The Senate has still not approved the budget for next school year, HB 119.  If you have not already done so, we ask that you use the contact information below to let your Senator know your views on the budget. 

PAGE has urged Senators to support the budget as passed by the House last week because it includes funding for school nurses, honors the state’s commitment to national board certified teachers, does not call for furloughs and provides for an appropriate 75%-25% employer/employee cost sharing for health care benefits.

PAGE sources at the capitol indicate that both the governor and the lt. governor are behind the scenes encouraging the Senate to include furloughs and a 70%-30% premium split in their version of the budget. Failing this, they will try to have these changes made during the inevitable conference committee meeting.”

We urge you to add your voice to this support for HB 119 by contacting your Senator today. The website below lists the Senators and their hometowns and will allow you to e-mail your views:

  http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2009_10/senate/senatelist.php

 (Better yet, if your Senator is home this weekend, a personal contact as one of his/her constituents might even be better than an e-mail.)

WHAT’S NEXT?

When the Senate passes the budget, even if the education portions match, there is a strong possibility that the two bodies will differ on several key budget items. The bill would then go to a House/Senate Conference Committee for finalization. 

We have heard rumors around the capitol that furloughs for educators might be introduced into the budget during the closed door deliberations of the conference committee.

Four key participants of the House/Senate Conference Committee who need to hear from you regarding furloughs are:

Speaker Glenn Richardson

  glenn.richardson@house.ga.gov

404/656-5020

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle

  casey.cagle@ltgov.ga.gov

404/656-5030

Senate Appropriations Chair Jack Hill

  jack.hill@senate.ga.gov

404/656-5038

House Appropriations Chair Ben Harbin

  ben.harbin@house.ga.gov

404/463-2247

A Final Word

Balancing the state budget on the backs of educators and their families by using furlough days would be bad enough, in our view. But to do it via secret conference committee deliberations at the eleventh hour of the legislative session would be particularly devious.