Thursday, January 26th, the House overwhelmingly voted in favor for the passage of the amended state budget for fiscal year 2017. The AFY 2017 budget, if approved by the Senate, will allocate an additional $606.2 million in earned revenue, bringing the total AFY 2017 budget to $24.3 billion. The final amount is approximately 2.5 percent higher than originally estimated. The amended budget now heads to the Senate for further consideration. We are expected to vote on the full 2018 Fiscal Year budget in the next couple of weeks. Further highlights of the Amended FY 2017 budget are as follows:

• $16.7 million for the Move on When Ready program which allows eligible Georgia students to take advantage of dual enrollment and progress at their own pace.
  
• $2.3 million to create the Georgia Center for Early Language and Literacy at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, an education training center for developing literacy skills among children from birth to age 8 throughout the state.
  
• $25.1 million for a 20 percent pay raise for state law enforcement officers over 16 agencies.
  
• $50 million for the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center in Augusta.
  
• $974,712 to expedite the 57 percent per diem rate increase for Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) foster parents, effective April 1, 2017.
  
• $746,243 for a $1 per day increase for the relative, or kinship, foster care providers effective April 1, 2017.

Last weekend, many homes and businesses throughout our district were devastated by severe weather resulting in multiple tornadoes. These horrific storms resulted in school closures, power outages, insurmountable property damage and sadly, loss of life. In case of such event, we annually allocate funding to the Governor’s Emergency Fund to aid citizens in times of critical need. Last week we put $5 million into the AFY 2017 budget to supplement federal funding received from FEMA to aid community recovery. I would like to say thank you to Governor Deal and GEMA leaders for their swift action and aid as we begin to rebuild affected areas throughout our district. My thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones, as well as, those recovering from injuries sustained during these devastating storms.

This weeks “Share with Shaw” segment featured questions regarding Tax Reform. Most respondents believe that a Fair Tax, based off of consumption, should be considered when reforming our tax code. Many also favored the option of an internet sales tax, if implementation of such, would result in a lower state income tax rate. While there are no overnight solutions for an overhaul of our current tax system, discussing this issue with open dialogue is a step in the right direction. Your opinions will help us move forward in regards to tax reform options when representing our citizens. The questions presented last week are listed below and I encourage you to continue sharing your ideas regarding the current tax code. I sincerely appreciate all who took the time to share your insight as I work to represent YOU.  

As we continue to move forward, please feel free to contact me with questions and concerns. My first priority is to ensure that any votes taken accurately reflect our district stance. Thank you again for the privilege of serving as your advocate for simple, smart and effective government under Georgia's Gold Dome.

Respectfully,

Shaw Blackmon

Representative of Georgia's 146th House District