Daily Highlights
Day 40 - April 3, 2009
Monday, 06 April 2009
The 2009 legislative session ended at midnight tonight.  In a marathon final day, the legislature approved HB 119, the FY 2010 Budget.

Voices was relieved that we were successful in minimizing potentially devastating budget cuts to programs affecting children.  While all state agencies received deep budget cuts, we were especially gratified that, in the final FY 2010 budget that passed, school nurses retained state funding, the 3000 new Pre-K slots were approved, and funding for a family planning waiver application and program was provided.  Moreover, Voices worked with our coalition partners to advocate for more funding for child care subsidies.  While the CAPS program which provides such subsidies received a $12 million cut in TANF funding, legislators provided an addition $36 million in federal stimulus funding to the program.  We were successful in ensuring that budget language was adopted that call for DHR to use these funds to serve families on the statewide childcare subsidies waiting list.

Other bills that passed on the final day and await the Governor’s signature are SB 94, sponsored by Sen. Judson Hill that would provide extension of COBRA for former employees of small businesses and HB 251, sponsored by Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan, which would allow for intra-district public school choice.

Voices and partners in JUSTGeorgia applauded Senator Hamrick’s introduction of SB 292, the Child Protection and Public Safety Act, which was assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee today.  The bill is a sweeping revision of the state’s Juvenile Code that is designed to modernize and streamline the 38-year-old crazy quilt of laws that govern the way the state deals with children who are pulled into the state’s civil and criminal justice system.

Today was notable as much for what did not pass as for what did.  Legislators failed to reach agreement on transportation funding.  They did not vote on the proposed tobacco tax or any other revenue enhancements to attempt to prepare the state for budget deficits that will occur when federal stimulus funds expire in two years.  Voices will continue to advocate for a state budget with the resources needed to adequately meet the needs of Georgia’s children.
Day 39 - April 1, 2009
Thursday, 02 April 2009
The House and Senate had long sessions today as they work to pass important legislation before the 2009 Legislative Session ends on Friday.  Major issues including passage of the FY 2010 Budget, restructuring of the Department of Human Resources, and passage of a state transportation plan are still unresolved.

Several bills of importance to child advocates made progress today.  This morning, the Senate passed its version of HB 119, the FY 2010 Budget.  The House then refused to agree with the Senate’s changes, and a conference committee was appointed.  The conferees met today and will continue to work tomorrow to reach an agreement so that the FY 2010 Budget will receive final passage on Friday.  Senate Bill 207, sponsored by Senator Wiles, reached final passage today.  The bill, which provides that some juvenile court proceedings be opened, passed the House in a substantially different form than the Senate.  The House substitute was a product of consensus between many stakeholders, and Senator Wiles moved that the Senate adopt the House changes.  The bill will now go to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

Senate Bill 246, requiring the Dept. of Juvenile Justice to provide 24 hours notice to the victim of a child accused of a violent delinquent act when that child is released from detention, was passed by the House today.

Day 38, March 30, 2009
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
The Senate Appropriations Committee, chaired by Senator Jack Hill passed the Senate version of the FY 2010 budget today.  The bill will be on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

The Senate committee members restored funding to school nurses, rejected proposed rate cuts to hospitals and physicians, included funding for the proposed family planning waiver and budgeted for a Medicaid enrollment increase, and Voices for Georgia’s Children applauds them for these actions.  After a summary look at the Senate’s version of the budget, there are several items about which Voices is concerned:

  • While the Governor proposed adding 3000 new Pre-K slots, and the House agreed to this request, the Senate budget cuts 500 new slots from the budget;
  • The Senate proposes to pay for subsidized child care by using funds from the ARRA and transfers TANF funds to other programs. Voices is concerned that when ARRA funds run out, the child care subsidy program will have no means of funding.
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