The Senate convened this week after a week of budget hearings only to be impacted by the potential of black ice on Tuesday. At the direction of the Governor and Mayor of Atlanta, the Senate did not conduct business to keep our members and staff off the roads. And while it would seem that the weather slowed things down a little here at the Capitol, we are still hittting the ground running.
Last week was one of the utmost importance to us senators, as it is when we work to accomplish our one constitutionally required duty: pass a balanced budget. In order for us to remain fiscally responsible as a state, while still growing our great businesses and industries, the General Assembly has to do its duty and pass a budget that uses your tax money in the most efficient way possible. I take this responsibility very seriously, and I intend to do everything I can to make sure your needs are accounted for within the budget.
When we began joint budget hearings last week, Governor Brian P. Kemp presented his budget proposals for the Amended Fiscal Year 2019 and the General Fiscal Year 2020 budgets. I was extremely pleased to see that, through the grant money of $68.8 million for school security, each public school in our district will receive $30,000 to improve safety measures. This is outstanding news for the safety of our students and teachers. Students and staff should never feel unsafe in their school, and this money will help fund programs that local school systems see best benefiting their individual schools.
In addition to this, here are a few of my other highlights from the proposed budgets for you all:
- $8.4 million for additional mental health counselors in high schools as part of the school safety initiative. There is no doubt that school is stressful and societal pressures can impact your well-being, so I am happy to see money being allocated to address mental health in school.
- $500,000 to create a Gang Task Force to combat gang violence.
- $2.3 billion for non-interstate corridor improvement and expansion in rural areas. The investment in non-interstate corridors is more great news for rural Georgians, as it is a clear indicator that Governor Kemp is taking the expansion of rural Georgia’s economy through growth in infrastructure seriously.
- A proposed $34 million appropriation for the purpose of creating a low interest loan program for technical college students. Whether it is the agriculture, health care or film industries, all benefit from a skilled work force. Our TCSG system is strong; job placement out of technical college is 99.3 percent and 55.3 percent of Dual Enrollment students taking technical college courses.
- If you have any questions about legislation or the legislative process, please feel free to contact my office by phone or email. Please let me know if you would like to come to my office at the Capitol, my door is always open. It is a pleasure to represent the 50th Senate District.
About the author: Sen. John Wilkinson serves as Chairman of the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee and also as Caucus Secretary to the Majority Party. He represents the 50th Senate District which includes Banks, Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens and Towns counties and portions of Hall and Jackson counties. He can be reached by phone at 404.463.5257 or by email at [email protected].
