Legislative update: a briefing for faculty and staff of the University System of Georgia, No. 5 (Feb. 6, 2006)

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
A Briefing for Faculty & Staff of the University System of Georgia No. 5, February 6, 2006
"Creating a More Educated Georgia"

Few Changes in House Version of the FY06 Amended Budget

The Georgia House of Representatives adopted the state's Amended Budget for Fiscal Year 2006 on Friday, making very few changes to Gov. Sonny Perdue's recommendations before passing the midyear funding legislation to the senate.
The House has approved $410,000 for North Georgia College & State University to offset the loss of scholarship revenue resulting from NGCSU cadets being deployed to the Georgia National Guard because of the Gulf War.
Also added to the Amended Budget by the House was $5 million in bonds for a minor capital project

that will renovate Georgia Tech's historic Civil Engineering Building and $2 million for a new public library in Hall County.
In addition, the House transferred funding recommended by the Governor from the Fiscal Year 2007 USG capital budget to the FY06 Amended Budget to provide debt service for the following public library bond projects: ` Epheaus Public Library ($650,000); East Central Georgia Regional Library System ($2
million); Forsyth County Library System ($2 million); and Gwinnett County Library System ($2 million).

University System Central to Governor's `State of Innovation' Agenda

Enhancing Georgia's reputation as a "State of Innovation" and promoting economic development in strategic industries is the focus of Gov. Sonny Perdue's "2006 Agenda for a Growing Georgia," and the University System of Georgia is playing a major role in his plan.
Perdue has proposed making a series of targeted investments in the areas of bioscience, energy and broadband technology.
"These are the industries that will cure cancer, improve our

food safety and supply and provide new sources of energy to power our lives and propel our state's economy forward," Perdue said in his "State of the State" address last month. "Building an innovation economy requires three main ingredients: people, capital and infrastructure.
"Georgia is investing in all three areas," Perdue stated. "We're investing $80 million this year alone. Our Eminent Scholar program already brings worldclass researchers to Georgia the scientists

and inventors whose research changes lives and becomes the basis for new companies and new industries.
"Bringing university research from the lab to the market has helped us create successful companies in Georgia like Mindspring, now Earthlink ... and medical science leaders like Inhibitex and Theragenics," he said.
"At our Centers of Innovation, we are bringing our best university research together with top Georgia companies to

make new advances in logistics, data processing, aeronautics, agriculture, new advances that will help Georgia companies become more competitive, grow more rapidly and create more jobs," Perdue said.
The budget he presented to the Georgia General Assembly on the day of his address includes the following recommendations from his "State of Innovation" agenda:
Research and Development Infrastructure $21.5 million
See "AGENDA," Page 2 ...

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE -- February 6, 2006, Issue No. 5

Agenda
Continued from Page 1...
to fund the Georgia Research Alliance's research-and-development infrastructure for research universities;
Seed Capital Fund $5 million for investment in entrepreneur-led science and technology start-up companies;
Life Sciences Facilities Fund $5 million for investment in entrepreneur-led start-up businesses to promote job

growth in Georgia's bio-science industry;
Nanotechnology Clean Room Facility $38 million in state funds to build an $80 million Nanotechnology Research Center at Georgia Tech;
Promote bio-science companies $2.5 million for the Georgia Research Alliance's Venture Lab;
Eminent Scholars and Patent Fund $2.2 million to fund two Eminent Scholars in energy research and a pat-

ent fund for the Georgia Research Alliance;
Research into developing alternative fuels $ 2 million to seed research on developing alternative fuels, such as the expansion of the University of Georgia's BioRefinery program.
Bioscience collaboration $1 million for bioscience collaboration in the Innovation and Technology Program to develop public/ private partnerships

that will enhance Georgia's bioscience industry; and
Cancer Scholars $1 million for the Georgia Research Alliance's Eminent Scholar program for cancer research.
"With these and the many other investments included in my budget, we will continue Georgia's transformation into a State of Innovation that will provide a growing economy, good jobs and thriving communities for our citizens," Perdue concluded.

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