In his tour across the state, Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston preached to the party faithful the need for them to keep both chambers of the General Assembly in Republican hands.

 

Ralston warned fellow Republicans of potential gerrymandering in upcoming redistricting if the Democrats return to power in the General Assembly. The Democrats could draw new district lines to keep themselves in power, according to Ralston.

 

“If you want to go back, you’ve got a model to go back to,” he said. “When we were redistricting with some of the craziest maps this nation has ever seen by a party bent on trying to preserve its own control in the face of political gravity.”

 

Ralston and other House leaders, including Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta) and Majority Leader Jerry Keen (R-St. Simons), who is not seeking re-election this year, spent three days last week promoting the House’s accomplishments in the 2010 session. Ralston hailed the passage of a provision that will allow voters to choose if they want to have a revenue stream for the state’s trauma system.

 

An attorney from Blue Ridge who also served in the state Senate before an unsuccessful run for attorney general, Ralston also espoused his support of the Savannah port. He also said the transportation funding mechanism approved the General Assembly could ease the movement of trucks in and out of the port’s terminals.

 

“For a guy that lives in the north Georgia mountains, I’m a big fan of our ports,” he said. “I’m excited about what they’re doing and what their potential is. They have the potential to be a huge engine in our economy. Now that we have the transportation policy in place, we can look at what infrastructure improvements would be helpful so we get the full benefit of the outstanding port facility we have.”

 

No end to trickle of revenue stream in sight

 

Yet there are no indications that the state’s fiscal outlook will be any brighter in January when state legislators begin the 2011 session than it was for the 2010 session.

 

“I’ve seen what this House can do,” Ralston said. “I am looking forward to meeting the challenge that we are going to have to meet. We’re going to have at tough budget year next year, but we’re going to do it, in a frugal, responsible way. 

 

“The recovery, if it’s out there, is still weak. We need to find a long, sustained period of improvement.”

 

The speaker also said he hopes to spare certain government functions from further budget cuts, especially education, health care and public safety. 

 

“I think education funding is an investment in our future. It’s something we need to be careful before we ask for more sacrifice,” he said. “I think we have asked enough of education and public safety and health care for sacrifice. We’ve asked for sacrifice from education. I hope we won’t have to do that anymore. But much depends on this recovery and when it begins.”

 

Ralston said what teachers are telling him is they know the state is “going through an unprecedented economic challenge and no one is immune. We are still spending more on education than on any other single item. We’re still increasing resources.”