REP. KEN PULLIN REPORTS FROM THE STATE CAPITAL

Budget Week The House and Senate returned to the State Capitol last week for the second week of the 2020 legislative session, which is commonly referred to as “budget week,", which is the most important responsibility we have during the legislative session as we are constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget each year. Over the course of three days, the House and Senate Appropriations committees held a series of joint budget hearings, and Gov. Kemp presented his recommendations and priorities for the amended budget and upcoming 2021 fiscal year budget, which is set at $28.1 billion in total funding and begins on July 1 and ends June 30 of the next calendar year. Last fall, the governor instructed state agencies to identify opportunities to streamline operations and consolidate duplicative programs to reduce spending. During his remarks at the joint budget hearings, the governor reported that several agencies have found ways to cut spending by reducing administrative and overhead costs. The governor also reflected on our state’s economy, and he commended us for creating a rock-solid foundation for businesses and families to thrive in Georgia. Gov. Kemp encouraged us to continue to build upon our state’s success by prioritizing our current financial resources and reducing unnecessary costs, while still delivering excellent service to our citizens.  After hearing the governor’s proposals, we had the opportunity to hear from several state agencies and departments regarding their respective budgetary needs, as well as the state fiscal economist who shared the state’s economic forecast for the current and upcoming fiscal years. It is important to hear directly from our state agencies and departments during this process in order to adequately determine spending for each state agency, and we will continue to work together as we prepare the final versions of the AFY 2020 and FY 2021 budget bills.  Education In order to create a modern, work-ready labor force, we must build a solid educational foundation. Therefore, the governor’s budget recommendations include investing in Georgia’s teachers through a $2,000 permanent base salary increase in the AFY 2020 budget to retain and attract the best educators for our schools. In the FY 2021 budget, he recommends adding $81 million to the University and Technical College Systems to fully fund enrollment growth, as well as alleviate the need for student tuition increases. Gov. Kemp also includes an appropriation of nearly $56 million in additional lottery funds for the HOPE scholarship and grant programs to assist students with college expenses. We recognize the importance that education plays in preparing students for the workforce and these allocations would provide them with the skills they need to succeed personally and professionally.  Infrastructure Investing in our state’s infrastructure system is a crucial component of attracting new businesses and spurring future economic growth across our state. Gov. Kemp proposes $51 million in FY 2021 to the Georgia Department of Transportation for roadway improvement and development, $50 million in obligation bonds to repair and replace bridges and $1.8 million for motor carrier officers to maintain safety on Georgia highways and protect our ports corridor along the coast. Georgia has been the top state to do business for seven straight years and investing in our state’s transportation systems will keep Georgia a business-friendly state. Public Safety Gov. Kemp’s budget proposals also reflect his ongoing commitment to protecting the safety of Georgia’s citizens and communities. More than 700,000 gang members have been identified in our state, and these gangs are responsible for increased drug activity, human trafficking and violence. Gov. Kemp seeks to combat this crisis by including a total of nearly $2 million in the AFY 2020 and FY 2021 budgets for seven new positions within the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s (GBI) Gang Task Force, as well as resources to implement the statewide gang database. These new positions and the gang database will serve as a great resource for our law enforcement to better track, stop and dismantle gangs across the state. Healthcare The governor’s FY 2021 budget allocates nearly $90 million to continue efforts to increase access to affordable, quality health care for Georgians. This funding would support enrollment costs and expense growth for our Medicaid programs, specifically for the aging, blind and disabled populations. The governor’s AFY 2020 budget also includes $23 million for a state match for Disproportionate Share Hospital payments to ensure that certain hospitals that serve low-income patients can benefit from this program, and the state match funds would leverage $47 million in federal assistance to support hospitals across Georgia. Providing these additional resources would improve health care outcomes for all of Georgia’s citizens, especially some of our most vulnerable populations.  The Process The House Appropriations subcommittees will hold hearings to review these proposals and delve even further into the governor’s recommendations. These subcommittees will eventually pass portions of the state budget in their respective subcommittees, and those portions of the budget will then go before the full House Appropriations Committee, which will review and pass balanced budgets for AFY 2020 and FY 2021. From there, the budget bills will be considered by the House Rules Committee and scheduled for a vote on the House floor. Once the budget bills make their way to the House floor, members will have the chance to ask questions about the budget before voting. Once passed, the House will transmit each bill to our counterparts in the Senate, where they will review and pass both budget bills.  Youth Leadership Upson I had a great time visiting with a very impressive group of young adults from Youth Leadership Upson at the Capitol last week! We even got a selfie with Governor Kemp. Rep. Ken Pullin serves on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Human Relations and Aging, and Small Business Development. He represents the 131st House District which includes Upson, Pike, Lamar counties. He may be reached at 404.656.0188 or by email at ken.pullin@house.ga.gov. Copyright © *2019* *Pullin for Georgia*, All rights reserved. Our Capitol address: 504-F Coverdell Legislative Office Bldg. 18 Capitol Square SW Atlanta, GA 30334 404.656.0188 - Office Our District address: P.O. Box 295 Zebulon, GA 30295 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.