Press release [May 4, 2004D]

Georgia House of Representatives Public Information Office
Room 505, Legislative Office Building Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-5082 1-800-282-5800

5-2030-5188 For Immediate Release

May 4, 2004

Special Session of General Assembly Convenes Rep. Reece Says Work will be Quickly Completed

Atlanta - On Monday, Governor Sonny Perdue convened a special session of the Legislature requesting lawmakers to consider a bill to provide funding for Georgia's newly established indigent defense program. The 2005 Appropriations Act, recently passed in the 2004 legislative session, anticipated $57 million in new revenue through fines and fees generated with the initiation of the new program. In the final moments of the session, the House, Senate and Governor could not agree on language in HB 869, the bill that established funding for the courts to administer the program. Because of this lack of consensus in the bill on who oversees the program, it failed to pass and the funds could not be collected.

Governor Perdue, who determines agenda items for the special session, has proclaimed indigent defense as the only issue to be brought up. It will cost about $45,000 per day to hold the session, and some lawmakers have suggested the Governor should have modified the 2005 budget to put it in balance rather than call the special session.

"Thankfully a compromise has been reached and we should only be in session for five days, which is the shortest amount of time it takes a bill to get through the legislative process," said Representative Barbara Massey Reece (D-Menlo). "The budget is the most important bill passed every year because it keeps state government in operation. Prisons, hospitals and schools would all be in jeopardy without the passage of a budget."

The 2005 budget includes $204 million restored for K-12 education over the Governor's proposal, $368 million dedicated to the Medicaid program that provides care for the elderly and poor, $116 million restored for books and fees covered through the HOPE scholarship, a
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continuation of the state's property tax relief program for homeowners, almost $1 billion in bonds for construction projects, 2 percent pay raises for state employees and teachers that will begin in January and $1 million for the daily operations of a commuter-rail link between Atlanta and Lovejoy.
Other highlights include new funds for Georgia's public libraries and the Georgia Quick Start Program, which works with new industries to provide specialty job training for potential workers. Also passed were $60 million in bonds for major repair and renovation projects throughout Georgia's University System; $21 million in bonds for the Department of Technical and Adult Education and $13.7 million in bonds to construct and equip a new classroom building for Heart of Georgia Technical College.
Reece commented, "Of course we are disappointed that we had to return for the special session, because we believe the issues could have easily been addressed in other ways. However, we will do everything we can in the House to complete the people's business and adjourn in the shortest amount of time possible."
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For more information contact Rep. Reece at 404-656-0305