Legislative Update Number 2007.08 -- March 9, 2007

Busy agenda awaits lawmakers’ return to Capitol

By Rep. Pat Gardner

While the General Assembly has been in official recess since March 1, those of us on the House Appropriations Committee are continuing to deliberate over the proposed annual state budget.  To date, the midyear supplemental budget will add $659 million in spending through the end of the current fiscal year (June 30).  The annual budget for fiscal year 2008 is slated at $20.2 billion.

The reason for the recess is to delay final budget decisions while the state awaits action from the federal government on the PeachCare for Kids program’s current financial crisis. Meanwhile, the Georgia Board of Community Health voted Thursday to stop accepting new applications for PeachCare. This move seems to be unnecessary, however, because Democratic leaders in Congress have said they will expedite more federal funds for the children’s health insurance program.  PeachCare recipients must be careful to pay premiums on time lest they get dropped and caught in the freeze.

Congressional leaders have assured me that an Iraq war appropriations bill will also include $735 million to eliminate funding shortfalls in 14 states, including Georgia, that operate state children’s health insurance programs. Georgia would be completely reimbursed for any stopgap expenditures the state would have to make to prevent any interruption in PeachCare availability.

The state government is able to keep the program running until the congressional action takes place. House Bill 620 and House Bill 635, which I have co-sponsored, would provide for shifting PeachCare children under 150 percent of poverty in Medicaid to appropriately use federal Medicaid funds as a bridge until federal State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) funds again become available.

PeachCare serves a vital state interest by providing high-quality, secure health care for children of Georgia’s working families. PeachCare has achieved national prominence by successfully enrolling previously uninsured children consistent with the goals of SCHIP, as administered by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. I firmly believe that PeachCare is essential to the health, education, and welfare of Georgia’s children who would otherwise have no reliable access to health care.  Families take responsibility for their children by paying a premium based on their income.

When lawmakers reconvene on March 19, the House of Representatives will have a full agenda of legislation to consider. Proposals making their way to the House floor include:  PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR OPINIONS ABOUT THESE BILLS!

• Senate Bill 1, which would prohibit registered sex offenders from photographing minors without consent of a parent or guardian.  SB 1 has already passed the Senate.
• HB 185, which would allow judges to impose the death penalty if nine or more of the 12 jurors recommend it in capital cases.
• SB 10, which would provide state funded vouchers for special-needs students to attend private schools or public schools outside their resident districts.  SB 10 has already passed the Senate.
• SB 39, which has passed the Senate, would allow a school district to convert to a charter school system. This is part of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle’s education package of legislation. 
• HB 262 would allow school systems to shorten the 180 day school year by up to 10 days, while HB 347 would provide pilot project grants to school districts that wish to add up to 40 days to their school calendar.
• HB 187 would require school systems to pay for road, bridge, and utility work associated with school construction funded by sales tax levies. 
• SB 15, which has passed the Senate, would increase penalties for driving without a valid driver’s license and empowers jailers to determine the nationality of violators. 
• SB 38 would require Georgia residents to have a Georgia driver’s license or Georgia identification card to register their automobiles and obtain a car tag. SB 38 has also passed the Senate
• HB 77 would ban the use of red light camera surveillance by local law enforcement agencies to enforce traffic laws.

I am also co-sponsoring HB 243 and HB 571.  The first bill would provide that enrollment in postsecondary courses at a branch of the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education will not count against the hourly caps for HOPE grants.  HB 243 was voted and passed in the House and is awaiting consideration in the Senate.  The second bill would revise the definition of 'family violence' to include interfering with a 9-1-1 call.  It is under consideration in the House Committee on Judiciary (Non Civil).

There will be a hearing on my bill to establish Psychiatric Advance Directives on Tuesday, March 13th. HB 343 .

• Rep. Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta) represents the 57th District (Atlanta and DeKalb County) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact her at 604 Coverdell Office Building, Atlanta, GA  30334; by phone at 404-656-0265 or by e-mail at pat@patgardner.org.