Legislative update: a briefing for faculty and staff of the University System of Georgia, No. 12 (Apr. 2, 2008)

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
A Briefing for Faculty & Staff of the University System of Georgia No. 12, April 2, 2008
"Creating a More Educated Georgia"

Senate's FY09 Budget Recommendations

The Georgia Senate approved its version of the Fiscal Year 2009 budget on Friday. The Senate followed the Governor's recommendations in its version of the FY09 budget with full funding of formula for the University System. "We are pleased that this critical element of our budget has received strong support from the Governor and both the House and Senate," said Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr.
In addition to full funding for the formula, the Senate version of the FY09 budget mirrors both the House version and the Governor's recommendations for funding for the Medical College of Georgia to expand medical school capacity; additional funding to support the startup of Georgia Gwinnett College; and a 2.5 percent salary increase.
The 2.5 percent salary increase was in the Governor's initial recommendations, but revised to 2 percent following updated forecasts lowering state revenue projections. Both the House and Senate restored the half percentage point increase in their respective versions of the budget.

The Senate made the following changes in its version of the University System's FY09 capital-outlay budget:
The Senate restored funding for a number of projects:
g Restored funds for equipment for Savannah State University's Behavioral Social Science Building $1.9 million
g Restored funds for a Science Building at Clayton State University $6.9 million
g Restored funds for the renovation of Georgia Southern University's Health and Human Science Building $4 million
g Restored funds for the renovation of the marine operations infrastructure at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography $1.2 million
g Restored design funds for the Ray Charles Fine Arts Center at Albany State University $1.5 million

g Restored design funds for an academic facility at Gainesville State College $2.4 million
g Restored funds for the Houston County Library - $2 million
The Senate version of the budget did delete some funding:
g Removed funds for Georgia Tech's Hinman Building $6.4 million
g Removed funds for Coastal Georgia Community College's Health Sciences Building $1 million
g Removed design funds for the Medical College of Georgia's Educational Commons $5 million
The Senate version of the budget did put in additional funds:
g Added funds for the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry $5 million ($65 million total recommendation)
g Added funds for the renovation of Tift, Lewis, and Herring Halls at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College $5.4 million ($6 million total recommendation)

g Added funds for the Medical College of Georgia's umbilical cord facility $.5 million
g Added funds for the Medical College of Georgia's Live 5 microscope system $.65 million
g Added funds for public libraries: Forsyth, Grantville, Jeff Davis and Mildred Terry - $3.365 million
The Senate version of the University System's FY09 operating budget contains the following changes:
g Reduced base funding for MRR (moving from cash to bonds) - $17.5 million
g Restored funds for roof repair at Darton College - $.075 million
g Added funding for the University of Georgia at Oxford - $.075 million
g Added funding for Eminent scholars at Kennesaw State University and Georgia Southern University - $1 million
Adjournment
This year's General Assembly session is scheduled to close "sine die," this Friday, April 4,