ATLANTA — Blaming tough economic times, House members won’t seek to restore all cuts planned for schools next fiscal year when they vote on the budget today.
But the House version of the $21.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2009, which begins July 1, does give back $90 million of the $141 million Gov. Sonny Perdue suggested cutting from the Quality Basic Education formula.
Gov. Perdue reduced revenue estimates for budgets by more than $300 million last week because of an unexpected downturn in the state economy and dipping revenue projections.
That left state legislators scrambling to finish their proposals.
“We’re not in a recession, we’re just slowing our growth,” said Rep. Ben Harbin, R-Evans, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
“We need to make sure we meet education needs,” he said. “... In tough economic times, we have to make tough decisions.”
Meanwhile, the House also is set to vote today on the $267 million midyear budget, a spending adjustment to the budget that funds the state through June 30.
House and Senate leaders reached a compromise Wednesday, after weeks of protracted discussion in Conference Committee.
Leaders of the two chambers agreed to meet somewhere near the middle on their two sticking points — schools and public defenders.
The midyear budget would provide $20 million to 16 metro Atlanta school districts to restore cuts made to state funding and bring their per-student funding closer to the statewide average.
The House had wanted to restore $30 million to the school districts, so leaders hope to put the additional $10 million in next year’s budget.
The leaders also agreed on $2.7 million for the statewide public defenders program, which is $1 million less than Gov. Perdue’s recommendation.
In the House version of the fiscal year 2009 budget, state employees would keep a 2.5 percent cost of living raise. That parts from Gov. Perdue’s proposal to reduce the raise to 2 percent and help make the $245 million in cuts needed after his reduced revenue projections.
Instead, the House will try to cut pilot programs and allotments for new vehicles or airplanes, Rep. Harbin said.
Gov. Perdue said he expects the state to dip into its $1.5 billion reserve next year.
ON THE NET
Georgia General Assembly: www.legis.ga.gov
