By Ashley Speagle
Correspondent
ATLANTA -- The House Appropriations Committee passed a budget for fiscal 2011 Tuesday and sent it to the full House for a vote.
Meanwhile, local lawmakers' bills were approved to modify the Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund on behalf of volunteer firefighters and to set up a "Blue Alert" system when police officers are attacked.
House Appropriations members voted 61-8 to approve a $17.8 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
FISCAL 2011 BUDGET CUTS
These cuts were approved Tuesday by the House Appropriations Committee:
$612 million: Department of Community Health
$174 million: Department of Education
$121 million: Board of Regents
$40.6 million: Department of Transportation
Source: Georgia Legislature
The House blueprint includes a 1.45 percent hospital provider fee estimated to bring in nearly $230 million to fund Medicaid and PeachCare services in Georgia. But the bill establishing the fee hasn't been passed yet in the Legislature.
If the full House approves the budget, it will go to the Senate. Both chambers must agree to all changes before Gov. Sonny Perdue can sign it into law.
The two local bills will be sent for the governor's signature soon.
Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, sponsored the "Blue Alert" bill that creates a system to alert the public when a criminal who has seriously injured or killed a police officer is on the loose.
The House vote included only two opposing votes, including one from Rep. Bobby Franklin, R-Marietta.
Rep. Franklin said the alert system could compete negatively with existing alert systems, including Kimberly's Call, Mattie's Call and Amber Alert.
"Adding yet another alert, one that is not designed to save the life of a victim but to apprehend the perpetrator ... pulls off those designed to save lives," Rep. Franklin said.
The Senate unanimously passed a bill by Rep. Tom Weldon, R-Ringgold, to broaden eligibility for the Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund. The bill allows certified firefighters and volunteers who work in certain departments that use paid and volunteer firefighters to be eligible for the fund.
Sen. John Crosby, R-Tifton, said the bill also allows firefighters' spouses to receive benefits sooner after a firefighter's death.
"The other thing is to provide a provision eliminating a one-year waiting period for survivor benefits," said Sen. Crosby, who presented the bill to the Senate.
A transportation bill and the amended 2010 budget did not budge Tuesday, as House members disagreed with Senate amendments to both. The House sent the bill and the amended budget to conference committees to sort through the conflicts.
Continue reading by following these links to related stories:
Article:Budget’s passage on rocky ground for now
Article: Legislature makes gains on key issues
Or login with:
New Account