The Ashe Advocate – February 22, 2008

House leadership sees the light on school funding

By Rep. Kathy Ashe

It was encouraging to hear members of the House Republican leadership this week announce plans to begin restoring the more than $1.5 billion in funding cuts to local school systems imposed by the Perdue administration the past six years.

Even this year, the governor has proposed slashing another $141.5 million, shifting the state’s responsibility for education onto the backs of local property taxpayers. House Democrats have been calling for restoring this funding for years to keep property taxes from rising around the state. We are delighted that House Republicans have now realized what these cuts have done to our schools and our taxpayers.

There is a saying that it takes coal to run a train and gold to run a campaign. The same applies to funding Georgia’s schools. For the last five years, our schools have been deprived of even their basic level of funding and as a result local taxpayers have had to pick up the tab from the state not living up to its obligation for education.

This is a good first step by House Republicans, and I urge them to continue this newfound trend and fully restore all of the funding.

Legislation that passed the House by a narrow margin Tuesday would combine the Children and Youth Coordinating Council and the Children’s Trust Fund Commission into a new Governor’s Office of Children and Families. 

Some of the duties of the new agency, under HB 1054, would include serving as a statewide clearinghouse for child-related information and research; coordinating with all components of the children’s service systems to develop legislative proposals and execute policy proposals related to child abuse injury prevention, treatment and juvenile justice systems; and reviewing and developing an integrated state plan for services provided to children and youth through state programs. The legislation also would create a 15-member advisory panel, appointed solely by the governor, to monitor the Office of Children and Families.

I voted against HB 1054 because these agencies should remain separate. Consolidating them would cause the governor to have too much political influence and control, which takes away from the goal of keeping the best interests of children at the forefront.

The House Ways & Means Committee has favorably reported Speaker Glenn Richardson’s tax plan, and the legislation is due for a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.

The current version of the speaker’s proposal would eliminate ad valorem taxes on cars and trucks, along with the property taxes paid for local schools. The state would impose a broader 4 percent sales tax on goods and consumer services, including groceries, lottery tickets and many legal and professional services, not presently taxed.  In turn, the state would divide those funds among local school boards to make up for the lost property tax revenue.

HR 1246 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would set the plan in motion. To be enacted, it must receive two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate and majority approval from Georgia voters in the November general election.  HB 979 is the enabling legislation that would take effective if the constitutional amendment is ratified.

Many lawmakers are skeptical over the proposal because of the expansion of the sales tax to groceries and so many other services – such as legal fees, gym memberships, haircuts, piano lessons and even wedding and funeral services. Also, there is the issue of local control as school boards would now be at the mercy of the state to meet revenue needs.

You can expect quite a debate when the speaker’s proposal reaches the House floor. Whether it will receive the necessary 120 votes to move from the House to the Senate remains to be seen.

Also Tuesday, the House approved HB 1044, which would correct the overregulation of respite care services, which are programs for aging adults who can function in group settings, eat and use the restroom unassisted, but still require care. This proposal removes respite care services from the regulations governing adult day care centers.

Additionally, the bill requires respite care services be operated by a non-profit organization, provide a maximum of 25 hours of service per week, be staffed by volunteers and managed by a director approved by the state Department of Human Resources.  HB 1044 now moves to the Senate for its consideration.

• Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) represents the 56th District (Fulton County) in the Georgia House of Representatives. Contact her at 409 Coverdell Office Building, Atlanta, GA  30334; by phone at 404-656-0116 or by e-mail at kathyashe56@mindspring.com.