Georgia Legislative Watch

On a vote of 51 to 2, the Georgia Senate today passed House Bill 989; the supplemental budget for fiscal year 2008.

While the vote in favor of the budget was lopsided, the debate itself did not go without any fanfare. State Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Ellenwood) introduced an amendment that would restore $30 million in equalization funding to education.

Jones’ amendment failed on a vote of 17-36. Before the vote, Senate President Pro Tempore Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) took issue with Sen. Jones’ claim that “in practice, [the supplemental budget] represented a $30 million cut [in education].”

“There are zero cuts in the fiscal year ‘08 budget,” Johnson said. “The debate on equalization grants does not belong in the ‘08 budget. It’s appropriate for ‘09 not ‘08.”

H.B.989 now goes to a conference committee where negotiators from the House and Senate will craft a compromise on spending for the rest of fiscal year 2008.