ATLANTA — The Legislature got moving on the budget Thursday, passing a midyear spending adjustment that ignores Gov. Sonny Perdue’s call for cuts and will force him to sign it or veto before the session ends.
Instead of cutting $65 million from the midyear budget, which runs the state through June 30, the Legislature voted to use reserves to cover Gov. Perdue’s reduced revenue projection. They will also dip into reserves to help restore $20 million to equalize per-student funding in 16 metro Atlanta county school districts.
“We do think (the reserve) is a proper place to get it from,” said Appropriations Committee member Rep. Roger Williams, R-Dalton, adding the $1.6 billion reserve fund will be replenished in better economic times.
There was no word on Thursday about the governor’s reaction.
The House also overwhelmingly approved Thursday a $21.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2009 that would restore $90 million of the $141 million Gov. Perdue wants cut from Quality Basic Education formula that funds all public schools
Both chambers voted by the required two-thirds majority to send the midyear budget directly to Gov. Perdue, who by law has six days to approve it or make his vetoes. Although what counts as a “day” is a little unclear, it would mean he would have to decide on the budget before legislators finish the session, leaving them ample opportunity to override any line-item vetoes.
“I view completing the ’08 budget as a big step,” said Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome. “By doing it in a timely way, if there’s a veto, we’re able to respond that.”
Last year, the midyear budget slowed the session almost to a halt until the Legislature found a way to fund PeachCare for Kids, a health insurance program for low-income children.
Gov. Perdue last year vetoed a number of line-items after the session had ended. Some of those the House voted to override but the Senate has not.
A conference committee of Senate and House leaders finally decided this year to provide $2.7 million for the struggling statewide public defenders program, some $1 million less than what Gov. Perdue and the House recommended.
The midyear budget also allots more than $58 million to a trauma care fund that has received no money since its formation last year. A special commission will divvy up the money to ease costs among Georgia’s 14 trauma centers, two of which are in North Georgia.
Lawmakers said they hope this session the midyear budget doesn’t produce the same conflict with Gov. Perdue as last year.
“(The midyear budget) was the hold-up of the ’09 budget,” Rep. Williams said. “They longer it’s held up, the longer we’re here.”
The House’s ’09 budget passed 166-1 Thursday, but didn’t restore all cuts to education because of “tough times,” said Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Harbin, R-Evans. “This is a document that meets all our priorities this year, and we did it with $245 million less,” he said.
House members said they hope the Senate will help find $50 million more for schools funding in fiscal 2009.
“If they do that, we’ll leave here with a budget everyone can be proud of,” said Rep. Jay Neal, R-LaFayette, an Appropriations Committee member. “The committee did an incredible job with a very difficult situation with education, public safety and health care — areas that are crucial, we need them funded.”
More than $1 billion in cuts have been made to the education formula in the past five years.
Sen. Don Thomas, R-Dalton, said he would favor probably agree with the House’s move to restore some cuts as the budget moves to the Senate, especially because the QBE formula tends to equalize education throughout the state.
“I want to see as much money put into education as possible,” he said.
