House Passes FY2011 Amended Budget with Some Changes; Illegal Immigration Reform Debate Continues 

The ACCG policy team had a busy week as the amount of legislation introduced picked up and discussions and hearings in House and Senate committees got underway. Many issues, such as illegal immigration reform, received increased scrutiny both at the State Capitol and in statewide media coverage. ACCG continues to work closely with state legislators to identify their priorities for introduced legislation and to ensure that bills moving forward will not have unintended consequences for local government. As the legislative session progresses, county officials need to stay informed and engaged as issues change daily and can have a direct impact on county government operations.

FY 2011 Budget Passed by the House – Now Moves to the Senate

The House passed its version of the FY2011 Amended Budget this week, which included changes from the Governor’s recommended budget. Following are some of the changes that may impact counties:

Further reduces funding for the Georgia Aviation Authority to a total of $1.6 million.

• Reduces the restored funding for the OneGeorgia Authority from $19.8 million to $10 million.
• Restores the $2.5 million reduction in Grant in Aid for Public Health.
• Restores the $166,933 to the Department of Natural Resources contract with the Regional Commissions for historic preservation planners.

To see the FY2011 as passed by the House, click here. The Senate will begin working on their version of the amended budget next week.

Health and Human Services Legislation Introduced

Several bills were introduced this week that will provide important changes to county operations in the areas of health and human services. SB 39 allows for the optional creation of mental health courts at the local level which could potentially divert offenders to community health services rather than incurring costs from holding them in county jails.  Legislation was also introduced on issues ranging from indigent defense (HB 238) to funding for trauma care (SR 140).  Be sure to review these and other new bills that follow in the Legislative Update. To provide feedback on any of these health and human services issues, contact ACCG Associate Legislative Director Debra Nesbit at dnesbit@accg.org.

Illegal Immigration Reform Debate Continues

For the second week in a row, House and Senate committees held hearings on several bills that target illegal immigration reform. One of the top priorities for illegal immigration reform this year is to ensure local government compliance with the federal E-Verify and SAVE programs and to add enforcement mechanisms and penalties for state and local governments that do not administer these programs effectively. ACCG Associate Legislative Director Todd Edwards has followed these hearings closely and has testified on behalf of county government to discuss the effect of potential frivolous lawsuits, excessive fines for those who may be acting in good faith to comply and increased expenses that would have to be paid by local taxpayers due to new requirements. For more information on ACCG assessment the proposed illegal immigration reform legislation, click here.