State leaders list priorities for 2008 session

State leaders including Governor Perdue and House Speaker Glenn Richardson laid out their legislative priorities to the members of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce today.

It was the first time Perdue and Richardson appeared together in public since the State House overrode 12 of the Governor's vetos. They greeted each other fleetingly and promised the crowd of 2500 that they will work in the best interest of the state, in their speeches. Afterward, Perdue told reporters that State House members should let it go.

"If it's about messages, then I hope they got it out of their system. And we can more forward, and move our state forward to the issues we need to address."

For Perdue, those include water, education and funding for trauma care. For Richardson it's transportation and property tax reform. For GPB News, I'm Susanna Capelouto

Perdue doubts lawmakers would call special session

Some state lawmakers want to call a special session to override Gov. Sonny Perdue's recent vetoes, but Perdue says he is not worried.

Republican leaders in the state legislature are angry that Perdue struck $140 million from the budget for the fiscal year that starts next month. Perdue also directed state agencies to ignore lawmakers' instructions over how to spend their money.

"This was an unusual session and emotions were fragile," Perdue says. "People may assume these were emotional decisions. They were not emotional decisions. They were decisions of process and methodology and principle that I'm happy to defend to anyone and I'd be happy to visit with any legislator about that."

Perdue says he doubts many lawmakers want to return to the Capitol this summer for something, he says, is not an "extreme situation."

Lawmakers who feel otherwise say it's their role to finalize a budget, and they want the ability to direct how agencies spend the money they appropriate.

Perdue approves voucher program for disabled students; gets ready for GOP convention

Gov. Sonny Perdue has signed into law a program that allows disabled children to attend the school of their choice on the state's dime.

In this new program, parents can use voucher money to take their children with special needs out of their neighborhood school and put them in another public school, or a private one.

"We've seen over and over that when parents take charge of their family's education, I believe families win," Perdue said. "The competition that results from parental choice will raise all boats, benefiting all the special needs children of Georgia."

Each voucher will be worth the same amount the state pays to teach a special-needs child in public school—roughly $9000 per year now. Children must spend a year in public school to qualify for the program.

At the same meeting, Perdue told reporters that he will speak Saturday to Republicans at the GOP convention about his principles of governing.

"I think I will describe to them what my convictions are about being a true conservative and how I think true conservatives act," he said.

Perdue says he will not discuss his argument with state House Republicans over the 2007 midyear budget.

He struck a property tax cut from the budget before signing it.

He says he will use his line-item veto power again on the 2008 budget later this month.

Some conservative bloggers are urging convention-goers to walk out during Perdue's speech tomorrow in protest of the veto.

Peach farmers caught in political crossfire

Federal aid for Georgia peach farmers hit by an April freeze fell victim to yesterday’s Iraq war debate. Aid money was part of the spending bill President George Bush vetoed because it included a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Final estimates aren't in yet, but agriculture officials across the South expect hundreds of millions of dollars in losses from the freeze. While some sort of spending package is likely to pass, crop assistance and dozens of other domestic spending initiatives face an uncertain future.

Governor to announce Special Session

Governor Sonny Perdue says he is prepared to summon lawmakers to a special session next week to settle a budget dispute. The divided Legislature ended one of its longest-running sessions yesterday unable to overcome Perdue's Thursday night veto of the midyear spending plan, which included a one-time $142 million dollar tax break to Georgia homeowners.

The plan also contained badly needed cash to bail out the PeachCare health insurance program for poor children and to pay for public defenders, but Perdue argued it failed to fund other critical needs.

On Friday the House voted 163-to-5 to override the veto, but Senate leaders refused to follow suit by claiming the move was unconstitutional. The two chambers managed to approve a late agreement on the larger $20.2 billion dollar budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1st. Yet the stalemate over the $700 million dollar plan that funds state operations for the rest of the fiscal year ultimately threw the chamber into a special session.

House Speaker Glenn Richardson said he was irritated at the governor's call for lawmakers to return to Atlanta. He said, "This is a sad day for Georgia. Apparently hunting season is over and he's got time to hang out at the state Capitol."

Perdue said late yesterday he would announce the special session's dates next week.

Governor vetoes midyear budget

Gov. Sonny Perdue vetoed the 2007 midyear budget on the eve of the final day of the legislative session. Shortly after, he issued this statement:


It does not fund necessary operations.
It does not meet the current expenses of the state.
It does not meet the needs of Georgians.

This budget would lead to furloughs of literacy instructors and prosecutors, stopping cleanup of hazardous waste sites, halting health screening of newborns, letting up on internet predators, leaving us unprepared for a pandemic flu outbreak, and turning a blind eye to meth labs. That is not going to happen on my watch.


Earlier, Perdue had expressed disappointment in a plan to spend $142 million on property tax rebates. He had wanted lawmakers to expand the retirement tax break to include wealthy seniors. It would have cost about the same amount of money, but the House did not consider it.

The veto, although somewhat expected, has forced lawmakers back to the drawing board with just one day remaining in the session.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle released a statement expressing hope that lawmakers will reach a resolution swiftly. He said, "The budget process is complex and includes the House, the Senate and the Governor. Tonight the Governor exercised his place in the process and I respect his role."

But some House members hinted they could attempt to override the veto.

Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) says he's disappointed.

"The 2007 Amended Budget passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate, and it is difficult to understand why Gov. Perdue has chosen to deny Georgians a $142 million tax break," he said in a written statement. "We will reconvene tomorrow morning so that we may exercise the rights afforded to us in the Georgia Constitution."

"I hope the House leadership will again come to the table and address the needs of Georgians in the most appropriate way," Perdue concluded in his written statement. "There is still time if they want to take that approach. If not, I will call the House and Senate to a special session to get a Constitutional budget that meets the needs of our citizens."

A special session would last at least five days, at more than $48,000 per day.