Thompson: Senate Will Soon Take Up Transportation Funding, 2016 Budget

Submitted by State Sen. Bruce Thompson (R-White)

The Senate was in session on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of last week for legislative days 28, 29 and 30. Day 30 is called Crossover Day because it is the deadline for a fill that originated in the Senate to pass the Senate in order to be considered by the House, and vice versa.

Senate Bill 130, the Smokefree Cars for Children Act, passed with overwhelming support. It was one of 24 bills on the Senate’s general calendar Friday. Twenty-three of those bills passed the Senate and will now cross over to the House with 18 bills the Senate passed on Wednesday, seven on Friday along with all the Senate bills that passed before this week.

With Crossover Day squarely in the rearview mirror, the Senate will now focus on the House bills that have crossed over to our chamber. The most important of these is HB 76, the state’s appropriations budget for the 2016 fiscal year. HB 76 outlines how the state will spend more than $21.7 billion dollars from July 1, 2015, and ending June 30, 2016.

The governor has made it a priority to put additional funds into K-12 education funding. His budget proposal included $239 million for enrollment growth in the K-12 system and an additional $280 million to increase instructional days and enhance teacher salaries. The budget is also expected to include an increase in awards for HOPE scholarships and grants.

Next week, the Senate will convene on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The bill count on the general calendar will be smaller than this past week so the Senate can work on House Bills in committees. The Senate is expected to vote on our version of the 2016 budget on Friday. Another thing to keep an eye on this week is how the conversation for transportation funding takes shape in the Senate. Up until now, HB 170 has been in the hands of the House.

All of the bills that passed the Senate in the last few days are available to view online through legis.ga.gov. As the House bills move through the process, I look forward to bringing you more information about them.

It is my honor to represent the 14th Senate District. If there is something my office can help you with, please contact us.

Sen. Bruce Thompson represents the 14th Senate District, which includes portions of Bartow, Cherokee, and Cobb counties. He may be reached at 404-656-0065 or by email at bruce.thompson@senate.ga.gov.

Photo credit: Georgia General Assembly