Session Update- Week One

Wednesday, January 13th Gov. Deal delivered his annual State of the State address which covered highlights of the last year and hopes for the new one. Gov. Deal noted that Georgia’s economy is back on track and continues to grow. As a result of removing the sales tax on energy manufacturing, the industry has produced 22,000 new manufacturing jobs, representing over $900 million in added wages for Georgia families. Governor Deal also highlighted strides that we have made in technical education, making Georgia more desirable for companies that are searching for a qualified workforce. Education reform, healthcare costs, criminal justice reform and a pay raise for state employees are all issues that Governor Deal plans to focus on over the next couple of years. 

Education reform has been a hot topic over the last year and the debate of how to best service the educational needs of our students will continue. During the State of the State, Governor Deal announced that recommendations from his appointed Education Reform Commission would not be put in place until 2017. That means, we will have ample opportunity to vet the final report, gain input and address questions and concerns from our education community. I am pleased to report that the state will allocate an additional $300 million towards K-12 education this year. While the General Assembly has made improvements where education is concerned, there is still much work to be done.  

Work on our states infrastructure continues as we make strides to improve Georgia’s transportation system. Now that Georgia is the 8th most populated state in the nation, adequate transportation, and maintaining our roadways and bridges, is necessary for citizen safety and Georgia’s economic development. The Department of Transportation has projects scheduled across the state in an attempt to relieve our congested and worn highways. Over the next 18 months we will see over 2,500 miles in roadway resurfacing, the replacement of 118 bridges, the widening of 36 roadways, hundreds of safety projects and a 20% increase in local government grants. Citizens can keep track of transportation projects around the state by visiting www.GAroads.org.     

In the coming weeks, I will have a number of Committee meetings to attend. Committees serve a vital role in the legislative process of our state government. Once a bill is drafted and officially filed with the Secretary of Senate’s office, the bill is formally read in the Senate Chamber and assigned to a committee. The committee will carefully review the bill and determine whether it’s a good, clear bill. If it’s passed out of committee, it will then go to the Rules Committee, which decides whether the bill will receive a vote from the full Senate.Every bill that moves through the legislature should be carefully reviewed by all Senate and House members, legislative counsel and most importantly, the people of Georgia that hold a special interest in the respective bill. The road from first draft to becoming law is long and challenging to ensure every bill we pass is in the best interest of all Georgians.I will continue my work as Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee. I will also serve on the following Committees: Banking and Financial Institutions, Finance, Higher Education. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our district and state citizens through my committee work. 

Tuesday, January 19th marks the beginning of what we refer to as “Budget Week”. Despite the hundreds of bills that will be discussed over the next 40 days, the only thing that we are constitutionally required to do by law is pass a balanced budget. In the coming days we will anxiously await as the Appropriations Committee deliberates and makes suggestions as to where state funds should be allocated. I will keep you informed on funding and projects that will take place in our region as we move through the budget process.