UNDER THE GOLD DOME

WEEK 9

PASSAGE OF THE FY 2025 BUDGET

Following an eventful eighth week of session, during which we passed 72 bills on “Crossover Day” alone, the House got back to work on Monday, March 4 for another productive week under the Gold Dome. In the ninth week, our attention shifted to reviewing and voting on Senate Bills following the “Crossover Day” deadline last week. We also continued making progress by passing the House’s version of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget to send to our counterparts in the Senate. As we move forward in the final days of session, our work is more crucial than ever as we perfect legislation and ensure that the legislation we send to the governor reflects the best interests of our citizens.

This week, the House passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 2025) budget, House Bill 916, fulfilling our one constitutional obligation for the session. The FY 2025 budget will go into effect on July 1 of this year and is set at a revenue estimate of $36.1 billion, representing a historic increase of $3.6 billion, or 11.3 percent, over the previous fiscal year’s budget. The passage of this budget marks a significant milestone in Georgia's commitment to addressing the diverse needs of its citizens and reflects a robust investment across various sectors for the state’s growth and prosperity.

THE GEORGIA EARLY LITERACY ACT

During the 2023 session, I was proud to sponsor HB 538, The Georgia Early Literacy Act, which was signed by Governor Kemp in April 2023. This legislation is well on its way to full implementation, and it will be life-changing for our state's children. Reading proficiency by the end of 3rd grade is essential for success in school and adulthood. I spoke at a press conference hosted by Senator Billy Hickman this week, and you can watch it at the button below.

The House’s FY 2025 budget exhibits a substantial investment in Georgia's education sector, prioritizing various initiatives that are crucial for the advancement of K-12 education. In particular, HB 916 fully funds the Quality Basic Education (QBE) program by allocating a record $14.1 billion in state funds. This budget also includes provisions to enhance teacher salaries, with $373.6 million to increase the state base salary schedule by $2,500. Additionally, funding is reserved for salary raises for school nutrition workers, bus drivers, school nurses and Regional Education Services Agencies (RESA) staff, as well as $8.5 million for a $1,000 salary supplement for school custodians. The school nutrition program receives an additional $6.3 million to cover the cost of breakfast and lunch for reduced-paying students, and $2 million is included in school nutrition formula funds for local school systems to keep the price of meals affordable, both of which were priorities of the House. The House’s version of the budget also seeks to improve literacy rates in our state with $6.3 million appropriated for reading instruction grants to fund literacy coaches at each RESA, as well as pay supplements for literacy support coordinators and leads at school districts across Georgia. The House's budget also provides $1.5 million for dyslexia screening that is required for the 2024-2025 school year, pursuant to SB 48 (2019 Session). This provides funds for a $10 dyslexia assessment for each kindergarten through third grade student. When combined with funds in the base, the total funding  is $5 million. The House also prioritizes school safety in our budget, recognizing it as a fundamental component of providing a conducive learning environment for students and fostering a sense of security in the classroom, with $104 million allotted for the new School Security Grants program under the Department of Education. This new program will provide a $45,000 grant to each school for school safety and security initiatives, and those funds could be used for infrastructure expenses, operating expenses or salaries for school resource officers. Another significant investment includes $204 million in additional funding for student transportation, which also includes additional funds for transportation operations to reflect the increased cost of fuel, oil and other operating expenses, bringing the total funding for student transportation to $358.5 million in FY 2025. This funding formula for student transportation has not been updated in more than a decade, so this increased funding was another House priority.

SPONSORED LEGISLATION

I am proud to be sponsoring the following legislation. My colleagues and I are working tirelessly on other bills that will support our communities and will make Georgia a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

HOUSE BILL 880 -- This bill will allow military spouses in Georgia to get to work immediately in their chosen field using their existing professional license from another state. This will free our military spouses from cumbersome regulatory burdens and red tape. After unanimous passage in the House, it was heard in the Senate Veterans, Military, and Homeland Security committee on Thursday. You can watch my Senate presentation here https://vimeo.com/showcase/gasenvmhs#t=18m40s

HOUSE BILL 1027 -- This bill would require all Georgia students to take a computer science class before graduation. This is literacy for the 21st century and will equip our state's children with the knowledge to enter into our increasingly high tech workforce. I'm working with the Department of Education to make sure this will work for all our students. This bill passed out of both the Education Curriculum subcommittee and the full Education Committee. You can watch the video of the hearing at this link. HB 1027 was the last bill presented and begins at 2:53:03 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL_bqen_O68&t=7376s

Although this bill passed out of the House Rules Committee, the Education Chairman had it recommitted to the Education Committee. I am working with all our education partners to make sure this bill becomes a reality next year so our students are prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

HOUSE BILL 1121 -- This bill protects private property rights by allowing citizens to keep their short term rental properties if a municipality or county prohibits the registration of new short term rental properties. I am hopeful this bill will get a hearing this week in a Governmental Affairs subcommittee. This bill was heard in committee, and there were many questions. This will be a work in progress, and I will endeavor to work in the off season to answer these questions and protect our state's property owners.

HOUSE BILL 1161 -- This bill would exempt all income received as retirement benefits for our retired military service members. This was not heard in committee this year. I look forward to working on this issue in the coming years.

You can click the button below to follow legislation as each bill makes its way through the House and Senate.

QUALIFYING

For the past two years, it has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as your State Representative. Thank you for allowing me to represent you in Atlanta. On Tuesday, I qualified to seek another term in the General Assembly to make sure that Houston and Peach Counties have effective representation under the Gold Dome.

HOUSE PAGE PROGRAM

If your child is interested in becoming a House Page, please contact my administrative assistant at alana.lund@house.ga.gov, and she will help you with your request.

LINKS AND CONTACT INFORMATION

Thank you for allowing me to represent you in the General Assembly. Below are some links you may find helpful and informative as well as my contact information. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or requests for assistance.