WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE REPORT—February 8, 2008
Restoring school funding helps students and taxpayers
By Rep. Hugh Floyd
Georgia students and property taxpayers could see some much-needed help under a tax relief bill introduced in the House of Representatives last week. Data released this week shows that under HB 1057, Gwinnett County schools would receive more than $24.2 million in state funding, reversing previous cuts that caused the tax burden to shift to local property owners.
This proposal, introduced by House Democrats, would produce a win-win scenario under which our schools receive relief from the state’s unfunded mandates, and property owners release true tax relief. Under the legislation, local school systems that lower property taxes can access their share of $300 million in restored state education funding.
The allocations would come the next two years from the state’s $1.6 billion reserve fund -- $300 million this year and $300 million next year toward the Quality Basic Education formula that funds public education in Georgia. HB 1057 is based on the Georgia values of equipping our students for the future and promoting the American dream of home ownership by reducing property taxes.
On Friday, House members approved a midyear adjustment to the annual state budget for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. The supplemental budget measure, which now moves to the Senate for its consideration, restores some of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s education funding cuts and also adds money for health care programs.
The amended budget, HB 989, restores $30.7 million for equalization grants, which provide assistance to schools systems that do not have as much “wealth per student” as systems in more affluent counties. The governor’s plan would have slashed that funding.
The measure also sets aside $53 million to fund long-needed improvements in the state’s system of trauma care and puts an extra $6.5 million in the indigent care trust fund, reimbursing hospitals for the medical care they provide to uninsured and low-income patients who can’t pay their bills.
On Tuesday, the Senate overwhelmingly approved HR 1022, the House version of the Statewide Water Management Plan. Gov. Sonny Perdue signed the plan into law on Wednesday and announced he was relaxing some of the water use restrictions imposed in 61 counties last year during extreme drought conditions.
Unless their local governments keep the tighter restrictions in place, residents now may fill swimming pools and hand-water established plans and use sprinklers on new landscaping. Local governments must still meet a state mandate to reduce water consumption by 10 percent.
On Thursday, a majority of House members voted to reconsider legislation that had been approved the day before. By a margin of 91-73, the House had voted Wednesday to adopt HB 492, which would change the name of the Composite Board of Medical Examiners to the Georgia Composite Medical Board and make changes to its membership.
Under a law passed in 2006, the board is charged with approving regulations that allow advance practice registered nurses to write prescriptions. However, the current board is made up mostly of doctors and has passed regulations that are seen as too restrictive toward these nurses.
HB 492 would add two lay people and one more physician to the board, bringing the total number of members to 15. The legislation was amended to create a subcommittee of the board, composed of three nurses and three doctors, which would be charged with reviewing the rules on nurses writing prescriptions.
The Thursday vote to reconsider the measure was approved by a 101-58 margin, and HB 492 was sent back to the House Rules Committee.
Also, the House approved legislation under which the state can now participate in a nationwide automated residential mortgage license system. The purpose is to facilitate the sharing of information and standardize the licensing and application process for mortgage brokers and lenders.
The Department of Banking and Finance would be responsible for ensuring the necessary privacy and data security is provided for the licensing system. HB 921 now goes to the Senate for its consideration.
- Rep. Hugh Floyd (D-Norcross) represents the 99th District (Gwinnett County) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact him at 611 Coverdell Office Building, Atlanta, GA 30334; by phone at 404-656-0314 or by e-mail at hughfloyd@mindspring.com.
