With the completion of Crossover Day last week, the Senate has switched gears to focus on the many House bills there are to study and vote on before our final deadline of Sine Die. With just 8 legislative days and three weeks left in the 2018 session, we will be working harder than ever to ensure all House and amended Senate bills get the attention they deserve before heading to the Governor’s desk for approval.
This week, we heard several bills and held numerous Appropriations Subcommittee meetings to hear all the budget requests of the various state agencies and councils. Among the bills that were passed on the Senate floor was House Bill 309 which would exempt the state from being held liable for losses resulting from training of organized militia. This is an important bill to help promote and retain our military friendly status and encourage more military operations training in our state, such as the training being held at the Guardian Center in Perry.
I was happy to carry House Bill 475 in the Senate this week. This legislation establishes regulations for the placement and maintenance of outdoor donation collection receptacles. The bill requires written permission from the private property owner before a receptacle can be placed on their property. It also requires receptacle owners to maintain the appearance around the receptacles and regularly empty them. Finally, it gives local municipalities the authority to enforce the upkeep and maintenance of the receptacle. Keeping our public spaces clean is important to both the business owners around the receptacles and for maintaining a tidy city for everyone to enjoy.
While there were 12 House bills passed by the Senate this week, the biggest was the amended Fiscal Year 2018 budget, also referred to as the “little budget.” This budget takes into account the increase in funds the state has actually received, as compared to the revenue estimate used when establishing the General budget passed last session. This year, there were an additional $108.9 million in revenue and this amended budget takes those numbers into account. We agreed to the House amendments and the bill was immediately sent back to the House. Governor Deal signed the amended budget last Friday and I expect the General FY 2019 budget to be on the calendar soon.
In addition to bills receiving passage on the Senate and House floors, members of the General Assembly were also happy to see the income tax reduction for individuals and corporations. House Bill 918 and the adoption bill, House Bill 159, both signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal. Both of these bills are such positive steps forward for the state of Georgia and I look forward to seeing the impact they will have on families and businesses in our state for years to come.
Thank you again for the opportunity to serve you. Let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns about any of these bills or any we will be hearing in the coming weeks.
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Sen. Larry Walker serves as an Administration Floor Leader. He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Laurens, Pulaski Counties and most of Houston County. He may be reached at his Atlanta office at 404.656.0081 or by email at larry.walker@senate.ga.gov.