[February 03, 2012] | We are into February, and lots of discussion and debate are occurring at your Capitol. Education debate took second place to our work on the Amended 2012 Budget. I hope you don't mind my writing about the budget so much, but it is the most important thing we do every year. I want to communicate the process and what we are doing with your money. Last year, Governor Deal estimated that the state would bring in approximately $18.3 billion for Fiscal Year 2012 (FY 2012). We used his estimate during last year?s session to pass the FY 2012 budget, which directs our state?s spending from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012. Since then, we have seen modest economic growth resulting in a very slight upturn in state revenues. To account for this change and help our state?s schools support additional students, this week we passed House Bill 741, the Amended Fiscal Year 2012 (AFY 2012) state budget. This was the result of three weeks of work in Budget committees.
The Amended Budget looks at what we budgeted to spend and compares it to what we are really spending. The amended budget also allows us to account for differences in the number of students we expected to be enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade when we passed the budget last year and the number of students actually enrolled. Remember education accounts for over 50% of the state budget and surprisingly to me our statewide student numbers are increasing. This year, the very slight economic growth will bring the total 2012 state budget to $18.5 billion. Despite this positive sign of a slight economic recovery, per capita spending in Georgia continues to be held at decade-old levels.
The biggest adjustments to our current state budget were made in K-12 education funding. The AFY 2012 state budget includes an added $85.9 million for student growth and $7.7 million in supplemental grants for special charter schools. The House proposed funding for math and science teachers, including the 939 teachers who earned the stipend but have not received it for the past two years because of a computer coding error.
The AFY 2012 state budget also secures healthcare programs for children and the indigent. This includes $66.1 million in Medicaid and PeachCare funding, as well as $21.6 million in the Indigent Care Trust Fund for the Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) program. Additionally, the amended budget restores the 1/2 percent provider rate cut that was reflected in the original FY 2012 budget that we passed last year.
Other noteworthy investments in the AFY 2012 budget include restoring GBI agent positions and funding a FRAUD detection computer program for the Department of Revenue, which will actually show an immediate return on investment after this tax season.
While we were able to partially restore some important programs in the AFY 2012 budget, state revenue growth is only increasing at a modest rate, so the budget remains austere. State agencies are still working to do more with less. In fact, the AFY 2012 budget CUTS funding for state agencies by about $110 million.
Like all legislation, AFY 2012 budget must still be considered by the State Senate. This means that these bills may change as we work alongside our Senate counterparts. Next week I will spend some time writing about some of the bills we have looked at and passed in the House. In the meantime, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding our State. You can reach me at my Capitol office at 404-656-0188 or email me at rick.jasperse.house.ga.org.
Thank you for allowing me to serve as your Representative in your House.