We have officially completed the 20th legislative day of the 2008 Georgia General Assembly session, which signals we have passed the halfway point of the constitutionally mandated “no-more-than” 40-day legislative session.
The reconciliation budget, called the “little budget” is the document that looks at where the state stands, especially with federally-mandated Medicaid and education funding. If we are short, usually due to unanticipated growth, the General Assembly must infuse new funds to offset those required expenses. The House of Representatives took the lead in adding $53 million to help establish a state trauma care network; $6.5 million was added for the indigent care trust fund, a federally mandated program; and $15 million was added for the PeachCare health insurance program that assists working families who cannot afford health insurance.
Because of the ongoing drought conditions, we added $40 million for the development of new reservoirs. The House and Senate Appropriation Committees have put the final touches on the fiscal year 2008 reconciliation budget and will now go to a conference committee to iron out the differences. The reason we are insisting on a conference committee is to insure that the austerity cuts the governor made last year are restored to our school systems.
We continued our “war on drugs” by making trafficking of the drug Ecstasy only bailable by a judge in superior court, joining trafficking in cocaine, methamphetamine, heroine and marijuana. Ecstasy has become a drug of choice for many of our children. This bill, House Bill 960, passed unanimously.
In our efforts to streamline the Department of Transportation, and make it more accountable, we unanimously passed H.B. 1123. The legislation will require the DOT commissioner to file annual reports to the General Assembly as well as the governor.
In an effort to protect our children who attend a daycare, we strengthened the law that requires daycare center directors to undergo a Georgia Crime Information Center check. The new legislation would require all employees of the daycare centers to undergo a background check both with the Georgia Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center. It would also require any individual 18 years of age or older who resides in a home that operates a daycare, to undergo the required background check. This bill, H.B. 904, passed 159-1.
In an effort to help our disabled military veterans, we unanimously passed Senate Bill 369 that would allow military doctors to submit affidavits stating that a service member or a veteran is disabled, regardless if the doctor is licensed to practice in Georgia.
I will continue to keep you up to date on our actions as the legislative session progresses.
