Legislators from across the state came together Monday to
begin the 40-day session of the General Assembly.
State Sen. Ross Tolleson said the first week is consumed
with ceremonies and oath of office business. He noted they would start on the
budget next week.
The major challenges awaiting the legislators are:
Budget
- Balancing a nearly $20 billion budget takes skill, but
Tolleson noted that it gets tougher every year as deficits grow and costs rise.
- Tax collections reported by the Governor’s Office last week
are below the revenue estimated that officials used in drafting the current
year’s budget, impacting spending levels and implementing cuts.
Hospital tax renewal
(Bed tax)
- The tax renewal is on hospital revenues. The $200 million
paid by the hospitals is matched by $400 million in federal Medicaid funding,
so not extending the three-year tax would leave a giant hole in next year’s
budget.
- Tolleson said on Thursday the bed tax passed in the Senate.
He noted the importance of the renewal for Georgia’s rural hospitals. He said
without it, several of them would be forced to shut their doors.
HOPE/Pre K
- Before legislators went into session, Gov. Nathan Deal
announced that he is asking that 10 days be restored to the pre-K school year
that had been cut two years ago as a cost-saving measure. If the days are added
back in, it will bring the year back to a full 1,180 days and give teachers a
4.8 percent pay raise.
- Deal also announced he wants to boost HOPE scholarship
payouts three percent because revenues have grown in the Georgia Lottery that
funds both programs.
Gun Laws
- It remains to be seen if legislators will make any changes
or additions to Georgia’s gun laws. Tolleson said he does expect two or three
bills to come about concerning the issue.
- “We won’t pass any crazy bills. It would have to be a
rational bill to receive support,” Tolleson said.
Ethics
- It is expected that senators will vote on their own rules
that would include a $100 limit on gifts from lobbyists to lawmakers.
- “Gifts makes it sound like we are getting ‘gifts’,” Tolleson
said. “It’s more like meals or social events that we are asked to attend by
lobbyists.”
- Tolleson said he is fine with the cap out of $100 and said
he personally doesn’t attend many lobbyists-hosted functions.
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