First Priority: The Budget

By Senator Bill Hamrick

Session is underway at the State Capitol. We had a slow start due to the ice and snow that blanketed Atlanta at the beginning of this month. New members were welcomed and Governor Deal was inaugurated. We heard the governor’s annual State of the State address, where he outlined his agenda and budget recommendations for the Amended Fiscal Year 2011 budget and FY 2012 budget. The long process of trimming our budget to account for the large revenue gaps the state currently faces will be our first priority as we push through legislative days.

Our part in the budget process begins when the governor delivers his recommendations to the legislature. The Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget analyzes each government sector and their budget requirements against the realities of state revenues. They then produce the governor’s recommendations for the legislature to evaluate, modify and eventually pass into law. We’ll work to ensure that we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars by practicing common-sense fiscal responsibility. We’ll put Georgia on the path to economic prosperity by reducing government and eliminating taxes, rather than spending our way out of the recession.

First, we’ll tackle the FY 2011 amended budget, which is 18 percent lower than the original FY09 proposed budget just two years ago. Gov. Deal’s budget recommendations include an $18.2 billion budget for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2011.  By reducing the revenue estimate by over $27.5 million, the legislature will work to replenish state reserves, also known as the Rainy Day Fund.

The governor also announced the elimination of 14,000 vacant state employee positions.  These positions account for those that have already been eliminated through attrition, where employees have retired and the position was not subsequently filled.  The governor is officially eliminating these positions to ensure that state government lives within its means.

Education will be a top priority this session, and Gov. Deal’s budget recommendations will end teacher furloughs and keep students in school for a full year.  He also addressed changes that must be made to ensure the HOPE scholarship remains fiscally sound.

Understanding that preserving a sustainable water supply is crucial to the state’s economic future, Gov. Deal is recommending $300 million over the next four years to be dedicated to reservoir creation and expansion.  He also addressed the importance of deepening the Savannah Harbor to accommodate larger shipments upon completion of the 2014 Panama Canal expansion.

We will continue to look at every sector of state government to find inefficiencies and waste while maintaining essential programs. Analyzing the budget is a complicated process and I encourage you to get involved and do your research. You can find information on the budget by visiting the Senate Budget and Evaluation Office website: http://www.senate.ga.gov/sbeo/en-US/Home.aspx. As always, I welcome your comments, thoughts and suggestions. Please don’t hesitate to contact me.

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