Issue Position: Major Issues

Issue Position

The 2013 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly will convene Monday, Jan. 14. As has been the case for several years, the major task for lawmakers will be to balance the annual state budget in the midst of a slow economic recovery.

For the first five months of the current fiscal year, state revenue collections are up by 3.7 percent over the same period last year but are short of the 5 percent anticipated growth on which the $19.2 billion budget for fiscal year 2013 is based. Also, the state is facing a $430 million deficit in the Medicaid program.

As a result, Gov. Nathan Deal has ordered a 3 percent budget cut across most state agencies. Lawmakers will also consider renewing the 1.45 percent hospital provider fee, also known as the "bed tax," to address the Medicaid funding shortfall.

Medicaid Expansion: Gov. Deal has stated that he will not expand Georgia's Medicaid program as part of the federal Affordable Care Act. Studies have indicated that Georgia would receive $33.7 billion in additional federal funds over the next 10 years, and an estimated 489,000 presently uninsured Georgians would be provided with healthcare coverage if the state expands the Medicaid program under the new federal law. But the governor contends the expansion would be too costly for the state in the long run, despite the flow of federal funding and the ability to provide coverage to more citizens.

Healthcare Exchange: Gov. Deal has also decided that Georgia will not set up a health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act, which means the exchange will be established and run by the federal government. The governor estimates the federal healthcare law is costing Georgia $7 million in the current year's budget and will add $42 million to the state budget for fiscal year 2014. He said the plan eliminates federal payments going to hospitals that treat a disproportionate share of Medicaid patients.

Stadium Funding: A new retractable-roof stadium has been proposed in downtown Atlanta for Falcons' football games and other major sporting events now held in the Georgia Dome, which would be replaced. The cost of the proposed stadium is estimated at more than $1 billion, most of which would be paid by the Falcons organization. But a proposed $300 million would be from state funds generated by a hotel-motel tax that is already in effect. To use that funding, lawmakers would have to authorize an increase in the debt limit for the Georgia World Congress Center Authority from $200 million to $300 million.

Juvenile Justice: The state's Criminal Justice Reform Council is expected to recommend a comprehensive rewrite of Georgia's 42-year-old juvenile justice code to better serve Georgia's children and promote safer communities. Broad goals of the reform plan include more efficient and fiscally responsible handling of non-violent offenses, which make up the majority of those committed by youth, and to reverse the currently increasing recidivism rate among youth offenders who spend time in youth detention centers.

Other Legislation: Among other legislative issues, proposals have been made that would:
Prohibit gifts from lobbyists to legislators or implement a $100 limit on such gifts.
Change the Constitution to legalize pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing, if approved by the voters.
Increase the mandatory school attendance age from 16 to 17 in order to reduce the student dropout rate in Georgia.
Revise state laws governing property forfeitures, providing procedural safeguards for defendants and greater protection for innocent property owners.
Allow counties and cities to collect a fraction of a percent from a special purpose local option sales tax rather than the full 1 percent now required.
Increase the boating safety laws on Georgia's lakes, with proposals including required boater education and licensing, lowering the blood alcohol level to 0.08 for boating under the influence charges and mandatory life preserver use for those under 13 years old.

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