Tax reform and budget pass the sen-
By Senator Bill Jackson

BILL JACKSON

The legislature completed its 36th day of session on Friday. With four more days to go until Sine Die, the final day of legislative business, the General Assembly has decided to complete its work by convening Monday through Wednesday of next week, breaking on Thursday and coming back Friday to close the session. We have a lot of work ahead of us in a short amount of time, but I am confident that we will proudly walk away from this year's session having passed sound public policies for the benefit of all Georgians.

The beginning of the week was devoted to committee work and finalizing the details on the Senate's version of the FY 09 budget. We picked back up in chamber on Thursday, passing a number of bills and preparing for the final days of session. We came back on Friday for what was a historic day in the Senate, as we voted 49 to 6 to pass the largest tax cut ever considered by the Georgia General Assembly. As I discussed last week, this tax reform plan will bring relief to every working Georgian who pays taxes, no matter their income or in what tax bracket they fall. Under House Bill 1244, Georgians will receive a 10 percent cut to their income taxes, beginning July of this year. This plan will provide the broad-based, immediate relief that our citizens so desperately need. Developing and voting on such influential legislation is what makes my job as a legislator the most rewarding. I am proud to have the opportunity to bring such substantial relief through this tax reform so that my constituents, and every Georgian, can keep more of their hard-earned money.

We closed the week by passing the Senate's version of the FY 09 budget. Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee have been dedicated to developing a sound, fiscally responsible budget that is fair and balanced. This $21.4 billion package addresses the critical issues facing our state, including water, education, healthcare and transportation. Here's a look at the funding included for each of these areas:

.. In addition to the over $40 million included in the FY 08 amended budget for reservoirs, the general budget includes an additional $30 million to increase the state's water storage capacity.

.. Both the Senate and House have passed several measures to help strengthen Georgia's education system. In that light, the budget restores $56 million in austerity cuts for schools across Georgia, and $22 million for low-wealth school districts throughout the state.

.. We have ensured that our state's healthcare system is kept running at optimal levels by appropriating $341 million to fully fund the PeachCare for Kids Program. $9.2 million will be dedicated to improving access to healthcare in rural areas of our state, as well as $3 million for public health clinics across Georgia. Finally, among other healthcare funds, there is $17.3 million in total funds for trauma care.

.. Our transportation system will receive some much needed assistance through $7 million in community improvement district grants for congestion relief, and $50 million to create the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank within the State Road and Tollway Authority. This has been a productive session, full of constructive debates over some very important issues. Looking ahead to the final week of the 2008 session, I anticipate that the pace will intensely increase as legislators work quickly to move their most important bills. I look forward to reporting next week on all that your state Senate accomplished this year on your behalf.

Sen. Bill Jackson represents the 24th Senate District, which includes Columbia, Glascock, Lincoln, McDuffie and Wilkes counties and portions of Elbert and Warren counties. He can be reached at 404.656.5114 or via e-mail at bill.jackson@senate.ga.gov.