January 23, 2009

Georgia State University Legislative Newsletter

SESSION CALENDAR
The Georgia General Assembly convened on Monday, January 12 to begin the 2009 legislative session. Lawmakers will confront a wide variety of issues linked by one deep problem: money, or the lack of it. Lawmakers will have to re-examine priorities on everything from roads to schools to health care.

Legislators completed 5 days of the 40 day session before taking recess for the week of January 19 to observe MLK day, and Inauguration Day. Budget hearings were conducted by the Joint Senate/House Appropriations Committee at the Capitol on Wednesday and Thursday (Jan 21, 22). University System Chancellor Erroll B. Davis spoke Thursday on the Governor’s budget recommendations.

The session will officially resume at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, January 26.

AlumNet Members: Please contact the Governor to express gratitude for his support of the Alpharetta Academic Facility - Equipment for Georgia State University. Even a short, hand written faxed note would be helpful. Governor Perdue may be reached via fax at 404-656-7119 or 203 State Capitol, Atlanta 30334. It is also time to ask your Representative and Senator to support the Governor’s budget recommendations. Please share a copy of all correspondence with our office.

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY’S 2009 STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
I. Board of Regents Formula Funds
Formula funds are the basic operating funds for all colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia. They provide funds for credit hour enrollment increases, operation and maintenance of new facilities, maintenance of existing infrastructure, and increased fringe benefit costs for items such as health insurance premiums. The University System is requesting and the Governor has recommended $109.9 million in new formula funds for FY 2010

II. Major Repairs and Renovations
Major Repairs and Renovations (MRR) program is designed to assist campuses with deferred maintenance of its buildings. The Governor recommended $70 million in general obligation bonds. Georgia State University seeks $7 million of this USG total.

III. Alpharetta Academic Facility - Equipment
The project involves the construction of a 53,500 square foot facility to be used in a collaboration between Georgia State University and Georgia Perimeter College. The request is $1 million for equipment funds.

IV. Academic Classroom Building
Project involves design of a 226,000 gsf instructional building that will consolidate faculty and operations in the core of campus. The building is the next step in a series of projects designed to increase the quality of instruction, research and institutional capacity and will improve operations through the replacement of inefficient and ineffective space. The request is $4.7 million in design funds. The Governor did not propose funding the design phase this year.

V. Alpharetta Center Accelerated Degree Program
Large numbers of Georgia high school seniors are ready to do college work, so Georgia State University proposes to work through the ACCEL program to capture those students in their senior year of high school and encourage them to enroll in college coursework at the Alpharetta Center. These students will be in position to earn a bachelor's degree within 3 years. Total cost for the first year of this project is $1 million.

LUNCHEON FOR HOUSE AND SENATE INTERNS
On Thursday, January 8, Georgia State University had the privilege of co-hosting the Welcome Luncheon for all House and Senate Interns with the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech. This was a great opportunity to meet and greet all of the House and Senate Interns. Georgia State University is well represented among the interns with 9 working for the Senate. Georgia State also has 8 working for the House.

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP APPRECIATION NIGHT
President Mark Becker greeted Georgia lawmakers on Tuesday, January 13 as the university hosted another successful legislative event at the Blue Room in the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot. Elected officials and special guests came to the event to meet new Georgia State President Mark Becker and learn more about Georgia State University. House Speaker Glenn Richardson, Speaker Pro Tem Mark Burkhalter and many other lawmakers attended.