PeachCare still has impact on Georgia's Budget

The gap in funding with PeachCare continues to impact Georgia's budget. PeachCare is a vital saftey net for thousands in our state and legislators are looking for ways to protect it.

PeachCare funding slows down session
By Brandon Larrabee and Vicky Eckenrode Morris News Service
ATLANTA - With a PeachCare funding gap gouging a $50-million hole in the budget for the current fiscal year, the Georgia General Assembly will stop the legislative clock this week to give budget writers a chance to look for a fix.

The House and Senate won't meet Monday through Wednesday so the House Appropriations Committee can work on revisions to the budget for the state spending year that ends June 30. Without an infusion of cash from either Congress or the General Assembly, officials at the State Department of Community Health say they could have to cut off coverage as soon as March for more than 270,000 children.

Gov. Sonny Perdue testified before Congress on Thursday, pleading with senators to find a way to close the gap for Georgia and other states facing similar shortfalls.

Without more federal money, the General Assembly could be forced to look for $57 million to plug the hole. But it could take Congress weeks to appropriate any money for the program. State House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin, R-Evans, said his committee is trying to wait to see what Congress will do, though action there isn't expected until mid-February or March. "PeachCare is too important," Mr. Harbin said. "It's too important for us to move quickly."