Legislative update [Jan. 8, 2007]

2007 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education

The Week Ahead:
The General Assembly will recess for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday on Monday, January 15 and will reconvene on Monday, January 22 for day 5 of the legislative session. Weekly updates will resume the week of January 22.
Budget hearings for state agencies will be held next Wednesday and Thursday, January 17 and 18.
Interim Commissioner Ron Jackson is scheduled to address the Joint Appropriations Committees on the Fiscal Year 2007 amended and 2008 budgets at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 17, in room 341 of the State Capitol.
Useful Links:
For more information on House and Senate members or to track legislation, log on to www.legis.state.ga.us
To access live committee meeting broadcasts in the House, log on to www.legis.state.ga.us, click on HOUSE, then select Georgia Legislative Network from the Daily Update and select from the menu of broadcasts.
Previous Updates:
MS Word version of this update
For questions regarding information contained in this bulletin, please contact:
Laura Gammage
lgammage@dtae.org (404) 374-6557

Week of January 8, 2007
Georgia's 236 lawmakers returned to Atlanta on January 8th to kick off the first session of the 2007-2008 legislative term of the General Assembly. Highlights for the week include:
The Governor unveiled his fiscal year 2007 amended and 2008 budgets in his annual State of the State address on Wednesday (see page two for details). Highlights for DTAE include: Almost $53 million in the bond package including two high priority major projects for DTAE as well as equipment for prior year projects completed. 3% pay raise for DTAE faculty and staff as well as additional funds to maintain the adult literacy instructors impacted by the reduction in federal TANF dollars. Additional funding for the increased utility costs for the technical colleges and continuation of the fast-track nursing initiative. Funding for the replacement of obsolete equipment and minor repair and renovation funds for the technical colleges. Transfer of funds for Georgia Aviation Technical College to Middle Georgia College. Full reduction to the colleges' personnel budget for the recent enrollment decline.
The Governor's budget recommendations for FY08 are available online at http://www.opb.state.ga.us/Budget/FY08_Book.pdf
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson announced committee assignments which are available online at www.legis.state.ga.us. Representative Burke Day introduced the Georgia Homeland Security in Education Act (House Bill 72), which would require higher education institutions to report foreign students who fail to show up for seven consecutive days to the Georgia Bureau on Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Institutions that fail to comply would risk losing state and federal funding.
Recommended Funding for Fiscal Year 2007 Amended & Fiscal Year 2008
Fiscal Year 2007 Amended $1.8M in state funds for adult literacy instructors will maintain that program at the current level even after the impending reduction in federal TANF funds. $882k in Economic Development for the Kia project which includes $277k for operating expenses of the Raytheon Bldg.
Fiscal Year 2008 The budgetary impact of the recent enrollment decline hit home with a $7.16M decrease in recommended Personal Services funding for the colleges. $2.85M in OEI was added to help offset the increase in utilities costs. Fast-track Nursing will be continued at the current level with $650k. Georgia Aviation Technical College and $3.7M are to be transferred to Middle Georgia College within the University System. MR&R funding, formerly in the capital outlay budget, was funded at $10.7M in OEI. Replacement of Obsolete Equipment, formerly in the capital outlay budget, was funded at $10.0M in OEI. $3M in Adult Literacy to replace diminished TANF funds. Salary increase of 3% recommended effective 1/1/08. Employer's share of State Health Benefit Plan premiums increased from 16.713% to 22.843%, partly to set aside funds for Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) like retiree healthcare. Additional funding ($16.5M) was included for state-paid positions.
Capital Outlay Columbus, Health Science Bldg, $16,285,000 Athens, Health Science Bldg, $17,815,000 Flint River, Equipment for Industrial Training Bldg, $1,260,000 Chattahoochee, Equipment for Paulding Classroom Bldg, $2,075,000 Savannah, Equipment for Technology Bldg, $2,445,000 Atlanta, Equipment for Allied Health Bldg, $2,795,000 Okefenokee, Equipment for Allied Health Bldg, $1,815,000 North Metro, Equipment for Allied Health & Technology Bldg, $1,950,000 Equipment for projects underway at DeKalb, Griffin, & South Georgia,

$6,540,000
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