LOOKING FORWARD
Each legislative session, we are constitutionally mandated to pass a balanced budget for our state. Our appropriation subcommittees have already begun meeting with our state agency heads to begin crafting the budget, but this is always a time consuming piece of legislation involving the House, Senate, and Governor's office, so it will most likely take the entire session to complete.
In addition to crafting the state's budget, we will continue to work on our education system, specifically elementary school literacy. We have made tremendous strides in both these areas, but more work is needed. Our goal is to eventually have a literacy coach in every elementary school across the state and increase our pre-literacy resources for birth to five education. We won't stop until every child can read well and be ready for success!
Over the past several years, the General Assembly has lowered the state income tax rate to keep more money in your pockets. I know that many families are still concerned about the high cost of living, and I've heard from many of you about our property tax system. The House will be examining our state's property tax structure from top to bottom and will be looking at options to help hardworking Georgians afford to stay in their homes. We want to ensure that homeowners are not priced out by rising valuations. The House will also be focusing on cutting through government red tape to reduce regulatory barriers that drive up housing costs. We are committed to helping everyone get on the path to home ownership!
We will also look at the issues of rural development and rural healthcare. Agriculture is our number one industry and is the backbone of our state, but our rural communities have some challenges. We will be looking at options to strengthen these areas while still allowing them to keep the rural character. The House will also focus on increasing access to quality, affordable healthcare by expanding medical education opportunities and growing Georgia's healthcare workforce.
