[ January 26, 2020 ] We are back in Atlanta working on the one thing we have to do by law: Pass a balanced budget. But being in Atlanta is always a cultural check for me. Drivers are rude and unsafe, walkers will walk out in front of you, you miss the smiling faces you see in everyday life, and everything takes 30 minutes to get to even if it?s four miles. The water is different, and well, the air is, too. But it?s 40 days, and there is a lot to do.

The Joint House and Senate Appropriations spent this week listening to state departments going over the Governor's Budget proposals and the cuts that are in most department budgets. Medicaid, the QBE Formula in Education, and most of Higher Education were exempt. That left the 4% cuts in FY2020 and the 6% cuts in FY2021 to the rest of state government.

The Governor in his comments to the joint committee said Georgia was able to save millions of dollars by consolidating services, cutting overtime and administration, and reducing real estate leases. His budget also would make about 1,200 vacant jobs disappear.

Kemp?s aim in ordering the cuts was to save about $200 million this fiscal year and $300 million next year. That would give him flexibility to fund his priorities, such as a $2,000 raise for public school teachers, while also serving as a hedge against a possible economic downturn. We have seen slow tax collections in 2019 but a slight uptick in the last few months.

As for the cuts outlined in Kemp?s budget, it was left to the department heads to explain to legislators what cuts could mean for various agencies. Some of them had a hard time answering our questions.

Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black said the impact on his agency could be felt at the kitchen table because ?There will be fewer food safety inspections ... and fewer animal safety inspections.?

Some good news came from an unexpected source during Tuesday?s session. Back in September, Jeffrey Dorfman, the state?s fiscal economist, told us that the state was looking at a 50-50 chance of a mild recession this year. He was much sunnier last week. Now he is saying that ?There is pretty much zero chance we are in a recession now and not close to one.?

So, what?s next? The Appropriations subcommittees will start meeting this week in the afternoons after Session, looking at the proposals by the Department heads. These meetings get down to the nitty gritty of what cuts will mean to Georgia and will give legislators a chance to move, adjust, and redirect department funds as they see fit. Yes, it gets a bit tough in these meetings as what legislators want and department heads want is sometimes at odds. Next week I will go over a few of the changes proposed to keep you informed.

If you wanted to take a look at the Governor?s proposed budget, I can send you a link. E-mail me at rick.jasperse@house.ga.gov, and we will take care of you.

I thank you for the honor of allowing me to be your Representative in the Georgia House. As always, I greatly appreciate any feedback I receive from my constituents, and I welcome you to contact my office for questions or concerns about the legislative session. My Capitol office number is 404-656-7153, my home, 770-893-2039.