By Sen. Butch Miller

The Georgia General Assembly opened its 152nd Legislative Session on Monday, Jan. 10 at the State Capitol.  This is my first session as a state senator and I am honored to represent you in the legislature. It was an eventful week, partly due to the dangerous winter storm that greeted us on Sunday night, but also because we welcomed a new governor and many new legislators.  We also heard Governor Deal’s annual State of the State address where he outlines his agenda and budget recommendations for the year.
At the start of this session, we already face a nearly $2 billion budget hole. Finding a way to close the revenue gap will be our top priority. While the economy dipped and has slowly been working its way to recovery, balancing the state budget has become an increasingly arduous task.  During these tough economic times, the legislature has cut spending to require government to live within its means.  We are spending $2.4 billion less in the Fiscal Year 2011 budget than we were in 2009.  Growth in education, Regents, technical schools and Medicaid is expected to consume the majority of the 4 to 5 percent revenue growth that economists are projecting this year.   
Governor Deal called for increasingly limited government in his State of the State address. This will help build on the work that Georgia’s conservative leadership has already done to find efficiencies throughout state government.  As the governor pointed out, it's our responsibility to practice the principles of conservative government that we preach. It’s time to end the rhetoric of campaigns and get down to the business of moving our state on a continued path to recovery.
In his speech, the governor emphasized education, water and transportation as fundamental elements to our competitive advantage. He placed a high priority on K-12 funding, saying that education is a vital economic development tool and that shortening school years or furloughing teachers would be detrimental to our recovery. I agree completely; a good education system is the gateway to the future success of our children and the state of Georgia.

Another essential program we will be evaluating is the HOPE scholarship. Over the past several years, HOPE has paid out more than the lottery brings in. In FY 2011, it is estimated that over $300 million of reserves will be needed and for FY 2012, over $400 million of reserve funds will be needed. If this pattern is not preserved by FY 2013, all of the reserves will have been expended and HOPE cannot meet its obligations. Programmatic changes will be necessary during this legislative session. The governor’s 2012 budget does not authorize HOPE expenditures beyond what the lottery produces. This program is a shinning star in Georgia. We must work to preserve the program and ensure that hard-working students across Georgia have every available resource to help them further their education.

Georgia’s population growth during the last 10 years combined with recent droughts and a federal ruling that challenges our right to drinking water from Lake Lanier has threatened the future of our water supply. The governor is calling for reservoir creation and expansion throughout the state. He has placed an emphasis on leveraging allotted money in the budget on local-state partnerships that will work together to ensure a sustainable water supply.

While our transportation system is one of the most advanced and accessible, with 99 percent of Georgians living within 20 miles of a four-lane road, it is still one of the most clogged, especially around metro Atlanta. Relieving congestion and improving mobility will be a top priority of the governor’s and the legislature’s agenda. Over this next year Georgians will have an opportunity to shape investment in their communities through regional transportation roundtables. It is important that all Georgians be involved in this process. The governor also placed an emphasis in his address on the potential of public-private partnerships as an alternate means of funding transportation improvements.
This session, I will serve as Chairman of the State and Local Governmental Operations Committee. I was also appointed to the Agriculture, Transportation, Natural Resources and Economic Development committees. Our work on the committee level lays the foundation for concise, solution-based legislation and I am honored to serve the people of Georgia in my capacity as a member of these important committees.
This challenging session will be an opportunity to pass legislation that will put Georgia on the road to growth and success. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.