State Budget Increases, Jasperse Says

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Visiting Pickens County last week, State House Rep. Rick Jasperse (R-12) said Georgia’s budget increased slightly this year. Jasperse’s visit was part of the Popcorn and Politics program held monthly at the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce, an opportunity for citizens to meet and speak with local politicians. During his visit last week, Jasperse delivered a legislative update to a small group of citizens in the chamber conference room, highlighting the top 20 most important bills in the session. The list, he said, is a combination of bills they

“looked at, voted on, or declined”

on day 40 of legislature.

“We’ve had a slight increase in the budget this year,”

Jasperse said,

“and most of it’s due to education.”

He explained one of the responsibilities of the State House of Representatives is to

“fund school growth…also healthcare, teacher retirement, worker’s comp, and, believe it or not,”

he said,

“technology.”

However, he noted most of the increase was due to growth. For local school districts, though, healthcare cost is the pressing issue. In March, Pickens County Board of Education Chief Financial Officer Any Burgess told FYN, at the proposed rates, the cost of healthcare for non-certified employees for FY13 is approximately 1.9 million dollars annually. As such, the healthcare issue is logically one of the bigger cogs of the funding for education growth in Georgia, meaning that as schools and districts grow, operations need more teachers for whom the district and state is required, under law, to fund healthcare plans.

Continuing, Jasperse said the budget also includes the rainy day fund and a $111 million

”cushion for the governor to close deals.”

The rainy day fund, Jasperse explained, allows the state “room and time” and provides means to avoid drastic, immediate measures in situations of financial hardships. Here, he noted Georgia’s financial downturn in 2008, when the one billion dollar fund helped the state. Additionally, he said, the rainy day fund helps with gaining bond money, which, he said, is used for construction projects. According to Jasperse, this year’s bond package is approximately $900 million. Also, the $111 million cushion for closing deals allows the governor to bring businesses and companies to the state, he said, mentioning the recent Caterpillar deal, which is expected to bring 1400 jobs to the state with factories in Clarke and Oconee Counties. The goal is to raise the fund up from its current $328 million to a billion in the next three years.

Another bill Jasperse discussed was the Tax Reform bill (HB 386). The most notable part of this bill is the elimination of the auto sales tax and annual ad valorem tax. If and when a Georgia resident purchases a new or used car, he or she will not have to pay the auto sales tax, only a one-time tag fee. Car owners, however, who retain the same vehicle, will continue to pay the annual ad valorem fee, until they purchase another vehicle, new or used. Jasperse explained that instead counties receiving part of the tag fee, as is the case in the current system, the state will now receive the entire sum and then redistribute the money to the counties. The bill also reforms film tax credits for production companies.

“This is the biggest bill that going to affect your life,”

he said, calling it a “pro-growth tax bill.”

Among some other bills on Jasperse’s top- twenty list, were the Metal Theft Act (HB 872), State Charter School Act (HB 1162 and HB 797), Fetal Pain Act (HB 954), and Drug Testing for TANF Act (HB 861). In this group, the most notable ones are the Fetal Pain Act and the Drug Testing. The Fetal Pain Act prevents abortions after 20 weeks and the Drug Testing for TANF Act requires

“all applicants to submit to a drug screening test as a condition of eligibility to receive Temporary Assistance for Need Families (TANF),”

as stated in Jasperse’s overview. The bill intends to prevent recipients of TANF money to use the money for illegal drugs. Jasperse explained that the week after the House passed the bill, the Obama Administration signed an Executive Order prohibiting drug-testing for any benefits.

“So, there’s not going to be any (drug-testing) until that goes to court,”

Jasperse said. As such, the mandate has an effective date of July 1, 2013. However, the bill has already caused a stir. Writing in the AJC, Kristina Torres highlighted the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Human Rights is already preparing lawsuits against the mandate and legal rumblings are being heard from the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union). Jasperse explained the bill does not withhold money from the children of drug-users, only the drug-using parents. If a parent cannot pass a drug test, he or she needs to bring in someone who can pass it. This person or guardian will be held responsible for the child’s money.

“This one protected…children,”

he said, commenting on the bill.

“We passed the least number of bills that have ever been passed this year,”

Jasperse said. Out of the 1900 submitted, only 211 or so passed. He said the small number of bills passed was something legislature was proud of and was something

“Georgians want to see us do.”

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