Week 4 Highlights:
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On Monday, my colleagues and I returned to the capitol and focused our time on fulfilling our Constitutional duty to pass a balanced budget.
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House Bill 67, the AFY 2025 budget, passed with bipartisan support.
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On Tuesday, we honored firefighters from around the state in celebration of the 53rd Firefighters Recognition Day at the State Capitol. On Thursday, we observed Georgia National Guard Day, and celebrated the 50th anniversary of Morehouse School of Medicine.
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Also this week, the Speaker of the House unveiled a new school safety plan in response to the Apalachee High School shooting last year.
Digging Deeper
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The House’s version of the AFY 2025 budget prioritizes, among other things, education, health care, and public safety. It also provides relief and funding for Georgians affected by Hurricane Helene.
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For example, our budget recommends adding $145 million to the Governor’s Emergency Fund in order to continue funding the state’s response efforts.
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The budget also includes $35.6 million to support Georgia’s rural hospitals in their recovery efforts. We know rural Georgians were hit hard and often face significant barriers to accessing quality and timely medical care.
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When it comes to our schools, the budget includes $50 million for school security grants and $3 million for school risk assessment systems through the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.
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The AFY 2025 budget allocates $22.2 million to the Georgia Department of Human Services to address the growth in foster care.
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Those are just a few examples of the spending items in HB 67. It now heads to the Senate for consideration.
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The school safety plan unveiled by the Speakers goes a long way toward ensuring the safety of all Georgia students.
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For example, the plan calls for establishing a Student Safety Database to help identify potential security risks. It would also require each district to set up risk management teams.
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The plan also creates mental health coordinator positions at schools, and require instruction in violence prevention and suicide awareness.
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Last but not least, the plan encourages responsible gun ownership by providing voluntary tax incentives for things like safe storage and safety training courses.
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You can learn more about the plan here.
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Coming Up:
We will return to the State Capitol on Monday, February 10th. If the Senate recommends any changes to the AFY 2025 budget, it will come back to the House for more review. If both chambers don’t reach an agreement, the budget will head to what’s called a “conference committee,” where we will resolve both versions and hopefully send to the governor for his signature.
