOPE scholarship program to ensure its sustainability for future generations.  If we do nothing, HOPE will be unable to meet its obligations in just two years.  The governor introduced legislation this week that maintains the current merit-based scholarship for students with a 3.0 GPA, but adjusts the amount annually based on lottery revenues. Providing more than $5 billion to more than 1.2 million students, this program is one of the most generous in the nation and continues to be a model for other states.

The bill also creates the Zell Miller Scholarship program to reward Georgia’s best and brightest students with full tuition coverage. It will be awarded to students with a 3.7 GPA or higher and who received at least a 1200 SAT score or at least a 26 ACT score.

The Pre-K program is a successful universal program to help ready 4-year-olds for school. Under the proposed legislation, 5,000 slots are added to address the lengthy waiting list. $4.2 million is included to increase quality for the programs. We’re proposing a move from a six hour day to a four hour day but by reducing time for routines, rest and meals, the decrease in instructional time will be minimized. Georgia’s program is one of the largest and most comprehensive Pre-K programs in the nation and it continues to be a model for other states. The tough choices we have to make are balanced by increasing efficiency.

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:
February 25, 2011
For Information Contact:
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Katie Wright, Communications Manager
katie.wright@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028

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Sen. Albers to Host Alpharetta Town Hall Meeting

ATLANTA (February 22, 2011) – Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) will host a town hall meeting in Alpharetta on Saturday, Feb. 26, where he will deliver a presentation of legislative updates.  Attendees will then have the opportunity to participate in a question and answer session.  All residents of the 56th Senate District are invited to attend. 

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

WHERE: Alpharetta City Hall
2 South Main Street
Alpharetta, GA 30009

Sen. John Albers represents the 56th Senate District, which includes parts of North Fulton County.  He may be reached at 404.463.8055 or by e-mail at john.albers@senate.ga.gov.  

ADVISORY
For Immediate Release:
February 22, 2011
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028

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State of the Judiciary

By Bill Hamrick

CARROLLTON (February 21, 2011) – Each year, the legislature is visited by the Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court who delivers an update on Georgia’s judiciary. As an attorney and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I find Chief Justice Carol Hunstein’s comments to be a fresh perspective on the future of Georgia’s judicial system.

Georgia’s prisons operate at 106 percent of prison capacity. Rather than lock up drug addicts and the mentally ill, Justice Hunstein encouraged us to more efficiently use prison space. We must prioritize prison beds for serious criminals like those who commit violent crimes and those who commit crimes against children.

It costs more than $1 billion annually to operate our prisons, probation and parole systems and Georgia has the fourth-highest incarceration rate in the nation. Chief Justice Hunstein said that one of every 13 Georgians is behind bars or on probation or parole. These are staggering figures that must be addressed. The State Bar of Georgia’s BASICS program has helped by training inmates about to be released in the skills necessary to become contributing members of society. This is an example of how we are working to reduce the recidivism rate and reserve our prisons for dangerous and violent offenders.

Hunstein outlined one of the greatest successes in the Judiciary: specialty courts. She said that if we hope to save taxpayer money while protecting the public’s safety, the criminal justice system must change the way it handles offenders with drug and alcohol addictions and mental illness. Georgia’s drug courts, DUI courts and mental health courts have become a national model. She explained that these are not “feel-good, soft-on-crime alternatives to prison.” They keep the public safer by reducing the number of repeat-offenders through treatment for non-violent offenders and strict accountability measures.

Speaking to the future, Hunstein commented on a new way of compiling lists of citizens who are eligible to serve on juries. The purpose of this change is to protect everyone’s constitutional rights to equal protection and a jury of his or her peers. Technological advances have allowed us to improve the quality of data about people eligible to serve. The new system, she explained, would use voter registration lists that may not completely represent society and vital statistics and drivers’ records that would help fill in the holes to ensure fair and impartial juries.

Justice Hunstein emphasized that the entire judicial branch receives less than 1 percent of the entire state budget but they generated more than $544 million in fees last year, and almost $90 million of that was returned to the state general fund. The legislature must continue to support the Judiciary and the important work they do. I look forward to working with Chief Justice Hunstein and the rest of the judges, attorneys and staff that make up the Judicial Branch.

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:
February 21, 2011
For Information Contact:
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Katie Wright, Communications Manager
katie.wright@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028

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Senator Tolleson Reports from the Capitol

By Sen. Ross Tolleson

PERRY (February 18, 2011) – This week, I introduced legislation to help our state maintain adequate water resources.  While we continue to negotiate with our neighbors in Florida and Alabama, everything must be done at the state level to establish a framework for future water planning.

Known as the Georgia Public/Private Water Supply Act of 2011, Senate Bill 122 creates new options for financing water projects by allowing state and local governments to voluntarily partner with private investors on the construction of reservoirs and other water infrastructure projects.  This gives local governments control over their water resources and allows them to tailor future water planning to meet their individual community’s needs.  I look forward to working with my colleagues as this bill begins to move through the legislative process.

We welcomed a special visitor from Perry this week in the Senate Chamber, former Representative Larry Walker, one of the most highly respected members of the General Assembly who served in the legislature from 1972 to 2004.  He was elected House Majority Leader in 1986 and later was elected to serve on the Department of Transportation Board from 2007 to 2009, representing Georgia’s Eighth Congressional District.  A lifelong Perry resident, Rep. Walker has been a regular columnist in the Houston Home Journal for over 10 years and has recently published a book called Life on the Gnat Line, a composition of his widely read columns.  I was honored to welcome my friend and colleague back to the Capitol to recognize him for his many achievements and celebrate his most recent literary success.

Through our partnership with the Medical Association of Georgia, a physician volunteers every day at the Capitol to take care of legislators’ medical needs while they’re away from home.  The Doctor of the Day is also introduced in both the House and Senate at the beginning of the legislative day.  This week, I was proud to host Dr. Rebecca Tarlton of Laurens County as Doctor of the Day.  Dr. Tarlton earned her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario and completed her residency at Duke University.  She was the first female radiation oncologist in Georgia and has played an integral role in the development of a unique and successful technique used in the treatment of prostate cancer.

We celebrated Rural Health Day to raise awareness of the need for quality health care in the state’s rural areas.  Georgia has 109 rural counties encompassing over 2 million residents, and is experiencing a continuing decline in the availability and quality of health care services.  These geographic areas have the highest cancer and cardiovascular mortality rates and infant mortality, child abuse, and teen pregnancy rates.  The growing uninsured population and elderly population with multiple diseases far exceed the area’s health care resources.  The Georgia Rural Health Association plays an important role in working with state officials to address the health care needs of our state’s rural communities.

Also this week was the legislative appreciation luncheon for Georgia’s Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) and the Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education (GACTE).  The technical student organizations provide opportunities for student leadership, competitive events and community service and work alongside GACTE to provide educational leadership in developing a competitive workforce.  One of our local students, Laurie Beth Nix who is a senior at Houston County High School, participated in the event.  A number of other local students were honored for their equestrian achievements during Equine Youth Day, including Colby Upshaw (Cadwell), Beth Langston (Elko), Colleen Wright (Adrian) and Megan Jones (Milan).

I was proud to join Governor Nathan Deal for a photo with the St. Patrick’s Festival Committee, which is working hard on Dublin’s 46th Annual St. Patrick’s Festival.  I was also honored to speak to the Leadership Dodge Program of the Eastman-Dodge County Area Chamber of Commerce.  I’d like to thank all of these distinguished Georgians for visiting us at the State Capitol this week.

As always, it is an honor to serve you in the 20th Senate District.  Please feel free to contact me with your ideas and concerns as we work together for a better State of Georgia.

Sen. Ross Tolleson serves as Chairman of the Natural Resources and the Environment Committee.  He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Johnson, Laurens, Pulaski, and Telfair counties and parts of Houston and Wilcox counties.  He may be reached at 404.656.0081 or by e-mail at ross.tolleson@senate.ga.gov.

COLUMN
For Immediate Release:
February 18, 2011
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028