Politics & Government

Braddock: Drug Test Bill in Senate's Hands

State Rep. Paulette Braddock, R-Hiram, says House Bill 861 would "ensure drug addicts do not abuse taxpayer dollars to support their illicit habit."

Wednesday, March 8, marked the 30th legislative day of the 2012 session. Known as “Crossover Day,” day 30 marks the last chance for most bills to pass the legislative chamber where they started. At the end of Crossover Day, all legislation passed by the House must “cross over” to the Senate, and vice versa. As a result, any House bill that has not passed the House by the end of Crossover Day will have little chance of becoming law this year unless it is tacked on to the end of another bill. Due to this deadline, the House worked long hours this week, debating and voting on lengthy lists of pending legislation.

Of all the legislation passed on Crossover Day, the most important was House Bill 742, the Fiscal Year 2013 (FY 2013) state budget. The Georgia Constitution requires only one thing of the General Assembly—to pass a balanced state budget. As passed by the House, the FY 2013 budget will direct spending for all state agencies, departments and programs from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2013. The $19.2 billion FY 2013 budget proposes state operations at over 20 percent less per capita than a decade ago.

The FY 2013 budget includes an increase in funding for state education programs. Thanks to this added funding, we were able to bring back 10 days of instruction to our Georgia Pre-K program that were cut in the FY 2012 budget, bringing the Pre-K year to 170 days of instruction and nine professional learning days. We followed Governor Nathan Deal’s proposal in funding a reading mentor program and included $3 million in differentiated pay for newly certified math and science teachers. The House budget plan also includes $112.5 million to fully fund K-12 enrollment growth and pay increases for teachers based on their training and experience. It includes an additional $3.5 million for the school nurse program and $8.6 million in supplemental funding for state special charter schools. Additionally, the FY 2013 budget allows every free or reduced lunch student to take one AP exam, which could help the brightest students in the state earn college credit before they graduate high school.

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In addition to education, the FY 2013 budget also expands funding for important health programs, such as the state medical student residency program. Through this funding, the state will attract future doctors to Georgia with nine new osteopathic residency slots, 214 additional residency slots in southwest Georgia and Gwinnett County and increases housing support for third- and fourth-year medical students. Also appropriated through the FY 2013 budget is funding for two new Federally Qualified Community Health Centers in high-need areas of the state.

Moreover, the FY 2013 budget increases funds necessary for keeping Georgians safe. Funding increases for our state’s public safety include an increased gas allowance for state troopers, which will help keep our troopers patrolling our roads despite rising gas prices. An extra $10 million was also added for accountability courts, for which I am a huge proponent. These highly specialized courts will provide the state with a more cost-efficient system in penalizing non-violent, first-time offenders who may be suffering from mental illness or drug addiction.

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Also passed this week was a bill I co-sponsored, House Bill 861. HB 861 would require applicants seeking cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to pass a drug test before receiving any public funds. This simple measure would ensure drug addicts do not abuse taxpayer dollars to support their illicit habit. If a TANF recipient that has dependent children fails the drug test, the funds for the children would be reassigned to another caring adult who will ensure the children’s needs are financially covered by the TANF funds. The new designee for benefits is also subject to a drug test. In this way, the program would help children of addicts by identifying those living with an addict so they can get help and make sure those children receive the proper care they deserve.

In addition to protecting children from the harms of drug abuse, we passed House Bill 1114 to protect the elderly and infirm from dangerous organizations that assist others in committing suicide. Under HB 1114, anyone who knowingly assists in a person’s suicide would be charged with a felony punishable by one to 10 years in prison. This measure was introduced after the Final Exit Network assisted a 58-year-old man in committing suicide in Cumming.

This week we also passed legislation to protect Georgians from the growing problem of metal theft. With metal prices at an all time high, many criminals have begun stealing appliances, cables, copper wiring, and other recyclable metal to sell for a quick profit. HB 872 would combat metal theft by requiring metal sellers to show a valid ID and a work order or receipt to prove the metal was not stolen. Metal recyclers must also maintain a record of all purchases, so that police may more easily investigate metal theft incidents. As HB 872 makes its way to the Senate and our law enforcement officers continue to fight metal theft throughout Georgia, I encourage you to visit www.stopmetaltheft.com to learn how you can protect your home from metal theft.

Finally, we passed House Bill 797 to improve education for our children. This legislation establishes the State Charter Schools Commission. The commission would be responsible for approving new charter schools that are requested by parents. This bill is the enabling legislation for House Resolution 1162, a constitutional amendment that provides the state the authority to create new charter schools. HR 1162 must first be approved by Georgia voters before HB 797 may take effect. If approved by the Senate, you will have the final say on HR 1162 on the ballot this November.

Now that Crossover Day has passed, the FY 2013 state budget and all other House bills are now in the Senate. While there, House legislation will once again go through the committee process before making its way to the Senate floor for consideration. If the House and Senate agree on identical versions of the legislation, and it passes both chambers, it will be sent to the governor for consideration.

The remaining 10 legislative days of session will be used to consider legislation already passed by the Senate, and to finalize changes to House Bills.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at my Capitol Office at 404-656-0177 or via email at paulette.braddock@house.ga.gov. You may also leave a comment by going to my legislative Facebook page: State Rep. Paulette Braddock (R-19). To sign up for the legislative newsletter go to www.paulettehouserep.com/contact.html.

If you would like to schedule a visit at the Capitol, please contact Marsha Barnes at 404-656-0177.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your representative.


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