Georgia Senate Majority

Invite you to attend

"Georgia Solutions Summit"

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

7:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Country Club of Roswell

2500 Club Springs Dr.

Roswell, GA 30076

Senate Republicans believe the best ideas and solutions begin at home, not in Atlanta. With this in mind, we invite you to attend "Georgia Solutions Summits" across Georgia this summer and fall. Georgians are encouraged to meet informally with Senators and share positive solutions for Georgia's challenges.


Please join your state Senator John Albers, Senate Leadership and other Senators from around the state to share your ideas and issues facing your districts. Together we can make Georgia the most prosperous state in America.

Georgia GOP To Push Job Tax Cuts

The Associated Press
Athens Banner-Herald
January 27, 2010

ATLANTA — Georgia Republicans will push a forward a tax cut package aimed at creating jobs in the state, where unemployment is at 10.3 percent.

State Rep. Tom Graves will unveil new legislation at a state Capitol news conference on Wednesday.

The Republican from Ranger pushed a plan last year that would have given companies a $500 credit toward the unemployment insurance tax and a $2,400 income tax credit for each new employee they hire.

But Gov. Sonny Perdue vetoed the measure after the state Senate tacked on a provision to slash the capital gains tax in half over two years. The governor argued the move would have gutted recession-wracked state coffers.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://ap.onlineathens.com/pstories/state/ga/20100127/555383851.shtml

© 2008 OnlineAthens • Athens Banner-Herald • Morris Digital Works

Notes From The Senate

Georgia State Senator Jack Hill of the Fourth District took these notes last week at the Capitol in Atlanta.


BY STATE SENATOR JACK HILL
4th District
January 22, 2010

Budget Briefings
Governor Sonny Perdue released his amended FY10 and FY11 budget recommendations to the General Assembly on Friday, January 15, 2010. During Senate and House Appropriations Committee hearings last week, lawmakers heard presentations from state agencies regarding their individual budgetary concerns and the impact that can be expected in FY10 and FY11.

In July, Governor Perdue announced a $900M reduction in the revenue estimate for the FY 2010 Budget due to the sharp drop in revenues the last 6 months of FY09. The 2010 Amended budget presented by Governor Perdue raises that reduction to $1.44B.

2010 AMENDED BUDGET PROPOSALS
The FY10 Amended revenue estimate is 7.3% below FY09 actual revenues and 8.5% below the original FY10 General budget revenue estimate of $16.99B. The FY10 Amended revenue estimate represents a 23% decline from the original FY09 General budget ($20.1B) proposed by Governor Perdue just 2 short years ago. Governor Perdue is now projecting a $1.44B shortfall for FY10.

To combat this shortfall, Governor Perdue has proposed an additional 3 furlough days for state employees and teachers, bringing the total to 6 for this fiscal year. This measure alone would save the state nearly $245M. For additional funds, the Governor has chosen to liquidate $140M from the Other Post Employment Benefit reserve fund designated for the health benefits of future retirees. The budget also proposes to shift the State Health Benefit Plan to a cash basis using $67M in funds set aside for bills that are funded from “Incurred but Not Reported” (IBNR).

Education
Governor Perdue has allocated an additional $92.8M to the QBE formula to fund K-12 enrollment growth of 0.67%. Although this is an increase, the Governor’s recommended budget reduced the QBE formula by $188M for the 6 furlough days. This paired with a $281M across the board reduction brings the total QBE base funding to a -5.6% reduction, although partially offset by federal stimulus funds to local systems.

The Governor has called for a $9.7M reduction in Georgia’s school nutrition program and a $4M reduction to its Special Needs Scholarship Fund. Pupil transportation would also be cut by $24.7M and the Equalization formula would decrease by 4% or $17.5M.

To meet increased growth in enrollments, the FY10 HOPE program includes an increase of $146,963 for the HOPE GED, $49.3M for the HOPE Grant, $2.1M for private school HOPE Scholarships, and $26.9M for public school HOPE Scholarships.

Higher Education
The Amended budget recommends a net cut of 7.76% to the Regents funding formula, a net cut of 7.48% to the Technical Colleges funding formula, and the elimination of the Guaranteed Educational Loans Program. $33.7M in Lottery funds would supplant State General Funds to finance the HERO Scholarship, Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program (LEAP), North GA Military Scholarship Grants, North GA ROTC Grants, and Tuition Equalization Grants.

Medicaid, Peachcare, and Public Health
Governor Perdue has designated $20.3M in additional funds to the Department of Behavioral Health for state hospital improvements and $8.6M in state matching funds for private hospitals to assist in indigent and uncompensated care.

The Governor has also called for an 11% reduction in Low Income Medicaid, a 3% reduction to the Medicaid Aged Blind and Disabled fund, and a 9% reduction to Georgia’s Public Health Grant in Aid, generating the state nearly $90M in savings.

Corrections
The FY10 Amended budget recommends the closure of Scott State Prison (closed August 2009), Bostick State Prison (May 2010), and the Bill Ireland Juvenile Facility (January 2010) for a total savings of nearly $20M.

Next week’s column will include a summary of Governor Perdue’s FY2011 General budget proposals.

JOBS PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYERS
The Department of Human Services (DHS) has received nearly $200M in federal stimulus funds to be put towards a temporary, subsidized employment program for 5,000 adults. All families with dependent children and incomes of less than 300% of the federal poverty level (approximately $60,000 for a family of four) are eligible to participate.

Employers who choose to participate in this program will receive an 80% subsidy for employing adult workers for up to six months at minimum wage or above. The subsidy expires September 30, 2010.

For more information regarding eligibility requirements please send all inquiries to:
Employers: TANF-Employers@dhr.state.ga.us
Job Seekers: TANF-Jobseekers@dhr.state.ga.us


I may be reached at
234 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-5038 (phone)
(404) 657-7094 (fax)
E-mail at Jack.Hill@senate.ga.gov
Or Call Toll-Free at
1-800-367-3334 Day or Night
Reidsville office: (912) 557-3811



Angela Touhy
Senate Appropriations
234 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
404-656-5038

Martin Luther King Honored By State Lawmakers

The Associated Press
The Macon Telegraph
January 14, 2010

ATLANTA -- Gov. Sonny Perdue and state lawmakers are kicking off the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 81st birthday festivities in the halls of the Capitol.

Perdue was joined by Martin Luther King III and other members of the King family, as well as Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, House Speaker David Ralston, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and members of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.

King's eldest son urged the audience to support victims of the Haitian earthquake in remembrance of his father.

Ralston encouraged lawmakers to espouse King's ideals of civility, fairness and respect during this year's session.

Former Georgia Supreme Court Justice Leah Ward Sears delivered the keynote address to a crowd of more than 100 lawmakers, dignitaries and others in attendance.

http://www.macon.com/220/story/985472.html

Copyright © 2010 The McClatchy Company

Notes From the Senate

The Georiga State Senator is concerned about some tough choices regarding the state budget.

BY SENATOR JACK HILL,
4th DISTRICT
January 8, 2010

Although I am optimistic about the future of Georgia, in the coming session we will face some hard realities regarding the budget. In this column, I want to outline some of my thoughts about our likely approach to these tough choices.

Last year, the General Assembly approached the budget with an emphasis on fiscal discipline, and by trying to prudently manage reserves and stimulus funds for future years. This year we are going to have to repeat this process, but under even tougher conditions and with an eye towards long term change.

Based on last fall’s revenue projections, our total revenues can now only sustain a $15.7 billion state budget, roughly the same as in 2005. The drop in tax collections has been so precipitous that the Senate Budget Office projects the state may not recover to its previous levels until after 2015.

What this means is that we need to begin the process of rethinking the business of state government. Not all issues are going to be resolved this session, but we cannot continue furloughing state employees for the next five years. Fundamentally, the Governor and legislators are going to have to make tough decisions in five major state policy areas: K-12 education, higher education, corrections, health care, and revenues.

K-12 Education as a whole represents 42% of Georgia’s annual budget. Teacher salaries alone make up one-third of the state’s budget. The Governor and the General Assembly have worked hard to protect teachers. This year eligible teachers received step increases for training and advanced degrees and in the 2009 budget they received a cost of living increase, which no other employees received. In 2010, the Governor was forced to implement a three day furlough for all state employees, including teachers, to save almost $129 million. Because education makes up such a large portion of the budget, the Governor is likely to propose additional cuts.

That being said, the General Assembly will be looking for ways to help school districts leverage their existing funds. Both the House and Senate are considering new legislation to give school districts more flexibility to manage their own funds, such as suspending the 65% expenditure requirement and finding new ways to reward high performing teachers. They will also examine ways to improve administrative efficiencies and to assist with innovations through technology.

Higher Education: Around 13% of the state budget is directed to the state’s University System and Technical Colleges. According to the Southern Regional Education Board, 43% of Georgia’s University system revenues came from appropriations compared to 33% in other southern states, meaning the state’s system is much more reliant on state appropriations. That may be partially due to the fact that Georgia’s average tuition is 38% below the southeastern states’ median. If budget reductions result in significant tuition increases, the state may need to implement some sort of needs based assistance.

However, the problem is not entirely tuition. University System institutions’ endowment income only makes up around 1.4% of the University system revenues, compared to a 6.7% average in other southern states. The Board of Regents should also take an in-depth look at student fees, which compound the cost of education for students, but are often not directed towards essential educational services. A sharper focus on 4-year graduation could include disincentives to lengthier timelines.

Finally, the higher education system should continue to examine its own internal operations and phase out low demand programs, while looking for ways to consolidate administration and other services.

Medicaid: 16% of the state budget goes to health care for low-income children and mothers, the elderly, and disabled, or $222 for every man, woman and child in the state not on Medicaid. Last year the Governor proposed to increase taxes on hospitals and insurance companies as a way of avoiding provider rate cuts. Due to the stimulus, the General Assembly was able to avoid doing either. This year we may not be so fortunate.

If the state does take up a hospital or insurance tax, measures should ensure that hospitals heavily affected by uncompensated or indigent patients are protected.

Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse has also been an ongoing concern and the General Assembly will review ways to save money by better enforcing stricter regulations for both recipients and providers.

Corrections: Around 6% of the budget is Department of Corrections. Georgia ranks 18th in the nation in per capita spending on Corrections – yet 4th in the number of adults incarcerated per capita and 1st in the number of adults under some form of correctional supervision.

Since the beginning of the economic downturn, the Department has worked closely with the legislature to find ways to reduce the burden of corrections on taxpayers, while still ensuring the safety of Georgians. The Department has already closed five inefficient state prisons and has proposed closing three additional ones this year. In order to manage the population, the Department is adding beds within existing facilities, a cheaper option than maintaining an entirely separate prison, and is investing in private prisons. The state is also examining paroling low-risk, geriatric patients to nursing homes, and making better use of electronic monitoring and community facilities.

Revenues: While the state is obviously examining every way possible to lower expenditures, the General Assembly may also choose to consider ways to increase funds coming into the state. As many local governments have pointed out, the state needs to first turn to enforcement of tax collections. We have heard numerous anecdotal stories of businesses that are not paying sales taxes or are ringing up cash items as untaxed “lottery.” Maybe private enterprises could help identify fraud and provide collection services.

There are other options as well. A recent audit pointed out that some state fines and fees have not been updated for 20 years, many of which could be adjusted for inflation. It stands to reason that a fee should cover the cost of delivering a service.Another consideration may be to develop a “tax expenditure” report to help legislators assess whether the various credits, deductions or exemptions provided throughout the tax code are still serving their original purposes.

This session legislators are going to be faced with many tough decisions that will have serious implications on the state’s future. It is going to take the cooperation of the Governor and the General Assembly to make strategic, well-informed decisions to ensure the state’s future fiscal stability and to rethink how we manage our way out.

I may be reached at
234 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-5038 (phone)
(404) 657-7094 (fax)
E-mail at Jack.Hill@senate.ga.gov
Or Call Toll-Free at
1-800-367-3334 Day or Night
Reidsville office: (912) 557-3811

Angela Touhy
Senate Appropriations
234 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
404-656-5038

Legislative Calendar for Georgia State Legislators During First Week

A look at the first week of the session

By Aaron Gould Sheinin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, January 10, 2010

Here's a look at what's happening as the 2010 session of the General Assembly starts this week:

Monday
At 10 a.m., House and Senate will convene.

In the House, elections are expected to be held for speaker and speaker pro tem.

In the Senate, dozens of bills are already on the calendar and could be debated.

Tuesday
Georgia Chamber of Commerce's annual Eggs & Issues event, 7:30 a.m. at Georgia World Congress Center. Gov. Sonny Perdue, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and the new House speaker are expected to participate.

House and Senate will both meet. House Ways and Means and Education committees will meet.

Wednesday
Perdue will deliver State of the State address, 11 a.m. in House chambers.

Perdue is also expected to release his budget proposal, although he has until the end of the week to do so.

House and Senate will both meet.

Thursday
House and Senate will both meet.

House Ways and Means, Education and Transportation committees meet, as well as a Judiciary subcommittee.

Friday
TBD

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/a-look-at-the-271773.html
© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ralston Elected, Declares A New Day in the House

Newly elected House Speaker David Ralston on Monday swore to restore Georgians' confidence in their elected officials and said "renewal is born from adversity."

By Aaron Gould Sheinin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 12, 2010

Newly elected speaker David Ralston (right), a Republican from north Georgia, and Rep. Calvin Smyre, the Democratic nominee for the post, exchange greetings during Ralston's official escort into the chamber.

Indeed, the first day of the 2010 legislative session was dominated -- in the House, at least -- by vows of renewal and new beginnings and promises of cooperation and bipartisanship.

"We are at a point that is both unprecedented and unexpected," Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) said in what amounted to an inaugural address following the House's 116-58 vote in favor of Ralston over the Democratic nominee, House Minority Caucus Chairman Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus).

"We face great challenges. There will, no doubt, be obstacles thrown in our path. But I truly believe this chamber is filled with good leaders."

Ralston said he learned as a legislative page when he was in the fifth grade that "public service was both noble and honorable. I watched great leaders here that day do great work for the people that sent them there. I still believe public service is noble and honorable."

That sense of nobility and honor at the Capitol sustained a mighty blow last month when former House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) announced his plans to resign after his ex-wife told the world via a series of devastating television interviews that Richardson cheated on her with a lobbyist for a local utility company while championing legislation to benefit his paramour's employer.

Susan Richardson's decision to reveal her ex-husband's infidelities, as well as his need for attention and sympathy, did not cost only Richardson. It opened the floodgates on a month of rumor mongering and depictions of the Gold Dome as frat house rather than people's house. Lobbyists, especially female ones, have complained that the scandal has put them all under a banner of corruption. Indeed, veteran lobbyists said Monday that there were far fewer female lobbyists at the Capitol than normal.

The ripple effects of the Richardson scandal led the House and the state to Monday, through a convoluted order of succession that saw Rep. Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek) gavel the chamber to order at 10 a.m. in a stint as speaker of the House that lasted about 12 days. Burkhalter was speaker pro tem when Richardson resigned Jan. 1 and thus assumed the speakership. But Burkhalter said he would not seek the job permanently, and Ralston beat out two other Republicans to win the job.

Burkhalter has plans beyond the Gold Dome. He said he's opening a London-based realty firm, but hasn't decided whether he will need to give up his seat, which he's held since 1993. After ending his first legislative day in charge, Ralston defended his chamber and his colleagues.

"This is not a frat house," he said. "These are good people, and I am intent that the people of Georgia know that I'm not going to let the actions of a few ruin the reputations of many." The House, he said, needs to change "substantively" and "symbolically."

Meanwhile, in the Senate, the first day was without drama. Senators met for about 40 minutes, taking little official action.

Following an opening prayer, senators lined up to shake Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle’s hand. Donzella James (D-Atlanta), the new and former senator from the 35th District, was introduced, after winning a special election for the seat formerly held by newly elected Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

Reed was in the House gallery for much of the morning. Ralston, in his speech following the vote, said his promise of a new beginning extends to relations with the city of Atlanta.

"Atlanta has a great new leader, and I look forward to working with Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta to move all of Georgia forward," Ralston said.

Smyre, the veteran Democrat, said in a speech before the vote that he knew the outcome in advance. But his candidacy, he said, was about something far more important.

"I don't expect to win today by popular vote, but the mere fact that I am a candidate is a victory for democracy and the minority party," Smyre said.

"Spoils go to the winner," Smyre said. "But whether you win or lose, politics ought to be about an open and participatory policy. I don't suffer from the illusion of inclusion, but I do expect the decency of participating in this House."

That participation is more likely under Ralston, for whom 11 Democrats voted over Smyre. The new speaker is expected this week to roll out changes to House rules that allow for more dissent and more debate both in committee and on the House floor. Ralston also said he will announce new committee chairs this week, and several top lawmakers are expected to be removed from committee chairmanships.

Ralston said he will meet with key advisers this week and announce changes by Wednesday.

Joining Ralston in the new House leadership Monday was Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton), who was elected speaker pro tem. Jones becomes the first woman to hold such a lofty title in the House. Jones defeated Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) for the No. 2 spot in the House.

"I pledge to serve the new speaker and you, doing what is good and right for all Georgia," Jones said.

So, Monday was about change and starting over. Richardson's name was barely mentioned. Tuesday begins the real work and the real test for the new leadership, the House and the Senate.

"Georgians need to know now more than ever that their state government belongs to the working families and people of this state and not to the special interests," Ralston said. "We must embrace change because business as usual in this House will no longer be tolerated."

Staff writers Ernie Suggs and Nancy Badertscher contributed to this article.

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/ralston-elected-declares-a-272576.html

© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Budget Cuts ‘Will Not Be Pretty’

By Tom Sabulis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 2, 2010


A wild turn of events put Rep. Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta) in position to become the highest-ranking woman in Georgia legislative history.

First, House Speaker Glenn Richardson resigned last month after his former wife said he had an affair with a lobbyist. Then, Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter, the interim House speaker, announced he would leave the General Assembly if he lands the job heading the Georgia World Congress Center.

That paved the way for a new leadership team. Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) was nominated to become the next speaker. Jones was chosen as the GOP nominee for speaker pro tem — the No. 2 position in the House. Elections to ratify the new slate will be held Jan. 11, when the 2010 Legislature convenes. Jones talks about her historic nomination and the House’s image problems.

Q: Congratulations. We believe you will become the highest-ranking woman ever in the Georgia Legislature. How does that feel?

A: It feels good. The part I found most significant is that it was not an issue with my caucus. I wasn’t running as a female candidate; it generally didn’t even come up. That’s a good day — when folks just look at you for you and not your gender.

Q: Does it signify anything else for the state? I mean, it’s about time, right?

A: Well, half of Georgia is female. And it confirms to women that, certainly, some of the issues that might be of more concern to them might be on the table. I felt they were before. This is more visible confirmation ... and that matters. Sometimes, what you see does matter to folks.

Q: Will this new session signal changes in the ethics culture, the lobbyist culture, up at the Capitol?

A: Probably so. Certainly, again, I think it is more a visible confirmation, that we’re there to represent the people who elected us all across Georgia. I think that, probably, folks will see and feel more of a recognition that the focus should not be concentrated [on lobbyists], but broadly.

Q: You have a family — four kids. How do you react when you see behavior of colleagues in the House like Glenn Richardson?

A: It’s always a concern to me. Image does matter. It matters to me. Someone asked me, who keeps you accountable? I said, well, among others, my faith, my children. I don’t ever want my children to read something in the newspaper that they would find embarrassing. I will say a vast majority of legislators, on both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, operate with the best interests of the public in mind.

Q: What do you think are the biggest issues you’re going to be facing in this session?

A: No. 1 is the budget. It is going to be a tremendous challenge to balance it and to continue to meet the needs of the state. I’m absolutely confident we can do it, but it will not be pretty. There are consequences when you cut several billion dollars from the budget. I did an analysis for the [Republican] caucus a couple months ago, and the per capita spending in the budget for this fiscal year will be less than the per capita spending a decade ago. And that does not even take into account the inflation factor.

Q: There are just no new sources of revenues?

A: I do not know of a new source of revenue that doesn’t take more money out of people’s pockets, and given that about half of our budget revenue is derived from income tax and roughly half from sales tax, the fact that it’s down 15 percent tells you that people are making less and spending less. We’re a third of the way into the fiscal year and we’re down 15 percent. That will, I think, dominate the entire session.

Q: You’re from the metro Atlanta area. So is Ed Lindsey, the new majority whip. Will this leadership bring new cooperation between the state and city, specifically with MARTA?

A: I don’t know. I’m mindful that MARTA is important to the state and there are many people who rely on MARTA as their primary transportation. And I realize that having transit options is important in a vibrant, busy city. I would think there would be certainly a dialogue to hear what they have to say.

Q: It doesn’t sound like there’s going to be a transportation solution, just more talk about what to do.

A: No, I believe we will continue to make progress on that. There are several options on the table. One is more long-term, in which in years when we have a net positive budget — which, of course, is not this year — we take the fourth penny on gasoline [tax], the fourth penny tax, and devote it to transportation. That’s one solution that’s on the table.

Q: Does that fourth penny exist now?

A: It does exist, but only three of the four [cents] are mandated by the Constitution to go to transportation, to DOT. The fourth penny — I want to say it’s about $250 million — goes to the general budget.

Q: Atlanta has a new mayor, (former state Rep.) Kasim Reed. Do you know him, and what do you think about him?

A: I do. He is bright, talented. My experience with him is that he’s a fiscal conservative and that he works well on both sides of the aisle. I believe he will be a great mayor.

Q: You’ve been fighting for the re-creation of Milton County. Why?

A: Fulton County comprises one-tenth of the state’s population. We’re the ninth most populous state in the union. Fulton is larger in population than six individual states in the union. It is too large and too bloated and too remote from the voters to perform efficiently or adequately to anyone’s satisfaction. With a million people, you just can’t have elected influence in Fulton County. It is not local government, no matter how you define it. And it shows in the poor job that they do throughout the entire county. For example, they spend double per capita on library services than the state average, yet have half the circulation of books and materials per capita.

Q: What’s the status of the effort?

A: The bill is sitting in committee in the House. It would not create Milton County; it would simply allow the state voters to decide if historically created counties could be re-created. As a former Atlanta resident, as a north Fulton resident, I think it would be absolutely the best thing for all. It’s clear that it’s viable for both — what would remain in Fulton and what would become Milton. The per capita property tax revenues and sales tax revenues would be almost equal. We [Milton] would certainly continue to participate in MARTA
and Grady [hospital]; those things should be off the table. Those decisions were made while we were all together, and should continue. But it is about having true local government and doing it more efficiently. And I think it’s time to let the people decide if they want to.

Q: You have a birthday coming up on Jan. 28. What are you wishing for?

A: I’m wishing that I’ll have the wisdom and judgment to do as good a job as I possibly can as pro tem, and that my children will be happy and healthy.

Q: I bet you think I wouldn’t ask you that question if you were a man.

A: That’s right.

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/budget-cuts-will-not-264282.html

© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Republicans Back Ralston for Speaker

By Aaron Gould Sheinin
December 18, 2009

COMING SUNDAY: The AJC takes a closer look at Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), who was selected by Georgia’s Republican lawmakers to be the next Speaker of the House.

It took 13 months longer than he originally planned, but Rep. David Ralston won a key vote Thursday to become the next speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives.

Ralston, 55, the gregarious lawyer from the North Georgia mountain town of Blue Ridge, defeated Ways and Means chairman Larry O'Neal of Bonaire and Higher Education chairman Bill Hembree of Winston to become the House Republican caucus' nominee to be speaker. Ralston will stand as the GOP nominee when formal elections are held after lawmakers return for the 2010 session on Jan. 11. Because Republicans hold a 105-74 margin over the Democrats, his ascension to the speaker's podium is all but assured.

The vote, Ralston said afterward, tells Georgians that the House is "ready to change and make the changes necessary. It's not business as usual anymore, and I think people are going to like that."

Ralston will become the second Republican speaker since Reconstruction and his election came on a poignant day in the history of the office. Not only was it the day current Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) said goodbye to the chamber he led for five years before being forced to resign in disgrace, but it was also the second anniversary of the death of legendary Speaker Tom Murphy (D-Bremen), who led the House for parts of four decades.

Ralston's election followed more than a month of scandal that began with Richardson's admission that he tried to take his own life on Nov. 8. Richardson, and the caucus, seemed to rebound from that stunning revelation until Richardson's ex-wife gave a devastating television interview in which she revealed that Richardson had had an affair with an Atlanta Gas Light lobbyist while he was championing legislation that would benefit the utility.

From that, there was no coming back for Richardson.

But Ralston proved Thursday that there are comebacks in politics. Just more than a year ago Ralston ran for speaker at the height of Richardson's power because he said it was time for a different direction and a different tone in the House. Ralston lost that bid and as a result lost his chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee.

Ralston referenced that failed bid in his speech to the caucus before the vote.

"The need now for that change is beyond debate because this House cannot afford business as usual anymore," he said.

And this time, the outcome was different, although it was close. While caucus chairwoman Rep. Donna Sheldon (R-Dacula) refused to release the actual result of the vote, it took two ballots for Ralston to gain a majority. Hembree was eliminated after the first round and Ralston ousted

O'Neal on the second ballot. One lawmaker in the chamber said the vote was 55-48 for Ralston, but that could not be confirmed.

In a final message from the floor of the House, Ralston beseeched his colleagues to walk out the door and return in January united.

"We have had a tough few weeks," he said. "When we walk out of here I want us to walk out committed to our family. The family's been battered up a little bit."

But he also warned his colleagues to end the rumor-mongering and personal attacks that have filled the void between Richardson's resignation and his election.

"I will put up with a lot. ... But I will not put up with and you need to know this probably today, because I'm not the speaker yet -- I will not put with backbiting and bickering and this intra-family tensions very long. Now, I hope I'm clear. That will destroy all the good work that has brought us to this point."

His colleagues largely praised his nomination.

"Speaker Ralston is going to have a clear mandate from this caucus," said Rep. Michael Harden (R-Toccoa).

That good will extended to Hembree, who said he promised to support Ralston after falling out of the race after the first ballot.

"The House caucus has turned in a new direction," he said. "His campaign was focused on change, my campaign was focused on change, and that's what brought it together today. We're ready to go and do the right things for Georgia."

O'Neal left without speaking to reporters.

While his GOP colleagues worked to turn the conversation forward, Georgia Democrats were sure to remind everyone of Ralston's past tax troubles.

"Republicans have shown the taxpayers that for all their talk of ethics, the House Republican Caucus is only interested in preserving the status quo," Georgia Democratic Party chairwoman Jane Kidd said in a statement.

Ralston repaid more than $400,000 in back taxes and penalties and fees covering 10 years in 2006. He said that the tax problems were caused by an employee of his law firm who embezzled money. Ralston said the employee was eventually prosecuted for the crime.

"This is just more of the same from Georgia Republicans," Kidd said. "It shows their dedication not to reform, but to sweeping their ethical problems under the rug and moving ahead with their dangerous special-interest agenda."

Also Thursday, Rep. Jan Jones (R-Alpharetta) was chosen as the GOP nominee for speaker pro tem. If elected by the full House, she was replace Rep. Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek), who will serve as speaker from the time Richardson resigns Jan. 1 until the official elections are held after Jan. 11. Burkhalter chose not to run for speaker or for re-election as pro tem because he is in the running to become the executive director of the Georgia World Congress Center.

Burkhalter said Thursday he will resign from the General Assembly if he lands the World Congress Center job.

Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta) was also elected as majority whip, a position that Jones vacated to run for speaker pro tem.

Ralston is known as good-natured and possesses a good sense of humor. Although he represents conservative North Georgia he could be considered a moderate in the Republican caucus on social issues.

He said his first piece of businesses will be to focus on the state budget, which remains in crisis.

Ralston inherits a budgetary nightmare and lawmakers will be forced to cut an additional $1.3 billion from the current year's budget as soon as they return in January. The budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1 will likely be even more austere.

Staff writer James Salzer contributed to this report.

AP Mobile. © 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Legislature to Focus on Ethics in 2010

By Cameron McWhirter
December 19, 2009

On the first day of the 2010 Legislative session, expect the state Capitol’s basket for incoming legislation to be piled high with new ethics reform bills. Some have already been filed.

Nothing spurs reform like scandal, and the Georgia House had just had a whopper - the career immolation of Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram).

Now, the crowd under the Gold Dome has taken a sudden interest in tightening rules.

“It has suddenly become very fashionable to talk ethics,” said David Ralston, the Republican caucus’ choice for new speaker.

He said he is looking for “real change” and would like to see a reform package, not just one bill.
Ralston said he has been flooded with ideas in recent days and expects a package of reforms to come out of the session. He wants to see limits on spending by lobbyists on travel and gifts for legislators. To set a positive tone, he said, he would ban candy and flowers from being delivered to the speaker’s office and no lobbyists will be allowed into the speaker’s office without an appointment.

He said also wants the Legislature to look at rules and laws so “you behave the way your mama would want you to behave.”

Joe Wilkinson (R-Sandy Springs), who heads the House Ethics Committee, said he’s ready.

“The [House] Ethics Committee is prepared to act immediately on any and all legislation,” he said.

Some changes being considered include:

- Severe limits on how much lobbyists can spend on gifts, food and trips for legislators. Georgia is one of only 11 states that have no limits, but such expenses must be reported. Limit proposals have ranged from $100 per event to no more than a cup of coffee.
- Permanent funding and an expansion of powers for the State Ethics Commission. Currently the watchdog panel must seek funding annually from the very body it is supposed to watch. And its role is limited mostly to responding to complaints and collecting disclosures. It does no auditing. Rick Thompson, the former executive secretary of the Ethics Commission who now runs an ethics compliance consulting business, said Georgia needs an ethics czar with more authority and more money.
- Expanding the state’s Open Records Act to include the Legislature. Currently, the House and Senate are exempt from the act so all correspondence and other records involving legislators is kept private.
- Imposing a period that departing legislators would have to wait before they could start lobbying.

Ralston said there used to be great resistance to such ideas from the House leadership.
“That’s all changed,” he said.

Ethics advocates are as excited as they have been in years that they can pass tough new rules.

“There is an opportunity for real change,” said Rep. Wendell K. Willard (R-Sandy Springs), chair of the House judiciary committee, who is revising his own ethics legislation to submit when the Legislature returns on Jan. 11.

Willard submitted a bill last year that would limit to $100 the amount lobbyists could pay for legislators when taking them out to dinner or to an event. Willard said few legislators were interested in his bill.

“It was dead on arrival,” he admitted.

He planned to resubmit it this year anyway– but he wasn’t hopeful. Then the Richardson imbroglio hit, and “lo and behold, all these things started to unfold,” he said.

But it’s a long and circuitous road from a bill’s introduction to the governor’s desk. Any such legislation will have to pass through committee rooms and hallways peopled by lobbyists and legislators less than eager for more scrutiny and restriction. It’s like sending Little Red Riding Hood through the forest to Grandma’s house. More than likely, she’ll run into at least one wolf.

Richardson probably would have blocked ethics legislation if he was still speaker. He was generally hostile to new ethics rules, open records or expanding public meeting laws. Ironically, he now has become the chief reason why such legislation has a good chance of passage.

When his personal problems exploded this fall, they exposed an unseemly world where powerful legislators carry on close relationships with lobbyists outside public scrutiny.

Richardson announced in November that he had attempted suicide because he was depressed over his failed marriage. He said he was recovering and planned to carry on as speaker. But then this month, Richardson’s ex-wife went on television and said he had an affair with the lobbyist for a company seeking passage of a particular bill. Richardson was a co-sponsor of the bill. Richardson’s ex-wife also accused him of threatening to use state agencies to harass her.

Richardson announced his resignation within days of the television broadcast.

Ralston said none of the legislation being considered now would deal directly with Richardson’s situation. If the allegations are true, what Richardson already violated ethics rules, he said.

“You can’t legislate good behavior,” Ralston said. “You can’t legislate common sense.”
Ralston said however, that the atmosphere at the Capitol in recent years led to a loosening of standards, and that atmosphere has to change.

“We definitely got off track, big time,” said Rep. Tommy Smith (R-Nicholls), who made a bid to be the next speaker but then dropped out before the vote.

Smith, who has been in the House for more than 30 years, said the Legislature needs to be more transparent in how it conducts business. He said the Legislature needs to consider including itself in the Open Records Act and other changes.

The Democratic minority in the House has already dusted of some of their bills and filed them for the new session. Their proposals include:
- No gifts for legislators of more than $25.
- Lower contribution limits for campaigns.
- Granting authority for the state ethics commission to investigate conflict of interests allegations.
-Adding an abuse-of-power clause to state ethics rules.

As the minority party, the Democrats are unlikely to drive any ethics reform this session. And Republicans are quick to point out that many of these ethics changes could have been made years ago when the Democrats controlled both houses and the governor’s office.

Gov. Sonny Perdue, who has pushed ethics reform in past years, may submit new legislation this year or he may let the Legislature produce its own, said spokesman Bert Brantley.

University of Georgia professor Charles Bullock, an expert on Georgia and Southern politics, said ethics legislation is a good thing to pass in this tight budget year because for the most part, “it doesn’t cost you anything.”

He said historically scandal has always been followed by reform. ?“It takes a scandal to get legislators to embrace this,” he said. “If there isn’t a scandal, they figure nobody’s looking.”
Thompson, the former Ethics Commission chief, said the overall goal should be absolute transparency, so voters can see how the people’s business is being conducted.
“No cloud, no fog,” he said.

While ethics changes are being bandied about, some urged caution. Stefan Passantino, an attorney at McKenna, Long & Aldridge who specializes in representing clients on ethics issues, said he thinks more transparency would be good, but he worries about too many rules burdening well-meaning legislators and lobbyists while not really stopping people from acting inappropriately.

“The wrong new rules won’t stop bad behaviors. It’s more likely to be a pitfall for those already trying to follow the rules.”

What actually happens in the coming months to change the legislator-lobbyist relationship from a last call slow dance to a ballroom waltz is anybody’s guess. But some kind of change is likely.
Ralston, who ran in 2008 against Richardson for speaker and lost his committee chairmanship as a result, said the scandal has shocked many voters, who want substantive reform.

“Georgians don’t want us to do this in a hasty way,” he said. “But they do want us to do it.”

Staff writer Aaron Gould Shienin contributed to this report.

AP Mobile. © 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

AADD's "Conversations That Matter: The Art of Adovacy" Held in Gwinnett County on November 16

What kind of advocate do you want to be?

This was the question posed to attendees at AADD’s (All About Developmental Disabilities) "Conversations That Matter: The Art of Advocacy", November 16, at the Busbee Center in Gwinnett County.

More than 75 parents of children with disabilities and professionals working in the field, learned directly from their legislators about the budget challenges for this upcoming session as well as how best to approach legislators about issues of importance to them.

Thanks to Senator Renee Unterman, Senator Curt Thompson and Representative Melvin Everson for their active participation in the meetings.

Rita Young, Director of Public Policy for AADD, provided information on the Unlock The Waiting List campaign and provided training on how to advocate. She challenged attendees to connect with each other, discuss effective ways to advocate for individual issues to strengthen the communities of support for individuals with disabilities and encouraged participants to get involved during the upcoming legislative session.

The programs were made possible thanks to support and partnership with GCDD (Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities), Community Action Pioneers of Gwinnett, and the Unlock the Waiting List campaign.

Be on the look out for similar events in Savannah and Ben Hill this winter.

From: The Georgia Statewide Coalition on Blindness

News Alert
Legislative Caucus On Wednesday, August 19, 2009
GA State Capitol Room 307, Time: 11:00 am - 2 pm

The Georgia Statewide Coalition on Blindness is hosting a legislative caucus on Wednesday, August 19, 2009. The reasons are to give the state legislators a chance to hear from 1) Commissioner Kirby from South Carolina, 2) a gentleman who served on the Commission in New Mexico and now resides in Georgia and 3) Georgians who now live in Georgia, but have lived in states where there was a commission. They will share the differences in services from states that have a commission to their experiences in Georgia. We need all of you to call and invite your legislators from the House and Senate to attend this very important meeting. The time is 11:00 am - 2:00 pm in the Ga. State Capitol room 307.

If you do not see your legislators listed at the very bottom of this page, click here, then enter your address or you may click here for the full list of legislators, then search by name for complete contact information. You are welcomed to attend. If you know you and/or your legislator can attend, please email alice.ritchhart@comcast.net for a refreshment count.

Again please contact your legislators and request their presence for August 19th.

Thank you,
Alice Ritchhart, Chair
McArthur Jarrett, Co Chair

Senator Jack Hill's analysis of the Quality Assessment Fees

Medicaid currently relies on around $90M from a 5.5% CMO “Quality Assessment Fee” that provides funds to the Medicaid population. These fees are used to “draw down” enhanced federal funds and do not have a negative impact on the CMOs. The Federal Agency with Medicaid responsibility has ruled that states like Georgia cannot assess a fee on one Medicaid provider without assessing the same fee on all health care providers. You can’t treat a Medicaid provider differently from other providers like insurance companies. So Georgia is faced with a choice which must be made and implemented by October 1, 2009. Either stop taxing the care management companies and create a $90M hole in the 2010 budget or start assessing insurance companies the same amount. Governor Perdue has proposed to lower the assessment fee from 5.5% to 1.6% but to apply the fee to insurance companies and to the net revenue of hospitals. In other words, all health care providers will be subject to this fee. The total produced by the fee would continue the $90M presently collected as well as plug a Medicaid shortfall created by the prior use of one-time reserve funds. This amount is $204.9M. The total of $217M would also pay for increased Medicaid demand and fund $60M towards a Trauma fund for hospitals. The Hospital piece of the funding, $259M has been met with strong objections by hospitals around the state. Rural hospitals particularly say they would be hard hit and that the fee has the potential to put some out of business. This is one of the crucial issues before this General Assembly. The Governor’s proposal does not appear to have widespread legislative support.

Atlanta Journal Constitution letter to the editor

Thank you to Joni Pelta for writing this letter and sharing with us that it was printed.

READERS WRITE
By Joni Pelta, Robert W. Keeler, A. Jean Richardson

For the Journal-Constitution

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Perdue needs to get hooked on special-needs kids

Every January brings the same rituals to Georgia. There’s a cold snap and a hard freeze. The Legislature resumes work under the Gold Dome. Special-needs parents and supporters must lobby hard to get funding for their loved ones’ programs.

I realize this year that state sales tax and other revenues are down as the economy stagnates. If the pie that all government programs feed from has shrunk, all worthy groups have to work even harder to grab their meager crumbs. That I can accept.

What rankles this parent of a special-needs child is that while Gov. Sonny Perdue and his staff nibble yearly to cut the crumbs of funding from special-needs programs, somehow there is $23 million for Perdue’s Go Fish project in Perry. Fishing is a fun, worthy hobby. However, why is building fishing facilities a bigger priority than those with special needs? Why is there never enough money to get the more than 6,700 people with special needs off the state waiting list and receive the services they need to become active, contributing members of society?

JONI PELTA

Atlanta

What do you think? Go to www.unlockthewaitinglists.com to learn more.

6,812 Georgians with Developmental Disabilities Wait for Help

This story came out last thursday on Savannah's WSAV-TV.

To see the video clip that went with this online story, click here.

I want to thank the Arc of Effingham's Nina Dasher for her help in making this story happen at the last minute. To learn more about the Arc of Georgia's efforts, click here. Also thank you to all those families on the waiting list who had very important stories to tell as well that I called throughout the afternoon. Note that they got the number of waiting wrong - they were using numbers from December - it is now 6,812 for people with DD and 138 for people with physical disabilities. For a list of cuts, go to the Unlock website.

State lawmakers continue looking for ways to cut two billion dollars in spending, as Georgia faces a historic budget shortfall.

The Governor’s proposed budget includes cutting $428 million to lower property taxes, $350 million dollars in cuts to education, plus cuts to transportation, prisons, and healthcare.

One area facing critical cuts is special needs service programs for the developmentally disabled, specifically developmental disability waivers. The waivers help families with providing special services and care—like mental health benefits, wheelchair ramps, and at-home caretakers— for their loved ones.

Jennifer Lanier, 37, lives with disabilities most of us can’t imagine. “Mental health status, and disability status… I had back surgery, and I suffer with schizophrenia… a developmental disability also,“ says Jennifer. Jennifer lives with a family friend but spends most of her time confined indoors.

“Either go to doctor’s appointments, or stay at home and put puzzles together,“ she says. Jennifer has qualified for a developmental disability waiver from the state that would help her in a number of ways. “Transportation, that’s a big thing I have a big problem with, because you have to call 3 days in advance to get the Medicaid van,“ she explains.

But advocate Nina Dasher says Jennifer is one of 6,700 hundred Georgians and their families on a waiting list for this assistance.“When you have a developmental disability, your functioning is that of a child most of the time, and that takes constant care for a lifetime,“ says Dasher, who herself cares for an 18 year-old granddaughter with developmental disabilities.

Dasher says Governor Perdue’s current budget includes no money for the program.

“It’ll be at least 18 months before anybody else with a developmental disability will get on that waiver, and as the population that has the waivers when they die, that money is not being left in the budget,“ she says.Joyce Arnsdorff says she’s happy to open her home to Jennifer but wishes the government could do more to help.

“It’s like they say, ‘Well, you know you need to be taken care of, so we’re going to take care of you, but we’re not going to do as much as you need,‘“ she says.

Advocates for Georgians with developmental disabilities have started a campaign called Unlock the Waiting Lists to try to reduce the number of people waiting for these services.

To see the video clip that went with this online story, click here.

Last week's Legislative Round Up

Last week, in a joint session of House and Senate Appropriations committees, legislators questioned agency heads about their budgets. The Departments of Human Resources and Community Health presented their FY09 and FY10 state budget proposals. For a list of budget cuts that will impact people with disabilities, go to the Unlock the Waiting Lists Action Alert page. There will be no new community supports for people with disabilities waiting in community for help for at least 18 months if the House and Senate accept this budget proposal.

The Department of Human Resources has proposed FY2009 budget cuts to the Governor that will leave our most vulnerable families and individuals even more at risk. While there supports for 150 DD services and 100 persons with physical disabilities to transition from institutions to the community, there are no disability supports for the over 6,900 people current on Georgia’s waiting list. We are afraid that with no new supports for these community waiting lists, we will be cutting Georgia's ability to support our most vulnerable.

We are asking Governor Perdue and our legislators to not cut funds for existing disability supports or contracts, rate increases, or developmental disability waiver slots in the Department of Human Resources or Community Health Budgets. Please help to protect these much needed supports for people with disabilities by encouraging Georgia’s General Assembly to look for revenue solutions to serve our most vulnerable citizens during these hard economic times.

Lawmakers also heard troubling state tax revenue forecasts. Economist Kenneth Heaghney projected that even if Georgia cuts its budget by $2 B (about 10%), tax revenues will still produce $600 M less than is needed in FY 2011 (beginning July 2010). He believes such shortfalls will continue for at least three years and says officials could have to decide whether to cut further or raise revenues. Georgia Budget and Policy Institute experts point to structural deficiencies in the taxation system they say must be addressed. See The Georgia Budget and Policy Insitute.

The federal stimulus package could bring Georgia $5.6 Billion. President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan could bring some near-term relief, and experts say it could create 143,000 jobs here. Now being marked up in the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, the plan includes such measures as tax cuts, spending on infrastructure projects, unemployment insurance, fiscal relief for Medicaid, and help with COBRA coverage for people losing jobs. The President wants a bill by mid-February, although it is drawing opposition in some quarters, including from some of Georgia’s delegation.

The General Assembly reconvenes today, January 26th. The House opens at 10:00 a.m. and the Senate begins at 1:00 p.m.

Legislator's Responses

Throughout this year's session, I will post legislator's responses to your emails and letters. Keep checking back here to see what they are saying about our issue.Here is a fantastic letter from one of Georgia's Partner in Policymaking graduates (Note that Jackie put "I live in your district" in her email's subject line):

Dear Rep. Walker,

Subject: Re: I live within District 107
RE: Unlock the Waiting List
I live within your district and have also had the privilege of hearing you speak at a Town Hall meeting that was held at Gwinnett County School's Instructional Support Building. Our 13 year old daughter, is currently on the waiting list for a MRWP (Mental Retardation Waiver Program) and has been waiting for a little over 2 years. She has autism and is totally nonverbal. She has severe learning disabilities and requires lots of care and support. Since she turned 13, her behaviors have become more challenging. Our family is in need of support on how to guide her and help her.

Since she has the mental capacity of someone much younger, we are not able to leave her alone. It requires that I be at home to see her off to school and meet her bus in the afternoon. Needless to say, I am not able to work fulltime and that further inhibits us from being able to afford needed services. She requires help with her personal care and all other activities, even going to bed. My husband works many hours to support us and I am She's primary caretaker. We do not get to spend any time together as a couple and our son is also asked to make sacrifices no child should have to make. I dread to think of
what single parents are doing to survive and take proper care of their child with disabilities.

Please do not cut support to families like ours, who are in desperate need of help. Ask them to do all they can to find funds to offer support for those who are on the waiting lists for waivers.

If you have any questions or wish to contact me, I can be reached at [phone number]

Thank you,
Jackie McNair

Len Walker wrote back:

From: Len Walker
To: "Jackie McNair"
Subject: Re: I live within District 107
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:13:02 +0000

Jackie,
Thank you for this reminder. This, as you know, is an issue of enormous
importance. I will certainly do all I can.
Sincerely,
Len Walker
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

The Governor's Budget Address

Governor Perdue delivered his State of the State Address yesterday. Included in this address was his budget proposals for amended budget for Fiscal Year 2009 and his full budget for Fiscal Year 2010.

His speech can be found at on his website. Some highlights include:

The Governor thanked the legislature for working with his administration to help replenish the Rainy Day Fund, which now stands at $1.2 billion. In these budgets, Governor Perdue recommended using the maximum amount available for appropriation from the reserves, appropriating $187 million for the education midyear adjustment, $50 million in 2009 and $408 million in 2010. In 2009, a number of one-time strategies unavailable in 2010 will be implemented to balance the budget. Therefore, Governor Perdue recommended the largest portion of available reserve funds be committed to the 2010 budget.

Governor Perdue also outlined a proposal to restructure the Department of Human Resources. Currently, $3.8 billion is spent within DHR every year. The plan calls for the creation of a new Department of Behavioral Health which will include all mental health and addictive disease programs. The bill also establishes a Department of Health, a combination of the public health and oversight programs in DHR and the current functions of DHR. Remaining social services, such as Developmental Disabilities, Aging, DFCS and Child Support, will come together under a reconstituted Department of Human Services.

Governor Perdue will also introduce legislation to ask those who receive Medicaid payments to help fund the system. This proposal takes advantage of the fact that every dollar used toward Medicaid purposes draws down almost two additional dollars from the federal government. The budget will reflect, and an accompanying bill will propose, a 1.6 percent fee on hospitals and health insurance plans to, not only fill the hole in Medicaid, but also to do what the healthcare community has asked of Governor Perdue’s administration. This proposal will significantly raise Medicaid rates, particularly for hospitals; and in conjunction with the SuperSpeeder legislation, provide $60 million for trauma to sustain and expand the state’s trauma hospitals, EMS and trauma physician infrastructure.

Video of the Governor's Speech can be found here.

To see an update on the budget, go to http://www.unlockthewaitinglists.com/

Unlock the Waiting List Information

The Senate and House approved their budget recommendations, sending to the Governor a budget that includes 500 Mental Retardation Waiver Program (MRWP) services, 175 Independent Care Waiver Programs (ICWP) slots and a 3% rate increase for providers of DD and ICWP supports!

Click here for a complete list of budget items with dollar amounts.

Given the uncertainty in the economy, this additional funding for community supports is good news! We are thankful to the General Assembly for their support. We also know that the reality is that at the current level of funding, Georgia's waiting list for these supports will be more next year than today – not less.

There are currently 5,542 people on the MRWP community waiting list with this list growing by over 1,000 people annually. Also, while there are more than 129 individuals officially waiting for ICWP supports, we know that there are thousands living right now in nursing homes and other facilities that could benefit from the ICWP support.

The budget now goes to Governor Perdue for his signature. The Governor has until May 14th to sign the FY2009 budget into law. He can also decide to veto any specific funding item while approving the remainder of the bill.

Great News for the Housing Trust Fund!

The Senate put $500,000 back into the budget for the Homeless Housing Trust Fund for Housing Support Specialists

The Housing Support Specialists (HSS) program will serve 1,200 persons with 70 outreach specialists statewide and will give homeless persons with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and other conditions and disabilities, opportunities to end their homelessness.

Please help us by thanking key Senate members for supporting this very important program.

Send an email thanking to key Senate members now

NEXT STEPS
We must ask the House to please SUPPORT the annual appropriation recommended by the Senate for $500,000 in the Department of Community Affairs' FY 09 budget. This amount is part of a 50% match requirement, creating a total $1 million program budget.

Click here for a fact sheet on for this issue

Click here for more information on Homeless and Special Needs Housing.