Dee Dawkins-Haigler

The General Assembly is now scheduled to end Sine Die on April 3rd with the passage of a new adjournment resolution on Thursday, March 5th. Lawmakers were scheduled to break until June and come back for 5 days and write a state budget based on whether the state received federal stimulus money. But since that has been determined and the Governor has already lowered the revenue estimate accordingly, leaders can go back to a more normal scheduled ending in the beginning of April.

Legislative

HB 118- Gov. Perdue signed the FY 2009 Amended Budget compromise the General Assembly had adopted earlier in the week for the rest of the year ending June 30th. In DHR, it restored half of the 3.5 percent cut to health department grant-in-aid he had proposed and added another $1.2 million. The conference committee agreed with the House to provide $2.5 million in adult mental health for non-Medicaid reimbursable services instead of the Senate's $3.4 million. In a number of areas, state funds were reduced to reflect temporarily available federal stimulus funds.

HB 119- was adopted in the House by a vote of 123-49. This is the state's $18.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2010 which begins July 1st of this year. The budget originally proposed for 2010 was $20.2 billion. It now stands at $18.6 billion, a $1.6 billion reduction because of lower than expected revenue. However, the spending plan is propped up with at least $1.1 billion in federal stimulus funding from President Obama and Congress that softens the cuts to critical programs. The budget also restores Medicaid reimbursement rates, which Governor Perdue sought to cut by 10 percent, and the 6 percent provider rates that he also wanted to stop.

HB 119 does not include $428 million for the Homeowner Tax Relief Grants that are passed onto local governments and shield taxpayers an additional $200 to $300 in property taxes.

HB 229- was adopted in the Senate by a vote of 34-14. The bill would require local school systems to conduct an annual fitness assessment and to comply with state physical education instruction requirements. HB 229 no awaits final signature by the Governor.

HB 385- was adopted in the House by a vote of 149-6. The bill would extend the State Commission on Family Violence by doing away with the sunset provision.

SB 155- was passed by the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. The bill would eliminate the 25 foot buffer requirement for Georgia's ephemeral streams.

HR 673- the House defeated the resolution by a vote of 68-70. This was a privilege resolution honoring President Obama for his election as the first African American President, recognizing his past achievements and making him an honorary member of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. The bill was reconsidered by the House and sent back to the Rules Committee for revision.

HR 334- was adopted in the House by a vote of 92-55. The resolution urges the Congress of the United States to oppose the Freedom of Choice Act which supports a woman's right to make her own reproductive choices. However, the Freedom of Choice Act is not up for debate in the current Congress.

SB 80- was unanimously adopted by the House. The bill would require food processors to report lab results of any poisonous or deleterious substances in their products within 24 hours to the Department of Agriculture. Furthermore, this legislation requires those records be kept by the processor for a minimum of 2 years and they must make those records available to the Department of Agriculture upon request by the department. Violators could be charged with a felony.

HR 161- which I co-sponsored, was adopted in the House by a vote of 122-34. The resolution would compensate Mr. Jerome White who, through DNA testing, was found to be wrongly convicted of rape in 1979. HR 161 compensates him $700,000 from the state for his time in prison. The funding is spread out over 20 years in the form of an annuity as long as he does not commit another crime.

HR 562- was unanimously adopted by the House. The resolution encourages all Georgians to be aware of blind pedestrians and their rights. It also directs the Department of Driver Services to review and assess their current efforts to inform new and experienced drivers that persons with visual impairments have the right of way at all times.

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