NOTES FROM THE HOUSE
The Georgia General Assembly convened for its third week and it was especially nice to welcome folks from Effingham County for their annual day at the Capitol. They came to the state house to discuss issues of importance. It is always beneficial to have input from you and I welcome visits, email and phone calls as topics are considered in the legislature that will ultimately affect our life.
This past week was a very significant one as two major issues that will have a considerable impact on the future of the state were given consideration. First, we adopted our mid-year budget. Second, house leadership proposed a long talked about transportation plan to address the funding of roads and bridges in our state.
The 2015 amended fiscal year budget (AFY 2015), which is a mid-year adjustment of state spending through June 30, 2015 was voted on and passed unanimously by the house on Jan. 29. The gouse version of the AFY 2015 budget is very similar to Gov. Deal’s initial budget proposal. The amended budget includes an addition of $276 million in “new” funds, with 70 percent of that going toward education. Of the new education dollars, $128.5 million will go toward K-12 enrollment growth and $35 million will be added for local school systems to expand their wireless broadband Internet connectivity. The house version of the budget also designates $7.4 million for equalization funding grants that will provide additional funds to K-12 systems that qualify based on per student wealth rankings.
With a thriving economy comes an increase in our state’s population, and it is crucial that we take measures to ensure the good health and safety of all citizens. More than $5 million in the AFY 2015 budget is allocated for driver education programs to improve safety on Georgia’s roads. Funds are also set aside to expand the length of the Department of Corrections’ Residential Substance Abuse Treatment program from six to nine months, and the Board of Regents is allocated at $4.8 million to provide clinical trials on cannabidiol for children with medication resistant epilepsy. These programs, among others, will make Georgia healthier and safer for families across the state.
Solving transportation funding will certainly not be a simple issue, but here’s my shot at a simple summary: The bill will transition the current excise tax and sales tax built into the cost of fuel into a fixed excise tax of 29.2 cents, which by Georgia’s constitution, is required to be allocated to the Department of Transportation. It also sets an annual road user fee for those with alternative fuel vehicles. In addition, we understand Georgia currently loses out from long haul truck drivers who remit taxes to states based on excise taxes paid versus miles driven in each state. By shifting sales taxes to excise taxes, Georgia will gain an estimated $60M from these long haul taxes. Hearings on the complex previsions of the Transportation Funding Act of 2015 begin this week. I stress that the language of this bill is a starting point for discussions in the effort to maintain and improve Georgia transportation infrastructure.
Thank you for allowing me to be your Representative. Your thoughts and concerns are important to me as we proceed with this process. I can be reached at 404-656-5099 or at jon.burns@house.ga.gov.